Elsewhere in week 51

Our great office staff had a great Christmas lunch at The Fountain Bar. This was my tingling mulled cider.

I watched and enjoyed The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug this week. It's much better than the first one, and Peter Bradshaw explains how to enjoy it.

There's been a lot of chat about "selfies" recently, so it's good of Ian Steadman to give us some historical perspective.

A Christmas party without a bottle opener is no longer a disaster, thanks to the skilled folks at Bistro Bordeaux.

Want a happy hipster Christmas? The Oh Hello's Family Christmas Album is available to download for free.

Does setting up a call centre in Bethlehem sound risky? Jerry Marshall did it: "as a Christian I find that I do take more risks".

And finally, here's a modern retelling of the Christmas story. Usually that kind of introduction is bad news, but these three short videos are worth watching...