My Xmas Card from Nick Clegg and Miriam Gonzalez Durantez

So today in the post, I rather unexpectadly received a Xmas card from Nick Clegg and his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez.

Now, as I prepare to enter the year in which I turn 30, I must admit that my memory isn't always the best but having said that, I'm pretty sure that this is the first time that I've received such a card from the Liberal Democrat Party leader and now Deputy Prime Minister. I may be wrong here but it doesn't stand out in my memory from years past so I'm presuming that this is the first time I've appeared on one of his lists.

Jim Hacker in Yes Minister
It immediately brought to my mind the sight of the hapless Jim Hacker in that 'Party Games' episode of Yes Minister when as Chairman of the Conservative Party, he found himself swamped with a mountain of Xmas cards that he had to sign in differing variations depending on who the recipients were.

It made me wonder how many Xmas cards that Nick Clegg and his office feel obliged to send and to which various groups. For example, I can't be sure as to why it was decided that I should receive a card though don't get me wrong, it is a nice gesture which I appreciate.

The card is not signed by Nick as party leader or as Deputy Prime Minister. It is actually quite a personalised looking card signed by Nick and Miriam. Now of course I realise that the signatures are printed from the original as to sign each one individually could take weeks as was indeed Jim Hacker's concern and whilst it was a basic message that wasn't written specifically for me, the fact that it comes over as a more personalised card with the front depicting a family of snowmen made me feel that I was on the 'personal' list of card recipients. Of course I don't know whether this is the case or not. I mean, has Nick Clegg used the same card and internal wording for every single card sent or are there indeed different messages and signatures for varying groups of individuals as was the case with Jim Hacker?

I don't know, but as I say it is a nice touch and it has given me a perfect excuse to find and replay that memorable scene from Yes Minister...