She is fighting her way through the crowds.

She is laden with parcels. She is dragging behind her an unwilling child who wants to play with every toy within sight. She is tired, harassed, bad tempered and bewildered. She is the Christmas shopper, 1958.

Months ago she made a resolution to do her Christmas shopping early. Of course, it hasn't worked out that way. Here she is with a long list and only nine more shopping days to Christmas.

She starts off early in the morning. Efforts to deposit her small son with friends or relatives have proved abortive. What first? The main item on her list is the Christmas bird. At the butcher's she considers the merits of geese and turkeys, and decides, for a change, she would like goose: at 4s a lb it is 1s cheaper than turkey.