The Berlin streets are awash with Christmas trees, disposed of in heaps at every junction. Overnight they crawl into the street and cause havoc with the morning traffic. I've never seen such en masse abandonment of used trees, some still with pieces of tinsel, others wrapped carefully back up into their plastic netting. While the smell of pines may take you back to the heady days of Christmas markets and Glühwein, there is one clear message - Christmas is so last year. Finish off the last of your Xmas marzipan, it's time to move on with 2015.

So with a small backwards glance at last month, I too am heading into the new year. Goodbye Christmas holidays, you were fun.