Ed Reardon at Christmas

It started in August.

Now it's Christmas Day. So where is curmudgeonly author Ed Reardon spending it?

The scepticism of his writing class back in August about where Ed would be hanging his stocking, wasn't entirely misplaced. And receiving a Christmas card from one's girlfriend signed without a kiss and her surname added in brackets probably doesn't bode well.

However, all is not lost as Ed's jocular round robin email to his family inviting himself to join their Christmas celebrations wasn't all in vain - there was at least one member of the family who didn't bounce it back.

So, following assurances that his requirements would be minimal, his levels of merriment would be Dionysian and a small caveat about what he regards as permissible Christmas viewing Ed is encouraged to think that he won't be spending Christmas alone.

Or he could be looking at a day with only his faithful cat Elgar, an Oxo cube and a cinnamon stick.

Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas.

Ed Reardon....Christopher Douglas
Fiona......Jenny Agutter
Olive........Stephanie Cole
Jaz Milvain......Philip Jackson
Pearl..........Rita May
Ping........Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Stan........Geoffrey Whitehead

Producer: Dawn Ellis

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2012.