WE'VE all been grateful for findng a shop open on Christmas Day when we've run out of milk, or forgotten the cranberry jelly.

But, I still think that the decision by many supermarkets to close on December 25 this year, after so few customers wandered in last year, is quite right.

Before we had the "open all hours" approach to festive shopping, the local shops closed early on Christmas Eve and didn't open again until the day after Boxing Day.

Sometimes, yes, it was very inconvenient.

The reality, however, was that we planned ahead properly. We made sure we had enough bread, milk and general groceries to last the holiday period and that all the extra festive requirements were bought in early.

For me, that feeling of "well, if we've not got it now it's just too late" was always one of the pleasant, defining moments of Christmas.

Pull up the drawbridge -- the family's all here, we've got food, drin and warmth, and the festivities can begin.

As a result, we didn't simply chuck out food we didn't fancy. We made the turkey last, into sandwiches, fancy dishes that disguised the meat for turkey-fatigued diners and even made it into a soup.

If the kids wanted Ribena and we'd run out, tough. Corporation pop was on offer and this lack hardly amounted to child neglect.

Not nipping out to the shops for forgotten items made it more of an insular Christmas, but somehow it made it better. It was a traditional time at home, and seeing the shops closed and the streets quiet was simply part of the appeal.

At more recent Christmases, there is hardly a difference between December 25 and any other day, except that the pubs are busier and there are more people around wearing fancy jumpers.

Probably more importantly, shutting some of the supermarkets will give Christmas back to staff for them to enjoy with their families.

And it means that the sales can get under way with a vengeance after Christmas Day -- rather than within hours of us collapsing under the weight of festive food and drink.