Picture the face, spiteful old eyes, squinting, disapproval, thin blue lips and permanent skull, dry, hollow cheeks, around a cold, dripping, disappointed peak of a nose. He sits on his miserable stool, barking his orders, counting his money. He glares at the joy bursting all around him. Joy, because it's Christmas Eve. And he grows even meaner and harder and colder still. What happened to make him this way? Hadn't he been happy once? Oh, yes. And in love? Engaged to a beauty named Belle, employed by the best boss in the world who threw parties for his staff as they danced the night away. So where did it all go so wrong? There's an answer, of course, but you have to go back, way back, more than 200 years back, and across an ocean and through the foggy streets of Victorian England to a time infected by greed and weighed down by stark poverty. Maybe not so different from our own time. And here you will meet the original, The OG of Mene, the origin story of Ebenezer-Scrooge. You may think you know his tale of woe all a hum bug of it. But most of it just had a taste.

Now you'll live in the very words themselves. Join me for Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. You can hear the whole story starting Monday, December 11th. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Dashing through the traffic in a family hatchback. Off to Swords Pavilion's, laughing all the way. Hundred stores to shop, two hours free parking, cinema restaurants and ice ring for the perfect shopping day. Swords Pavilion. Christmas is sorted at Swords Pavilion's. Find out more at pavilion. Ie.