My View: When Santa came down the chimney –

I am sure I am not alone to cringe at the premature arrival of Christmas this year.

While the country is enjoying some welcome summer sunshine and still planning their beach holidays, it seems just plain wrong to see Christmas decorations on sale in some shops.

Some of it is clearly a cynical publicity stunt, but the buyer of Selfridges, where decorations went on sale this week, maintains that they are only responding to public demand.

Surely the demand would still be there if they started selling baubles in, say, October. What will be next? Christmas lights switched on in September, or Santa's grotto in July?

It is nothing more than a way of getting more money out of the already cash-strapped shopper. After a terrible Christmas last year, shops want to start early this year. No doubt the television adverts will start soon and, as a parent of two small children, I now face five months of "can I have this or that for Christmas?"

My seven-year-old was determined to start her Christmas list the day after her birthday, in March, and was told in no uncertain terms that if she did, Santa would not be amused and was unlikely to bring anything on it.

Why are we in such a rush? Surely they risk it all back-firing and bringing on Christmas fatigue earlier than normal. There is definitely a sense of panic in the tinsle-filled air.

Apparently, "Christmas" in the retail world is only two weeks earlier than normal; no doubt they are trying to fudge some statistics or other to make it look like they are beating the recession.

I read somewhere that if they bring Christmas forward two weeks every year, it will be Christmas every day by 2026.

The Church of England is up in arms about Christmas in August.

A spokesman says the earlier it begins, the greater the danger of diluting the festival's importance.

"We should not forget the true meaning of Christmas, which is to celebrate the birth of Christ."

Thank goodness someone remembers what it is all about.

There is some good news. Apparently, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams will not be following Selfridges and Harrods just yet because of fears of alienating valued customers. Let's just hope their nerve holds.

So even before we have packed away our bikinis, we are hurtling towards Christmas. We even received our first batch of mince pies in the office last week.

While it did feel an affront to my anti-Christmas in the summer campaign, I have to say they were delicious.