<p>Deep December.</p> <p>It has now been months .. or well weeks since I had a proper shave, and there are still three weeks to go. I have had itching, smarting, chaffing and friction burns from putting on jumpers. And a constant mantra buzzes through my mind most days: 'Why will nobody talk to me now in bars?', 'Why are the looks of people on tubes so cold and distant?' And then I remember - 'its the beard, kid!' - 'that cruel hue of ginger that&nbsp;attacks the vision in the glare of icy mornings' ... 'But this won't be forever'&nbsp;I tell myself, 'Friends will come and donate and take me over that target which I hubristically set for myself all those days ago' ...'Its only a matter of time now ...' 'Just have to keep upbeat and avoid crowded places ...' Oh my God! Mick Hucknell does this by choice every day .. I hope he is ok in his soul!'</p> <p>xxx</p> <p><strong>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</strong></p>