My eclectic bunch of friends gather every year for a Wham-style' Christmas.

It is reminiscent of the band's classic 1980s music video, complete with bad jumpers, decorating the tree, lots of food and all of us wearing cheesy smiles.

There is a lot to be said for a family Christmas and I would not miss one for the world. However, my Friends Christmas' is something I look forward to all year.

It has grown and evolved over the years - I think the key factor in making it perfect is that it is so easy. Mum is not stuck in the kitchen, the kids are not fighting over presents and the telly is certainly switched off!

It's like Christmas is supposed to be.

My first Friends Christmas was in 2002; we decided in the middle of the day to put a turkey in the oven. By 10pm we were eating burned turkey and disappointing roast potatoes - a terrible meal but we were left with the after-taste of accomplishment.

The next year saw two friends, Bek and Claire, hosting the Christmas event. As next-door neighbours, they ferried pigs in blankets and extra chairs between their two flats. Most of us had Christmas dinner in our laps and later we swapped Secret Santa presents. It also saw the birth of Isn't Christmas Great' - our own theme song that has become an anthem for the weekend.

In 2004 we jumped into the big league! With a party of 24 people to cater for, we borrowed my partner's parents' house - they very kindly (and bravely) loaned us their beautiful farmhouse outside Retford. Our legendary five-hour quiz had everyone suitably competitive and our Boxing Day walk led to a quick pint at the local.

We hired a venue for our next Christmas, staying at the magnificent Stonegarthside Hall, with a pool table, grand dining-room and stunning grounds. The organiser, Chris McGinty, dutifully organised, cooked and undertook a fabulous rendition of Deal or No Deal.

Last year we stayed at Wynstay Hall in Wales, which had its own library, cinema screen, piano and pool table. All meals were catered for by different people, quizzes, entertainment and music were allocated as tasks and I had the wonderful task of making Christmas christmassy.' I decorated the dining table with hand-made name cards and secret gifts placed round the venue, and I decorated the 10ft-high Christmas tree (I told you it was like the Wham video!) I have just come back from this year's Christmas at a stunning farmhouse in Kendal. The friends list is ever-evolving and the new attendees had a magical time. Everyone chipped in with the cooking and cleaning. A highlight was playing classic playground game British Bulldog in the tennis court and an appearance from Santa Claus who popped in for a mince pie.

It's difficult to see how we can top this next year. Many friends are settling down or going travelling, moving away and getting married. Taking off a weekend just before Christmas is a difficult thing to do so it needs to be extra special. Perhaps we should hire the ski lodge from that famous video