Bridport mayor, councillor Ian Bark, is wishing residents a merry Christmas - as well as putting together his own 12 days of Christmas - and there is light at the end of the tunnel:

"It seems an age ago that our area was announced as remaining in 'Tier 2' of the Covid-19 restrictions. Subsequent announcements have changed the rules for the festive period, warned us about the dangers of a mutated virus, and told us to expect further measures after Christmas.

Like many others I find it very difficult to keep up with all the new laws and guidance, but what we all know is that the virus isn't going away and presents a grave danger to our most vulnerable residents.

I've heard people say that, because the virus is less evident in Bridport and West Bay, we shouldn't have to follow the draconian rules. I'm afraid I don't agree. It's partly our attention to the rules that has kept us relatively free of Covid-19 this year and we shouldn't drop our guard now.

With vaccines being delivered, we can all help to save lives now and over the coming months, whilst looking forward to a time – hopefully during 2021 – when we can shake hands, hug and kiss our loved ones, and not have to guess at who's saying hello from behind that mask.

I'll be doing my bit, and for Christmas I've put together my own 12 rules to help me remember to stay safe and help others, and so that I don't have to wait for the Government to tell me what's right and what's wrong. So here we go, my 2020 alternative to the 12 days of Christmas:

1. Be sociable, but keep 2m from others, and wear a mask if you can't
2. Be clean, wash your hands regularly and wipe down the bathroom between visits
3. Be green, stay home and don't travel unless you absolutely have to
4. Be brave, consider meeting outside like hardy Europeans
5. Be fun and play games, but quizzes and charades are better than those involving physical contact, objects, surfaces or singing
6. Be a lover of your own bed, and avoid overnight stays where possible
7. Be expressive with your loved ones, but resist the urge to embrace them
8. Be a fan of clean air, ventilate rooms thoroughly before and after visits
9. Be smart at the dinner table, avoid people from different households facing each other
10. Be the perfect host, serve each plate from the kitchen to avoid the sharing of utensils
11. Be selfish, but only so that you don't share cutlery or dishes
12. Be a supporter of Bridport businesses, don your mask, grab your hand sanitiser and shop local

Bridport, you've been fantastic in this awful year and I urge you to carry that on into Christmas and beyond. It's frustrating, disheartening at times, and it's deflating that we can't enjoy this time of celebration as normal. But for the sake of your loved ones and the wider community, let's keep going – it's been a long, dark tunnel, but the light is there shining in the distance.