54 furs! In Newcastle! To say I was surprised by the official head count at this month's Newcastle furmeet would be an understatement. But it is testament to what a successful and thriving community we have here now, and to the friendly and downright brilliant furs here in my adopted home city. I for one am proud and delighted to be a part of it.

This month's meet was, once again, fantastic. Admittedly it was a brief visit on my part (and apologies I had to dash off mid-way), but I loved every minute of it. Secret Santa, plenty of new faces and a fair few familiar ones as well (too many to mention here). It was a superb way to round off furmeets for me in 2011. So to all you Tyne Furs, have a happy Christmas, a Happy New Year, and see you all in February!