There are loads of houses all over the country decorated with bright, flashing santas and parachuting snowmen - the now perennial Christmas lights.
Most other times of the year, people leave a light on while they’re out to make it look like they’re in to potential bad guys. At Christmas, the absence of illumination in half a million bulbs strewn across some gable-end is a bit of a clue that there might be no-one home. Add to that the fact that there might be some brand new, unopened, fresh-in-the-box items all neatly stacked under the tree in the living room.
The lights are on but there’s nobody home.
