Bloody Christmas, here again, let us raise a loving cup, peace on earth, goodwill to men, and make them do the washing up.

Five years later Wendy Cope became a freelance writer and was a television critic for The Spectator magazine until 1990. Cope was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours. Carol Ann Duffy succeeded Motion as Poet Laureate.

She read history at St Hilda's College Oxford. Wendy Cope OBE (born 21 July 1945) is an award-winning contemporary English poet.