The dreaded C word has already been used in a TV advert.

And it just had to be a sofa company with a promise of a Christmas delivery if you order that must-have cream sofa complete with built-in foot-rest and iPlayer power socket now.

It’s the first sign of what will soon get into full Christmas swing.

A lifetime ago I worked at Woolworths but one date always sticks in my mind from those long-gone days even now. That date is October 14 and the reason? It was the deadline for the full Christmas layout.

And then the music would start. Even Noddy Holder must start to wish he’d never penned Merry Christmas Everybody.

But why would you even want a new settee for Christmas … or even a new carpet?

You’ll get relatives and friends sitting on it or walking on it. Out come the drinks and nibbles and after a swift couple the red wine’s all over the carpet and your Twiglets are sliding down behind the cushions, only to be discovered covered in fluff in February.

Wait to the January sales, get one cheap and then enjoy it in peace and quiet.

Just talking about Christmas in October is enough to send a shudder up the spine. I’m no churchgoer but you have to feel for those who despair at the way commercialism has destroyed what it’s all about. A new Church of England campaign has got to the heart of the matter by portraying Jesus Christ as a toy doll.

Apparently some in the church have branded it as tacky and even blasphemous, but it shows the church is on the right wavelength. The best marketing has a sense of humour and this gets to the heart of the matter.

Expect to see it on billboards, bus stops and in newspapers. It’s there to make you think … and smile. The two often go hand-in-hand.

And the slogan’s brilliant. ‘He cries. He wees. He saves the world.’

After all, James Bond only does two out of the three.

The campaign is the brainchild of Christian media group ChurchAds.net, who state: “The doll represents the baby Jesus and plays on the idea of Christmas being a time when everyone is searching for that ‘must-have’ Christmas gift.

“This obsession means we focus too much on the material nature of the festival and miss the point – that Jesus, the true Godbaby, was born human and must never be turned into a commodity.’’

OK, they’re getting a bit heavy there, but you get the message.

Do we go over the top at Christmas? Think about it even if it’s more about the money you don’t have in your pocket rather than the religion you may have in your soul.

OK, Santa will always be there for the young ones, but isn’t it time for everyone to get it into perspective?

Years ago as a family we decided on a Christmas draw with everyone picking another family member’s name out of a hat and buying just for them.

It was a Christmas cracker of a decision and one that’s worked well.

And it’s never made our Christmases less merry.