Spare a thought for the Christmas workers

Today is the big day. It's our day for celebrating with family, the day for eating, laughing and remembering when. Hey it's Christmas. Joy to the world everyone.
But while most of us will be doing the festive thing at home or with relatives or friends, the world does go on.
Not everything shuts down for a grand old Christmas cheery love and knees-up. We still need our special people on duty.
We spoke to some workers doing the hard yards on Christmas Day.
COASTGUARD RADIO OPERATOR: Pam Gilliland

The four coastguard radio operators will all cover Christmas Day. They will each do a four-hour shift starting at 6am, going off around between 9 and 10pm that night.
Pam, who does the rosters and is the Wanganui Coastguard treasurer, said sharing the roster out on Christmas Day was the best way to cover it.
"Well, you just have one or two people expected to do it all on Christmas Day. So we're all sharing it."
Christmas Day should be reasonably quiet, she said.
"Most people stay at home. There's not too many going out fishing - but you never know."
WANGANUI POLICE CONSTABLE: Steve Cameron
Steve is on duty on Christmas Day at 2pm and working through till 11pm.
With two small sons, he said he was very pleased that he will be able to spend the morning with his boys and have Christmas Day lunch with them.
Christmas Day is like a lottery, he said.
"You can never predict what it will be like."
He hopes people will travel safely and avoid horrific car crashes, and there won't be any domestics.
"It would be great to have people smiling - all day."
WANGANUI FIRE OFFICER: Knud Bukholt
Knud is a father of three highly energetic children who he says won't miss out with him having to work on Christmas Day.
Because we celebrate Christmas in the Danish tradition on Christmas Eve - usually with roast goose if we can, but that's not always easy, Knud laughed.
So even though Dad is off to work on Christmas morning at 7.30am and is on duty at the Wanganui Fire Station until 6pm, the 3 Burkholt kids will have opened their presents and had a party with dad already.
But luckily they get second chance - a smaller celebration on Christmas Day at Dad's work.
There's a Christmas barbecue at the fire station for the officers on duty, their families and St John ambos and their families.
"If there's a callout we take off and the wives and partners take over."
ST JOHN AMBULANCE PARAMEDIC: Trudy Taylor

Paramedic Trudy Taylor is not only happy to work Christmas Day, she's actually used to it.
"It's just the way the shifts work and I've worked Christmas Days for years."
Not only is Trudy working Christmas Day, her husband Lindsay, a firefighter, is working too.
Which means their family celebrations will be on Christmas Eve with a big dinner, presents and cheer around the Christmas tree.
She admits she is hoping for a quiet Christmas day.
"Well, probably because we only get called out to sad events - unless of course we get lucky and get to deliver a baby. I love bringing babies into the world."
Even though her work is mostly on the sad side, Trudy loves her job.
"It is so worthwhile and we all feel like that about what we do, which makes St John a wonderful place to work."
PETROL STATION OWNER: Ray Stevens
Double S Motordrome owner Ray Stevens has manned the pumps at his BP station for the past 30 years.
Ray works from 7am to 8pm so Christmas dinner and all the trimmings have never been part of his Christmas.
Tomorrow, he will be up early and off to the cemetery with flowers for his mum and dad before opening up, he said.
"I actually like Christmas Day.
"I see many old and young faces going through to spend Christmas Day with the family.
"It's lovely - so many people pop in with treats for me, and it's just a really nice time."
Ray said one of the family would bring him in a dinner.
"I don't go without you know, in fact so many people bring me things I'm like a king for a day," he said.