Realistic nodding dogs...

...are proving very popular Christmas presents this year.

Which has nothing to do with the 12 days of Christmas!!

On the sixth day of Christmas, I was supposed to bring to you..

Six geese a-laying

Five gold rings (The Olympics rings of course)
Four calling birds (and a couple of blokes called round too.)
Three French hens ( this is one of 'em)
Two turtle doves (well penguins actually)
And did I see a partridge near the pear tree...?

But I was out all day and never even saw one goose, just one little nodding dog, so instead here are six little known facts about geese.

1. The goose step originated in Prussian military drill in the mid-18th century.

2. To be goosed - is to be grabbed on the bum... want a demo?

3. To take a gander - is to have a sideways look

4. The Hughes H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the Spruce Goose, was the biggest flying boat ever built.

5. Geese used to have their feet covered in tar before they were walked, sometimes more than 100 miles to the Nottingham Goose Fair, which has taken place in the first week of October for more than 700 years.

6. If six geese were each to lay you an egg for the sixth day of Christmas, they would weigh about 864 g and contain 1596 calories. They would provide almost 120 g of protein and 120 g of fat, 30 g of which would be saturated and contain about 12 g of carbohydrates.