Merry Christmas

Well this year has been a tussle of all sorts of emotions and events, a right battle Royal at times and Great fun at others. Talk about extremes and contrasts and it's squally nature has continued right up to Christmas......it's beginning to feel rather like being in a small boat when you think the storm has abated but it can't help batting you again like a cat with a mouse..ouch...but we've nearly made it to Christmas eve... Thank Goodness





Socks for Santa are due to be hung in 21 hours..If the excited pair whispering gleefully in the back bedroom ever settle down to sleep tonight!!!








I've been pondering which books are Christmas essentials?...

also which radio plays/audio books?

and which films or shows?.....

I should explore new horizons, but it's Christmas and so I go for tradition and comfortable familiarity.



Books...



The New Testament...(King James not revised..I love the language) I go for all the Christmas story passages



A Good book of Carols and Christmas songs.. I love Robin Ray's collection of carols but I've not yet found a copy for myself.



Agatha Christie's "The Sittaford Mystery" this can be included as a "read" or a "listen" as the BBC produced a drama version for the radio which stars Stephen Tompkinson. First broadcast in 1990 it's available as part of the BBC's radio collection.



Agatha Christie's "The Adventure of the Christmas pudding."



Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol"..gosh this fit's in all three catagories too... A great read, A great listen (Leonard Rossiter's reading is probably my favourite..although it could be a tie with

Geoffrey Palmer's reading which I love too!) and a Great film.. I grew up with Alaister Sim's version..Scrummy but George C Scott's is entertaining too..not least because it was filmed in Shrewsbury so I can play spot the familar buildings...





The Tailor of Gloucester, by Beatrix Potter (two catagories..book and film) The film has the extra treat of the singing ...I can't remember which choir sings the Sussex carol but it's beautiful

(The link by "Books, Mud and Compost" to a choir singing this most beautifully reminded me of this film and the version she links to sounds uncannily like the film)









Listens...



"Dear Diary" from previous Christmas's selections of Christmas day entries chosen by Simon Brett.



"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens... Geoffrey Palmer or Leonard Rossiter's readings.



"The Sittaford Mystery" by Agatha Christie..dramatised in 5 parts by Michael Bakewell for the BBC



"Second Thought's Christmas Special" starring Lynda Bellingham and James Bolam... the joys of cooking the Christmas Turkey!!!! I think it was broadcast Christmas 1992? Very funny to listen too anyway.



Longer Favourite Radio plays for Christmas include



"On Approval" By: Frederick Lonsdale

starring Samantha Bond, Maria Aitkin... and ...



"The Dippers" by Ben Travers

starring Judi Dench and Michael Williams



"Death and the Dancing Footman" by Ngaio Marsh



"The Holly and the Ivy" by Wynyard Browne



"The Admirable Crichton" by James Barrie





Films...



A Christmas Carol



The Holly and the Ivy starring Celia Johnson and Ralph Richardson



The Goodlife (Good Neigbors) Christmas special "silly but it's fun"



The Lord of the Rings trilogy



The (New) Dr Who Christmas specials


Gosh this could be a very long list ..and it's nearly Christmas Eve with fresh snow falling, so I'll pause and wish you a Very Merry Christmas and wonder..

what do you like?