Saturday 31 December 2011

Playlist:
Mike Oldfield - In Dulci Jubilo
Steeleye Span - Gaudete
Wingin' It - Hand Up For Soup
Canterach - The Highland Brigade At Magersfontein
Steeleye Span - Fighting For Strangers
Rachel Hair - 52nd Street
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Killing The Blues
Malinky - Thaney
Hilary James - O'er The Ocean
Tom Paxton - Cindy's Crying + Hooker
Emile Benoit - Waltz In The House
Tommy Sands With Moya And Fionan Sands - A Stor Mo Chroi
Athena - Let Me In
Owen Hand - She Likes It

Thursday 29 December 2011

Playlist:
Beach Boys - Help Me Rhonda
McFly - All About You
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary
Bonnie Tyler - It's A Heartache
Belinda Carlisle - Leave A Light On For Me
Shakin' Stevens - Green Door
Andy Stewart - The Road And The Miles To Dundee
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancing
Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam
Secret Affair - Time For Action
Kirsty MacColl - Days

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Playlist:
Billy Jo Spears - '57 Chevrolet
Rod Stewart - Baby Jane
D Ream - Things Can Only Get Better
Carly Simon - Coming Round Again
Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua - What A Wonderful World
Steeleye Span - All Around My hat
Foundations - Baby, Now That I've Found You
Renee & Renato - Save Your Love
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Mud - Oh Boy
Bee Gees - For Whom The Bell Tolls
Rubettes - Foe Dee O Dee
Manfred Mann - Hubble Bubble Toil And Trouble

Tuesday 27 December 2011

Playlist:
John Fred & The Playboy Band - Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)
Lynrd Skynrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Whitesnake - Is This Love
Louis Armstrong - Tiger Rag
Doobie Brothers - Long Train Runnin'
KLF - Last Train To Transcentral
Burt Bacharach - Trains And Boats And Planes
S Club 7 - Don't Stop Movin'
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Please Read The Letter
Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman - Somethin' Stupid
Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
Nashville Teens - Google Eye
Billy Ocean - Love Really Hurts Without You
Jason Donovan - Too Many Broken Hearts

Monday 26 December 2011

Playlist:
Dinah Washington & Brook Benton - A Rockin' Good Way
Blondie - Union City Blue
Patsy Cline - South Of The Border
Johnny Cash - A Thing Called Love
Military Wives - Wherever You Are
Kim Wilde - If I Can't Have You
Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap
M People - Search For The Hero
Four Tops - Loco In Acapulco
Ronettes - Walking In The Rain
Madonna - Rescue Me
Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band - Watts Cradle Song

Grandad, what does Boxing Day mean?

This question came from our 5 year old granddaughter. I had to admit I'd forgotten and that we'd need to look it up on the Internet.

The term goes way back to Anglo Saxon times at least. Long before the welfare state and charities as we know them today, folk used to place gifts in a box for distribution to the poor the day after Christmas Day. So "unboxing" day would be more accurate.

Victorian employers made it more popular by distributing the Christmas Box (accumulated tips) to staff on that day.

Links:
The Independent
Answers.com

Saturday 24 December 2011

Playlist:
Jock Tamson's Bairns - The Braes o' Balquhidder
Canterach - Shipyards
Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band - Watts Cradle Song
Unthanks - Last
Judy Collins - Since You've Asked
Tangle Eye - John Henry's Blues
Lowri Evans - Last Night
Leonard Cohen - The Partisan
John Williamson - Galleries Of Pink Galahs
Tom Paxton - Icarus
Battlefield Band - Raigmore
Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band - Coventry Carol

Thursday 22 December 2011

Playlist:
XTC - Sgt. Rock
Danny Wilson - Mary's Prayer
Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
Crystals - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
David Essex - Hold Me Close
Paolo Nutini - New Shoes
Mel & Kim - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Ronan Keating - I Love It When We Do
Saw Doctors - I Useta Lover

Solstice Balls

It's the Winter Solstice (it was actually 05:30 on 22 December 2011), the end of one celestial year and the start of the new. Time to reflect that some ancient Romans almost got it right in choosing a date for the dawn of the new religious age (3 days out) and the new calendar year (10 days out). Not bad considering the resources available at the time. We can enjoy the thought that the days start getting longer again.

Trying to ignore the various references to Piers Morgan's face on Twitter, I am drawn to the The Independent story of Ed Balls' attempt to drive a wedge between LibDem and Tory members of the Coalition government (http://ind.pn/s7WDqR). This from Ed Balls the politician. In the same article, Ed Balls the economist makes very pertinent statements about the prospects for 2012.

Wednesday 21 December 2011

Playlist:
Aretha Franklin - Try A Little Tenderness
Perry Como - It's Impossible
Matchbox - Rockabilly Rebel
Shakin' Stevens - Green Door
Wurzels - Don't Look Back In Anger
Melanie - Brand New Key
Glen Medeiros - Nothing's Gonna Change My Love
Beach Boys - California Girls
Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston - It Takes Two
UB40 - Sing Our Own Song
Middle Of The Road - Soley Soley
Mika - Grace Kelly
Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Kelly Marie - Feels Like I'm In Love

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Playlist:
Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again
Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now
Kylie Minogue - Better The Devil You Know
Doris Day - Let It Snow!
Paule McCartney & Stevie Wonder - Ebony & Ivory
Bananarama - I'm Your Venus
Kiss - Crazy Crazy Nights
Billy Bragg with Cara Tivey - She's Leaving Home
Johnny Cash - One Piece At A Time
UB40 - Don't Break My Heart
Spin Doctors - Two Princes
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - You're All I Need To Get By

Monday 19 December 2011

Playlist:
Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas - Bad To Me
Jackie Wilson - In The Midnight Hour
Madness - Grey Day
Simple Minds - Let There Be Love
Brotherhood Of Man - Figaro
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
Earth Wind & Fire - September
Kajagoogoo - Too Shy
Pulp - Common People
David Bowie & Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street
Specials - Do Nothing
Wet Wet Wet - Julia Says
Four Tops - Bernadette

Saturday 17 December 2011

Playlist:
Jeana Leslie & Siobhan Miller - Saints And Sinners
McCalmans - Men Of The Sea
Henry Girls - Beyond Here
John Williamson - No One Love Brisbane Like Jesus
Owen Hand - Cam Ye O'er Frae France
Leonard Cohen - Lady Midnight
Karen Matheson - At The End Of The Night
Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham - The Queensferry Cooper + Derry Cunningham's Jig
Jock Tamson's Bairns - Donal Don + Piper's Cave
Ricky Skaggs, Paddy Glackin & Mark O'Connor - St. Ann's Reel
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Siligugu Isiphambano
Chloe Hall - One Man Standing Ovation
Eliza Carthy - Zycanthos Jig + Tommy's Foot + Quebecois

Thursday 15 December 2011

Playlist:
Bette Midler - From A Distance
Paul McCartney & Wings - Coming Up
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Darts - Come Back My Love
John & Yoko - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
Spice Girls - Wannabe
Alexander Brothers - These Are My Mountains
Wombles - Wombling Merry Christmas
Abba - Super Trouper
Mike Oldfield feat. Maggie Reilly - Moonlight Shadow
Roy Orbison - Penny Arcade
Crystas - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Playlist:
Pixie Lott - Mama Do
Drifters - Save The Last Dance For Me
Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
Cliff Richard - Congratulations
Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You
Special A.K.A. - Nelson Mandela
Heaven 17 - Temptation
Searchers - Love Potion Number Nine
Waterboys - The Whole Of The Moon
Pogues with Kirsty MacColl - Fairy Tale Of New York
Janet Jackson - That's The Way Love Goes
Thompson Twins - You Take Me Up

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Playlist:
Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love)
Carla Thomas - B-A-B-Y
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
Billy Connolly - D.I.V.O.R.C.E.
Van Morrison - Precious Time
Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love
Bad Manners - Special Brew
Lone Star - Amazed
Helen Hobson & David Shannon - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Marti Webb - Always There
Duffy - Mercy
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia

Monday 12 December 2011

Playlist:
Typically Tropical - Barbados
Freddie & The Dreamers - You Were Made For Me
Abba - Money Money Money
Moody Blues & Justin Hayward - Forever Autumn
Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers - That's What I Like
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Rich Woman
Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting - All For Love
Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Connie Francis - Stupid Cupid
Dionne Warwicke - Do You Know The Way To San Jose
The Knack - My Sharona

Saturday 10 December 2011

Playlist:
Spinners - Mist Over The Mersey
Runrig - Harvest Moon
Hilary James - Two Sisters
Joel & Cedric Perri - The Stars
Everly Brothers - Rose Connolly
Owen Hand - Acre Of Girl To A Foot Of Ground
Luka Bloom - Innocence
Sarah McQuaid - Shady Grove + Cluck Old Hen
John Williamson - This Is Australia Calling
Chloe Hall - Call Somebody
Lowri Evans - It's Cold Outside
Joan Mills & Saga - Landlord Don't You Cry

Thursday 8 December 2011

Playlist:
R. Kelly - If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time
Dr. Hook - If Not You
Heathrow Flyers - On My Radio
Kely Marie - Feels Like I'm In Love
Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
Don McLean - American Pie
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Abba - Ring Ring
Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knockin'

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Playlist:
Doctor & The Medics - Spirit In The Sky
UB40 - Red Red Wine
Judith Durham - Catch The Wind
REM - Shiny Happy People
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Cliff Richard - Move It
Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe
Appleton - Fantasy
Van Halen - Jump
Animals - Don't Bring Me Down
Randy Crawford - Rainy Night In Georgia

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Playlist:
Jacksons - Blame It On The Boogie
Labelle - Lady Marmalade
Nenah Cherry - Manchild
Turtles -Happy Together
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Trampled Rose
Petula Clark - Sailor
Buddy Holly - Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over
Jonathan King - Everyone's Gone To The Moon
Jam - Beat Surrender
Nashville Teens - Tobacco Road
Beatles - Love Me Do

Monday 5 December 2011

Playlist:
Neil Sedaka - Oh Carol!
Five Star - Stay Out Of My Life
Gene Pitney - Let The Heartaches Begin
Platters - Only You
Wings - Mull Of Kintyre
Cutting Crew (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight
Cliff Richard - She's So Beautiful
Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
Gloria Estefan - Rhythm Is Gonns Get You
Jose Carreras - Nessun Dorma
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen

Saturday 3 December 2011

Playlist:
Eliza Carthy & The Ratcatchers - Maid On The Shore
Spinners - Stormy Weather Boys
McCalman's - Ramblin' Rover
Canterach - Johnny O'Braidislea
Catherine Howe & Vo Fletcher - Nothing Love Does Surprises Me
Black Country Three - Dudley Canal Tunnel Song
Jeremy Taylor - Liberal Man
Dala - Horses
Hughes' Band - The Bucks Of Oranmore
Bob Dylan - Masters Of War
Dominig Bouchard - Gwerz Moro Pont Kalleg
Chris Flegg - It Was Love At First Sight
Barbara Dymock - Sto Me E Milo

Thursday 1 December 2011

Playlist:
10cc - The Things We Do For Love
Pet Shop Boys - Go West
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Davy's On The Road Again
Sam Brown - Valentine Moon
Crying Shames - Please Stay
Vatersay Boys - Oidche Bha
Blondie - Sunday Girl
Housemartins - Happy Hour
Jeff Beck - Hi-Ho Silver Lining
Elton John - Island Girl
Sinitta - So Macho