TO ALL MY BLOG READER’S

And a huge thank you to you all for your interest in my daily moans and groans, I will only be uploading a limited amount of blogs over the Xmas period because I will be busy Ho Ho Ho’ing, so I have put together a Christmas Special to fill the gaps

I Hope you, Your Loved Ones and Your Families have a wonderful time and a great New Year

See You All Very Soon

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Delia Smith: How to transform all that spare Christmas food into a glorious feast

Planning, shopping and cooking for the big Christmas meal can be an exhausting and stressful experience.

But the good news is that after the main event is over, the kitchen cupboards will be well stocked and the leftovers can keep family and friends fed and happy for days to come.

Forget all about those dry turkey sandwiches and cold chipolatas of old, Delia Smith has created a variety of simple, delicious and imaginative dishes that require minimum effort but are sure to tantalise the taste buds all the same. 

STILTON RAREBIT

SERVES 4 AS A SNACK OR 8 AS A PRE-DINNER NIBBLE

This recipe makes the most of leftover Stilton  -  but it could be made with any hard cheese (or even a mixture of all those end bits clinging to the rind).

INGREDIENTS

• 225g Stilton, rind removed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  1/4 teaspoon English mustard powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon chopped sage
• 25g walnut pieces
• 4 thick slices of bread (or 16 slices of ciabatta 1cm thick), well toasted
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Preheat the grill to its highest setting for a minimum of 10 minutes.

First line either the grill pan or a baking tray with foil, then put the cheese into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to finely crumble the cheese then stir in the egg, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, sage and walnuts.

Now spread the cheese mixture thickly over the toast, making sure you take the mixture to the edge or they will burn. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Then place them on to the foil-lined grill pan or baking tray and grill for 2 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve warm. Watercress salad would be a good addition.

LEEK, POTATO AND CHEESE SOUFFLE

SERVES 2

It may be hard to believe, but this one is good for using up leftovers  -  any combination of bits of cheese that lurk unused in dark corners of the fridge and leftover boiled potatoes (always a menace sitting in the fridge and not being used).

However, if you don’t have any left over, boiling some specially will be well worth it. This will make a very fine supper dish for 2 vegetarians or for those who often give meat a skip.

The potatoes give the souffle; a lovely crusty top with a squidgy inside. A salad with a lemon dressing would be a good accompaniment and a dollop of chutney on the side wouldn’t go amiss.

INGREDIENTS

• 50g leek, halved, washed and thinly sliced
• 110g boiled potatoes
• 50g strong cheddar, grated (1 tablespoon reserved for topping)
• 25g butter
• 4 tablespoons soured cream
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• 2 eggs, separated
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Whole nutmeg, for grating

FOR THE TOPPING

• The reserved cheddar (see above)
• 1 dessertspoon freshly grated parmesan
• Cayenne pepper

You will need a souffle dish with a base measurement of 13cm, 7cm deep, well buttered and a small baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6.

Begin by heating the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the sliced leek and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Then add the soured cream and yoghurt, give it all a good stir and cook on a very low heat for a further 5 minutes or so to soften the leek and flavour the sauce. Then take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Now beat the yolks into the cooled sauce and grate the potatoes straight into the pan and beat into the sauce. Lastly, beat in all but 1 tablespoon of the grated cheddar. Season with a little salt, cayenne and nutmeg then transfer to a large bowl.

In a separate (grease-free) bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and stir 1 heaped tablespoon into the cheese mixture to slacken it and make it easier to fold in the rest. Taste for seasoning before carefully folding in the remaining egg whites.

Pour the whole lot into the souffle dish and sprinkle the top with the reserved cheddar, parmesan and a sprinkling of cayenne.

Place on a baking tray and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Serve as soon as possible (it will shrink a bit on the way to the table), but even when it is shrunken and cold it still tastes good!

MINCEMEAT AND APPLE CRUMBLE FLAN WITH ALMONDS

SERVES 6

If you’ve got leftover mincemeat, this will cheer up a January Sunday lunch beautifully.

A ready-made pastry flan case will also save you time, which we have discovered works really well when frozen first.

INGREDIENTS

• 400g mincemeat (approx)
• 110g Cox’s apples, cored (no need to peel)
• 110g Bramley apples, cored (no need to peel)
• 1 x 230g fresh pastry flan case (frozen)
• A little melted butter
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1 rounded teaspoon semolina
• Icing sugar, for dusting

FOR THE CRUMBLE

20g chilled butter, cut into small dice

40g self-raising flour

25g Demerara sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

25g whole almonds (skin on is OK)

You will need a heated baking sheet Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6.

First, make the crumble. All you do is place the butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a processor and give things a whiz until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Then add the almonds and process again  -  not too fast  -  until they are fairly finely chopped but with a few chunky bits left.

If you don’t have a processor, in a large bowl rub the butter into the sifted flour until it resembles crumbs then stir in the sugar, cinnamon and almonds (which you can chop by hand).

Now chop the apples into small pieces  -  a mini chopper will make light work of this. Then mix them in with the mincemeat in a bowl along with the brandy.

Then brush the inside of the pastry case with a little melted butter and sprinkle the semolina evenly over the base. Place on the hot baking sheet and spoon in the apple mixture, pressing it down well.

Then simply sprinkle the crumble all over the apple mixture. Using the flat of your hands, press it down quite firmly; the more tightly it is packed together, the crisper it will be.

Put the tart on the centre shelf of the oven, reduce the temperature down to 190c/gas mark 5 and bake for 40 minutes, by which time the apples will be soft and the topping golden brown and crisp.

Leave it to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving dusted with icing sugar.

BRUSSELS BUBBLE AND SQUEAK

SERVES 4

In theory this should be made with leftover sprouts, and at any other time it is, but at Christmas we never seem to have enough left over, so we just cook some more.

The more crusty and brown it goes the better we like it. Then all it needs are slices of turkey and ham and some chutney and pickles.

INGREDIENTS

• 350g Brussels sprouts, cooked
• 450g Desiree potatoes, cooked, then mashed with butter and milk
• 1 tablespoon turkey dripping
• Seasoning

Use a medium-sized, heavy frying pan.

Chop the sprouts quite finely and combine them with the mashed potato, seasoning well. Now take a medium frying pan and melt the turkey dripping in it over a high heat.

When it’s really hot, pile in the potato mixture, using a palette knife to spread it all over the base of the pan and patting it down quite firmly.

Then turn the heat down to medium. What you’re aiming at here is a lovely crisp golden crust, which will take about 7 minutes on the first side.

Then place a plate on top of the frying pan and, using a cloth to protect your hand, invert it, turning the pan over so the bubble and squeak settles on the plate.

Now put the pan back on the heat and use a palette knife to slide and gently ease the mixture back into the pan to brown on the other side for about 5 minutes.

Serve the bubble and squeak cut into thick wedges with cold cuts.

ENGLISH COLONIAL CURRY WITH TURKEY

SERVES 4

There is something about an uncomplicated, old-fashioned curry-powder curry after all the Christmas feasting.

Its sheer simplicity offers a much-needed change of gear. It is also equally good made with leftover chicken or beef.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g cooked turkey, chopped into chunks
• 1 tablespoon turkey dripping
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 heaped tablespoon Sharwood’s Hot Curry Powder (for Madras)
• 725ml hot stock (made with Marigold bouillon)
• 1 medium dessert or Bramley apple, cored and chopped (no need to peel)
• 25g sultanas
• 1 heaped tablespoon mango chutney
• 2 tablespoons grated creamed coconut
• A squeeze of lemon
• Seasoning

Heat the dripping and fry the onion and celery over a medium heat, tossing them around till softened and well browned at the edges, then add the garlic and toss that around for a minute.

Now stir in the flour, turmeric, ginger and curry powder to soak up all the juices, and after that gradually stir in the stock. When the sauce begins to bubble, add the apple, sultanas, mango chutney and grated coconut, plus some seasoning.

Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 30 minutes. After that, add the turkey pieces and a squeeze of lemon juice, stir well, put a lid on and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes to reheat the turkey. Serve with basmati rice, poppadoms, mango chutney and lime pickle.

TURKEY DRIPPING

A once-a-year breakfast treat for those who are up and about on Boxing Day and all the other days: very crisp toast spread with turkey dripping (instead of butter) then topped with turkey jelly and lots of freshly milled black pepper end crushed sea salt.

TURKEY SOUP

SERVES 6

This is the very last bit of Christmas  -  warm, comforting bowls of steamy soup as January begins.

FOR THE STOCK

• 1 turkey carcass (including the skin and any debris, like bits of stuffing)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and split length-ways
• 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
• 2 celery sticks, cut into chunks
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 black peppercorns
• A little salt

FOR THE SOUP

• 900g vegetables (any combination of carrots, leeks, celery and onions)
• 1 heaped dessertspoon turkey dripping or butter
• Seasoning

To make the stock, take your largest cooking pot and break the turkey carcass into it (along with all the bits that cling to it), then add the rest of the ingredients and cover with cold water (about 6-7 litres).

Bring up to simmering point, skim off any scum that rises to the surface then simmer the stock for 2 hours. After that strain the stock through a colander and discard the debris.

Then strain through a sieve into a large clean pan, bring up to simmering point and let it bubble and reduce down to 1 litre.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the vegetables. Heat the dripping or butter in a large pan, then add the chopped vegetables, cover and reduce the heat to low and leave them to sweat for 10 minutes.

Then add the litre of reduced turkey stock and leave to simmer again with the lid on very gently for 11/2 hours.

After that, puree the soup in a food processor or liquidiser or with a stick blender. Taste to check the seasoning and reheat before serving. Ladle into warm bowls. Freshly-baked Irish soda bread would be a splendid accompaniment.

Zara Phillips totters in six-inch stiletto heels as she attends Sandringham Christmas Day service with Royal Family

There’s thick snow on the ground and although the paths have been cleared, the risk of an icy patch can’t be ruled out.So what does Zara Phillips wear on royal church parade at Sandringham? Why, six-inch stilettos, of course.Her sister-in-law Autumn Kelly also opted for style over practicality with a similarly towering pair of heels as they tottered the quarter-mile to church on the royal estate in Norfolk.

Princess Anne’s daughter, a world champion three-day eventer, needed a little help on the final straight and linked arms with her cousin Prince William.Others, including the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall, were more sensibly shod in knee-high boots, with Camilla also sporting a real fur Philip Treacy Cossack-style hat and a blue wool Anna Valentine coat.The Countess of Wessex also stood out in a red rose-petal hat and pair of black four-inch stilettos, although she opted to travel to church by car with the Queen, 83, while the rest of the family group, including the 88-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, made their way on foot.

Autumn Phillips, Prince William, Prince Harry and Zara Phillips Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie arrive for the Christmas Day service

Prince Charles and Zara Phillips share a joke

The Duke of York’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, wore black kneelength boots with low heels, although the younger of the sisters brightened up her outfit with a shocking pink trilby by Philip Treacy.Beatrice, 21, was in a Marc Jacobs coat and a striking grey hat she picked up from the London department store Fenwicks.Around 500 well-wishers watched the royal party attend their traditional Christmas Day church service on the Queen’s estate. Security was tighter than ever, with police searching all visitors.

Hands in pockets, Harry arrives at Sandringham with Zara and Autumn Phillips in their high heels

Queen Elizabeth receives flowers after attending a Christmas Day church service at St Mary Magdalene Church

The searches took so long that around 300 were told they were too late to go in and the gates were closed.Three-year-old Sophie Manton, from Downham Market, was in tears when she found she could not give her bunch of tulips to the Queen.Her mother, Sarah Hawkes, 40, said: ‘She is so disappointed. She very much wanted to see the Queen. She thought she might be wearing her crown.‘She has only seen the Queen on television before and wanted to get close to her.’

The Princess Royal makes a face as she and the Earl of Wessex arrive at the church this morning

Prince William, arm-in-arm with his cousin Zara Phillips and Prince Harry

Princess Beatrice and Sophie Wessex arm-in-arm on the royal estate at Sandringham in Norfolk

Among those who did get to meet the Royal Family was Debbie Barlett, 51, who lives nearby and has attended the Christmas Day service for 20 years. Prince William rewarded her with a hug and kiss.‘It’s one chance you get to see the royals all together,’ she said. ‘It’s lovely.’Royal girlfriends Kate Middleton and Chelsy Davy were absent, as was Zara’s boyfriend Mike Tindall, because protocol dictates that only married partners are invited on Christmas Day.

In the pink: The Countess of Wessex and Princess Eugenie leave St Mary Magdalene Church

Popular: The Duchess of Cornwall speaks to well-wishers as she leaves the church. Scores of people missed seeing the royals because of lengthy security checks

There is speculation, however, that Kate might join the party for their traditional Boxing Day pheasant shoot.And Prince Harry is due to fly out to Mauritius tomorrow to spend New Year with Miss Davy.

A-Z of Christmas fashion sales: Make sure you don’t miss a bargain with our guide

It’s difficult not to get swept away in the excitement of the Christmas sales, especially when this season promises some of the biggest discounts in a decade. However, bagging a bargain is as easy as ABC, if you follow CAMILLA RIDLEY-DAY’S alphabetical money-saving guide. . .

A is for… Ankle boots, were £695; now £488, Christian Louboutin, matchesfashion.com. B is for… Bracelet, was
£275; now £125, astleyclarke.com

C is for… Coat, was £120; now £96, great plains.co.uk. D is for… Dress, was £189; now £119, Taylor at Fenwick,
020 7629 9161

E is for… Chandelier earrings, were £550; now £275, astleyclarke.com. F is for… Furry boots, were £155; now £124, Love From Australia, lfaboots.com

G is for… Glitzy jacket, was £945; now £661.50, Sonia Rykiel at net-aporter.com. H is for… Handbag, was £1,145;
now £572.50, Yves Saint Laurent, 020 7235 6706

I is for… Iconic dress, was £1,350; now £945, Roland Mouret at Browns, 020 7514 0000. J is for… Jewel-coloured top, was £135; now £95, lkbennett.com

U is for… Underwear, Bra, was £105; now £73. Suspenders, were £59; now £41, myla.com. V is for… Velvet jacket, was £119; now £99, hobbs.co.uk. W is for… Weekend bag, was £1,200; now £482.40, smythson.co.uk

X is for… Xtra high heels, were £700; now £490, Chanel, 020 7493 5040. Y is for… Yoga pants, were £40;
now £20, sweaty betty.com. Z is for… Zebra belt, was £40; now £28, frenchconnection.com

Pope Benedict XVI knocked over during Christmas Eve Mass

The 82-year-old pontiff was caught on camera being dragged to the floor as he proceeded down the main aisle in St Peter’s Basilica. Although shaken, he got to his feet and continued with the late night service.French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, broke a leg as he tried to stop the woman reaching the Pope. The assailant, dressed in a red hooded sweatshirt, was arrested by the Pope’s bodyguards and was described by Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi as “apparently unbalanced”. He said she had tried – and failed – to carry out the same stunt 12 months earlier. Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, said it was “surprising” that she had managed to reach the Pope and that security arrangements at the Vatican were now being reviewed.Papal security was tightened up after Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk, shot and nearly killed Benedict’s predecessor John Paul II in St Peter’s Square in May 1981. The woman assaulted Pope Benedict as he led the traditional Christmas Eve procession to the altar bearing a gold cross. With security guards trying to stop her, she managed to grab hold of his gold and white vestments near his neck, sending him toppling to the floor. Eyewitness MaryBeth Buns said: “All of a sudden this person sort of flew over the barricade and the Holy Father went down and all of a sudden all the security people were all on top of it, you know the whole pile there, getting her off and pulling him back up.” Mr Lombardi played down the incident and said the Pope showed “great self-control and control of the situation”. He went on: “It was an assault, but it wasn’t dangerous because she wasn’t armed.” Cardinal Etchegaray was taken to hospital. The attack on the pope took place amid concern over his health after the Vatican decided for the first time to bring forward the timing of mass by two hours due to the pontiff’s advanced age. Mr Lombardi insisted that the change was only a “sensible precaution” for the octogenarian pontiff.

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‘Broke’ Kerry Katona does her Christmas shopping budget style at Argos

Kerry Katona indulged herself in a spot of budget Christmas shopping today with husband Mark Croft.The reality star, who is believed to be facing eviction from her luxury mansion, was spotted leaving Argos laden with bags of toys.Mother-of-four Kerry wrapped up warm in faux-fur gilet and boots – but unusually didn’t want to be seen by photographers.

The former Atomic Kitten singer kept her eyes firmly to the floor as she departed the store to load up her 4×4, hiding under a woolly hat.At the weekend it was reported that Kerry looks set to face eviction from her £1.5million home after failing to keep up with mortgage repayments.Kerry and her four children face the threat of homelessness after she was presented with a repossession order for her luxury home in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

She is said to be devastated at the news, which could see her having to turn to state benefits.Her mum Sue, 50, spoke to The Sun newspaper and revealed that she faces a similar plight because the £130,000 terraced home Kerry bought for her must be sold to pay the ex-Atomic Kitten star’s tax bill. Sue said: ‘She’s a total mess and I’m homeless because of it. She’s ruined her life and mine.’

Kerry squandered thousands of pounds on sports cars for hubby Mark Croft, but lost her £290,000-a-year deal as the face of Iceland stores after a cocaine scandal.In August this year a video showing the troubled star clearly taking cocaine in her own bathroom was obtained by the News Of The World.In the video Kerry was seen in an en-suite in her home where she used a rolled up £20 note to snort the Class A drug.

Katona had allegedly been drinking alcohol for four days before taking the cocaine – she then reportedly went to school to pick up her children.Ex-husband Brian McFadden is said to have since consulted his lawyers in a bid to win custody of their two daughters Molly, 8, and Lily-Sue, 6.The former Westlife singer will be spending Christmas away from his Australian fiance Delta Goodrem, to spend time with the two girls in his native Ireland.

That’s the Ender Archie, then! Albert Square villain dead after being hit over head with Queen Vic bust (but who’s the killer?)

This is EastEnders villain Archie Mitchell lying dead on the floor of the Queen Vic.The evil character is certainly not the first to meet his grisly end in the famous pub – and probably won’t be the last.’Dirty’ Den Watts met his maker there in 2005 after being hit over the head with an iron doorstep by jealous wife Chrissie.

But the question now is who murders Archie, played by actor Larry Lamb, with the Queen Vic bust?Suspects include ex-wife Peggy (Barbara Windsor), dodgy Phil (Steve McFadden) and Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), who recently seduced Archie. Even his daughters Ronnie and Roxy (Samantha Womack and Rita Simons) are in the frame.Fans of the show will have to wait until Christmas day to see the dramatic scenes – which one again proves Walford rarely enjoys a happy festive day.Even Larry has no idea who kills off his scheming character, as producers have filmed various scenarios with different cast members.

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But who did it? Suspects include his ex-wife Peggy and former son-in-law Phil

He said that BBC1 soap’s writers gave him the option of discovering the murderer, but he decided he’d rather find out when the show is aired.Larry – who also plays Mick Shipman in Gavin and Stacey – said his character also has a soft side, however.He told Digital Spy: ‘There’s something very dark and dangerous within him. But that’s not entirely his character – that’s what makes him interesting, though. He’s such a contrast.’The 62-year-old has previously confessed he based the character on his abusive real-life father.

But he said he has since reflected on what his father was like and realised, like his character Archie, he had two sides to him.He added: ‘My father wasn’t entirely dark – he was a very, very funny man and could be riotously comical.But it could all turn ugly and he could become a horrifying, terrifying demon. That’s what Archie’s all about.

‘You didn’t see so much of his lighter side. Now and again a little of something else came through, though.’After almost two years on the show, Larry admitted Archie’s tale is coming to its rightful conclusion.The only way to deal with a real villain is to bump him off,’ he said

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Let Me Entertain You! Robbie Williams turns cheeky choir boy for Ant and Dec’s TV Christmas special

Robbie William joins friends Ant and Dec for a Noel’s House Party-style TV show this Christmas – and dresses up as a choir boy.Entering into the festive spirit, the singer struts his stuff with the telly double act for their Christmas Special, which will be screened on ITV1 on Boxing Day.Robbie, 35, who has been pals with Ant and Dec for years, has agreed to sing a number of songs on the programme, plus take part in Morecambe and Wise-style sketches.

Robbie Williams joins Ant and Dec for their ITV Christmas Special, all seen here dressed up as choir boys

The singer is also set to perform some songs and take part in some Morecambe and Wise-style sketches

It’s not the first time the Angels singer and the telly duo have teamed up. The star also joined the pair for some comical hi-jinks on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway back in 2004.Other guests who are set to drop by include Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden, two of the judges on Britain’s Got Talent which is also hosted by Ant and Dec.

Britain’s Got Talent judges Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden drop by…

…and then dress up as giant snowmen

Piers and Amanda arrive for some banter and then end up dressed up as giant snowmen.Geri Halliwell also lends her support and is transformed into a living doll while the boys become action figures.With the help of a bit of camera trickery and some clever props, the trio stand in boxes and appear to be miniature versions of themselves.The show is promising to be a mixture of comedy skits, performances and interviews with some star-studded appearances.

Geri Halliwell lends her support and is made to look like a doll in a box while the presenters turn action men

Pop group The Saturdays add some festive glamour to proceedings

Ant and Dec meet their match when double act John and Edwards stop by, with their trademark quiffs in placeOther famous guests include The Saturdays and Ant and Dec meet their match when X Factor twins John and Edward Grimes drop by, with their trademark quiffs firmly in place.Viewers will also be entertained with a panto performance of Cinderella. Ant turns on the glamour, taking on the role of the Fairy Godmother in a resplendent puffball dress.Dec takes on the role of Buttons while celebrity interior designers Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, who appeared on this year’s I’m A Celebrity, play the ugly sisters.

There is also some panto fun to be enjoyed, with Dec playing Buttons and celebrity interior designers Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan doing a good impression of the Ugly Sisters

Ant, meanwhile, looks resplendent in a puffball gown as he magically transforms into the Fairy Godmother

Susan Boyle fires snowballs at the paparazzi in a playfight outside her home – as album sales continue to soar

After months of punishing promo schedules, live appearances and interviews, Susan Boyle is back home in Scotland, as queen of the charts.The 48-year-old singing sensation’s on course to beat the likes of Lady GaGa and Kings Of Leon to take the bestselling album of the year crown with sales of 1.4million.And despite being one of the biggest stars on the planet, SuBo’s spending the festive season in familiar surroundings: at home in rural Scotland, with the paparazzi on her doorstep.

To make light of the situation, the Britain’s Got Talent runner-up decided to pelt a few cameramen who were camped outside her modest semi in West Lothian.SuBo’s album, I Dreamed A Dream, sold more than 410,000 copies in the UK in its first week, according to the Official Charts Company.It trounces the two most recent record-holders for the fastest-selling debut album: Leona Lewis’s 2007 release, Spirit, which sold about 376,000 copies; and Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, which sold about 364,000 in 2006.Industry experts are hailing it a phenomenal success for someone who, until April of this year, was a virtual unknown.

Susan admits she’s become more accustomed to the press intrusion and the long lenses now, although it was a little unnerving at first.She says: ‘It got to the stage where I couldn’t even go outside because the media – American television crews too – surrounded the house.’I had to draw my blinds and, even after that, they started hammering on my door. I was quite frightened. I felt very vulnerable, because I was living on my own.’

SuBo’s gone global: Boyle has become a household name in many countries

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Corrie

Is Betty Coronation Street’s next killer?Coronation Street has had its fair share of crooked killers.

But we never suspected legendary Rovers barmaid Betty Williams would become one of them.
Betty (Betty Driver) is set to get a fright when someone is poisoned by one of her famous hotpots.The ‘victim’ is 91-year-old new character Enid Crump, resident pint puller at the Parsons Arms and Betty’s rival for the title of Manchester’s Oldest Barmaid. Enid storms into the Rovers furious when Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) boasts that his pub is home of the city’s oldest barmaid to the Weatherfield Gazette.To make amends, the hapless landlord offers a free dinner but ends up microwaving a two-month-old hotpot from the back of the fridge.

When the unsuspecting duo later find out that Enid is at death’s door with food poisoning, Betty panics: “It’s murder. I’ll have killed her. I’m too old to go to prison. I’ll never come out alive.”Steve reassures her: “You can’t murder someone with a hotpot. The police will understand it was an accident.”And look on the bright side, if Enid dies, you can then officially call yourself the undisputed Oldest Barmaid in Town.”But Becky (Katherine Kelly) puts a spanner in the works when she reveals that, if Enid pops her clogs, it’ll be Steve that gets sent down.Fingers crossed that Enid pulls through.
The storyline will air in February next year.

Hilda could make a Corrie comebackCoronation Street’s 50th anniversary looks set to be a corker.

Soap bosses want to bring back a host of legendary Corrie faces to spice up the fiftieth festivities.As well as cleaning lady extraordinaire Hilda (Jean Alexander), Mavis Wilton (Thelma Barlow), Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy) and Karen McDonald (Suranne Jones) have also been mooted for a Corrie comeback.

The revelations came during a live web chat between fans and show executive producer Kim Crowther. And she let slip that another famous Manchester face may make a guest appearance. Noel Gallagher is being set up to (Roy’s) roll with it.

Kim said: “There may well be some exciting returning cast in the new year.“We are planning lots for the 50th anniversary, it will be must-see television. It would be fab to see Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) back wouldn’t it?”Oooh, yes it would. Kim went on: “I would love to bring Hilda back – and Mavis. Noel Gallagher would be great. There are also plans for some new faces in the factory.”
Exciting times.

The saucepot will get a boob job, just as her mum Sally is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Rosie (Helen Flanagan) plans to become a glamour and promotions girl and thinks that an increase in her cup size will lead to an increase in her wages.  Her plan is rumbled by sister Sophie (Brooke Vincent) who realises something is up when Rosie rushes to the post every day to intercept a letter from a company called Desire Solutions. Sophie thinks Rosie is up for botox and liposuction until the elder teen confesses she’s having her breasts done.
Mum Sally (Sally Whittaker), who’ll confess to her family she needs a lumpectomy to remove a malignant tumour on Christmas Day, is devastated.
Unlike Rosie’s boss at the agency she works for, who agrees to foot the bill for Rosie’s op, seeing it as an investment in ‘their’ future. Oh Rosie, Rosie. What are you thinking?

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Simply Because I Love The Photo

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Captured in nature, the perfect Christmas card

It is the perfect winter image that usually appears only on Christmas cards or in our imagination. But this is the real thing. Perched on a snow-covered twig yesterday, a robin proudly puffs out his chest in the back garden of award-winning nature photographer Andy Rouse. Mr Rouse travels thousands of miles every year photographing animals, but was able to capture this image without leaving his house in Caerphilly, South Wales. ‘I saw this one perched in a tree,’ he said. ‘He had been eating off my bird feeder.’

Nature photographer Andy Rouse didn’t need to venture beyond his backyard for this perfect winter image

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Former Playboy model Louise Glover found guilty of vicious nightclub attack

A former Playboy Model of the Year was found guilty today of attacking a woman in a nightclub toilet cubicle in a jealous bust-up over her husband.

Louise Glover, 26, struck Maxine Hardcastle’s head against a toilet rim up to 10 times and tried to push her head down the lavatory during the attack.Miss Hardcastle – the daughter of 80s musician Paul Hardcastle, famed for his Vietnam-inspired dance hit 19 – was left covered in blood with facial bruising, scratches on her arms and legs and hair loss.Hove Crown Court heard that the model launched her vicious attack after accusing her of looking at her husband during a night out in Brighton, East Sussex.Glover, who has made semi-naked appearances in magazines and newspapers, turned on Miss Hardcastle after telling her and her friend, “I know what you Essex girls are like.”The glamour model fainted and sobbed in the dock after being found guilty of causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an hour’s deliberation.Glover wailed loudly in the dock after recovering from her period of fainting, telling the judge: “My whole life’s in limbo.”

Sentencing will take place on February 4 after reports have been prepared, Judge Charles Kemp said.The judge had to tell her to be quiet at points and warned her she could face jail.Judge Kemp told her: “All the court’s sentencing options have to be open.”The trial heard that Miss Hardcastle and her friend, Nancy Stillwell, had been invited by Glover to a personal appearance she was making at a sports bar in Brighton, East Sussex, on December 15, 2007.The 10-strong party moved on in the early hours of the following morning to the Oceana nightclub in the city where Miss Hardcastle and Miss Stillwell went into the same toilet cubicle together.Glover was heard outside the cubicle and was let in by the other two women, but became agitated and accused them of looking at her husband, from whom she is now estranged.

Miss Hardcastle said during her evidence: “One minute she was really angry and saying she knew what Essex girls were like and, ‘I can see what you are doing’. She then told us not to look or talk to him.”She added that one minute Glover “flipped” and the next she showed warmth to them, saying: “I might be being paranoid” and “I don’t have many friends”.It was really strange, one minute she was trying to befriend us and the next she looked like…it was scary,” said Miss Hardcastle.Miss Stillwell told the court: “We explained to her we hadn’t got any interest in getting to know her husband other than on an acquaintance level.”

At that point, Glover lifted up her arm and forcefully brought it down on Miss Hardcastle’s nose, causing her to hit her head on the back of the cubicle.”I knew that my nose was broken because there was blood everywhere,” said Miss Hardcastle. “But she just picked me up by my hair and pulled my body weight by my hair and did exactly the same thing again.”She punched me on the nose and the same thing happened – I fell straight on the floor.”Miss Hardcastle said she “pleaded” with Glover to stop but she continued her attack.Holding her by her neck, Glover repeatedly hit her head against the rim of the lavatory and afterwards tried to force her down the toilet bowl.Miss Hardcastle added: “I couldn’t breathe through my nose because I had blood coming from it. I thought that if she put my face down the toilet I wouldn’t be able to breathe.”I did my best to keep my face away from the water.”

The attack stopped after Glover’s husband was heard outside the cubicle, telling her to stop. But Glover replied: “Tell her to get off me first.”Describing her injuries, Miss Hardcastle told the court: “My nose was on the other side of my face. It wasn’t in the middle of my face any more. It was completely on one side.”Glover told the court she acted in self-defence after Miss Hardcastle became emotional about apparent problems within her family and gripped her arms tightly.She claimed Miss Hardcastle became “hysterical” after accusing her of not listening to her problems.Glover, whose last UK address was Audley Gardens, Loughton, Essex, claimed the further injuries Miss Hardcastle sustained were as a result of the cubicle door being kicked in.She was released on conditional bail.

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It’s a ho-ho-hold up: Armed bank robber dressed as Santa demands money so he can ‘pay his elves’

When Father Christmas strolled into the bank holding a sack, customers thought they might be in for a few surprise presents. But this sinister Santa felt it was better to receive than give  -  whipping out a gun and demanding cash. The 6ft robber, pictured left on CCTV, escaped with an undisclosed sum after claiming he needed the money because he had to pay his elves. Just in case anyone was worried, however, that the real Father Christmas had turned criminal, his getaway vehicle proved to be a grey car rather than a sleigh pulled by reindeer.The bank robber said that he needed the money ‘to pay his elves’

The man entered the SunTrust bank in Nashville, Tennessee at 10am yesterday dressed from head to toe a Santa suit and dark sunglasses and demanded money at gunpoint.Eyewitness Richlyn Jones said: ‘He took his little red sack and pulled out a gun and told everyone to be still.

‘He went to the front of the teller line and started asking for money and putting it in the bag.’It was a little unbelievable. He was actually jovial, which is scary. He explained that he was robbing the bank because Santa had to pay his elves.’ After loading up his sack with money the man fled the building.’He had the whole outfit on – even the shoes,’ said customer Jimmy Edwards.’I laid down as soon as he walked in and pulled that gun out.I was just wondering if he was going to be stupid enough to hurt somebody, but once he started getting what he wanted, I could see he was going to leave.’

The SunTrust bank in Nashville, Tennessee where the bizarre robbery took place

No one was hurt during the robbery and police have not released how much money was taken.The FBI has confirmed they are investigating the robbery.FBI agent Scott Augenbaum said: ‘An individual about 6ft tall dressed up as Santa Claus robbed the SunTrust bank.’ In 2003, Billy Bob Thornton starred in the movie Bad Santa about a conman and his partner who dress up as Santa and his little helper to rob department stores.

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My Christmas Present

Thank You Santa…I Must Have Been A Very Good Boy This Year

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Why doesn’t Santa suffer from claustrophobia when climbs down the chimney?
Because has had his flue jab.

Note::: These Jokes Will Get Worse The Further You Scroll Down

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It’s Christmas Day, it’s 9.58 in the morning

Must be time for the first family argument

‘Tis the season to be jolly. At least that’s the idea.But the average family, it seems, can’t quite manage a whole Christmas Day of it.After rising just before 8am (no doubt a bit grumpy from all the last-minute present-wrapping the night before), they have their first argument at 9.58am.But that, according to a survey, is only the start of the festive fallouts.

The parental desire to tidy up the house is the trigger for most Christmas Day rows, along with frazzled emotions and arguments over what to watch on TV.The study of 4,100 people revealed the average family gets out of bed just before 8am on Christmas Day and is ready to open presents minutes later at 8.19am.

AN HOUR-BY-HOUR GUIDE TO THE BRITISH CHRISTMAS

Once the floor is a sea of torn wrapping paper, the family sit down to breakfast at 9am.However most will have nibbled a bit of Christmas chocolate before at 8.39am.The strain of cooking Christmas dinner sees the designated chef sip his or her first alcoholic drink at 11.49am.Several slurps and a lot of sweat later, dinner is finally served at 3.24pm.The majority of families (85 per cent) will enjoy traditional turkey with all the trimmings.Almost a third said this was their favourite part of the day.The next thing on the Christmas Day must-do list is a post-lunch snooze.The first person in the average household falls asleep at 4.59pm –and Dad is the most likely culprit.For those who manage to keep their eyes open, the family board games are brought out at 5.46pm.

The study, commissioned by Jarlsberg Cheese, also found that 13 per cent of families go to church on Christmas day.A rather larger proportion of 27 per cent sit down for the Queen’s Speech.Almost 40 per cent said spending time with the family was the best thing about Christmas Day.The knitted patterned Christmas jumper, followed by a dustpan and brush and the dreaded socks were voted the worst presents.And Britain, Germany and Norway were regarded as the countries with the most festive spirit.’Family flare-ups are bound to happen, particularly as there are lots of people together and tensions can be running high,’ said a spokesman for the cheese company.’There is so much excitement, high expectations and lots going on, but it’s important to remember that Christmas can’t always be perfect – not everything may run to plan.’After all the early Christmas morning stresses, it’s great to see that food shared round a table with the family is still described as the best bit of the day.Parents shouldn’t put too much pressure on themselves on the day – it’s your day too, so relax and be realistic.’

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Christmas puzzle all you have to do is find 72 bands and 12 movies

Put Your Answers In The Comments Box

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What did Adam say to his girlfriend on December 24th?
‘It’s Christmas!  Eve.’

(I Did Warn You)

Unwrapped: The Queen’s secret chocolate, delivered in time for Christmas

The Royal Family enjoy specially made chocolates every Christmas

As chocolate bars go it is fit for a queen – The Queen, in fact.Made to a secret recipe by royal warrant holders Cadbury, several small boxes of the dark chocolate are being delivered to Buckingham Palace for the monarch and her family to enjoy at Christmas.Pictured here for the first time, the Daily Mail can reveal the bars are made by a team of three on specially reserved equipment at the firm’s factory in Bournville, Birmingham.Cadbury – which was given a royal warrant by Queen Victoria in 1854 – refuses to divulge how the chocolate is created but sources say it has been tailored to the Queen’s taste.The recipe is said to contain more cocoa solids than many other dark chocolates, making it ideal for both eating and cooking.Only three or four small batches of the bar are made each year and, when not being used for the royal chocolate, the production equipment lies dormant.One batch is made and delivered just before Christmas to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Sandringham.

Each bar is wrapped in gold foil and encased in a red wrapper stamped with the royal crest and the ‘By Appointment to HM The Queen’ wording that the Cadbury warrant allows it to mark on all its products.

Below the crest, in gold and black lettering, the bar is labelled Cadbury’s Superior Culinary Dark Chocolate, although it is known by staff at the company simply as ‘Royal Household chocolate’.While many of the bars are used in the royal kitchens to make fine deserts for private consumption and state banquets, some are also eaten as a sweet treat, according to the chocolate maker.

Cadbury spokesman Tony Bilsborough confirmed: ‘We do make the Queen a bar of dark chocolate. It’s not for sale to the public. We make this for her, under the terms of the royal mark.’We’ve been providing chocolates to the Royal Family since Victorian times but I cannot discuss the recipe.’Cadbury was founded by Quaker John Cadbury in Birmingham in 1824.The firm is currently the subject of a hostile takeover bid by U.S. food giant Kraft, which could threaten 5,000 UK jobs. Shareholders have until January 5 to reject the £10.1billion offer.The firm has described the bid as ‘inadequate and unwelcome’ and The Mail on Sunday has launched a campaign to Keep Cadbury British. If it is taken over there is no guarantee Cadbury would continue to make the Queen’s chocolate.

Uncovered days before Christmas: Is this the Nazareth home where Jesus prayed?

The remains of the first dwelling in Nazareth that has been dated back to the time of Jesus have been unveiled – just days before Christmas.The find that could shed new light on what the hamlet was like during the period the New Testament says Jesus lived there as a boy, Israeli archaeologists said.The dwelling and older discoveries of nearby tombs in burial caves suggest that Nazareth was an out-of-the-way hamlet of around 50 houses on a patch of about four acres.

A residential building from the era of Jesus Christ being exposed near the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

It was evidently populated by Jews of modest means who kept camouflaged grottos to hide from Roman invaders, said archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, excavations director at the Israel Antiquities Authority.The place was so small Jesus would almost certainly have known all the houses – and might even have prayed there.Based on clay and chalk shards found at the site, the dwelling appeared to house a ’simple Jewish family,’ Alexandre added, as workers at the site carefully chipped away at mud with small pickaxes to reveal stone walls.

Nazareth holds a cherished place in Christianity. It is the town where Christian tradition says Jesus grew up and where an angel told Mary she would bear the child of God.’This may well have been a place that Jesus and his contemporaries were familiar with,’ Alexandre said. A young Jesus may have played around the house with his cousins and friends, she said. ‘It’s a logical suggestion.’The discovery so close to Christmas has pleased local Christians.

Jacques Icaram, a priest at the Church of the Annunciation, stands at an excavation site of an ancient house in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth

‘They say if the people do not speak, the stones will speak,’ said a smiling Rev. Jack Karam of the nearby Basilica of the Annunciation, the site where Christian tradition says Mary received the angel’s word.Alexandre’s team found remains of a wall, a hideout, a courtyard and a water system that appeared to collect water from the roof and supply it to the home. The discovery was made when builders dug up the courtyard of a former convent to make room for a new Christian center, just yards (meters) away from the Basilica.It is not clear how big the dwelling is – Alexandre’s team have uncovered about 900 square feet (85 square meters) of the house, but it may have been for an extended family and could be much larger, she said.Alexandre said her team also found a camouflaged entry way into a grotto, which she believes was used by Jews at the time to hide from Roman soldiers who were battling Jewish rebels at the time for control of the area.The grotto would have hid around six people for a few hours, she said.

Israel archaeologists work at the excavation site, built on the ruins of three earlier churches on the site where Christians believe Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus

An Israeli archaeologist works at the site: The home dates to the time of Jesus in the town of Nazareth where he is said to have spent the better part of his lifeHowever, Roman soldiers did not end up battling Nazareth’s Jews because the hamlet had little strategic value at the time. The Roman army was more interested in larger towns and strategic hilltop communities, she said.

Alexandre said similar camouflaged grottos were found in other ancient Jewish communities of the lower Galilee such as the nearby Biblical village of Cana, which did witness battle between Jews and Romans.At the site, Alexandre told reporters that archaeologists also found clay and chalk vessels which were likely used by Galilean Jews of the time. The scientists concluded a Jewish family lived there because of the chalk, which was used by Jews at the time to ensure the purity of the food and water kept inside the vessels.The shards also date back to the time of Jesus, which includes the late Hellenic, early Roman period that ranges from around 100 B.C. to 100 A.D., Alexandre said.

Father Jacques Icaram walks in the excavation site. Archaeologist Yardena Alexandre says remains of a wall, a hideout and a cistern were found after builders dug up an old convent courtyard in the northern Israeli city

The house was discovered in a dig carried out ahead of the construction of the International Marian Center of Nazareth by the Galilee city’s Chemin Neuf community next to the Church of the Annunciation

The absence of any remains of glass vessels or imported products suggested the family who lived in the dwelling were ’simple,’ but Alexandre said the remains did not indicate whether they were traders or farmers.The only other artifacts that archeologists have found in the Nazareth area from the time of Jesus are ancient burial caves outside the hamlet, providing a rough idea of the village’s population at the time, Alexandre said.

Work is now taking place to clear newer ruins built above the dwelling, which will be preserved. The dwelling will become a part of a new international Christian center being constructed close to the site and funded by a French Roman Catholic group, said Marc Hodara of the Chemin Neuf Community overseeing construction.Alexandre said limited space and population density in Nazareth means it is unlikely that archeologists can carry out any further excavations in the area, leaving this dwelling to tell the story of what Jesus’ boyhood home may have looked like.The discovery at ‘this time, this period, is very interesting, especially as a Christian,’ Karam said. ‘For me it is a great gift.’

My Fav Xmas Toon

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Ever had a present from a far-flung aunt or an over-enthusiastic colleague that you really didn’t like but were socially obliged to pretend otherwise? One economist is on a mission to stop this wasteful category of Christmas giving. How often have we given them? Many times, no doubt. And yet, how often have we ever really wanted to receive them ourselves? Whose every waking moment is filled by a craving for a pair of half-size martini glasses, holding unpleasantly perfumed gel candles, embellished with a decorative vine? Who has stepped lightly through January, buoyed by the Christmas joy that is a purple glass bowl filled with silver spray-painted pebbles?

Ornaments may be over-represented in the forlorn ranks of the unwanted gifts that mysteriously fail to make it to our new houses when we move, but they are far from the only offender. If we were being honest, we’d repudiate those Brandreth-style jumpers, the biographies of 18th Century admirals and the coasters with scenes from the Lincolnshire countryside. We know our auntie meant well, but still.
Joel Waldfogel takes this feeling of dissatisfaction further. For 15 years the economist has been studying the giving of gifts. The results do not make for happy reading. “When other people choose for us they do a poor job compared to when we choose for ourselves,” explains Mr Waldfogel. He will present a public lecture on the subject at the London School of Economics on Thursday evening.

20% discrepancy
His new book, Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents For The Holidays, released just in time for the Christmas gift market, explains why we should turn our backs on the Christmas gift market. It’s all a big waste, he believes. Over the years, Mr Waldfogel’s surveys have asked people how much they would have paid for gifts had they not received the items. The average the recipient would have paid comes out at nearly 20% less than was actually paid. This is the kind of thing that economists don’t like. The ideal in economics is that surplus value is created.

DEADWEIGHT LOSS
Situation in which no party benefits An example is a highly competitive market in which even more companies enter the marketplace driving selling prices down further “The seller gets a price that exceeds his costs and the buyer gets an item he values above the price,” M Waldfogel explains. In the Christmas present market, the second part of the equation often fails. And with people spending $145bn (£87m) a year worldwide on festive items, that could be more than $25bn (£15bn) of waste, says Mr Waldfogel. It’s what’s known in economic terms as a deadweight loss. The economist emphasises that he isn’t advocating the end of Christmas presents as a concept. “We do pretty well in buying things for people we know well. And children would be devastated if they didn’t get presents.” But when it comes to buying for people who live far away or who we don’t know well, he thinks we might give gift vouchers a try instead. Of course, this does throw up a problem or two. Anyone who has seen the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry commits a major faux pas by giving Elaine cash for her birthday, would be wary about doing the same. And gift vouchers do seem a little close to that. Mr Waldfogel disagrees. “Gift vouchers are unlike cash in that they avoid the awkwardness.” But gift vouchers also often lie dormant in dark recesses of the recipient’s cupboards, never to emerge. “10% of the value isn’t used – it ends up being transferred from the giver to the retailer,” says Mr Waldfogel. He wants retailers to accept a measure that allows vouchers to expire and trigger a donation of the value to charity. And, Mr Waldfogel suggests, a present of a donation to charity, or charitable goat purchase, should be acceptable. Some gifts may seem perplexing when reviewed at a later date “I’m finding people are very sympathetic to the idea of charitable giving. There is a real fatigue about giving that people know is producing unwanted results.” Gary Davies, a professor of corporate reputation at Manchester Business School, and lead author on the forthcoming paper Gifts and Gifting, is not a fan of abandoning gifts for people we don’t know that well. “[It's a] typical economist’s view of an issue where it isn’t the economics that are driving the issue. It’s the social side, the symbolism of the gift.” And the kind of gift scenario where the protagonists don’t know each other well can be a social minefield, with the giving of cash or vouchers being seen as plain odd. “It would be seen as a bribe,” says Mr Davies. “There are lots of business gifts. I will give my secretary a bottle of champagne. Am I supposed to give her money? I think she might be taken aback. It would be seen as inappropriate.” And of course, that’s at the root of gift giving – it’s a social transaction, not an exchange of useful items.We may not relish the receipt of the LP of a singing Irish monk, the electric blanket, the nylon, teal, lace thong or the gaudy mock Faberge egg – all real examples gleaned from BBC News website colleagues – but we must recognise that it is the thought that counts. “What we like is the fact that our nearest and dearest have thought about it,” says Mr Davies. “One of the main social aspects of gifting is building a relationship.” A couple at the outset of courting are a good example of people who might not be fully au fait with each other’s present priorities yet.

Economic benefit
And there would also be economic consequences if people suddenly stopped buying presents. Typically half of retailers’ profits come from the fourth quarter, notes Mr Davies.But in opposition to the economic benefit, there is also the sheer waste of unwanted presents. “One can imagine a market for green gifts, buying people experiences that don’t involve tangible products,” says Mr Davies. Underlying the glut of unwanted gifts is a problem with social norms. These are the obstacle to us telling Aunt Agatha the truth.Mr Waldfogel won’t reveal the worst present he’s ever had.”I’m not allowed to say. One of the reasons that it persists is that we can’t give feedback.”If we ever want to get another present, we keep schtum.”A friend of mine gave his wife an electric piano,” says Prof Davies. “She really didn’t like it and about three years later she gave it away. He still hasn’t had the courage to ask her why she doesn’t like it.

Xmas Illusion

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CHRISTMAS…THE FACTS

• The common abbreviation for Christmas to Xmas is derived from the Greek alphabet. X is letter Chi, which is the first letter of Christ’s name in the Greek alphabet.
• Oliver Cromwell, in England banned Christmas Carols between 1649 and 1660. Cromwell thought that Christmas should be a very solemn day so he banned carols and parties. The only celebration was by a sermon and a prayer service.
• In 1643, the British Parliament officially abolishes the celebration of Christmas.
• The Puritans in America tried to make Thanksgiving Day the most important annual festival instead of Christmas.
• Silent Night was written in 1818, by an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was broken and would not be prepared in time for Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and could not think of Christmas without music, so he wanted to write a carol that could be sung by choir to guitar music. He sat down and wrote three stanzas. Later that night the people in the little Austrian Church sang “Stille Nacht” for the first time.
• St Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas Carols to formal church services.
• Telesphorus, the second Bishop of Rome (125-136 AD) declared that public Church services should be held to celebrate “The Nativity of our Lord and Saviour.” In 320 AD, Pope Julius I and other religious leaders specified 25 December as the official date of the birth of Jesus Christ.
• 26 December was traditionally known as St Stephen’s Day, but is more commonly known as Boxing Day. This expression came about because money was collected in alms-boxes placed in churches during the festive season. This money was then distributed during to the poor and needy after Christmas.
• Melbourne, Australia has a sporting Boxing Day tradition. The Melbourne Cricket Ground hosts a Cricket test match. Sometimes this attracts 90, 000 spectators. Cricket is Australia’s premier Summer sport.
• The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531
• In 1836, Alabama is the first state in the USA to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
• In 1843, the first Christmas card was printed in England for Sir Henry Cole. He was busy man who wanted to save time in his own Christmas letters, but was also interested in encouraging the expansion of the postal system. 1000 copies of the card were sold at one shilling each. It was not until the 1860s that the production of cards accelerated, with cheaper printing methods. Then in 1870, the Post Office introduced a half penny stamp for sending cards.
• In 1856, President Franklin Pierce decorates the first White House Christmas tree.
• In 1907, Oklahoma became the last USA state to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
• At midnight on Christmas Eve 1914 firing from the German trenches suddenly stopped. A German brass band began playing Christmas carols. Early, Christmas morning, the German soldiers came out of their trenches, approaching the allied lines, calling “Merry Christmas”. At first the allied soldiers thought it was a trick, but they soon climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the German soldiers. The truce lasted a few days, and the men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings, sang carols and songs. They even played a game of Soccer.
• In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria.
• In 1974, the Australian city of Darwin is devastated late on Christmas Eve and in the early hours of the morning by Cyclone Tracy.
• In 1834, Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert brought the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle for the Royal family.
• 6 December is St Nicholas’s Day – the first of the gift giving days, especially in Holland and Belgium.
• Some priests in Australia advise you to say “Happy Christmas”, not “Merry Christmas”, because Merry has connotations of getting drunk – which brings its own problems. One should say “Happy” instead.
• The actual gift givers are different in various countries:
• Spain and South America: The Three Kings
• Italy: La Befana (a kindly old witch)
• England: Father Christmas
• France: Pere Noel (Father Christmas)
• Russia: In some parts – Babouschka (a grandmotherly figure)
• Other parts it is Grandfather Frost.
• Germany: Christkind (angelic messenger from Jesus)
• She is a beautiful fair haired girl with a shining crown of candles.
• Scandinavia: a variety of Christmas gnomes. One is called Julenisse
• Holland: St Nicholas.
• Every year since 1947 the people in Oslo have given a Christmas tree to the city of Westminster. The gift is an expression of goodwill and gratitude for Britain’s help to Norway in the 1939-1945 war.
• The first American Christmas carol was written in 1649 by a minister named John de Brebeur and is called “Jesus is Born”.
• Mexicans call the poinsettia “Flower of the Holy Night” – the Holy Night is the Mexican way of saying “Christmas Eve”.
• Tom Smith who owned a sweet shop in London was the originator of the cracker. In the 1840s Tom found that people like sugar almonds, but while he was in France he discovered a variety of sweets wrapped up in a twist of paper. These bonbons were popular, so Tom decided to copy them. When Tom noticed that young men were buying them to give to their sweethearts he began to place “love mottoes” on small slips of paper inside the sweet wrapping.
• In 1846 Tom’s thoughts turned towards Christmas – instead of sweets he thought he would place toys and novelties inside the twisted wrapping. He experimented with this and the idea of producing a wrapping that could be pulled apart – just like the cracker as we know it today.
• The word carol is derived from the old French word caroller which derives from the Latin choraula. This itself was derived from the Greek choraules.

Xmas Street Art

Brussels sprouts ice-cream, anyone? Two mums set out to restore the hated veg’s image with new recipe book

You may detest them steamed, boiled or even panfried with pancetta.But perhaps you’ll take to sprouts if they are frozen and served in a cone.That is the plan cooked up by two mothers who are trying to make Brussels sprouts more popular.

Deborah Kershaw and Rachel Peck have published a recipe book devoted to the vegetable.Dishes range from sprouts bubble and squeak and sprouts masala to a cake with sultanas and coconut – and even Brussels sprouts ice-cream.

Mrs Kershaw, 46, from Doncaster, said: ‘Other people couldn’t understand why I was getting all passionate about sprouts – but I think they’ve had a raw deal over the years with people just steaming them and boiling them to bits.’There is a more serious reason behind the book, however. The two women became friends after their daughters spent months having cancer treatment on the same ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital last year.Mrs Kershaw’s 12-year-old daughter Megan won her battle for survival, but Miss Peck’s little girl Lauren, who had been diagnosed with a kidney tumour, died aged three in June last year.The book is dedicated to Lauren, who loved her sprouts.

All the profits will go to fund the parents’ association at the hospital.Miss Peck, 28, from Sheffield, said: ‘People either love sprouts or hate them, it’s the one vegetable that seems to divide opinion very strongly.’But it’d be great if we could encourage more people to give them a try this Christmas for Lauren’s sake, if nothing else. I’m sure she’ll be up there looking-down at me and laughing at the idea.’Mrs Kershaw credits another friend, Rachel Duckers – whose family run a farm shop on the outskirts of Sheffield – for inspiring the two women to press ahead with the project.She said: ‘The two of us got to know Rachel as a friend after she became our outreach nurse at the hospital, and something just clicked when she mentioned the mountain of unsold sprouts at the farm shop last Christmas.’Mrs Kershaw added: ‘It’s been a difficult couple of years for the two of us, but the project has helped us cope in a way, and if we can raise money for the hospital, and alter people’s eating habits as well then all the better.’

Births on 25 December:

• W C Field (1946)
• Alice Cooper (1945)
• Princess Alexandra (1936)
• Paul Borget (1935)
• Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889)

Deaths on 25 December:

• Conrad Hilton (1979)
• Humphrey Bogart (1957)
• Dorothy Wordsworth (1855)
• Sir Isaac Newton (1727)
• The biggest selling Christmas single of all time is Bing Crosby’s White Christmas.
• In Switzerland during the Reformation, al instrumental and choral music was banned from churches. In Germany, disapproval of carols resulted in some being converted into hymns.
• Tinsel on the Christmas Tree is attributed to a woman whose husband died. She was left to bring up a large family of children herself. She was left to do everything working so hard and she was determined to make a happy time for them at Christmas. She prepared a Christmas Tree to surprise them on Christmas Day. Unfortunately spiders visited the tree, and crawled from branch to branch, making webs all over it. The Christ Child saw the tree and knew she would be devastated to find this on Christmas morning. He changed the spiders’ webs to shining silver.
• The first church the Dutch built in New York City was named in St Nicholas’ honour -St Nicholas Church.
• Many Christmas customs are carryovers from pre-Christian celebrations. Hanging gifts on trees is supposed to stem from tree worship of the Druids, and the belief that the tree was the giver of all good things. The Druids are also partly responsible for the use of mistletoe at Christmastime. They regarded the mistletoe as sacred, made certain that it never touched the ground, and dedicated it to the Goddess of Love, which explains the kissing that goes on under it. Originally, when a boy kissed a girl, he plucked a berry from the cluster and presented it to her. When the berries were gone, so were the kisses.
• In Christmas tree decorations, angels are usually portrayed as wimpy blondes in girl’s blouses and sandals. In the Bible, however, angels are muscular bullies who frequently goad humans into fistfights. Life isn’t all harps and heavenly choirs for angels; there’s a strict career structure. The only angels mentioned by name in the Bible are archangels, the eighth-ranking order of angels.
• Visitors to Bethlehem rarely exceed a few thousand at Christmas. In 1995, there were rowdy celebrations of the first Christmas in a Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem. The Christmas Eve service televised on 25 December is celebrated not in the Church of the Nativity, which stands over the place where Jesus was said to have been born, but in the nearby Franciscan Church of St. Catherine.
• The largest functional Christmas cracker was 45.72 metres long and 3.04 metres in diameter. It was made by Australian international rugby player Ray Price in Markson Sparks of New South Wales, Australia and was pulled in the car park of the Westfield Shopping Town in Chatswood, Sydney, Australia on 9 November 1991.

• A goose was customary Christmas fare until Henry VIII took it upon himself to tuck into a turkey. Mince pies were once shaped like mangers and are thought to date back to the sweetmeats formerly presented to the Vatican on Christmas Eve.
• The freedom-fighter and religious activist thought to have been born between 6 BC and 30 AD, by the name of Jesus Christ from the Greek christos, “the anointed one”. He was born in a stable in Bethlehem. He started out as a carpenter, but became a missionary following his baptism by a cousin, John. After proclaiming himself the Messiah, Jesus was betrayed by a disciple and crucified. He is later said to have risen from the dead.
• If you’re wondering why men may have not flocked to kiss you under the mistletoe, the answer may be that it was said that it will only work if the person you are kissing is a virgin. On the sixth day of the new moon, a Druid priest used to cut mistletoe from an oak tree with a sacred sickle. A passing virgin was called upon to catch the falling plant, which was not allowed to touch the ground.
• The first commercial Christmas card, produced in 1846, featured a drawing of family members happily toasting each other with glasses of wine – a shockingly decadent portrait that was immediately condemned by temperance advocates. In New South Wales, Australia, the average daily mailbag of six to seven million items of mail can triple over Christmas. The heaviest day ever was on 23 December 1997, when a record 23 million items were delivered in this state in Australia.
• Santa’s Reindeers are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.
• Saint Boniface is said to have substituted a fir tree for the pagan oak in the eighth century as a symbol of faith. Martin Luther fostered the Christmas tree cult by using a candlelit tree as a symbol of Christ’s heavenly home, while trees decorated with candles, fruit and paper flowers were introduced into Britain soon after Queen Victoria’s marriage.
• The Celts used to bring a large log indoors as a tribute to the sun god. In Cornwall, revellers would chalk a symbol of a man on the log in a cheery reference to the human sacrifices who used to be thrown on the bonfire.
• Ancient Roman observances of the Natalis solis invicti and the Saturnalia occurred in December and involved much feasting, singing, parades and other forms of celebrating. Not to be outdone, when the Church adopted Christmas it introduced a major Christian celebration and feasting became a part of the festivities. As the centuries wore on, depending upon the country, a Christmas goose, turkey or other animal was adopted as the main course in the Christmas feast.
• The Christmas tree was first decorated with lights in the 16th century. It is believed that Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, was the first to add lighted candles to the tree. He was so taken with the Christmas night sky that he wished to bring “the lights of the stars” into the home of his family. From this, decorating the tree with ornaments, messages and notes, and small gifts emerged in later centuries leading to our customs today.
• Hanging the Christmas stocking on the hearth on Christmas Eve in the hope that it will be filled with presents the next morning is a custom that goes back about 400 years. It derived from the custom in Holland of children placing wooden shoes next to the hearth the night before the arrival of St. Nicholas. The children would fill their shoes with straw and food for St Nicholas’s for the donkey that carried the gifts. In exchange he would leave them a small gift such as small cakes, fruits and other gifts. Stockings were substituted for the shoes in Britain, most of Europe and in North America.
• A wreath with holly, red berries and other decorations began from at least the 17th century. Holly, with its sharply pointed leaves, symbolised the thorns in Christ’s crown-of-thorns. Red berries symbolised the drops of Christ’s blood. A wreath at Christmas signified a home that celebrated to birth of Christ.
• On Christmas morning since medieval times, church bells have been rung to announce to the world the coming of the saviour. It was customary from the 18th century to wear clothes and carry a small bell to signify the birth of Christ. The ringing of the bells was to signify the importance of the His Birth.

A Politically Correct Christmas Story

‘Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck…
How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to “Elves”.
“Vertically Challenged” they were calling themselves.
And labour conditions at the North Pole
were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!
The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their rooftops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called “Unenlightened.”
And to show you the strangeness of life’s ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorised use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she’d enough of this life,
Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he’d never had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamoured or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that’s warlike or non-pacifistic.
No candy or sweets…they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football…someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, dishevelled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you’ve got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere…even you.
So here is that gift, it’s price beyond worth…
May you and your loved ones, enjoy peace on Earth.

REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.
Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.
Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa’s reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.
We should’ve known……  ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!!

Christmas Queue Folly

Just before Christmas I was shopping at a toy fayre in Nottingham’

I glanced to my left and caught sight of a queue at the doll counter; they were waiting for the shelves to be restocked with Mattel dolls.  As I looked I realised that in the queue was a good friend of mine.  Knowing Ernie well I was sure that he had no daughters nor did he have any nieces so I wondered why he should want to buy a doll at Christmas time’

‘Hey, Ernie,’ I cried, ‘I hadn’t realised you collected dolls.’
‘I don’t,’ he replied laughing’

‘Really,’ I queried, ‘then you must be buying a Christmas present then?’
‘No, not at all, my friend,’ responded Ernie, his eyes twinkling merrily’

‘If you don’t mind my asking then Ernie,’ I said, ‘Why exactly are you standing in this particular queue?’

‘Oh that,’ he giggled. ‘It’s like this, my mate,’ he mused, ‘I’ve never been able to resist a Barbie queue.’

For The Guys

For The Ladies

For Those Who Cant Decide

My Favourite Carol

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Almost everyone knows, these days, that Santa Claus came to us over the centuries from Saint Nicholas. But why do some people still insist on calling him Father Christmas?

The truth is that there is a huge case of mistaken identity happening here as both names have distinctly different origins.

The Transformation of Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas was a popular figure in Turkey in the 3rd and 4th Centuries. As the Patron Saint of children (and, surprisingly, the Patron Saint of pawnbrokers) Saint Nicholas became popular amongst the Dutch as Sinter Klaas, but this was further transformed to Santa Claus when the Dutch brought this tradition with them to the Americas.

Famously, Santa Claus underwent his final and biggest make-over in the 1930’s when a hugely successful Coca-Cola advertising campaign gave him the red and white outfit and appearance we recognise today.

Alternatively, the origins of Father Christmas go back even further still and predate Christ, despite the name he would come to be known as.

Old Man Winter, Knocking at Your Door

Originally called Father Winter or Old Man Winter, he was a popular part of the Midwinter festivals that took place in the British Isles and Northern Europe. An elder of the village would dress up to personify winter and would visit each house within the village or community. The family would provide him with food and drink, thereby appeasing the winter elements and providing luck for the coming year.

The Midwinter festivals were full of these superstitious traditions that all seemed to rely on pleasing the spirits to reduce the severity of the winter elements and Father Christmas was just one more of these.

Renamed after the adaptation of the Midwinter festivals into the Christmas celebrations in the fourth century, the tradition was too popular to disappear and continued in a similar form for the following hundreds of years.

Two Traditions Become One

It wasn’t until the Nineteenth Century and the arrival of the Santa Claus tradition in England that the two characters began to become merged as one. As both characters were said to visit all houses at Christmas, the merging was an obvious one.

For some British and Europeans, the distinction of Father Christmas over Santa Claus is defended, but many now use the two names interchangeably. Even so, there can still be seen traces of the original Father Christmas if you know where to look.

In certain parts of the British Isles, for example, Father Christmas is often not depicted as the popular Coca-Cola Santa Claus of today, but as a thinner, long cloaked and hooded old man more in keeping with the old tradition. Sometimes, the colours may be the same in a further merging of traditions, but he may also appear in all manner of bright colours and accessories, distinguishing Father Christmas even more from the commercialised Santa of today.

Obesity warning as children eat up to 6,000 calories on Christmas Day

Young children can consume quadruple the daily recommended amount of calories on Christmas Day alone, research revealed today. Childhood obesity experts at Leeds-based Carnegie Weight Management found that Christmas dinner, treats and other meals contained up to 6,000 calories – nearly four times what a five-year-old should eat in one day.

The study by the weight management programme, based at Leeds Metropolitan University, found that an average Christmas dinner can contain 956 calories and 48g of fat, while assorted desserts and treats add another 3,336 calories and 169.7g of fat.

Added to breakfast and any other extra meals or snacks and children are soon eating far more than is recommended in one day.

The 6,000-calorie total is around four times the 1,550-calorie limit recommended for a girl aged between four and six and is even more than twice the 2,775 daily allowance for teenage boys aged 15 to 18 years old.Adults are also in danger of over-indulging, with daily recommended limits of 2,550 calories for men and 1,940 for women.Carnegie Weight Management is now warning parents to recognise the dangers of such over-eating after a further study found that many wrongly think their children will grow out of obesity.The research found that more than 40 per cent of parents are not recognising weight problems in their offspring – with 16 per cent blaming it on puppy fat, 14 per cent claiming it is genetic and 11 per cent thinking it is down to low metabolism.

The statistics have prompted experts at Carnegie, the longest-running programme for the treatment of overweight and obese children in Europe, to warn parents that not recognising weight problems in their children can lead to obesity levels continuing.Paul Gately, director of Carnegie Weight Management, said: ‘Puppy fat is no longer relevant to our children; they just don’t grow out of it any more. In fact, half of overweight five-year- olds will grow up to be obese adults.’I urge parents to seek advice early in order to understand the classifications of overweight and obesity and access services.’

More than 25million boxes of crackers are sold in the UK each Christmas with most still containing the standard ‘jokes’ inside.A poll of 4,000 people for Christmas decorations retailer www.mrschristmas.co.uk have voted on the best and worst of the festive rib-ticklers.

The Top 10 were

1. Doctor: What seems to be the problem?

Santa: I seem to have a mince pie stuck up my bottom!

Doctor: I’ve got just the cream for that!

2. Why did the scientist install a knocker on his door?

He wanted to win the no-bell prize

3. What goes oh, oh, oh?

Santa walking backwards

4. What do you call a bunch of grandmasters of chess bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?

Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

5. What did Adam yell on the day before Christmas?

‘It’s Christmas, Eve!’

6. What do you call a penguin in the Sahara Desert?

Lost

7. What kind of room has no windows or doors?

A mushroom

8. What do you call a man with brown paper trousers?

Russell

9. How did the human cannonball lose his job?

He got fired

10. Why don’t ducks tell jokes when they’re flying?

Because they would quack up

Top 10 worst Christmas cracker jokes

1. What’s purple and yells help?

A damson in distress

2. What do you call the fear of getting stuck while sliding down a chimney?

Santa Claus-trophbia

3. What happened to the turkey at Christmas?

It got gobbled!

4. How do you know when there is a snowman in your bed?

You wake up wet!

5. What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?

Tinsilitis!

6. What’s the fastest thing in the water?

A motor pike

7. Why did the skeleton go to the New Year’s Eve party?

He had no body to go with

8. What do reindeer hang on their Christmas trees?

Horn-aments!

9. I’ve just bought a dog with no nose

How does he smell?         Awful

10. What’s the most popular Christmas wine? ‘I don’t like Brussels sprouts!

Coca Cola Kidnapped Santa For Advertising Campaigns

LARGER IMAGES
click for full screen

Xmas WTF !!!

Just Dont Ask…Im Not Sure !!

And On That Note…Have A Sexy Xmas…..Goodnight…See You All In 2010

Boy, two, is snatched by social workers after mother refused doctor’s advice to feed him junk food

By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 7:50 AM on 03rd December 2009

• Comments (202)
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Like many toddlers, Zak Hessey was a fussy eater who refused his mother’s healthy home cooking.

Concerned about his falling weight, his parents sought the advice of doctors. That simple act triggered a shocking chain of events that led to the youngster being put into foster care for four months.

Paul and Lisa Hessey believe in the long-term benefits of healthy eating and rejected advice to feed their two-year-old son high-calorie snack food such as chocolate, crisps and cakes.

Taken into care: Zak Hessey was placed in a foster home for four months because his parents refused advice to feed him junk food

To their horror, social workers put Zak into foster care ‘to assess his needs’ and allegedly threatened the couple with the loss of their parental rights if they fought the decision in court.

‘I was absolutely devastated, I broke down in tears,’ recalled Mrs Hessey, 48. ‘I was scared out of my wits. I phoned Paul to tell him and he just broke down on the phone.’

But they went to court and, after four months, Zak returned home with the blessing of social services, who accepted he had good and caring parents.

More…

• Tragedy as breastfeeding mother smothers baby after falling asleep on jet
• Social workers to be given pay RISES in wake of Baby P scandal

Zak is now putting on some weight, but his eating problems were not cured by his time in the care of ‘experts’ and, much to the annoyance of his parents, he has acquired a taste for junk food.

Mrs Hessey, of Bolsover, near Chesterfield, said: ‘I thought I was doing the right thing going to the best people for advice when Zak began to lose weight.

Heartbroken: Lisa Hessey was told she would have her parental rights taken away in court if she opposed a decision to place Zak in care

‘Instead they basically accused me of neglecting him and implied it was all my fault. I have four other children and they are perfectly healthy, it was just that Zak was refusing food for some reason. They said I should just feed Zak chocolate, cakes and junk food just to get calories into him. But I objected, saying that was only a short-term answer and not a proper solution.

‘The Government and doctors are always drumming into parents the importance of healthy eating – yet they were telling us to feed Zak all the wrong things.

‘That is obviously what they were doing when he was in foster care so now it is hard to get him to eat anything else.’

Mrs Hessey and her 48-year-old husband, a lorry driver, took Zak to see a paediatrician at Chesterfield Royal Hospital in July. He was 20 months old and weighed 1st 3lb.

Mrs Hessey, whose four other children are under ten, said she was happy for Zak to be admitted for a two-week hospital assessment and was hit by a thunderbolt when she went to collect him on July 24.

She was taken into a room with a nurse and social worker who apparently told her: ‘We would like Zak to go into foster care to assess how he feeds. You have legal rights but be warned if you oppose this we will go straight to court and have all your parental rights taken away.’

Mrs Hessey said: ‘They kept saying, “If you love Zak and you want the best for him then you’ll agree to this”. They said we had been negative about eating. That was because they had been telling us we should feed Zak crisps, chocolate and cakes to get calories into him.

‘I was questioning that approach. We eat proper home-made food at our house and just have chocolate and cakes as a treat.’

Fussy eater: Zak Hessey, two, has now acquired a taste for junk food after social workers tried to make him gain weight

She agreed to Zak going into care after hearing to the possible repercussions if she objected. Initially she and her husband couldn’t see Zak for six days.

After hiring a solicitor, they were allowed three hours a day with him during the week in the company of a social worker.

The first hearing before the family court in Derby was on September 2 and the case was adjourned for two weeks. Interim care orders were imposed and Zak returned home following a third court hearing on November 18. By this stage social workers had lifted their objections – and he had put on only 1lb.

Mrs Hessey said: ‘Social services did a complete about turn. They admitted that in foster care Zak was exactly the same with his food as he was at home.

‘They said we were very good parents. I still find it hard to come to terms with how we have been treated.’ Derbyshire County Council said: ‘We only take a child into our care either with the consent of the parents or following very careful consideration by a court.’

A spokesman for Chesterfield Royal Hospital said: ‘While we understand Mr and Mrs Hessey’s distress, Zak’s welfare was paramount and we believe we acted in his best interest.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232611/Mother-boy-snatched-social-workers-refusing-doctors-advice-feed-chocolate-crisps.html#ixzz0Ybys0SPN

Here we are with the third and final part of my 12 films of Christmas. The deckies are up, the presents are wrapped, the turkey’s defrosting and there’s only one thing left to do; get in those final few films to really get you in the mood!

Before I get going, a quick reminder of the 12 so far:

12. The Nightmare Before Christmas
11. Die Hard
10. Edward Scissorhands
9. Love Actually
8. The Grinch
7. Home Alone
6. Miracle on 34th Street
5. The Santa Clause

Onto the top 4 then. Here’s my recommendations for what to watch on Christmas Eve and one for Christmas Day.

A Muppet Christmas Carol

OK, so I have a confession to make. I’ve cheated and already watched this one.  Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the Muppets. As I’ve said to Caz, as far as I’m concerned this is the definitive version of the Dickens classic (although I haven’t seen the newest offering.)  For starters Michael Caine sings in it!  All the music is great and the puppets are woven seamlessly into the human cast to make what is actually a very truthful rendition of the classic Christmas tale.  Although I do blame Jim Henson for my misguided belief that there were two Marley brothers (and that Scrooge’s first job was in a rubber chicken factory )

At some point during Christmas you have to see a version of A Christmas Carol. And if you’re me, this is the one you’re reaching for.

Getting into the evening now with: The Snowman

When I rule the world I’m passing a law that says everyone has to watch this on Christmas Eve.  It’s only 26 minutes long, there’s barely any speaking in it and the ending is one of the most heartbreaking on screen, but it is Christmas for me.  Howard Blake’s score is iconic, as is the animation, and for me as well as (probably) hundreds of other children it used to be the last thing I’d watch before I went to bed on Christmas Eve.  In the last couple of years however, it’s been replaced by my next choice…

Possibly a controversial one here…: The Polar Express

This was one of the first pioneers into the world of 3D cinema and therefore has some rollercoaster train rides to make the most of the effects and some slightly strange looking animation for which it’s got a bit of stick over the last few years. I’ve recently said I’m not that into the whole 3D thing (…until I see Avatar…) so you might be wondering what it’s doing at the top of my list. Let me explain.

I have never seen this film in 3D.  In fact the whole 3D thing only came to my attention because I was looking into the rollercoaster scenes.  So when I saw this film I wasn’t judging it on visual effects but on the story.  True, the animation of the people is a little off, mainly because it’s layered over actual performances, but I kinda like the fact that you can just about recognise Tom Hanks in each of the 6 characters he portrays.  I also think the plot is original and perfect for Christmas Eve.  Again, the idea of people not believing in Santa is used a lot this time of year, but the train for non-believers is a new one, and the juxtaposition between the different children works well.  My favourite theme in the movie though is the bells, such an essential part of the whole Santa image and used cleverly in this film.

If you haven’t seen it (or heard of it) I can’t recommend it more. It’s become a staple of our family Christmas, one which I will definitely be watching tonight.

So, that’s Christmas Eve sorted. Off to bed now or Santa wont come.  I have one more film for you, to watch tomorrow after your turkey.  In a way it’s a predictable choice, although you might not recognise it at first…

My Christmas Day film is: Chicken Run!

Is there anything more British than Aardman animation? When the rest of the world was wowing with CGI and the first of the Pixar sensations, Nick Park got out the plasticine and started building.

Chicken Run is a great film, full of dry humour, an awesome voice cast (Mel Gibson, Jane Horrocks, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall) and fun for all the family.  It’s great for any occasion, so why Christmas? Simple.

Chicken Run is The Great Escape, possible the most watched film at Christmas. Only it’s the less boring, less depressing, far more fun version of the same story, which in my opinion is infinitely better for you while you try to work out if you have any space left for that green triangle Quality Street.  Steve McQueen and his motorbike might be what most people reach for on Christmas Day, but I’ll take a rooster on a tricycle any day.

And that’s it. Christmas wrapped up in 12 great movies. All that’s left to say is Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope you all have a great time with whatever you’re doing.

I’ll be back in the New Year for this blog’s first birthday.

Christmas Movies

Lets face it. Christmas time is a time for movies. The tradition of watching Christmas movies is one exciting time. Night after night we curl up on the couch and catch yet another Christmas movie. We might make a fire and some hot drink. It’s a big part of this time of the year.

Here is my personal list of Christmas Movies that are my favorites and then a list of those that didn’t quite make my list.

Top Ten Christmas Movies

1. Elf

2. Polar Express

3. A Christmas Carol

4. Home Alone

5. It’s a Wonderful life

6. The Santa Clause

7. A Charlie Brown Christmas

8. White Christmas

9. Mickey’s Christmas Carol

10. The Grinch that Stole Christmas (cartoon)

Top Ten Others Considered:

1. The Night They Saved Christmas

2. Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer

3. Scrooged

4. Christmas at the Kranks

5. Four Christmases

6. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

7. Christmas Shoes

8. Frosty the Snowman

9. The Year without a Santa Claus

10. Michey’s Once Upon a Christmas

Favorite New Christmas Special:

Prep and Landing

Tired of:

1.     A Christmas Story

2.     Miracle on 34^th street

Am I missing any that should have been on the top 10?

Island Packet — The Little Man has become interested in, and by “interested in” I mean “deeply consumed by,” a PBS show called “Dinosaur Train.” And while I can’t claim to be a mass-media expert like all those interesting people on TV, I can say that I find “Dinosaur Train” to be public television’s best-ever example of PURE AND UNRELENTING GENIUS. There are mornings where I will literally pour a fresh bowl of Cocoa Pebbles on top of my head because I did not think of the idea for “Dinosaur Train,” which is absolute perfection: Take the world’s two most awesomest things for a male 5-year-old, smash them together and make a show out of them. It’s amazing. This would be like if they suddenly launched a program for me called “Springsteen KeylimeShakiravideos.”

I have plenty of time for self-immolation, luckily, because we watch a metric truckload of “Dinosaur Train” these days. I obtained my first-ever DVR a few weeks ago, which has essentially become an external storage unit for episodes of “Dinosaur Train” — something that is required, because as you might imagine there are some pretty dramatic differences between episodes. In one, for instance, they take the Dinosaur Train to the Jurassic to meet Tyrannosaurus rexes. In another, they take the Dinosaur Train to the Cretaceous to visit  argentinosauruses. In literature, narrative structure can be established and then amended to novel and dramatic effect, which is something that almost never happens on “Dinosaur Train.”

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Was Not Was – Walk The Dinosaur

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(I am hardly making fun of this show, mind you. In fact, I can safely say that when it comes to deploying dinosaur knowledge I am regularly outgunned by a 5-year-old who about two days out of every week will apply his underwear in reverse.)

Anyway, trains are the Little Man’s life, as anyone who has ever spent more than 12 seconds around him will attest, because 12 seconds is precisely the point at which he will topple his way into whatever adult conversation you are impolitely attempting to hold to make a crucial announcement, such as, “Did you know trains have most of their moving parts on the outside?” or “Hey, I know, let’s pretend we’re on the Polar Express!”

(For the record, we spend every day pretending to be on the Polar Express. The ride to school takes place on the Polar Express, the morning Pop-Tart is heated on the dining car of the Polar Express, when riding bikes I am forced to take the secondary position so I can more effectively embody the thrilling role of The Coal Car. There have been times, when we’re out driving, that my son makes a remark about my actual car, and I have literally responded with shocked disbelief, “Wait, we’re not on the Polar Express anymore?”)

Anyway, it goes without saying that this year’s Christmas List was topped by a train, naturally. But if you have spent any time around 5-year-olds you know that “train” is a deeply insufficient word for such a critical need; the train in question was a very specific model that could be found at Home Depot for the weeks and months leading up to the day when I went to buy it at Home Depot, at which point it had vanished and all traces of its existence had been wiped clean from the memory of the store’s staff members.

Now, when you are a parent and you have just realized that your pointless procrastination has resulted in the failure to obtain the one thing in the world that your son won’t shut up about, a vague wave of panic washes over you, one that compels you to stand in a parking lot in a considerable rain talking to uninterested big-box store staffers in Savannah repeating phrases like, “No NORTH POLE EXPRESS it’s radio controlled IT HAS REINDEER ON THE COAL CAR” wondering essentially what has become of the previous editions of your identity.

So you do what parents have done for time out of mind, a proven means of securing your child’s love again: eBay. In this instance and by pure stroke of dumb stupid luck I happened upon an auction for this ridiculous train that was closing in, I kid you not, like 20 minutes. So I did what I imagine people on eBay HATE: I waited, and I pounced, and somewhere in America I have ruined Christmas for some fresh-faced young train aficionado, and I feel bad about that, but I also saved it for my son, and I don’t know the first thing about parenting other than that now is my job. Also it’s what argentinosaurus would do.

With Amazon’s Video On Demand, you can “watch over 50,000 of your favorite movies and hit TV shows on your TV (or computer) instantly!” Want to give it a try? This is perfect for those of you who are stuck indoors due to those holiday snowstorms…!

To get a FREE $4 credit at Amazon’s Video On Demand:

1. Click here to go to Amazon’s Video On Demand site
2. Click on any TV show or move (you don’t have to actually purchase it yet)
3. On the show or movie’s detail page, click on the “Redeem a gift card or promotion code” link. A pop-up window will appear. Enter the code AVODGIFT.
4. Click the Apply button and the pop-up window will reload showing your new credit balance!

Looking for some classic holiday movies? Here are some popular favorites available via Amazon’s Video On Demand for just $2.99/rental – so they’re FREE with this coupon code!

• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
• A Christmas Story
• Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas
• Polar Express

Expires: Unknown

Thanks, Jodi!

It has been a busy book month. There is no doubt about the amount of Christmas books to pick from; there are many many Christmas stories to share. After the trees were trimmed some of the stories that graced the story carpet were New York Times Bestseller Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas.

Any little girl, who loves dress up, crafts and imagination, loves Nancy. And Nancy is looking foward to the fanciest Christmas, with fancy trim, trees and the fanciest tree topper yet! Will disaster fall upon the Fancy Clancys? Or will this Christmas be “splendiferous”. Visit Nancy’s site for cool games, books and meet the creators of this posh book series.

We also remembered Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights or Feast of Dedication December 11 – 19th. There are many children’s books covering this special holiday. The stories shared this month were The Chanukkah Guest by Eric Kimmel, Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story by Fran Maushkin and Our Eight Nights of Hanukkah by Michael J. Rosen, this book is perfect for teaching little ones about sharing thier faith and special holidays with everyone. Our Tuesday for Twos article covered Susan Roth’s book from the song Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah. A short catchy song in book form is perfect for waddlers and toddlers.

There is only a few days left it is hard to believe, but don’t let doubt sway your Christmas spirit. There is still time to bake that special batch of traditional Christmas cookies, get that special present or just sit back and share a timeless classic holiday tale. We’ve all come to love Chris Van Allsburg’s classic The Polar Express. I am sure your little ones have had the privledge of sharing the newest trend of “Polar Express day” at  school and daycare…it is for those who truly believe – a day to kick back and have a P.J. party and watch the movie.

Can you still hear the bells?

I didn’t forget, one of my favorite characters, little Harold – toting his purple crayon and his moon. Once again Harold took us on an amazing adventure to the North Pole.  Harold is woried that he will not be ready for Santa’s arrival on Christmas Eve; he hasn’t a tree or stocking. While Harold looks for the perfect tree, he soon finds himself at the North Pole – helping Santa! Curl up on your own “big soft chair” a enjoy Harold at the North Pole, to see if Harold is ready for Santa on Christmas Eve.

Whatever, your plans are for this next few days don’t miss out on the opportunity – curl up around the tree, the crackling fire or the family couch, enjoy a nice hot cup of cocoa and some cookies - to share a great Christmas story! Merry Christmas!

By Linda Tancs

In that classic essay “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus” an editorial writer for a now-defunct New York paper tells little Virginia O’ Hanlon that there is a Santa Claus.  In some cases, it may take more than a newspaper writer to believe in the jolly old fellow.    Indeed, it could take a magic train–like the Polar Express.  Across the country, coal-fired, steam-operated vintage trains take a page from Chris Van Allsburg’s popular children’s book, “The Polar Express,” ferrying their young charges (and their parents) on a picture-perfect journey to the “North Pole.”  There, Santa and his elves board the train, dishing out goodies and singing Christmas carols.  Surely, that makes glad the heart of childhood–or any heart, for that matter.

DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION

 The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.

What Is It?

The movie is based on a children’s book about a doubting boy who travels on a magical train and finds that, if he believes, that there really is a Santa. The story is stretched over an hour and utilizes a new computer animation technique. Actors have little sensors put all over there face and body. Then their performances are digitally entered into a computer and rendered as the computer characters. This allows Tom Hanks to play 5 characters including the child we follow throughout the film.

How Was It?

The animation was well done, but a little creepy. The people are almost real, but just plastic enough to be strange ( not to mention that they never blink). There are several scenes where things just degenerate into first person roller coaster effects. I found out that it was originally presented in IMAX 3D , which would make this repetitive effect a little less pointless.

The plot feels very contrived. There are several other kids added who each have “life lessons” of their own. Songs are trite and pointless. There is a moment with the train conductors looking for some part of the train (that causes another roller coaster screen) that is almost genuine cartoon fun. For the most part though, this is just numbing animation that tries to be deep, but mostly becomes confusing and contrived.

On top of it all, the charming “Classic Christmas” motif was nice until they shattered it with a weird cameo by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler as a rock singing elf.

Tom Hanks is a good actor, but the others….

Was It Good For Kids?

There is nothing particularly vulgar about the film.

You can check Screenit.com to see what exactly happens on the screen.

I have had kids tell me they liked it, but not have a lot to say about why. The issues here may be much more in the dizzying spiritual ideas that make as little sense as the rest of the poorly contrived plot. So without further ado ….

What About Spiritual Issues?

This film seems to have a lot about “belief” in it, not “believe in anything” but ” belief” for the sake of “belief” itself. The child does not believe in Santa, so he is whisked off to learn the power of “Belief.” At the end (spoiler) there is a bell that only those who “Believe” can hear. The boy learns to hear it and as he gets older, though most can no longer hear the bell , our hero can for his entire life.

The idea that belief is a power that needs to be applied for no reason, is not one that goes with the Bible. Our God is a specific being that gives proofs from the logic of the Bible to the wonder of creation. Our faith is not blind but educated. We can know God is there and our belief grows out of trust. Although some of the statements from the movie, if taken out of context, are true, it is still offer s you a “belief” in nothing.

The only time that the there is an object to of the belief is when a homeless man asks if the hero boy believes in ghosts. Though the boy says “NO”, he learns to believe in them as he is talk s to one who gives him aid throughout the rest of the film.

Still this is just Belief as the idea that you know something is real. Not belief in the sense that you have put your trust and hope in it.

What Is Your Recommendation?

This is just the slow moving, overly analysed and specialised humanism that Writer/Director Robert Zemeckis brought us in Forest Gump. There are a lot of good holiday films. This is not one of them. Though your children may be willing to be quiet for the time that the film is running, there are much better options for kids’ films. People will continue to say that they find “Christian Teams” in this film, but that is because they are not paying attention. They heard a word they knew and instead of seeing how the film was defining it, they inflicted there own definition on the movie. I can not see how this can be healthy or worth while.

Photo by albalb

Our offices will be closed Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25 in observance of the Christmas Holiday. We will reopen on Monday, December 28 at 9am.

Christmas in New York is truly magical! If you are in town for the weekend, NYC has a plethora of events to celebrate the Holiday weekend! Here are a few of our favorites:

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas The Musical:
Broadway, Broadway, Broadway – our favorite Boulevard in Manhattan. The light, the singing, the dancing – the Great White Way! It’s a must see for anyone visiting the city and what better show to see than the epically classical Irving Berlin’s White Christmas showing through January 3 at the Marquis Theater.

Buy tickets online or contact the box office Box at (212) 382-0100. The box office hours are Monday – Saturday from 10:00am – 8:30pm and Sunday from 12:00pm – 6:00pm. There is a note online that “Promotions/Discounts are available over the phone and through the Box Office only.”

The Polar Express™ 4-D Experience at Madame Tussauds
The Polar Express™ 4-D Experience is back at Madame Tussauds New York, just in time for the holidays! This unique cinematic experience will enable you to smell the aroma of hot chocolate, feel the icy chill of snow brushing past your face, hear the roar of the locomotive and feel as though you are a passenger aboard the magical Polar Express as you follow the story of a young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve! It’s a full-sensory adventure that is perfect for the entire family. (Trailer)

Holiday hours are 10am to 10pm from Thursday, November 26-Saturday, January 2. Purchase your all access pass online, which includes general admission to Madame Tussauds NY, SCREAM, Polar Express, Madame Tussauds Story, and Behind the Scenes, to save up to 20%.

It’s a Wonderful Life
Frank Capra’s paean to small-town values and the ordinary guy takes place one bleak-looking Christmas Eve, as James Stewart wishes he’d never been born. A classic story of redemption and second chances, It’s a Wonderful Life became not just a perennial holiday favorite, but one of the most beloved of all American movies.

Experience it theater style from December 18-22 at the IFC Center on Sixth Avenue at West Third Street. For an extra special treat, Donna Reed’s daughter Mary Owen will appear in person at Friday and Saturday’s 7:00pm shows and Sunday’s 3:55pm. Purchase tickets online.

NYC Service:
Share the spirit of the season with others! NYC Service, run by the City of New York, knows that everyone has something to offer. They can assist you with using your time, passion, skills and willingness to help address New York’s most pressing needs. Simply visit their website, and answer this question: I want to help New York with: ________. You can search volunteer opportunities by a variety of variables such as date, area, and your specialties.

Ice Skating:
Ice skating in the City is a beloved seasonal tradition. Whether you are participating or watching, the only problem is which of our World famous rinks do you choose from?

Rockefeller Ice Rink is closed on Wednesday, and has a schedule change on Thursday, November 26, with sessions from 9am-12pm, 12:30-2, 2:30-4, 4:30-6, 6:30-8, 8:30-10, 10:30-Midnight. Normal sessions resume on Friday from 8:30am-1000, 1030-12 1230-2, 2:30-4, 4:30-6, 6:30-8, 8:30-10, 10:30-Midnight. Pricing for adults $19, children under eleven and seniors $12.50. Skate rental is $9 per session. The Christmas Tree is up, but not lit. The lighting ceremony is on December 2.

The Pond at Bryant Park is open from 8am-10pm. Admission and lockers are free. Skate rentals are $12, lock rentals are $9, small bag check is $7 and large bag check is $10. The line tends to be longer on holidays – but you can make a reservation online and skip the line!

The Wollman Rink in Central Park is open from Monday & Tuesday from 10:00am – 2:30pm, Wednesday & Thursday from 10:00am – 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday 10:00am – 11:00pm, and on Sunday from 10:00am – 9:00pm. Adults are $10.25 Monday-Thursday and $14.75 Friday-Sunday. Children are $5.50 Monday-Thursday and $5.75 Friday-Sunday. Seniors are $4.75 Monday-Thursday and $8.25 Friday-Sunday. Skate rentals are $6.25. Lock rentals are $4.50 with a a $6 deposit. The spectator fee is $5.

Too cold to skate outdoors? Try Chelsea Piers’ Sky Rink . Adults are $13, Youth & Seniors are $10.50. Skate Rental is $7.50 and helmet rental $4. They have special holiday hours and have a Christmas Day Special with reduced admission of $10 and FREE Skate Rental from 12:00pm – 6:50pm.

Happy Holidays! Enjoy!

If you place an order for virtual office service online via our secure order form, please note that orders completed on a Holiday will be reviewed the following business day (December 28).

Make sure to check out our specials page for Decembers’s New York virtual office promotion.

With regards,
The Team at VH International Business Solutions, Inc.

Please contact us with any questions:
Tel: 1.212.627.8900
Fax: 1.646.861.6610
Manhattan Virtual Office

Since 1990.

VH International Business Solutions, Inc.
Follow us on Twitter: @ManhattanOffice

Polar Express

To Grandmother’s house we go! (With a little detour through Memphis for sister-in-law’s college graduation.) Sing with me… the horse knows the way, to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow. Hey!

Me and the husband are off for our Christmas holiday in Kentucky. But not to worry, we have plenty of posts lined up for you, so you won’t be without your Sweet Iced Tea through the holidays!

One wonderful way to get over the river and through the woods in true magical style is to take a train. While I love trains in any way, shape, or form (so much better than flying — romantic, less security hassle, more leg room), it would be so much fun to take a train ride (especially with little ones) on the Polar Express.

Many trains are offering Polar Express rides during the holidays, complete with Santa, hot chocolate and ringing bells, and an invitation to wear your pjs!

There are many available, right here in our own South, or if you’re traveling (well, bless your hearts), all around the country.

Here is one at the Charleston Inn. Another in the Great Smokey Mountains of Bryson City, North Carolina (some little friends of mine participated in this one last year and loved it!). Florida, Alabama, and around the country!

If you somehow missed this classic children’s story, go and find it immediately. But for most of us that are familiar with Chris Van Allsburg’s story (or the more recent Tom Hanks movie), the rides recreate the experience.

All you must do is believe! All aboard!

Yikes! Christmas is fast approaching and time is not aplenty.  I’ve been spending a lot of the time after our finals ended just catching up on the dreaded Christmas shopping (which thankfully now is 90% finished!) and getting all my Christmas music back on my PC.  Somehow between last year and this year, I managed to lose all my Christmas music (thanks for that iTunes).  But – alas – it’s all back now and even better than before.

Some of my favorites: Carol of the Bells by Trans Siberian Orchestra, Believe by Josh Groban from The Polar Express, All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey, and Mary Did You Know by Clay Aiken.

What I want to know is — what are your favorites?

I love the holidays… this weekend will be the major cook-fest.  I will mix up my own dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate recipes then hand-dip chocolate covered cherries and strawberries, coconut bonbons, coconut & cherry bonbons, peanut butter crunch bonbons… without a doubt, my much beloved grandmother will look down from her perch in the hereafter, happy that my daughter will know a bit of the magic that came before her.  The fillings are all her recipes, I take liberties with the chocolate. There may be time for making divinity, and spritz cookies too.

I love Christmas. Chanukah. Everything about this time of year is filled with promise.  And gratitude for faith, at least in my home.  This year brings so many more blessings than I could have imagined.  If the weather maps are to be believed, it will be a snowy holiday.  Lovely.

The Polar Express and Love Actually will no doubt be played on a loop, the exquisite aroma of love-infused treats and meals will keep us all warm and I will be thanking my lucky stars for so many blessings.  To all of my faithful readers, and those who drop by on occasion, know that I bid you all glad tidings for the season, and a very happy new year.

—Media Lizzy

The semester is dwindling down and it is finally beginning to feel like Christmas! I have an intense love for all things Christmas: Christmas movies, christmas music, christmas lights, christmas trees, it is all just overwhelmingly festive and cheery and how can anyone be sad at Christmas time?! Currently I’m watching the Polar Express for the umpteenth time…I’m secure with that. Today I took my bio final and got a 98! Hurray. Oddly enough I have a half of a take-home test for Chem to complete and then the Chem final on the 22nd. Classes are done for the semester so I basically have a week off until the final. Paying for the spring semester hit my wallet pretty badly so I’ve been trying to sell books back early and counting on overtime to get me present money. When people ask what I want for Christmas all I can possibly think of is money for books for school, tuition, and anything that will get me closer to nursing school. Thankfully, I am blessed with an amazing boyfriend who realizes I could care less about getting new jewelry or clothes, his early christmas gift…I don’t have to pay my half of rent this month and can use the money to buy x-mas presents, pay for tuition, and buy books for next semester. This is my kind of gift. I am incredibly grateful for him. Having a boyfriend who is standing by me through working full time and school part time is a present enough. Ok…time to stop being lame. An early Merry Christmas!!

Some of us love to travel during the holidays. There are so many nice places out there that none of us know about, special experiences that many of us would love to go through. Many of us love to stay home for Christmas but many of us like to travel during the Christmas holidays. There are many options we can choose from in order to make this holiday season a memorable one.

Magical Santas Lapland, Finland; Lapland is an inhabited place located within the boundaries of the Arctic Circle where reindeers run free as well as Arctic foxes and hare. There are many activities to be enjoyed like snowmobiling and toboggan racing. The special activities are reindeer lassoing and snow hockey. You will love admiring the Northern Lights once the sun goes down. Children will have a great time at the Elf School and Santas control center. In this center your children will be able to undrstand the inner work of all the North Poles entities while the Ice Gallery and snowball range provide aditional chilly althernatives.

Polar Express, New Hampshire; you can enjoy a memorable trip on the Polar Express. It is so much fun to experience the Polar Express going through the White Mountains during a 2 hour journey full of Christmas atmosphere. In this trip you will be able to witness Santa and his army of wee elves in a unique and special way.

These are sensational trips that you and your children will never forget. Watching Santa live will be an unforgettable experience since children love Santa so much.

We at UMAC have a fantastic night planned for this Saturday, and we hope you got your RSVP in already, because we’d hate for you to miss it. We’ve planned a fun family movie night for our UMAC members!

To help everyone get into the holiday spirit, Saturday’s feature film will be Polar Express. Bring a pillow and blanket so you can get comfortable, and we’ll serve cookies and hot cocoa, just like in the movie! *

We’ll open our studio doors at 5:30 p.m., and the evening will last until 8:00 p.m. Admission is $5, unless you wear your pajamas. Then it’s free!

We can’t wait to see you there!

*Dancing waiters not included.

By: UMAC

This creepy simulacrum of Tom Hanks will make you believe in Santa, at all costs.

Island Packet — I have put off writing this column for three years now, because at some point its publication will jab a lengthy and irrevocably infectious splinter into the relationship between my son and me, probably even more than the horrible truth about what really happened to his fish when we got back from vacation. (I am afraid, little man, they did not go to the ocean for a visit.)

But I cannot let another holiday season pass without sounding a whistle of warning about what is possibly the third-weirdest Christmas-themed show ever (right behind 
“Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” and “A Left Behind’ Christmas,” in case you were wondering): “The Polar Express,” which is soulless and inorganic and creepers and depicts a world populated entirely by CGI robot Tom Hankses and is also partially responsible for my having to call 911 in late 2008, but more on that later.

“The Polar Express” was made by computers and Hanks plays everybody and it still cost $165 million to make, most of which ostensibly went to determining how many dead-eyed Talking Metaphors with leathery alien skin could be installed into a quiet 32-page children’s book.

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Levon Helm – Move Along Train

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Yet “The Polar Express” is hardly alone in being freaky; some of America’s most consistently popular examples of jingly quote-fingers kids’ shows include a beloved cartoon that’s basically 25 solid minutes of the unprovoked emotional abuse of a bald child, a movie about a bespectacled nerd who will stop at nothing to obtain firearms and a Claymation hellscape in which the main character is ridiculed by his peers because of a startling facial deformity (to say nothing of “White Christmas” and its very numerous murders).

(Do not get me started on Christmas music either, as I swear to Santa that more than one annual listening of McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” or anything that Mariah Carey was in the room for will literally compel me to beat elves remorselessly with Salvation Army buckets, and don’t think I won’t do it, you remember what happened last year, Petco.)

But at some point in 2007, my son became aware of “The Polar Express” and latched onto it with the singular, steel-eyed obsession of Edward in “Twilight” (and yes, I’d chaperone a kindergarten field trip to “Twilight” before letting it within a country mile of “The Polar Express,” as at least vampires are supposed to look undead).

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Seriously, what in the hell is even going on here.

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We have never had a Wiggles phase with the boy, so I’m scoring this situation as a tie, but on the other hand how bad can a group of friendly, melodic Australians be when contrasted with a movie whose primary message seems to be that if a strange man appears in your yard on an illogical train in the black of night offering you a ride to an unspecified destination, you better damn well get on that train.

And yet the fundamental rejection of the principle of stranger danger is only the first of many terrible themes in this film; the second involves a pretty cavalier approach to transit as it pertains to unsupervised children. “One thing about trains,” the bendable Hanksbot says, very seriously, “Doesn’t matter where they’re going, what matters is deciding to get on” — as though it’s permissible, if not required by Santa, to board random forms of mass transit without regard to where they might end up, which is something an insane hobo would do in 1921 because he was fleeing outlaws. Because that is PATENTLY WRONG! It ENTIRELY matters where the train is going! What if the train’s going to Pittsburgh, or Darfur or a Sarah Palin book signing?

I could literally do this all day: This movie has an angry hobo-ghost who lives on top of the train and washes his socks in coffee, there’s a fiesta of puppet corpses, the North Pole is apparently a sweatshop staffed by exceedingly unpleasant elf worker drones (one of which is Steven Tyler) who speak Yiddish for some reason and greet Santa’s appearance with pretty desperate enthusiasm for a guy they see every day, Santa himself is a pompous snooze box and there’s a scene at the end where a present arrives that neither parent recognizes, and it contains a note from a “Mr. C” advising a boy to fix a hole in his pocket and NO ONE IS THE SLIGHTEST BIT WEIRDED OUT BY THIS. Also there’s the film’s ostensible final message, which is that if you’re an 8-year-old kid who is having trouble believing in Santa, you should believe in Santa. I am not sure why this is a good message, unless the filmmakers are endeavoring to create a new generation of playground bully targets.

All of this, of course, is lost on my son, who likes the movie because it has a train in it. In fact, he likes it so much that late one night last year, he left the house at 1:30 in the morning and walked off into our darkened neighborhood, telling us later, after the police had found him, it was because he heard “The Polar Express,” and decided to get on.

[Digg]

Join Children At Play
An OBX Children’s Museum 

• Ride the Polar Express
• Photos with Santa
• Arts and Crafts
• Food and Raffles

 At

 The Outer Banks Brewing Station 

December 16, 2009 – 5:00 pm 

 All profits go to Children at Play

All Aboard! Invite the neighbors, extended family or just you and your children to your home for your own Polar Express storytime. Follow this link to a wonderful Polar Express Party Kit put together by Houghton Mifflin Books. You will find reproducible invitations, tickets, name tags, coloring sheets, craft ideas, recipes, music and directions for your very own Polar Express celebration.

Here’s a taste:

Chug, chug, chug, chug, toot, toot!

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the 6th Annual Polar Express  heading to the West Palm Beach Public Library!  We can’t wait for it to reach our station! The magic begins this Friday, December 4th at 5:30.  Catch a train to the North Pole where you can meet Santa, listen to a good reindeer joke, and play reindeer games!  While you’re there don’t forget to decorate a yummy cookie and warm your insides with a cup hot cocoa!  Join the fun in the West Palm Beach Public Library, City Center Courtyard.  

If you have a little extra to spare this season, help us fill Santa’s sack with your donation of new unwrapped toys for needy children and spread some holiday cheer! Call the Children’s Library at 561-868-7703 for additional information!

We can’t wait to see your merry faces this Friday!

KidSpace Staff