Here’s my annual jottings for Christmas week, 2025…

After what seemed a manic period taking us up to this week, we somehow managed to get ourselves really well-organised this year, where in the week before this one, it all seemed very relaxed – just what retirement should be about (but it seemed to have eluded us in previous years)! I’m not sure what we did differently, but long may it continue!

Monday, 22 December

5.25am: Up with the birds this morning!

8.45am: A early start on the road and probably our final business-type get-together, as we headed for the opulence of the Holiday Inn Express near Oxford! The reason? Our annual review with our IFA, Chris.

10.05am: As the traffic was light, we enjoyed as hassle-free journey, and meant we arrived in record time.

2.31pm: The journey home was uneventful, and although ‘Doris’ took us on a different route home – via Buckingham – adding about 20 minutes to our overall journey time, we were soon indoors and tucking into cheese & biscuits. With the grotty weather outside (cold and wet!), we caught up with some jobs inside the house.

4.55pm: Heard from Jo, my walking buddy, and we took a quick walk around the immediate area.

5.35pm: Curry Night, thanks to some additional bits from Jo and Janet

6.25pm: Slumped in front of the TV watching Beyond Paradise and then the finale of The War Between Land and Sea.

Tuesday, 23 December

5.30am: Another early rise!

6.20am: Ann’s off to the Spool

10.35am: A busy morning followed! First job? Brief the Plasterer who will be sorting out our bedroom ceiling as part of the decorating project in early 2026. Then a shed load of ironing and a thorough vacuuming of the house. Ann got stuck into the packing for our few days away, whilst David and I pursued more manly challenges! That challenge began my first foray into installing the new TV bracket in the Bedroom.

It looked like a simple task, but turned out to be more complex than we thought (don’t they always!). Why? Just our luck that one of the support brackets that screwed into the back of the TV (that would eventually attach to the bracket shown above) was impeded by the various sockets on the rear of the TV. Cue some serious hacksawing! Thirty minutes later, it was mission accomplished, thanks to David’s superior hacksawing skills!

Thanks David! Now all we needed to do was to work out the exact positioning on the wall for this serious piece of metalwork, that somehow also needs to conceal the Sky mini-box and other vital componenets – definitely a two-person job! . Well, we made serious progress, but it’s definitely NOT a job I’m going to complete this side of Christmas, as I need to give some serious thought to the fact that the bracket sits on a plasterboard wall. Stay tuned, as they say, more DIY news to come!

12.45pm: After a quick Lunch, Ann headed off to Sue’s for her last piece of voluntary work before the big day. Meanwhile, I pottered about, attempting to complete some bits and pieces that seem to have been hanging around for ages – mostly paperwork.

4.45pm: Ann arrived back from Sue’s just as I was on my way out.

4.55pm: Walkies with Jo!

5.45pm: It was a cold one out there, much colder than Monday. Fortunately, Ann had prepared Dinner, and we were soon tucking into Bangers, Mash with Cauliflower Cheese. Yummy!

6.30pm: A night in front of the TV – Cadfael, (S1, Ep 1) and Madame Blanc Christmas Special.

Christmas Eve

5.25am: Up before the birds again this morning for no other reason than (unusually) neither of us slept very well! .

6.15am: Ann headed off to the Pool whilst I prepped Brekky and then caught up with tonight’s EastEnders on iPlayer – a worthy cliff-hanger for Christmas Eve! Who is she?

9.35am: Being Christmas Eve meant that today was mostly about cleaning – cars, house, bathroom… and even US! . Weather-wise, it wasn’t the best day for sprucing up the cars, but needs must, as they say – and I dug out my thickest coat and a pair of fashionable Marigolds! It wasn’t a good look, but it was a practical one

Midday: With the cars sorted, it was time to revisit our Bedroom TV bracket project! Having spent some valuable time with David yesterday working out what is going where, today was about precision. With the need to not only accommodate the TV, AND the new TV bracket, I also needed to fit in the Sky Q Mini-Box and my Amazon Firestick. That meant in addition to all that hardware, I’ll also need to factor in three mains sockets. I hate visible cabling, so it all has to fit behind the Telly, so that only the TV is visible from the front. Yikes! A real challenge – where even now, I’m not sure it’s all going to fit! Still, a bit more measuring, where at least on paper (or more accurately, wallpaper) it seems it might all work.

And then there’s the additional challenge of choosing the right fixings given that the bracket sits on a plasterbaord wall. Those who know me, know that I love a challenge (but also that any DIY job is NOT how I prefer to spend my time!) . Enough of this for today.

1.15pm: A well-earned Lunch for us two, having cleaned the house within an inch of its life!

Some TV followed – a catch-up with the national and international News followed by the film: Babe. THEN, whilst Ann took a short siesta, I watched(for the umpteenth Christmas) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – excellent, harmless fun for a time when humour was a lot simpler!

5.35pm: Let the celebrations begin! We took the short walk down to Jo and Janet’s for pre-Christmas nibbles! What a perfect way to start things off before the big day!

A couple of generous glasses of G&T got things off to a great start where the pre-nibble, err, nibbles got a hammering. Thanks, girls, you remembered I like ‘Bugles’

…followed by the main event!! Yum yum!!

The M&S novelty chocs raised a festive smile. As you opened the lid to plunder the contents, it played a Christmas tune (thus preventing any secret pilfering at a later date!)

The good food and plentiful drinks allowed us to easily put right all the world’s problems! . Our various ramblings discussions resolved topics as broad as: the pros and cons of Tattoos; the trustworthiness of Facebook and also answered two key questions: ‘Why Botox?’ and ‘Who will replace Tess & Claudia on Strictly’?. Lofty stuff, ehh?!

Christmas Day

Morning all! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

6.05am: A lie in this morning!

6.30am: Today, I am mostly being a taxi!

7.17am: I dropped Ann off at the Park Hotel for her daily exercise.

8.20am: Mrs P safely retrieved from the Hotel!

8.55am: This year, the unwrapping of gifts was a game of two halves! We exchanged pressies and cards to each other, and left the remaining gifts for when we get back tomorrow.

9.50am: Later, we taxied down to Roger, Jane & Oliver to spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day with them.

11.20am: Unsurprisingly, there was hardly anything on the road today as we headed south – and we arrived in just under 90 minutes.

After ‘hellos’ and hugs all round, we were soon tucking into some traditional Christmas fare and catching up with everyone’s news.

12.45pm: Nice touch! . Roger served up some Pre-Lunch bubbles!

2.10pm: Christmas Lunch 2025! Wow! What a feast! You just can’t beat Christmas Lunch with the Gambles organising things!! . Super-tasty!

Absolutely delicious and we’re stuffed! The Cheese Course can wait!

5.10pm: Present swapping with an open fire and a cuppa! – Perfect!

Let the paper ripping begin!

6.05pm: A great selection of gifts – thanks folks!

Unwrapping presents was thirsty work! Time for a liquid break. Roger introduced me to the Palmer’s range of Ales (brewed in Dorset). I’d not sampled their wares before, and the Dorset Gold went down a treat. Even Mrs P liked it! . Ann? Beer? Surely some mistake!?

7.35pm: More food in the shape of the ‘paused’ Cheeseboard from Christmas Lunch was now on offer, and I somehow managed to squeeze some in.

7.45pm: Film Night!!! Paddington 2.

A good choice and perfect for this over-full, somewhat lethargic audience! I don’t think I need to eat for another week (yeah, right!)

After the film ended, we spent the rest of the evening just chatting. This and that, but in the end, our conversations turned to an extended natter about EVs and the current market.

10.55pm: A late one for us, but it had been a really enjoyable day just catching up with, and enjoying the whole ‘family gathering’ tradition – surely that’s what Christmas is for! . We made some brief plans for tomorrow, including a walk around the local area punctuated by, as usual, some really good food.

11.10pm:

Boxing Day

7.55am: Morning all! We both slept well and didn’t get up until just before 8 – it must be Christmas!

10.00am: We decided to take a walk before any more food passed our lips!

We wandered in the direction of The Maltons (‘Ware’s finest Gastro-Pub’) – but didn’t stop – and then onward to the iconic Hanbury Manor with its stunning views out across the countryside.

10.55am: Phew! That was a cold one! Colder than it looked

11.15am: Brunch is served!

12.25pm: Is there such a thing as ‘Boxing Day’ presents? There is, in our world, and we followed the tradition!

As always, some useful gifts to us all – from us all!

Before we said our goodbyes to our Hosts, there was just one last ritual to enjoy. This was the unveiling of Jane’s Christmas Cake (always a yummy treat!)

1.05pm: With a generous slice carved from this year’s festive masterpiece to take home, we then said our goodbyes and headed home.

Saturday, 27 December

A lazy-ish day today with Ann playing to her strengths and busy in the kitchen, and me doing some odd jobs around the house. As I sat down to complete this Christmas Post, I realised that technically, something was wrong! . Adding text was fine, but for reasons unknown, I now couldn’t upload any new images (images already uploaded were fine!). I spent a significant amount of time attempting to resolve it, but nothing seemed to help. And, with my web host’s technical support team not available until January 2nd, things were unlikely to improve in the short term

I decided to give it all a rest and have another go tomorrow.

3.05pm: Elsewhere, with most of the domestic tasks now completed, we decided to have a marathon ‘Festive TV’ catch-up session, watching as much as we could that had been recorded over the Christmas period.

9.15pm: By the time we went to bed, our eyes were completely square! . Still plenty left though!!

Sunday, 28 December

Morning all! . With our eyes returning to their normal shape, the day unfolded. Jo & Janet are joining us tonight for a TV Dinner, so there are things to do.

Disappointingly, absolutely no progress at all in resolving the technical issue with this Blog, so I decided to abandon writing the Post completely and publish what I have, as-is. It was hardly ideal, as I do like to keep a detailed record of these occasions, but my options were limited – pictures tell a thousand words, ehh? I may back-fill Friday’s content using the photos I took on Boxing Day once this all gets resolved, but for now, I’m not adding any new content other than what is already penned. On a positive note, this Post was due to be published at the end of today anyway, so there’s minimal ‘loss’.

In all the years I’ve been blogging (since 2004!), this is a first, and it’s very frustrating! . I’ve got a big Post planned for early in January to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and I do hope it can all be resolved by then.

6.00pm: Jo and Janet popped round for one of our ‘Winner, Winner, TV Dinner’ get-togethers (like, we need even more food!) . Tonight’s choice? F1- The Movie starring the ever-youthful, Brad Pitt.

Christmas TV 2025

As usual for us, Christmas TV played a large part in our Christmas celebrations. Our Sky Q box was therefore kept pretty busy – even whilst we were away.

= Don’t bother
= Only if there’s nothing else to see!
= Not bad!
= Worth a watch!
= Loved it!

A Ghost Story for Christmas . Top stuff, Mr Gatiss!

All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special . Aww! A real festive one!

All Creatures Great and Small (Behind the Scenes) . A bit of a ‘Luvvie Fest’ for me, but it gave some interesting facts about the series

Amadeus (new series from Sky). Still to watch

Beyond Paradise Christmas Special . A bit cheesy, but quite watchable

Call the Midwife Christmas Special . Disappointing! Would they really send Nuns all the way to Hong Kong?

Carols from Kings. Still to watch

Death in Paradise Christmas Special . Lost a tick for the uber-complex plot making it feel a bit daft.

EastEnders Christmas Episodes . Higher production values these days. ‘Nigel’s’ dementia storyline, nicely handled. The Queen Vic continues to be the most dangerous Pub in the UK

Festive Pottery Throwdown. Still to watch

Gone Christmas Fishing . Excellent! Simple format but so watchable!

Good Ship Murder. . Only if you’re desperate. So bad, it’s actually, err,… VERY bad!

Great Festive British Sewing Bee. Still to watch

Great Peep Show Festive Bake Off . Better than we thought it would be!

Madame Blanc Mysteries . Even better than usual. Slight deviation from the usual ‘whodunit’ storyline

Return to Paradise Christmas Special . Still not sure about this as an ongoing part of the ‘Paradise’ franchise, but this episode was quite watchable

Royal Institute Christmas Lectures. Still to watch

Royal Carols – Together at Christmas . Very festive!

Stuffed (One-off comedy drama) . Oh dear! I was really looking forward to this – an original comedy-drama with a Christmas theme. Really disappointing given the acting talent involved.

The Apprentice Christmas Special . Dire! Gave up a quarter way through episode 1 (of 2)

The King’s Christmas Broadcast . Short and to the point, it was well presented

The War Between the Land and Sea (finalé) . Not quite as good as I was expecting. A bit clichéd and the ‘message’ as subtle as a sledgehammer

What We Were Watching . Good nostalgic fun! They don’t make ’em like this any more (shame!)

Christmas Would I Lie to You? . Very good!

Films
Double Indemnity . A great film!
F1 – The Movie. Still to watch
Invitation To Murder – A Death in Cairo . Better than we thought it would be
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. Still to watch
Stargate Continuum. Still to watch
The Count of Monte Cristo. Still to watch
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation . Brilliant! Chevy Chase at his best

Plenty still to plough through, but for the first time ever, I think we were both underwhelmed with 2025’s Christmas TV offerings. Maybe it’s because we’re older and ‘we’ve seen it all before’, but there was a serious lack of originality for 2025. What we saw was mostly good, but it was ‘the same old, same old!’ . Hopefully, 2026 will be better!!

Christmas Past…

2024
2023
(Christmas mostly cancelled
due to my hand injury!)
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010

…and so, probably for the last time in 2025…

Merry Christmas!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Christmas 2025 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

For reasons that I can’t recall, we haven’t been to the annual Carol Concert here at The Citadel, Kettering for the past couple of years – and it was good to be back!

It’s not that we haven’t been at all, as we saw their excellent performance of The Messiah back here in April. With two Carol performances on offer today, we chose the latter – the 5pm Service in preference to 2.30pm.

In the years that have passed since we last attended this Christmas staple, a lot has remained the same, whilst elsewhere, things were very different. On arrival, the Choir was already in full voice (we initially thought we were late!), acting as a ‘warm up’ before the main event. A nice touch!

Other changes include the important news that The Citadel now has two new Leaders – Captain David & Kate Donaldson – who arrived earlier this year from Australia. And with new leadership often comes with new thinking, and that was certainly the case with the look and feel of this year’s annual Carol Service. Those expecting the familiar routine of Readings/Carols/Nativity Scene/Collection/Prayers would be delighted, but much of it was all about to be offered in a different style.

It was good to see the Mayor of Kettering, Ben Jameson, attending, but unlike the Carol Service at St P and St Paul’s that we attended last week, there was no sign of any other VIPs! . A bit of a shame that!

Although, as I mentioned earlier, there were some differences tonight, some aspects have remained the same in those intervening years. The Citadel Brass Band, under the experienced baton of Richard Phillips, were as professional as ever. In fact, their sound felt even bigger and fuller tonight (even though the number of band members seemed largely unchanged). An impressive sound that would (and should) have been heard as far away as Wellingborough, Welford, Harborough and Huntingdon! I seemed to recall that Richard had ‘retired’ a few years back, and so it was good to see and hear the fruits of his (returning) labour.

No Salvation Army Christmas Concert would be complete without their singers – and tonight there was even more variety. The Songsters were as enjoyable as we remember them, whilst the Army’s own Junior Choir were exceptional. Additionally, later in the performance, there was a small group of younger members of the Kettering Salvation Army, all dressed in white, and whose voices harmonised exceptionally well – as close to angelic as you could get! . Derek Wears, a staple of past performances (and who played at our wedding) provided piano accompaniment to the majority of the vocal arrangements, where, as usual, he made it all look so easy and effortless. Finally, in a concession to more modern musical tastes, it was good to see the humble Bass Guitar ‘front and centre’ during one song tonight!

Another firm fixture was plenty of Carols, most of which were familiar to us. With tongues firmly in their cheek, the new Captains had arranged something a little quirky (probably the first public rendition in Kettering of the well-known alternative lyrics of ‘While Shepherds Watched their Flocks…’ (think ‘socks’). As the words appeared on the overhead screen, it seemed to take a while for our fellow audience members to spot that they were slightly different lyrics!

A big part of these Concerts is the ‘message’, and both David and Kate had a very different style to those who we’ve seen in previous years. ‘Miked up’, they walked the stage and were fairly animated both physically and vocally – and as a result, no-one was sleeping on their watch! . The differences continued as audience involvement became the priority. Maybe it was just me, but the threat of David ‘offering’ to wander about with a handheld ‘mic’ to check whether we were all singing, felt more like a threat than a motivator. Luckily, for everyone else present, he never made it to where I was warbling!

The desire to involve the audience as much as possible continued, including a request to look for the animals from the Nativity underneath our seats (yes, really!) A nice touch, but I’m not sure the whole congregation ‘got it’. The Captains certainly worked hard to ‘wow’ the audience, but I just had a small feeling, to them, we were ‘a tough crowd’

Elsewhere, in the continued attempt to offer something ‘different’, we had an unfamiliar take on the familiar Nativity Scene. Instead of the familiar sight of legions of cute children assuming the major roles (and sometimes playing the animals too) we had ADULTS in the key roles. For me, the sight of a couple of pensioners taking the role of Joseph and Mary didn’t quite do it for me, although it was certainly different (if a little long). For added sound effects, asking the audience to make the sound of the animals (and also asking for the Band’s assistance) on paper, sounded like a great way to get everyone included, but I’m not sure all of the audience were in a mooing mood. The result wasn’t exactly a coordinated cacophony of creature sounds! To complete the animal involvement, even though most of us know that any creatures in the stable is further embellishment of the Christmas Story, it was good to see that David & Kate had brought a little piece of Australia with them – in the form of a Koala Bear (an inflatable one, naturally!) . Ozzy humour at its best!

Ninety minutes later, it was all over for another year. It had certainly been a unique take on a familiar event. For this increasingly crusty old bloke, whilst it hit the mark musically, some of the more innovative approaches to boost audience interaction didn’t quite do it for me – although looking around, it certainly did for others!

Innovations aside, part of tonight was about raising money for those in need. Good news then! This, the 5pm performance, raised a generous £641 and was on par, I think, with previous years. When added to the earlier performance, it totalled a heartwarming £1300, to help continue the good work by the Salvation Army in Kettering.

So, all in all, there was a lot to like about tonight, but for me, some of the innovations didn’t quite land. Someone, pass the humbugs!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Salvation Army Carol Concert (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Oh, yes it is, it’s Panto Season! This year we joined Jo, Janet, Helen and Carol for Cinderella!

Closer to home too, as we headed to The Lighthouse Theatre right here in Kettering, rather than the usual trip to MK! . Keeping it local meant we could pay a visit to the quaint ‘Blitz Tea Rooms‘ in town that we haven’t been to for a good few years (July 2018!) for some pre-Theatre nibbles.

As the name suggests, this is a 1940s-themed Tea Room.

We arrived just before 12.15 and the place was deserted, but happily, it soon filled up, and by the time we left, it had quite an atmosphere.

It was ‘light-bites’ all round, where the food and service were as good as we remember it! It’s a charming location, with prices that are still very kind on the wallet – and the quirky themed interior makes it equally unforgettable. Personally, if it weren’t tucked away near the Library and was located with the rest of the shops in the town, I’m sure it would be even busier.

Quirky and enjoyable!

Our next stop? The Lighthouse Theatre

Judging by how full their car park was, this was a popular event. Once we got inside, it was, as expected, PACKED! When the curtain went up at 2pm, it was pretty much a full house. For me, it was slightly weird that there was no cast list, and we certainly didn’t recognise anyone in the few publicity posters we’d seen leading up to today’s matinée.

I did wonder if this was going to be a poor imitation of the more lavish productions we’d got used to at MK over the years, but I needn’t have worried! . I learned later this was a KD Theatre Production err, production, and they’ve got quite a track record with Pantos.

‘Buttons‘ got the audience onside from the off, and the Ugly Sisters were entertaining enough to have the whole Panto to themselves! The singing was well above average, and the choreography was spot on! Even the plug for the show’s Sponsors (Wilson Browne Solicitors) was delivered in such a way, for it not to feel forced – and it even received an appreciative response from the audience!

I liked the way the script had been updated to reflect contemporary culture, including: naming the Ugly Sisters, ‘Tess’ and ‘Claudia’/a non-complimentary reference to Rachel Reeves/something about the number ’67’ (which I didn’t ‘get’ and even after looking it up HERE, it didn’t help much!)

Yes, it was just as a Panto should be – laugh-out-loud funny – with jokes as corny as they come. For us, the funniest (and original) part was the ventriloquist sketch featuring a member of the audience. I won’t spoil it here, but it’s worth going JUST for that scene – HILARIOUS! . There was some genuinely innovative stuff too! – a variation on The 12 Days of Christmas Carol plus a short sketch involving a shopping trolley full of ‘big brand’ carrier bags (cleverer and funnier than my description here!)

It was a two hour performance with a 25-minute break exactly halfway through. It passed in a flash, and like all good productions, it was over too soon. When I got home, I decided to do a little digging to identify the cast members who had impressed us so much. Success!

• Cinderella (Maisie Asbury)
• Wicked stepsisters Tess (Michael Loftus) and Claudia (Dominic Mattos)
• Buttons (Sean ‘Rollo’ Rollason)
• Prince Charming (Daniel Breakwell)
• Dandini (Jon-Scott Clark)
• Fairy Godmother (Jessie Waterfield)

This had been a great afternoon! Not just a quality performance, but just a short distance from home and a good value Lunch too! I think today proved that you don’t need a ‘headline name’ in a Pantomime cast list for it to be a success. The Panto here next year is Peter Pan, and it’ll be on our (very short) short list! Today may not have featured any Turkey, but we’ve certainly topped-up on the Christmas Spirit!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pantomime (Cinderella) 2025 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Usually, our first Carol Concert would be either The Salvation Army‘s (this Saturday at the Citadel), the Service at St Botolph’s in the nearby village of Barton Seagrave or, more recently, in the ‘other’ village – Warkton . Not this year!

Instead, Ann had spotted some Christmas promotional material for the Church of St Peter and St Paul‘s Service in the town a while ago, and so we pencilled it in.

In our (almost) 30 years here, we’d only ever been to this Church once before for the annual Carol Concert (back in 2015), where our neighbour, Valerie, was part of the visiting Choir – Belcanto. So, ten years since our previous visit, we were looking forward to this opportunity even more than usual.

The Church of St Peter & St Paul is better known as ‘P&P’ by the locals and is the oldest building in Kettering. It has stood on the present site for over 500 years.

We parked easily in the lower car-park near the Church and were soon braving the rain and gales that seemed to be a feature of this week’s weather! Jo, Janet & Helen arrived just after us, and we shared the pew!

Organised by Kettering Town Council, Churches Together and the Rotary Club of Kettering, it was certainly a packed Programme. Led by Revd. Angie Milne, I don’t think you could have crammed any more content into the 60 minutes.

• 1 Blessing
• 3 Prayers
• 7 Carols
• 9 Readings

Talking of cramming, I’d say that the Church was about 85/90% full – so that was pleasing, especially with the weather being so foul outside. What worked especially well was the choice of Carols – nothing ‘unusual’, and just like the ubiquitous tin of Christmas Quality Street, plenty of variety where everyone found a favourite!

• Once In Royal David’s City
• See Amid The Winter’s Snow
• O Little Town of Bethlehem
• Unto Us A Child Is Born
• While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
• O Come, All Ye Faithful
• Hark, The Herald Angels Sing

Apart from us five, other ‘great and good’ from Kettering were well represented and gave a short reading

• MP for Kettering (Rosie Wrighting)
• Mayor of Kettering (Cllr. Ben Jameson)
• President of the Rotary Club, Kettering (Geoff Blurton)
• Chair, Kettering & District, Churches Together (Dave Nunn)
• St Peter & St Paul’s Food Kitchen (Kathy Webster)
• North Northants Community First Responders (Keli Watts)
• Pupils of St Peter’s School
• Vice-President, Parkinson’s UK, Kettering (Eleanor Patrick)
• Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire (Alexandra Wallace)

On the musical side…

• Kettering Salvation Army Band led by Richard Phillips
• Organist Mark Edwards
• Choir of St Peter’s School
• Resident Choir conducted by Tony Edwards

We weren’t sure what tonight’s event would be like, but I’m pleased to say, we really enjoyed it! The local private School – St Peter’s – Choir redefined the word angelic, whilst the Church’s resident Choir punched well above their weight. The Citadel’s Salvation Army Band were – just like their instruments – as polished as ever! The only slightly odd moment was when the Church organist’s accompaniment went a bit ‘off script’ during one of the Carols! The moment was just short enough to leave us thinking that the Church cat might have briefly taken a shine to the keyboard! It raised a giggle, and only Mark (and Him upstairs) knows the truth!

A great evening! We’re definitely full of the Christmas Spirit now (but that might have been the Bailey’s when we got home!) . Our next Carol Service is on Sunday at the Salvation Army Citadel in town.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post First Carol Service of 2025 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

The ‘Christmas Spirit’ continues (Turkey for lunch too!) as we headed to nearby Corby, and the Savoy Cinema to see the two-act Ballet and festive favourite: The Nutcracker. At this time of year, understandably, it was a popular performance, making it impossible for all five of us (Diane, Val, Sue, Ann and me) to sit in the same row – in spite of us booking ahead . The audience was mostly of a ‘certain age’ so, thankfully, there was no risk of those around us diving into troughs of tortillas and slurping flagons of fizz whilst the Sugar Plum Fairy was doing her thing!

This really is (and was) the Ballet for all non-Ballet lovers! Read on!!

Penned by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, it was all part of the continuing RBO 2025-26 Season that sees the Royal Ballet and Opera reaching out to new audiences via Cinemas, here and around the world.

This particular production by Peter Wright was celebrating its 40th Anniversary and contained a lot of tunes that most of us can already hum, even if we don’t know the titles or where we first heard them! . Fruit ‘n’ Nut anyone? .

Looking back in time, I see that the last time we saw this live, was at the Opera House, almost 14 years ago, back in January 2012 .

Official Synopsis:
The magician Herr Drosselmeyer needs to save his nephew. Hans-Peter has been transformed into a Nutcracker. The only way to save him is for the Nutcracker to defeat the Mouse King and find a girl to love and care for him. A flicker of hope comes in the form of the young Clara, whom Drosselmeyer meets at a Christmas party. With some magic, a cosy Christmas gathering turns into a marvellous adventure.

We all arrived in good time, and although by curtain up, it wasn’t a full house – it was close! Tonight’s performance was co-costed by Petroc Trelawny and Darcey Bussell whose role was to interact with the cinema audiences and provide some context to the Nutcracker story and its link with the RBO. If you ever wanted to know more about ballet shoes, this was the place to be! DB did a great job, presenting live around the world, juggling microphone, cue-cards and said shoes whilst sticking to the script. Petroc, meanwhile, was very Petroc – cool, calm and engaging throughout.

7.45pm: Curtain up!

I’d read that the whole performance had been shown on the Savoy website as a whopping 210 minutes – that’s 3½ hours! Yikes! I don’t recall the version we saw back in 2012 being that long, but perhaps they’d factored in the interval and the pre-performance sections too? Anyhow, we’d packed accordingly, with a flask of hot coffee and some nibbles to get us through to the end.

As I mentioned earlier, this really is the Ballet for non-ballet lovers. Forget about the plot, and just sit back and let the whole thing wash over you. The choreography, the costumes, the lighting and special effects, the dazzling colour palette, the large cast (made up of all ages) – and the memorable music – all combined to make this a real feel-good experience.

And if all of that doesn’t grab you, then it’s worth appreciating the sheer physical fitness of the dancers. Yes, the guys might not look like the epitome of rugged maleness in their tight err, tights, blond wigs and eyeliner, but you try doing that with either of your legs and your next stop will be A&E! Impressive stuff, and they didn’t even break a sweat!

At just after 9.45, the performance came to a close – and what a performance! Close on two hours of Christmassy magic (not 210 minutes, as advertised – I suspect a small typo on their website). What made it so special? Maybe the camera techniques helped: panning and zooming to bring the audience closer to the performers (whereas actually sitting in one of the seats at the Royal Opera House can be quite restrictive). Or maybe it’s just the heartwarming story? All-in-all, I’m not sure, but what I do know is, tonight was a magical experience, full of Christmas cheer and performers at the top of their game.

If you don’t come out at the end surrounded by a Christmassy Glow, then you went to the wrong show!

Merry Christmas!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post “Your Crackers, M’Lord!” appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’ve all got different ‘triggers’ for when ‘Christmas’ officially begins. For many, it’s probably when the Supermarkets start displaying their Christmas lines! But that’s obscenely early isn’t it these days? So how about…

…that first Christmas meal? (this year, my first one was about three weeks ago! )

…or when the John Lewis Christmas TV Ad first appears? (a ‘return to form’ this year for JL? Maybe!)

…or receiving your first Christmas Card? .

Anyway, back to Christmas TV. The real big event for me (and this ritual goes back years!) is when the Christmas double-issues of TV Times and Radio Times first go on sale. Normally, that’s around the first or second week in December, and I always try and pick them up as soon as they’re out! This year, I was quick off the mark, and down to the local Tesco to pick up this year’s editions just after 9.30. For the first time, they were difficult to find! I can recall when they used to have them on pallet-boards because of their popularity… Hhhmmmm!

I think my fascination (read that as ‘obsession’) with these two publications is a throwback to my childhood in the 60s and 70s, when Dad used to bring them home after finishing work for Christmas. As a family, we loved Christmas (of course!) but more especially, we all loved Christmas TV and therefore Christmas Day (especially) did revolve around what was on the telly!

Picking what to watch was easy! Back then, there was no remote control, so Dad’s choice normally ‘won’, but that didn’t cause any issues, as TV was more family-friendly back then, wasn’t it — The Generation Game at Christmas anyone? That suited us, but the ‘Queen’s Speech’, not so much (c’mon, we were teenagers!) . To add to the fun in those days, there was no Sky TV, and so there was frequent positioning and re-positioning of the TV aerial to ensure the best possible pic!

With these oversized publications taking pride of place in the lounge, our first job bin December was to painstakingly search through the schedules, taking it in turns to circle our favourite programmes. Fast-forward to 2025, and it’s much the same now — except we can also download the digital versions to our various devices. Progress ehh!? …then again, maybe not!

The Christmas Double Issues (2025)

These days, both publications have a massive page count, mainly because they both list more-or-less the same information. Why’s that? Well, for my younger readers here, back in the ‘Stone Age’ (up until 1990) RT listed only the BBC stuff (including the radio) whilst TVT covered just the commercial channels. These days, in the now ‘gazillion-channels/satellites/streaming TV era’, you have both publications running into hundreds of pages. . Prices are slightly up on last year where the Radio Times fills 292 pages, whilst the TV Times comes in at 228!

So, just like back-in-the-day all that’s left to do now is to plough through them both, highlighter pen at the ready, and our Christmas TV preparations are sorted!

Ghosts of Christmas (Covers) Past – 2010-2024…

Merry Christmas everyone!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Christmas TV Listings (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Yes, it’s that time of year! Time for the Northants Nutters to get together for Christmas. This year, we’re one down on our complement – Richard – had double-booked himself, so that left: Nicki, Geoff & Rhonda, Paul & Sue and us two. With sit-down planned for 12.30, Nicki arrived well ahead of the Nutter majority to lend a hand with preparations. In truth, Ann was already ahead of the game, with most of the veg prepared, the table laid, and the wine and fizz filling up the fridge! With me relegated to ‘music choices’, there was little more to do apart from enjoy the smugness that comes with being well-prepared!

With everyone on time, the first priority was (obviously) DRINKS together with a good natter.

Helpfully, everyone had done their bit on the food side – Rhonda on Mince Pies (and Christmas Crackers); Sue on Stuffings – two types – plus After-Dinner Mints, and finally Nicki and Rhonda on Desserts. With our responsibilities fulfilled, we all took our seats sporting novelty Christmas glasses to complete the Christmas ‘Nutty’ look

The bird of choice today (Ann excluded) featured the return of Roast Turkey. I think that’s about my THIRD Turkey meal in less than two weeks – and that suited me perfectly! Courtesy of M&S this year, we’d opted for a Boneless Crown to make the carving easier – and it didn’t disappoint!

Well, that was super-delicious!! We all agreed the main course had been a hit and even after my THIRD Turkey treat since the festive eating season began , I could have still eaten more!

Dessert followed, and with Nicki and Rhonda taking charge, you couldn’t really go wrong. And so, supported by a Christmas Pudding (Thanks, Mr. Sainsbury – we could tell the difference), and the girls’ Mince Pies AND Pavlova, we were spoilt for choice! As a final flourish, I even managed to flambé the Pudding without the need for a fire extinguisher!

With the phrase: ‘the diet starts in January’ echoing (albeit in our heads), most of us had a portion of everything!

After Lunch, what else, but Christmas games and a Mint of five!? With Ann’s ‘legendary’ 2024 Charade performance of ‘Squid Game’ still in our minds 12 months later, we entered into the spirit, using the Christmas Cracker suggestions as our subject matter. Actually, quality-wise, the cracker contents ‘punched well above their weight’, with plenty of variety and originality across three categories: ‘Who Are You?’/’Riddles’/Charades. But it’s fair to say, although the Riddles were mostly straightforward (“I am a ball, but don’t bounce” – answer: a snowball), the one that got us ALL scratching our heads was: “If your auntie’s brother is not your uncle, what relation is he to you?” (answer: “your dad”) – Yikes! That was a toughy!!

The “Who am I?” section proved slightly more challenging, where the choice of either acting it out or being questioned by our friends served perfectly to prepare us for the Charades Round that followed. But before the Charades, I re-ran an abbreviated version the Quiz from Trish’s Christmas Do last night, and we seemed to breeze through that! . Smart people, us Nutters!

Charades was, as expected, hilarious! One of those times where we laughed so much, it hurt – in a good way! As performers and when it came to guessing, collectively, us Nutters did very well – especially Nicki, who, in addition to her legendary ‘Galley Management’ skills, proved that you’d definitely want her on your next Pub Quiz team! . Ann’s unique interpretation of Donald Duck was to leave us entertained and in need of therapy in equal measure !

With the Charades over, a (very pleasant) surprise followed…

What a nice thought! Paul & Sue bought us all a very special gift each. A tree ornament with our names on it as our alter-egos. Brilliant and brilliantly original – thanks both!

‘Whoosh!’– that was the sound of the afternoon passing! After a brief discussion about where and how we might spend time together NEXT year – it was all over. At just after 5.30, we said our goodbyes, leaving us to simply empty the dishwasher (for the third time today) and polish off the ironing of the serviettes and tablecloth – Ahh, the life of being a retiree, it’s so varied!

By 5.30, it was all over for another year. We’d had a great time, the food was excellent, the Charades hurt our ribs, but most of all, it was great to be with our Nutty friends!

Just before 6.45, with the chores done, it was ‘feet up’ for a spot of TV – an episode of Foyle’s War and then for me, the highlight of the evening: the 1972 re-edit of the Doctor Who story: ‘The Sea Devils’ on BBC4. The new series: ‘The War Between the Land and Sea‘ on BBC 1 ‘from the world of Doctor Who’ can wait until tomorrow!

9.15pm: Night-night!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Christmas Nutters – 2025 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

With Australia calling (or at least whispering) this might be the LAST of Trish & John’s legendary annual Christmas Meal get-togethers. We’ve been going to these for what seems like, forever – and we’re sure to miss this annual gathering of our neighbours & friends for what is usually a mega-festive-feast with a Christmas Quiz to argue over! But best of all, a chance to catch up with longtime friends!

This year, it was good to welcome the new ‘Mr & Mrs Costello’ – Sean & Kellie – to our gathering.

It had been wet all week, but today was one of those rare pleasant days in December, weather-wise, that allowed me to wash the car in preparation, and as per tradition, pick up Paul & Karen in time for a prompt 6.30pm arrival.

We ticked that box and arrived just before 6.30. Next, we were soon catching up and helping our hosts deplete their stocks of beers, wine and nibbles!

Let the Party begin

With the conversations flowing and Tom showing off his Santa Suit and me in a retina-searing shirt (so, what’s new!?) we were all soon in the Christmas Spirit!

Nearly there!

Meanwhile, the cooker was on overtime getting the food ready (with more than a little help from Trish!). This year: a full-on Christmas Roast Turkey meal!

Trish, plus a little ‘supervision’ from John had done a great job again this year in getting everything ready!

Christmas Feast Time!

With everything cooked to perfection, we were soon ready for this year’s feast! And if it felt like there was enough food for the whole of Northamptonshire, it’s probably because there was!

To lighten the food preparation load, Ann created her famous Cranberry Sauce and Devils on Horseback’ whilst Karen brought her rather delicious Red Cabbage.

Wow! What a feast! And there was still Dessert and the Cheeseboard(s) to come! But as has become tradition, we took a break from the food and began the annual Quiz. Written and devised by yours truly again this year, it had the knack of bringing out the best and worst in our friends – and this year, we had two new members – Sean & Kellie.

This Year’s Quiz

You can download a copy of the Quiz from HERE.

Trish drew names out of the hat to form the teams, and it was soon ‘eyes down’ and ‘fingers on buzzers’.

This year’s Teams
Karen & Rosi
John & Julie
Paul & Trish
(the THIRD year in a row, they’ve been randomly paired!)
Kellie & Sean
Tom & Dave

Consisting of just five Rounds (four questions per round) – mostly multi-choice – where Mrs P in charge of scoring and crowd control, battle commenced!

Round 1: Festive Trivia
Round 2: Festive Sport
Round 3: Christmas Heroes
Round 4: Festive Food
Round 5: Festive Film Abbreviations

With five points for a correct answer and 10 points for answering the occasional bonus questions (and a loss of 10 points, if, after buzzing, you don’t have an answer), we were off! As usual, this year’s Quiz was serious fun!!!

With the mantra “it’s the taking part, not the winning” banned from everyone’s thinking, the leaderboard changed more than a couple of times as Round followed Round of a particularly noisy (but enjoyable) event.

By the end, there was a clear winner! And it wasn’t who we expected. Well done, ‘the youngsters!’

1st – Sean & Kellie (70 points)
2nd – Karen & Rosi (45 points)
Equal 3rd – Paul & Trish (40 points)
Equal 3rd – Tom & Dave (40 points)
5th – John & Julie (10 points)

Well, that was fun! We’re certainly a competitive bunch!

And there’s more (food)!

With the Quiz over for another year, we turned our attention back to our other favourite subject – food! With everyone catered for, we were soon tucking in.

And because we’re all officially ‘cheese monsters’, TWO Cheeseboards were required, all helped along with bottomless glasses of Port and Limoncello – oh, and the occasional teas and coffees.

…and so ‘Goodnight!’

They say time flies when you’re having fun – and that was definitely the case tonight. Sean & Kellie were first to say goodbye just after 11, and by 11.30pm, the rest of us were thinking the same. In earlier years, we would have partied on through past midnight, but these days, not us lot in 2025! We were home by 11.45pm and tucked up just before midnight.

Well done Trish & John – another fantastic evening, however you look at it. Merry Christmas! . We’re officially in a festive mood now, but wonder if we’ll be doing it all again here in 2026? G’day Bruce!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Trish & John’s Festive Meal 2025 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Here I am at The Countryman in Staverton Village. The Pub is becoming a semi-regular haunt for our three-monthly catch-ups with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags since discovering it with old work mucker, John ‘Mez’ Merrell, exactly 17 years ago today, back in 2008! . Sadly, Mrs P wasn’t able to make the trip today – she’s caught some sort of cold-type bug!

Why here? It’s pretty much mid-point for all of us, where the food and service has always been excellent. Today was our ‘Christmas’ event after visiting back in January, 2022 and March 2025 then most recently, June 2025. Of course, it was a further opportunity for me to get stuck into another traditional Christmas Meal. In my world, you can never have too much Turkey!

But it wasn’t to be! No sign of a Christmas menu at all – now that was a surprise!

Our table was right next to the mouth-watering Specials Board – some great choices awaited us and for me, more than made up for the lack of festive bird!

If the Specials Board wasn’t enough, there was always their usual Menu choices.

It was a relaxing affair with plenty of time to talk about this-n-that and everything in between, but it did feel strange without Ann being there! . The Pub itself was enjoying a busy lunchtime – if people are ‘tightening their belts’ there was no sign of it here today! . As our lazy get-together came to an end, both the service and food had been memorable as always, in a good way – so good, I forgot to snap a photograph of my main course – Roasted Fillet of North Sea Cod in a White Wine Sauce. Me eating fish??? Surely some mistake! I just fancied it, and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

I left just before 3pm where the drive back was hassle-free, apart from the weather that was a wet as the journey there! . I was home inside an hour.

For our next gathering, in February 2026, we’re returning to Saxon Mill in Warwick.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post The Countryman (Again!) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We took the short drive to nearby Uppingham today for lunch with Nick & Celina for a pre-Christmas catch-up.

Ultimately, we were to end up with our first visit to ‘No 23’, a rather upmarket Bistro (where they even had a dress code on a Sunday!). Bet you can’t guess the address!!!

But, before the guessing and the dressing up, we took a short wander around the main drag – luckily, no rain was forecast – chilly though at just 5℃!!

We stumbled across a nearby watering hole – The Falcon Hotel – what a surprise! . Two pints of the local brew for Nick and two halves of the same for me, whilst Celina settled for Hot Chocolate and Ann, a G&T.

Then it was off to No 23, just down the road.

You can view their Menus HERE.

It was already packed when we arrived, and that was surely a good sign!

It was! The food was superb and beautifully presented too and it left a great impression for our first visit. I began with the Goujons and then succumbed to the temptation of the Festive Turkey Roast (and it’s still not quite December!). We shared a Dessert and whilst Nick & Celina enjoyed their Rice Pudding, Ann & I fought over the Fig Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream.

When we left at just after 3pm, the place was even busier! . Two Christmas Lunches down… with just 300 to go (probably!)

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Up to Uppingham appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today was all about Christmas preparations! With all the cards written, we turned to even bigger tasks! I think we’re even earlier than usual with all this – it’s still November!

First job? Put up the Christmas Tree! An hour later, mission accomplished!

Next: Christmas Wreath up!

Then it was setting the table for The Northants Nutters Christmas Lunch at ours next weekend.

Finally, it was pressy wrapping time. It seemed like more than last year (it actually, wasn’t!) but we pretty much exhausted all our stock of wrapping paper!

Phew! It’s been a full-on Saturday. Feet up for the rest of the day!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Christmas Prep appeared first on Steve's Blog.

I’m not sure whether this is a record or not for us? It certainly feels like it – it’s our first official Christmas meal of 2025 – and it’s not even December yet! . Last year, I had to wait until December 7th for my first festive nibble (but c’mon, we had only just returned from New Zealand!) .

Still, in my world, it’s never too early for a Christmas nibble, and I had witnesses to prove it! Step forward Bev & Jules and Jo & Janet, who had the same thought in mind for our Friday night catch-up.

Our eatery of choice was the ever-reliable The Olde Victoria in Burton Latimer where, over the past 20+ years, both the food and service have always been top-notch! It doesn’t offer fine dining but instead, good wholesome pub grub! That suits us!!!

I don’t think we’ve ever seen them busier as by the time we arrived, it was already heaving and consequently it had a real buzz about it. Close to us was a table of 12 on a double celebration – an 80th birthday AND a Christmas menu! Best of all, the staff were doing an amazing job (in spite of the increased numbers), where the service levels were as good as ever. Hat’s off to Matt and his team – it’s a well-oiled machine here, and everything was running as smoothly as ever.

This was our first official Christmas Meal where to save time, we’d pre-booked our choices from a tasty range of options:-

Starters
Baked Camembert/Brixworth Pate/Classic Prawn Cocktail.

Mains
Roast Breast of Norfolk Turkey/Gressingham Duck/Venison, Bacon and Redcurrant Pie.

Desserts
Christmas Pudding/Burnt Basque Cheesecake/Chocolate & Sour Cherry Roulade.

I think collectively, we covered the whole menu, but I avoided Turkey at this early stage for fear of being ‘all turkeyed-out’ by the time the big day is upon us! The Venison Pie was probably the best pie I’ve ever tasted (and we’ve been to Brockleby’s!) with so much meat, the pastry was struggling to contain it! Yum Yum!!

Somehow, between the excellent food courses, we even managed an impromptu Christmas Quiz, and it was surely a good sign that when the courses arrived, and we began to tuck in, there was complete silence! It was all great fun, and I think it ignited the first spark of the Christmas Spirit in all of us! By the time we left, although the restaurant was beginning to quieten down, the Bar area seemed to have every square inch occupied with eaters and drinkers. Whatever Her Majesty is doing, she’s doing it very well!

Well done, The Olde Vic! You didn’t disappoint!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post First Christmas Meal! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Yes, it’s that time of year again! The John Lewis Christmas Advert launched at 8am this morning! As many of you know, I normally post about their annual offering.

This year’s has no words and is a real tear-jerker. It was launched 10 days earlier than 2024’s (I nearly missed it!) and created once again this year by Saatchi & Saatchi. Featuring a father and son, there are no spoken words, and the soundtrack is pure 90’s disco! – the track ‘Where Love Lives’ by Alison Limerick then mixes into a much slower new version by the British singer and producer, Labrinth. It ends with the onscreen strapline: “If you can’t find the words, find the gift”.

Aww!

John Lewis will be selling a limited edition vinyl record featuring both versions of the track via the Rough Trade record shop sections already in stores and via its shopping app. Profits from the £14.99 record will go to the John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme, which helps people who have grown up in care.

This one is JL’s 16th (!!) since they began the trend of the big retailers spending mega-amounts on cinema-quality productions.

Click below to watch this year’s offering…

What did you think?

Here’s a reminder of JL’s previous festive ads, together with links…

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2024
– The Gifting Hour

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2023
– Snapper, the Perfect Tree

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2022
– The Beginner

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2021
– An Unexpected Guest

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2020
– A Little Love

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2019
– Excitable Edgar

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2018
– The Boy and the Piano

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2017
– Moz the Monster

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2016
– Buster the Boxer

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2015
– Man on the Moon

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2014
– Monty the Penguin

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2013
– The Bear and the Hare

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2012
– The Journey

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2011
– The Long Wait

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2010
– She’s Always a Woman

Even though it was earlier this year, JL’s wasn’t the first BIG Christmas Ad this year – Sainsbury’s launched theirs yesterday

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post John Lewis Christmas Advert (2025) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Merry Christmas! After last year’s aborted efforts to celebrate due to me seriously lacerating my left hand on the Friday before Christmas (and subsequent operation on Christmas Day, 2023) we’re looking forward to this Christmas, even more so than usual!

As the week leading up to Cbig day began (Christmas Day was on a Wednesday, this year), it was to be a week of catching up with friends and family…

Sunday, 22nd December

A very relaxed day. Time to catch up with our reading and to schedule all the Christmas programmes into the Sky Q box. We were looking forward to the Carol Concert later.

See my separate Post HERE for this year’s Carol Concert.

Monday, 23rd December

A super-chilled day where we invited Conor over to ours for Lunch He’s on leave from the Army until well into the new year, and it was great to catch up with all his news. It wasn’t a traditional festive meal – pizza and chips, but at least the napkins had a festive feel to them!

The rest of the day was spent on the mammoth task of wading through our Sky Q ‘festive’ recordings that have been growing over the past few weeks!

5.02pm: In the evening, I met up with Jo and we continued our daily walk routine. It felt good to be able to keep up the walking routine!

Tuesday, Christmas Eve

In the morning, Ann baked a cake and I cleaned the car! (living the dream, ehh!?)

2.20pm: More eating and more catching-up with friends today! This time, in the afternoon, it was over to Rosi and Dave’s for an extensive Buffet with our friends.

4.50pm: A brisk walk back to ours followed, attempting to work a few of the calories from the Buffet. . After a quick cuppa and some thorough testing of Ann’s cake, that she had made earlier. The only ‘serious’ job of the day? – we sorted out what we needed to pack for our two days away at Roger & Jane’s, tomorrow.

7.15pm: We finished the day watching the Doctor Who Proms. Much better than I imagined it would be having heard the same audio-only version earlier this year with Catherine Tate bloopering her way through her MC duties. Very disappointing back then, and she ruined the overall feel of the performance, IMHO.

Fast-forward to tonight and luckily, the bloopers seemed to be mostly tidied up in the edit suite (the character name is Ruby SUNDAY, not Ruby TUESDAY! Doh!!!) and tonight made for a very watchable and listenable concert, especially soprano Aida Garifullina whose voice was chilling and moving in equal measure (even if you’re not a fan of Who!)

9.05pm: Early night!

Wednesday, Christmas Day

5.47am: Merry Christmas! We were both awake early for no apparent reason! After a cuppa, Ann headed for the pool whilst I headed for breakfast!

9.15am: After Ann returned and after her light breakfast, we opened our presents.

Then it was off to Roger’s to be waited on hand-and-foot for the rest of the day and Boxing Day too!

10.52am: We’re off. I was expecting the traffic to be quite light being Christmas day, but the A14 (and especially the A1) were both quite busy. No hold ups though, and an hour-and-a-quarter later we’d arrived.

12.08pm: As we pulled in to the drive, the weather had remained mild and not a sign of rain! We were soon exchanging hugs and handshakes and getting unpacked.

We were soon settled in the Lounge and putting in our orders for drinks! . Whilst Ann opted for a sensible cuppa, I re-acquainted myself with an old friend – a bottle of Black Sheep Ale – a great start to the Christmas celebrations.

After a quick natter ‘righting the world’ (our first attempt today – more was to follow), it was lunch-time and we all headed for the kitchen – and a traditional Christmas Lunch.

1.25pm: What a feast! You really can’t go wrong with Roger & Jane on cooking duties and with Oli taking charge of drinks, the perfect Christmas Lunch unfolded…

Crackers completed the picture (with the jokes as corny as they come – but just how we like them!)

…but I was hopeless at assembling the ‘build your own Santa’ kit!

2.53pm: At just before 3, it was all over for another year, well almost. By a slim majority, we all decamped to the Lounge to watch the King’s Christmas Speech (on their rather excellent one-month-old 48″ OLED Samsung TV) accompanied by the Cheeseboard and a rather smooth 2019 Port. Perfect!

4.20pm: After the Speech, we returned to ‘putting the world right’ over a cuppa.

5.20pm: And then the highlight of the day (for me anyway!) – unwrapping our Christmas gifts to each other… From Oliver: 2 Guinness Tankards and 4 cans of Guinness to test them out! . From Roger & Jane: Tiptree Strawberry Gin, a Prisoner Graphic Novel and the DVD ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ (that completes my MCU 4K collection of DVDs) – until the next release! Thanks everyone! Spot-on gifts!

6.10pm: Forget the (heavily hyped) Gavin & Stacey finale, what we were all looking forward to was the latest Wallace and Gromit outing…

…and it didn’t disappoint! Superb animation, witty script and very ‘British’. Hat’s off to actor, Ben Whithead who has replaced the Late Peter Sallis as the voice of Wallace – an uncanny similarity!

7.20pm: More food in the shape of gammon sandwiches and a clever G&T that included frozen plum juice. Sounded strange, but tasted delicious!

9.35pm: With Ann flagging, we called it a night, leaving our hots to party on. What a great day!

Thursday, Boxing Day

7.01am: As usual, I was up first, catching up with the national news and writing this. Given the very pleasant conditions outside (well, it’s NOT raining) we’re all planning a walk later after breakfast.

10.25am: Boxing Day Breakfast awaits…

11.30am: As threatened planned – Boxing Day walkies!! A wander through and past Hanbury Manor in a loop and then down the hill to Thundridge Village.

Onwards to Thundridge…

We planned to get the annual family photo taking advantage of the good (ish) weather, but we never did!

12.55pm: Well, that certainly blew the cobwebs away! It had been the perfect weather for walking – but even nicer to return to a roaring fire!

As pleasant as it was outside, it was good to be back indoors! . We caught a little of the Boxing Day footy courtesy of Amazon Prime where we saw Fulham take on the mighty Chelsea – and win! 2-1!! We weren’t expecting that! Oli, (these days, an ardent Chelsea fan) was shocked!

3.14pm: Time for a late Lunch featuring the traditional cold-cuts complemented by a some yummy hot party food.

4.35pm: An excellent Lunch, but no Christmas would be complete without one of Jane’s Marzipan-laden Christmas Cake! Yes please! (twice!)

5.15pm: Time to catch up with some Christmas TV in the shape of 2024’s ‘Ghost Story for Christmas‘ from Christmas Eve. As usual, it was a creepy tale, again for this year, produced by Mark Gatiss entitled: ‘Woman of Stone’. A good 30 minutes of nerve-tingling story-telling.

5.50pm: Gosh! We nearly forgot! Boxing Day/Tree pressies! For me this year? A giant Toblerone from Ann and some beard moisturiser courtesy of R, J & O. Excellent!

6.26pm: With the traditions of Christmas fading fast, we ended the evening watching: ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare‘. A film by Guy Ritchie on Netflix that rivalled the John Wick franchise for body count (but was still surprisingly watchable and tastefully done, if that were possible!). Apparently, it was based on a true story! Ann retired early, feeling that she was going down with something horrible!

9.43pm: I turned in after the film ended to find Ann, upstairs, fighting-off the bugs! That didn’t bode well!! . It was our final sleepover tonight as we’ll be heading home after breakfast tomorrow.

Friday, 27th December

Good morning! A yummy breakfast was on the cards…

After breakfast, and after saying our goodbyes we headed home. It had been a great time at R, J & O’s for Christmas. Great food, great conversations and the weather even behaved itself too! Just a pity that Ann suffered towards the end.

11.58am: We were home around midday, after a slightly frustrating journey due to the ongoing improvements (of the improvements!) at the legendary ‘Black Cat’ roundabout. Ann went straight to bed whilst I headed for the local Aldi to pick up some essentials.

Saturday, 28th December

With Christmas almost over for another year (in our heads, anyway!), it was a day of clearing up and making room for all the gifts we received this. If, after reading this, you have the impression that all we did was EAT – you’d probably be right, so I was pleased that I only put on a couple of pounds over the festive period this year. I hear the words ‘Diet’ being suggested – yes, probably!

I’ve listed our usual annual Christmas TV watchlist below, and buried in it towards the end was an accidental discovery whilst browsing through Amazon Prime today (that was also shown at cinemas in November, but I somehow missed it). It’s an action comedy called Red One. If you like stories about Santa Claus, then this one, made this year – and still on at the cinema as I write this – it’ll give you that warm Christmas glow! Official reviews vary from ‘really poor‘ to ‘an enjoyable romp’, and it was certainly no classic, but if you fancy something a little different this year, it’s an enjoyable watch, whilst you finish off the last of the leftovers!

Just one last job… I popped round to John & Trish’s to set up their digital photo-frame, and then it was back home and feet-up for a short while.

4.40pm: I caught up with Jo for our evening walk. Drizzly and getting colder, but we both knew we needed to burn off some of those festive indulgences.

5.45pm: Back to watching Christmas TV! We finished the evening with the Chelsea Detective Christmas Special.

Christmas TV

As usual for us, Christmas TV played a large part in our Christmas celebrations. Our Sky Q box was therefore kept pretty busy – even whilst we were away.

= Don’t bother
= Only if there’s nothing else to see!
= Not bad!
= Worth a watch!
= Oh yes, very Christmassy!

All Creatures Great and Small – 1983 Christmas Special
All Creatures Great and Small – 2024 Christmas Special
A Christmas Carol (The Mark Gatiss Stage Production)
Beyond Paradise Christmas Special 2024
Call the Midwife Christmas Special (two-parter) (Is this running out of steam? It’s certainly not running short of graphic depictions of childbirth! Sugary sweet in a BAD way. Bah! Humbug!!)
Carols from Kings 2024
Christmas Ghost Story 2024 -Woman of Stone
Death in Paradise Christmas Special 2024 (New Copper!)
Doctor Who – The War Games (90-minute remastered episode). More information on my Blog HERE (Hats of the team for creating the ‘new’ regeneration scene!)
Doctor Who at the Proms 2024
Doctor Who Christmas Special 2024 – Joy to the World (Ultimately disappointing and I’m NOT warming to the new ‘Who’ character)
EastEnders Christmas Episodes (Even more tension than usual, but a well-put-together plot)
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale – Still to watch (but only to see what we missed – never really ‘got’ the attraction of this one)
Good Ship Murder Christmas Special (How did this get commissioned for another two series?)
Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas Special (Good story!)
Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Christmas Fishing (Simple and entertaining)
Outnumbered Christmas Special 2024 – Still to watch
Swan Lake – Still to watch
The Chelsea Detective Christmas Special 2024
The King’s Christmas Speech, 2024
The Red One (A surprisingly enjoyable Christmas Film)
Wallace & Gromit – Murder Most Fowl (Best programme this Christmas!)

So, that’s it for another year! My reindeer slippers are nearing the loft hatch and we’re planning to take down the decorations early new year – it seems to take so long to arrive, but is over in a flash! . Hope yours was a good one!

Christmas Past…

2023
(pretty-much ‘cancelled’ due to my hand injury!)
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010

…and probably for the last time in 2024…

Merry Christmas!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Christmas 2024 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s Christmas Day and there’s a Doctor Who Special on TV again this year. Written by ex-Showrunner, Steven Moffat, we’re promised a proper festive-themed episode. The Christmas Day Special was revived last year when Russell T Davies took over from Chris Chibnall as Showrunner (who always preferred New Year’s Day to showcase the latest episode).

As usual, here in the UK, it was shown on BBC1 whilst under the new global arrangement for DW distribution, Disney+ handled the rights everywhere else. It went out here at 5.10pm and ran for longer than usual for Who episodes – 60 minutes.

Synopsis

“When Joy opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel, she discovers danger, dinosaurs
…and the Doctor! But a deadly plan is unfolding across the earth, just in time for Christmas”.

First Trailer

After a short video tease on this year’s Children in Need…

…the official Trailer was released a few weeks later online on Thursday, 5 December.

Official Trailer

Starring…

Ncuti Gatwa – The Doctor
Nicola Coughlan – Joy (above)
Steph de Whalley – Anita
Jonathan Aris – Melnak
Joel Fry – Trev
Peter Benedict – Basil
Julia Watson – Hilda
Niamh Marie Smith – Sylvia

Any Good?

I didn’t get around to watching this until Friday, the 27th, where I’d successfully managed to avoid any Reviews online or in print. With Steven Moffat on script-writing duties, I expected a complex plot and perhaps more talking than action. And that’s just what I got! The premise of a Hotel where the rooms can lead to any point in time was a good one to base this story around, but although it started well for me, it went ‘off the boil’ at around the halfway mark.

There’s no doubt that actor Nkuti Gatwa has fully embraced the role of the Doctor, but a little like Jodie Whittaker in the role, this interpretation of my childhood hero is not gelling for me, and he’s a little too emotional for this longtime super-fan.

The story moved at a frantic pace meaning no time for loo breaks for fear of missing something important. There was a lot going on and it really needed a lot of concentration (or, was that just me?)

So, with far too much talking and not enough ‘oomph’, it soon became a bit of a snorefest. The final scenes were so overly sentimental and cheesy, it all felt a bit too ‘forced’ simply linking it to the ‘Christmas Story’. I’m also not sure the (completely unsubtle) dig – on more than one occasion – at the then Government about Covid restrictions was appropriate either. Since when did this TV show try and score political points through its script?

More positively, the special effects from the off were top-notch, where the extra budget, courtesy of Disney, was clear to see. Every actor was at the top of their game in this outing, although I do feel that Joel Fry (as ‘Trev’) deserved a bit more screen time. Also, the growing relationship between our titular hero and Steph de Whalley (playing ‘Anita’, the Hotel Receptionist) deserved expanding.

Thankfully, there were (almost) no scenes in this one where the Doctor was crying (a behaviour that was often commented on in his first series – and not in a good way!) I ‘get’ that these days it’s important for male characters to show their vulnerability, but c’mon, the Doctor is over 1000 years old and had saved mankind humankind on many, many occasions – now he’s often seen as overly-emotional and indecisive, and I don’t like this ‘direction of travel’.

All-in-all then, it started well, but ended in disappointment for me. So, one for completists and collectors! (Oh, that’s me!) . I really do hope that things pick up in series 2.

What’s next for ‘Who’?

The next series begins in 2025 and the excerpt below (shown post-credits) doesn’t give much away!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Doctor Who Christmas Special (2024): Joy to the World appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Merry Christmas! This year, we had a bit of a dilemma for our annual Christmas Carol Concert!

Usually, we go to TWO with Jo & Janet – the local Church and the Salvation Army’s in town. But this year, it was one OR the other, simply because they were both on the same day and at similar times.

After a quick vote, we all agreed to skip the Army’s this year and go to St Edmund’s Church in Warkton Village for their Service at 4pm.

Almost a full house again this year where apart from Carol 98 and Carol 588 (that were both unfamiliar to many of us there) we were all in fine voice!

The not-too-preachy style by the local Rector that got the message of Christmas over perfectly well, suited us, and where, 40 minutes later, it was all over! Same time next year? Yes, probably!! . Merry Christmas!!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Carol Concert 2024 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Doctor Who fans get an extra gift from Santa this year!

…and I’m not talking about the forthcoming 2024 Christmas Special starring the current Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa!

If Patrick Troughton was your Doctor (he was mine!) this was to be pure nostalgia combined with TV technology at its best!

In 1969, the BBC showed the 10-episode adventure entitled ‘The War Games’. It starred Patrick Troughton in his final outing as our titular hero with Frazer Hines (as Jamie McCrimmon) and Wendy Padbury (as Zoe Heriot) as our heroic trio. It was the last of the Doctor Who series to be transmitted in black and white.

So far so normal.

So, why so special? Rich Tipple, a colourisation specialist (and not an advert for Bailey’s!) worked with the BBC, leading the project over the past 12-months to rework the original episodes into a single 90-minute movie AND colourise it all AND upscale it all to HD quality. Rich has a successful track record with all of this, having colourised the original Dalek story back in 2023.

Err, wow!

And if that isn’t enough ‘Who newness’, they’ve updated the original special effects, added a new score and are also going to show the regeneration scene – for the very first time – that introduced Jon Pertwee as the new Doctor. It’s all a super-treat (for me anyway!) and I’m really looking forward to watching it – especially to see the brand-new regeneration scene.

A sneak peek of the episode is below!

Pure nostalgia! BBC 4, 9pm, on Monday 23rd December (iPlayer too!!) with a more thorough review by the Blogtor Who site is HERE.

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Doctor Who – Something special for Christmas! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It had been a busy day already – and it was only 7am! Ralph & Karen had slept over after helping us celebrate our Anniversary, yesterday. After a rather hurried breakfast at 9.30 and having said goodbye to them both, it was straight into final prep for today’s gathering!

Paul & Sue, Geoff & Rhonda, Richard & Nicki plus us two all met at ours for this year’s Nutters’ Christmas Lunch. What with our recent holiday, we were a bit later with this than 2023 where then, it was our first Christmas Meal of 2023!

We had so much fun, I forgot to take any photos of us all – just the food! tom

As usual, Ann performed miracles on the menu front with more than a little help from Nicki playing to her strengths as ‘Galley Slave’ and keeping the kitchen ship-shape. The remaining Nutters all did their bit too, making it a real collaborative effort – stuffing (two types) courtesy of Sue, Mince Pies from Nicki and Cheese and Crackers from Rhonda!

We ate a lot, drank a lot and (most importantly) laughed a lot! We even had time for a Quiz as we fought off the obligatory ‘Sunday afternoon’ nap’. We made some key decisions about our ‘On Tour’ event for 2025, where, at this early stage, on the shortlist, is a return to Warners, possible their new one in Runnymede aka The Runnymede on Thames.

Phew! Events fizzled out just after 5 and after a frantic clear-up with the dishwasher on full-time duties, we finally put our feet up just after 6.30. Just time (before we crashed-out) to finish watching the latest Dalgliesh episode and with our eyes slowly closing, the slightly ‘not-sure-about-this-series-yet’ Return to Paradise – Episode 4.

We finally gave in to exhaustion just after 8pm! Party Animals ehh? Well, part-time Party Animals!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Nutters Reunited for Christmas! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’ve all got different ‘triggers’ for when ‘Christmas’ officially begins. For many, it’s probably when the Supermarkets start displaying their Christmas lines! But that’s obscenely early isn’t it? So how about…

…that first Christmas meal? (this year, our first one was last Saturday )

…or when the John Lewis Christmas TV Ad first appears? (an almost ‘return to form’ this year for JL after a few misfires!!)

…or receiving your first Christmas Card? .

Anyway, back to Christmas TV. The real big event for me (and this ritual goes back years!) is when the Christmas double-issues of Radio Times and TV Times first go on sale. Normally that’s around the first or second week in December, and I always try and pick them up as soon as they’re out! This year, I was too busy wrapping presents to pick them up on launch day, but we were in Milton Keynes the day after (the 11th) and grabbed our copies from M&S.

I think my (slightly obsessive) fascination with these two publications is a throwback to my childhood, when Dad used to bring them home after finishing work for Christmas. As a family, we loved Christmas (of course!) but more especially, we all loved Christmas TV (first, in black & white, then colour, on just three channels, then four, then five – then hundreds! — and by 2024, probably closer to thousands if you include all the streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Lionsgate+ etc etc). Back then, there was no remote control, so Dad’s choice normally ‘won’, but that didn’t cause any issues, as TV was more family-friendly back then wasn’t it — The Generation Game at Christmas anyone??? To add to the fun in those days, there was also frequent positioning and re-positioning of the aerial to ensure the best possible pic!

With these oversized publications taking pride of place in the lounge, our first job was to painstakingly search through the schedules, taking it in turns to circle our favourite programmes.

Fast-forward to 2024 and it’s much the same now — except we use a highlighter pen or just go online, or download the digital versions to our Tablets (only the second year, we’ve grabbed them online). What progress ehh!?

…then again… maybe not!

The Christmas Double Issues (2024)

These days, both publications have a massive page count, mainly because they both list more-or-less the same information, Why’s that? Well, for my younger readers here, back in the ‘Stone Age’ (up until 1990) RT listed only the BBC stuff (including the radio) whilst TVT covered just the commercial channels. These days, in the now ‘gazillion-channels/satellites/streaming TV era’, you have both publications running into hundreds of pages. . Prices are slightly up on last year, but that’s offset by an increase in page count – The Radio Times is up to 303 pages, whilst the TV Times boasts 228!

So, just like back-in-the-day all that’s left to do now is to plough through them both, highlighter pen (or two, or three) at the ready, and our Christmas TV preparations are sorted!

Ghosts of Christmas (Covers) Past – 2010-2023…

Merry Christmas everyone!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Christmas TV Listings (2024) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We’re already in December, and very unusually, we’ve not had a single Christmas meal yet! That’s so unusual for us, but we only arrived back from New Zealand last Sunday! At this point in 2023, we were on our third! It’s a tough life, ehh??

We picked up Paul & Karen in time for the 6.30pm ‘kick-off’ at John & Trish’s – a regular yearly event in our diaries for the past 5 years!

So, we were straight into Trish & John’s annual Neighbours’ Christmas Feast.

The Meal, 2024

With Trish doing most of the ‘heavy lifting’ in terms of the Turkey plus obligatory vegetables, things got off to great start with Rosi’s nibbles. Ann recreated her rather yummy Cranberry Sauce and Devils on Horseback, whilst Karen took care of her special Red Cabbage and Julie sorted out the Cheese for the legendary Cheeseboard (with a few extras from Trish). As usual then, a real team effort that was to be a real treat for the tastebuds!

With John on Bar duties, we were soon into the Christmas Spirit and catching-up with what’s been happening in all our lives since we last got together as a group (which I think was LAST Christmas!).

All that was left was to sit down and eat – and there was plenty to share!

…followed by a traditional Dessert! (Who had all the Bailey’s Sauce???? – another bucket full needed for 2025!).

…and ending with the Cheeseboard! – that didn’t seem to last very long at all!

With the eating out of the way, it was time for…

The Festive Quiz

This year, it was a much simpler affair (as the creators, we had both been all-consumed with getting ready for our holiday, leaving less time to be any more creative this year).

Trish drew names out of the hat for this year’s team pairs…

Paul and Trish
(Same as last year – what are the chances, ehh? Last year’s winners too!)
Julie and Rosi
John and Tom
Dave and Karen

Consisting of just five Rounds (4 questions per round) – mostly multi-choice – and with yours truly posing the questions and Mrs P in charge of scoring and crowd control, battle commenced!

Round 1: Festive Trivia
Round 2: Festive Sport
Round 3: Festive Music
Round 4: Festive Films
Round 5: Festive Abbreviations

With five points for a correct answer and 10 points for answering the occasional bonus questions, we were off!

As usual, it was a noisy but thoroughly enjoyable affair. My new Round of ‘Festive Abbreviations’ seemed to get the ‘thumbs-up’…

…with the above causing a lot of head-scratching (Answer: When Three Ships Come Sailing In).

An hour-or-so later, the scores were in! Paul & Trish handed over their crown to Julie & Rosi who scored a mighty 105, followed by Dave & Karen (65), Paul & Trish (45) and Tom & John (30). With prizes awarded, all that was left was chat more, eat more and drink more! (which we did, with ease!)

Download a copy of the Quiz from HERE

What a great get-together!

I’m not sure where the time went tonight! One minute we were admiring Rosi’s nibbles and the next it was close to midnight. Many moons ago, that would have meant we just carried on for another few hours – but not these days! We all called it a day around the same time, where we were home and ‘putting the cat out’ at just before 12.30am! Phew! We’re exhausted – but in a good way!

Merry Christmas! . The festive season has now officially begun for us!

Steve Palmer

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

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