We’ve all got different ‘triggers’ for when ‘Christmas’ officially begins — for many, the first reminder is when the Supermarkets start displaying their Christmas lines! But that’s obscenely early, so how about…
…your first Christmas lunch?
…maybe it’s when the John Lewis Christmas Ad appears?
…or receiving your first Christmas Card?
For TV lovers, it’s probably when the BBC Christmas ident is seen for the very first time, and they start promoting their festive offerings!
For me though, it’s when the Christmas double-issue Radio Times and TV Times first go on sale. Normally it’s around the second week in December, although in recent years, that’s varied a bit. This year, normality returned, and I picked ours up right on cue at the local Tesco’s on the 8th! 😁
I think my love of these two fine magazines is a throwback to my childhood, when Dad used to bring them home after finishing work for Christmas. As a family, we loved Christmas TV (first, in black & white, then colour, just three channels, then four, then five – then hundreds!) Initially, there was no remote control, so Dad’s choice normally ‘won’. To add to the fun, in those days, there was frequent positioning and re-positioning of the aerial to ensure the best pic! 🔧
With the magazines taking pride of place in the lounge, our first job back then was to frantically search through the schedules, taking it in turns to circle our favourite programmes.
It’s much the same now — except we use a highlighter pen or just go online… or just check our phones!!! What progress ehh!? 🤔… or maybe not! 😉
The ‘Double Issue’ Covers 2019
These days, both publications are massive (page count wise) mainly because they both list (more-or-less) the same information. Why’s that? Well, for younger readers here, back in the stone-age (up until 1990?) RT listed only the BBC stuff (including the radio) whilst TVT covered the commercial channels. Fast forward to the satellite age that we live in today, and you have both publications running into hundreds of pages. 😍
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!
Merry Christmas! 🎅
Previous Publications…
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Blogging since 2004, about the significant people, places, sights and sounds of my world. Now dabbling with retirement! 👍😁