Advent 8: Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant

Siouxsie & The Banshees is probably a strange pick for a Christmas playlist except that they actually have a Christmas song recorded way back, 'Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant'.Their version is the first time I'd ever heard that song, a song I've since heard by various other people. The only version that rivals Siouxsie's is the version by Petula Clark on her latest album.

Advent 7: Baby It's Cold Outside

Just because it is, I give you 'Baby It's Cold Outside' by Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews.

Advent 6: I'm Going Home

A couple of years ago Justin Lee Collins set himself the task of reviving the Christmas single and tracked down performers from the big Christmas singles of the 70s to help him - and this is the result. I watched the programme and liked it immediately, downloaded it from the Channel Four site and have enjoyed listening to it every Christmas since.

The song has a tremendous Christmas pedigree:

> written by Rob Davis of Mud (Christmas hit: 'Lonely This Christmas') who also co-wrote 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' for Kylie
> sung by David Essex (Christmas hit: 'A Winters Tale')
> guitar by Dave Hill of SLADE (Christmas hit: 'Merry Christmas Everybody')
> drums by Don Powell of SLADE (Christmas hit: 'Merry Christmas Everybody')
> other musicians/vocals from Showaddywaddy (Christmas hit: 'Hey Mr Christmas').

Not bad, eh? Give it a listen!

Advent 5 : Christmas Was Better In The 80s

Day 5 in my advent calendar and it's a song that hasn't even been released yet, 'Christmas Was Better In The 80s' by The Futureheads. This is fab and will be my first Futureheads record when it's finally released on 19 December.

Let's get something straight here, Christmas was not better in the 80s - Christmas is always perfect for all times. I recall long, five - seven hour coach journeys to Newcastle for Christmas with the family before I could afford train tickets. I also remember trying out my first Walkman when my neighbour in the next seat let me listen to Bowie's 'Let's Dance' on his Walkman and I was amazed by it.

I recall Christmas Eve in the Cricket Club and then going again at lunchtime on Christmas Day, a tradition that continued largely unchanged, although with fewer in attendance, until my Dad left us. We also got one of those new-fangled video recorders in the early 80s - doesn't technology change quickly? And, of course, we had Band Aid that revived the Christmas single.

Other decades brought similar highs and lows but I'm happy to include this song in my advent calendar.

John Waters at Queen Elizabeth Hall

On Friday evening we went to see John Waters speaking at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank. Of course, at this time of year the Southbank also hosts the Christmas market so that was an added bonus. The setting was a reading by Mr Waters followed by an interview with Philip Hoare who immediately annoyed me with his long and rambling introduction about how he first met John years ago (please note that when I go somewhere to hear someone speak it's them I want to hear, not the interviewer - short questions, long answers please).

Once the interview got going it was great fun, with John telling us stories about his past, the people he knew and the situations in which he met some of them, all based loosely round his new book, 'Role Models'. He has a story for every situation and knows the most weird people ever invented, real or imaginary and, in his case, all very real. It must be very strange being John Waters but he has a nice take on fame and recognition, noting that the only people who would possibly recognise him in the street are the people he'd be happy to be recognised by.

After an hour and a half we said goodbye to Mr Waters and left to join the queue for the book signing - Chris had bought the new book so, naturally, wanted it signed. Dawn and Toby were ahead of us in the queue so once they'd had books signed they popped back to gloat (which is rather unattractive). Mind you, it took an hour to get to the front of the queue so any interlude was welcomed. John was happy to sign things, shake hands, have photos taken, the whole fan thing, which was good of him.

The Polite Snowman

It is with deep sadness that I report the demise of The Polite Snowman. No, not the thawing of the snow, but rather the absence of the snowman from the Christmas lights on Streatham High Road. For the last few years, The Polite Snowman stood at the top of streetlights flashing on an off and, whenever I passed, would raise his hat. He was a very polite and gentlemanly Snowman. I say 'was' because it seems he is no more.

The Christmas lights were switched on yesterday so I wandered through the slush and ice up to the High Road to see Santa outside the Odeon cinema along with (for some reason) a stilt-woman, a fire eater and a steel band. There was a goodly crowd and it's nice that we still make a bit of a fuss about Christmas. Lambeth is clearly cutting things though, since the lights only seem to go from Streatham Hill Station to the Odeon rather than continue down to St Leonards and beyond which they usually do, and the lights seem to be more spaced out which means fewer of them, but at least they're there. There's no sign of Christmas trees yet, but there's still time.

But I mourn the passing of The Polite Snowman - he always brought a smile and a twinkle to my eye. I will keep watching out for him since you never know, he may well appear by himself as a result of the magic of Christmas ... I believe.

Advent 4: Fareweel Regality

The fourth song in my advent calendar is 'Fareweel Regality' by Rachel Unthanks and The Winterset (now re-named The Unthanks).

It's not so much a Christmas song as a winter song, conjuring up images of frost and log fires as you leave home for an uncertain future away from all you know. It was written by Terry Conway but I love this version by Rachel, Becky and friends. The chorus goes:

"We'll cry fareweel Regality
And cry fareweel the Liberty
To honest friends' civility
To winter's frost and fire
And there's nowt that I can bid ye
But that peace and love gan with ye
Never mind wherever call the fates
Away from Hexhamshire"

The setting for the song is Hexham, a county town of Northumberland which in olden days was a shire in its own right with areas called the Regality and the Liberty, and with a lovely old abbey. I grew up about 15 miles from Hexham and used to visit it every so often. My mother was in and out of Hexham hospital for many years and my older brother lived in Hexham for a few years. It's just up the road from Corbridge, with it's old Roman fort of Corstopidum, built on the banks of the Tyne, a mere juvenile river that far up from the sea. It's a lovely area - or at least is in memory since it's years since I was last there. And that's part of the power of this song, evoking old memories and bringing them to life again, along with images of loss and leaving, but also with hope, on a freezing winters day.

I had the pleasure of meeting both Rachel and Becky Unthank last December after their gig at Shepherd's Bush and they're a nice pair of lasses, lovely pure voices and an aptitude for story telling. And clog dancing.

Advent 3: December Will Be Magic Again

It's still snowy and icy out there so it's appropriate for the third window on my advent calendar to open with Kate Bush and 'December Will Be Magic Again'. This early snowfall has certainly made it more festive with the snow covering the ground and bowing down the trees, brining it's own magic.

Advent 2: I Believe In Father Christmas

It's time to open the second window on my personal advent calendar and I've found Greg Lake's 'I Believe In Father Christmas'.

I've loved this song for 35 years, since I bought the single when it first came out in 1975, but I've never been too keen on the video that went with it. The words and music make me yearn for snow and sleigh rides, not the deserts of the Middle East. This isn't a particularly good quality version of the video but it's still worth watching and, most certainly, listening to. And I do believe in Father Christmas.

Advent 1: Postcard From London

To celebrate the festive season and the snow lying outside my front door, I thought I'd post a video each day in the run-up to Christmas to get into the seasonal spirit. This is my own advent calendar.

I'm starting with the lovely and sentimental 'Postcard From London' by Ray Davies - what could be more appropriate? It has scenes of Carnaby Street with it's swinging '60s themed Christmas decorations, grand old Regent Street, a glimpse of Piccadilly Circus and Chrissie Hynde on vocals.

From me in London, to you in the World, I give you 'Postcard From London'...