DurhamMONDAY 24 DECEMBER 2007
Christmas Eve
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
…and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse….
The well-known poem, which I read on this morning's Nightshift, is actually called A Visit From St Nicholas and was written by Clement Clarke Moore as long ago as 1823. It's more or less the first manifestation of a figure that has become so very familiar to us over the decades; the plump, cheerful and reassuring figure of Father Christmas. And every time I read it, I'm reminded of how much Christmas in general, and Christmas Eve in particular, seem to have changed over the last few years. Now, this is normally a cue for me to don my 'grumpy-old-man' hat and that's precisely what I'm going to do. After all, if an ageing and deeply sentimental blogger can't reminisce about - and even mourn the passing of - his version of childhood Christmases on Christmas Eve when can he do it?
To the younger version of Ian Robinson, Christmas Eve was almost as important as the Big Day itself; in many ways, even more so. It was the day the tree was put up and dressed; it was the day I and my brothers made and strung streamers across the ceiling; we would label and hang up stockings along the mantelpiece, then smile wickedly as we filled them with sprouts, cold chips, clothes pegs…..In other words, Christmas Eve was the beginning of Christmas and not - as it often seems to be nowadays - the end. Of course, I can understand why Christmas has turned upside down, as it were. A great many shops are now telling us that their profits depend on Christmas sales so, yes, there is a very strong commercial imperative to 'big-up' gift-buying and that simply can't be done unless Christmas is launched a good deal earlier than December 24! This means, of course, that most people are tired of the whole shenanigans even before Christmas Eve - and it's that that I regret.
So for me, tonight will once again mark the beginning of the twelve days. As Hildie has suggested, I intend to eat at least one mince pie on each of the twelve in order to generate as much good luck as possible for each month of 2008. (Question to Hildie: if I eat more than one mince pie each day, does that improve my chances of a good year??) We'll dress the Christmas Tree (trying to keep the cats off it in the process) and place our presents under it the way Nature intended. We'll wonder what's inside all that gaudy wrapping paper as we adorn the hall and banister with star-lights. We'll hang a white-light star-globe at each end of the mantelpiece - although the hanging of stockings was sadly abandoned many years ago. Then we'll relax with an Alabama Slammer and wait for the sounds of Prancer and Vixen, Donner and Blitzen. Naturally, we'll have fallen asleep long before Santa Claus finally arrives…….
KITTLEBERRY ROW
Margaret in Haltwhistle sent this email the other day….
My friends and I were talking about strange place names (sounds familiar? and in a village next to us called Melkridge there is a row of houses called Moor View. However, locally they have always been known as Kittleberry Row - I'm not sure of the spelling. One of the men in the company said it was to do with mining. When a new mine shaft was sunk it was called a certain name (I think it started with an 'S') and then the nearby or new mining cottages , whatever they were called, got the nickname Kittleberry(bury) Row. Can you throw any light on this?
Well….I can't. Can you?
THIS BLOG…
I will be on air 'live' tomorrow - Christmas Day - between 1000 and 1400. I hope you will be able to join me.
I will be posting a special message from our mascot, Grosvenor the Black Rat, tomorrow, too. After that, the next posting will be on Thursday. In the meantime…..
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN
NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.
Christmas Eve
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
…and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse….
The well-known poem, which I read on this morning's Nightshift, is actually called A Visit From St Nicholas and was written by Clement Clarke Moore as long ago as 1823. It's more or less the first manifestation of a figure that has become so very familiar to us over the decades; the plump, cheerful and reassuring figure of Father Christmas. And every time I read it, I'm reminded of how much Christmas in general, and Christmas Eve in particular, seem to have changed over the last few years. Now, this is normally a cue for me to don my 'grumpy-old-man' hat and that's precisely what I'm going to do. After all, if an ageing and deeply sentimental blogger can't reminisce about - and even mourn the passing of - his version of childhood Christmases on Christmas Eve when can he do it?
To the younger version of Ian Robinson, Christmas Eve was almost as important as the Big Day itself; in many ways, even more so. It was the day the tree was put up and dressed; it was the day I and my brothers made and strung streamers across the ceiling; we would label and hang up stockings along the mantelpiece, then smile wickedly as we filled them with sprouts, cold chips, clothes pegs…..In other words, Christmas Eve was the beginning of Christmas and not - as it often seems to be nowadays - the end. Of course, I can understand why Christmas has turned upside down, as it were. A great many shops are now telling us that their profits depend on Christmas sales so, yes, there is a very strong commercial imperative to 'big-up' gift-buying and that simply can't be done unless Christmas is launched a good deal earlier than December 24! This means, of course, that most people are tired of the whole shenanigans even before Christmas Eve - and it's that that I regret.
So for me, tonight will once again mark the beginning of the twelve days. As Hildie has suggested, I intend to eat at least one mince pie on each of the twelve in order to generate as much good luck as possible for each month of 2008. (Question to Hildie: if I eat more than one mince pie each day, does that improve my chances of a good year??) We'll dress the Christmas Tree (trying to keep the cats off it in the process) and place our presents under it the way Nature intended. We'll wonder what's inside all that gaudy wrapping paper as we adorn the hall and banister with star-lights. We'll hang a white-light star-globe at each end of the mantelpiece - although the hanging of stockings was sadly abandoned many years ago. Then we'll relax with an Alabama Slammer and wait for the sounds of Prancer and Vixen, Donner and Blitzen. Naturally, we'll have fallen asleep long before Santa Claus finally arrives…….
KITTLEBERRY ROW
Margaret in Haltwhistle sent this email the other day….
My friends and I were talking about strange place names (sounds familiar? and in a village next to us called Melkridge there is a row of houses called Moor View. However, locally they have always been known as Kittleberry Row - I'm not sure of the spelling. One of the men in the company said it was to do with mining. When a new mine shaft was sunk it was called a certain name (I think it started with an 'S') and then the nearby or new mining cottages , whatever they were called, got the nickname Kittleberry(bury) Row. Can you throw any light on this?
Well….I can't. Can you?
THIS BLOG…
I will be on air 'live' tomorrow - Christmas Day - between 1000 and 1400. I hope you will be able to join me.
I will be posting a special message from our mascot, Grosvenor the Black Rat, tomorrow, too. After that, the next posting will be on Thursday. In the meantime…..
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or contact me in any one (or more) of these ways....
ian.robinson@bbc.co.uk
text 07786 200954 (while the programme is on-air)
call (between about 0545 and 0630 Monday to Friday) 0191 232 6565
Ian Robinson, The Nightshift, BBC Radio Newcastle, Spital Tongues, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1RN
NOTE
Please bear in mind that the views expressed in this blog are my own and NOT the views of the BBC.
7 comments:
I have pondered the same question myself, Ian, and it seems there is only one way to find the answer!
merry xmas truckshunters and grosvenor the truckshunters mascot,.. hope he and his 8 mates enjoy opening their presents....
confession ian,.. its past midnight and ive forgot to eat my first of the 12 days mince pie,.. is it too late to start tomorrow do you think?...i,ll give it a whirl and hope i,ll still have good luck in january..
Merry Christmas to Gilly, Kev, Hildie, Ian and all Truckshunters.
You have 24 hours to eat your 1st mince pie Gilly for the trial to work, so fear not, nosh on a pie anytime today and you'll still be part of the challenge.
Grosvenor is indeed enjoying his early Christmas Day so far, and now has 11 friends... Guybrush, Snowdrop, Jasmine, Martini, Malibu, J.D, J.B, Caffery, bacardi, breezer and Whiskey and they will be having their own little portions of real Christmas dinner today, turkey, roast potatoes, chippolatas, sprouts, peas, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash and celeriac mash too.... they love Christmas in my house.
Cheers all... all the very, very best.
Lawrence
I'm writing this response at 0840 on Christmas morning; I'm just about to leave for Pink Palace to do my Christmas Day programme. Listen out guys: Hildie's mince pie ritual starts TODAY :-))
Merry Christmas one and all.
thankyou lawrence, sincerely..i,ll be mince pie munching today,so my luck will be with me thank goodness..throughout the year.. the thought doesnt fill me with glad tidings at the moment having just eaten xmas lunch..without stuffing i have to add, ive listening to dave porter to thank for that mishap, brill show though,..and fab music..
my two dogs,.. meg, a collie cross. tara, a sprocker opened thier xmas stockings and love them, pandemonium quickly ensued...hope you your family, grosvenors 11 friends i,ll get the number right one of these days.. ian.. and all truckshunters everywhere have a lovely time... i,m listening to ians xmas day show and loving it..esp little tin soldier and the little drummer boy..r.n. best radio station in the world never mind the north east..it unites people, .. something magical i think...all the very best everyone...
thanks ian too,im trying hildies challenge....
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