Magazine #23: Christmas 2021

🎵 It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Christmassy decorations are going up across town. Shops are filled with seasonal items, while people prepare their own homes with holly.

The Meaning of Advent

The Meaning of Advent: A Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth over 2000 years ago, marked by traditions such as advent calendars, decorations, and cooking. Despite its materialism, the true spirit of Christmas remains significant for many. Jane Holmes sends her best wishes.

Extract from Lark Rise at Candleford

In the 1880s, villagers in Lark Rise celebrated Christmas quietly; with little commerce, families relied on shared food like killed ox meat and homemade wine, but felt isolated due to fewer visitors and reunions.

The Christmas Barrel of Beer

Farm wives convinced to buy a 9-gallon beer barrel for Christmas, expecting it to be cheaper than buying by-the-glass at pubs; many struggled to save enough to pay their quarterly bills, leading to court-ordered installment payments.

Gervais Phinn Recounts

A school inspector remembers a memorable visit to a classroom. A young boy insisted Christmas baby was named Wayne, causing the vicar to clarify it was Jesus. Children eagerly discussed presents.

Bampton Morris

Morris dancing tradition thrives in Bampton on Christmas Eve. Annual Mummers’ play involves 2 fights, 2 deaths, and 2 resurrections. Headington Morris men’s action in 1899 helped revive English Morris dancing.

Jesus’s Christmas Party

Nicholas Valley recalls Jesus’ Christmas party with barriers and interruptions; Despite the barkeeper’s attempts to sleep, guests knocked for blankets, leading to a sleepless night; Barkeeper’s anger melts away at the sight of the baby Jesus.

Rebecca Who Slammed Doors For Fun

A cautionary tale about a girl named Rebecca who died after slamming a door too hard near a marble bust of Abraham; Her funeral sermon emphasized her vices, frightening other children into vowing never to repeat her mistake.

Senior Moments

Experiencing senior moments? Join us as we share tales of forgetfulness during Christmas preparations. From cars parking themselves to underwear that could double as parachutes, there’s plenty to relate to. Our comedic take on these light-hearted oversights is sure to elicit chuckles.

Christmas Common

The origins of Christmas Common’s name remain uncertain, with theories including a Puritan encampment and holly-covered land during Christmas. A more fanciful story involves Santa Claus using the area as a staging point. Disputed facts surround these explanations.

Christmas Mastermind

The Christmas story as told in the Bible was the subject of a Mastermind-style quiz. Contestant Noel scored 2 points, answering correctly about Jesus’s birth location and the number of wise men. Despite common depictions, no animals or stable are explicitly mentioned in the Bible.

Sling Another Chair Leg On The Fire Mother by Pam Ayres

Pam Ayres’ poem ‘Sling another chair, chair leg on the fire, mother’ is humorously relevant today due to rising energy prices and hardships; it suggests finding joy in simple acts and making the most of circumstances.

On This Day in Oxford

In 1880, a young chimney sweep was found crying in Deddington. Despite being only 9, he was made to clean chimneys. The boy’s plight led to the prosecution of his grandfather, the chimney sweep master.

The Mistletoe Bough by Thomas Haynes Bayly

A tragic Christmas story surrounds the Mistletoe Bough, inspiring a Victorian poet. The young bride’s hide-and-seek game leads to her untimely death in an oak chest. The chest remains a haunting exhibit at Gay’s Court.

❓ Quiz - Questions

A general knowledge quiz for listeners to enjoy at home.

Christmas Carols

Christmas carols are central to Christmas festivities, originating over 400 years ago. Their ban during Cromwell’s rule was temporary, and today, they are widely sung and enjoyed, regardless of religious affiliation. These carols narrate the Christmas story, highlighting the journey to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, and the adoration of the wise men, all encapsulated in popular carols like ‘Little Donkey’, ‘Away in a Manger’, and ‘We Three Kings’.

Poor Old Granny

Granny suffers from relentless wind gusts, causing discomfort.

Christmas Cracker Jokes

Hysterically Historical on Dickens

Dickens’ association with Christmas examined; Career started with serialized novels; Fans loved his voice and performances.

❓ Quiz - Answers

Here are the answers to this week’s quiz — how did you do?

Sam’s Christmas Shopping

Sam visits friends in Kent, aiming to buy a bob’s worth of gifts but finding London shopping confusing. He encounters help from a policeman and a Duke, ends the night drunkenly without any shopping done.

Christmas Eve in Thrush Green

Thrush Green residents enjoy traditional Christmas Eve preparations. Children eagerly await gifts, while hospital staff and housewives juggle work and festive duties, with some forgetting essential groceries.

That Perfect Swimsuit by Pam Ayres

Pam Ayres’ poem humorous about swimsuit search for holidays. Perfect swimsuit remains elusive due to fashion industry’s focus. Woman decides to stick with old swimsuit

What Do I Wish You?

Family reunites after squabbles; Christmas preparations underway; Warmth and laughter hoped for despite winter’s chill.

👋 Goodbye!

The closing sign-off, including volunteer credits and listener information.

🎵 Merry Christmas Everybody

Local community hosts annual Christmas party. Hundreds enjoy food, games, and decorations. Funds raised for local children’s charity.