Magazine #21: Christmas 2020

🎵 Three Little Birds

A songbird sings reassuring lyrics from Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’; calming listeners’ worries with positive messages, reminding them to smile with the morning sunshine.

Albert and The Lion Part 2

Albert and the Lion returns in a sequel; Albert initially eaten by lion, but escapes after struggle; Albert’s parents received compensation and Albert returns home safely.

Corney COVID Humour

Corny COVID humour jokes shared; Elderly deportation idea proposed; Elephant’s positive COVID ’test’ revealed.

Lock Down by Pam Ayres

A woman shares her feelings about lockdown through a poem, reminiscing about her youth full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and now adapting to isolation. She finds joy in baking and netflix but misses socializing.

Thoughts about COVID from Devon

COVID-19 impacts global community, with local residents adhering to safety measures. Despite challenges, volunteers ensure Talking News service continues. A chance encounter sparks inspiration to perform daily acts of kindness.

❓ Quiz - Questions

A general knowledge quiz for listeners to enjoy at home.

A Nativity Play Incident

A school nativity play faced disruption when a disgruntled actor changed his character’s line, leading to a new solution and enthusiastic audience response.

School Dinners

A teacher put up a notice instructing students to take only one apple each, prompting a child’s humorous response on the cookie tray.

Alfred The Great

Alfred the Great remembered for burning cakes, while his strategizing against Danes is lesser known; He copied their battle plans and offered them settlements, but is mainly recalled for a kitchen blunder.

A Fishy Tale

A wife reading a book on a boat was fined for being in a restricted fishing area even though she wasn’t fishing. She replied with sexual assault accusations, and the warden quickly left.

Old Sam

Disobedient soldier Sam Small refuses to pick up his musket despite orders from sergeants, lieutenant, captain, major, and colonel; Duke of Wellington personally intervenes, asking Sam to retrieve his weapon

Christmas Shopping

Christmas shopping challenges perfume sales assistants, customer indecision impacts sales, Seller hopes for big bonus despite varied customer preferences.

The Christmas Shed by Wes Magee

A group of friends visited a shed to feed its resident cat and her kittens on Christmas Day. The cat and kittens were found warm and safe in the dried soil and old clothes. The friends watched the cat and kittens feed hungrily on the Christmas leftovers before leaving silently.

The History of Silent Night

Silent Night’s creation story revealed; First performed in Austria in 1818; Initially attributed to famous composers before being declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO

Silent Night

St. John College Chancel Christmas concert celebrated with ‘Silent Night’.

Christmas at Blenheim

Christmas celebrations at Blenheim Palace; Focus is on estate children’s party and family gatherings; Includes communion service, opening presents, and royal speech

Christmas in Thrush Green

Christmas preparations enchant Thrush Green villagers; The town’s Market Square hosts a splendid Christmas tree and shops are decked with festive displays; Wax figures at the electricity showroom bring joy during the preparations.

Eat Drink And Be Sick by Pam Ayres

Pam Ayres’ Christmas poem ‘Eat Drink And Be Sick’ humorously describes a character’s festive feast; The character indulges in a wide range of foods and beverages; Pam Ayres’ unique style brings humor to the excessive consumption.

Mrs Beaton

Mrs. Eaton, Victorian Britain’s first celebrity chef, was renowned for her oversized portions. Her dishes, inspired by ‘Why use one egg when 12 will do?’, have faded in popularity due to health-conscious trends of today.

❓ Quiz - Answers

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

On The Thirteenth Day Of Christmas

The twelfth day gift ‘dower’ arrives: true love calls on thirteenth day. True love’s gifts prove messy and overwhelming, forcing partner to question ’thanks for nothing’

👋 Goodbye!

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

🎵 Always look on the bright side of life

The narrator encourages listeners to maintain a positive outlook in life. Even when facing difficulties, one should laugh, smile, dance, and whistle. The bright side of life should always be embraced.