Must See TV - New Year's Special

My New Year’s TV recommendations

New Year’s Eve

Channel 4 – Amazing Spaces Show and Ice Special 7pm ***New***

I love Amazing Spaces, would love to live in these kind of small spaces, and would love to design my own. It could not get better for me as he is in the Cold North looking at a number of different properties.

Architect George Clarke and master artisan Will Hardie find out how Norway, a country with some of the harshest weather on the planet, has become a leader in architectural design. Buildings include a treehouse that can withstand nine tons of snowfall and gale force winds, and an ice hotel complete with 30 rooms, a bar, and even a snow chapel. Plus, a moveable home that has kept members of its community safe for hundreds of years

BBC 1 – The Graham Norton Show 10:20pm ***New***

It as to be New Year’s Eve in with The Graham Norton Show and his A-listers filling his oversize sofa while on Channel Four Alan Carr is playing around with the same old Z-listers from reality TV no one really cares about.

Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, and Zac Efron, who star in The Greatest Showman, a new movie musical about circus maestro PT Barnum, join Graham. Other guests include Doctor Foster's Suranne Jones and Gary Oldman, who discusses playing Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. With music from Leading Ladies, the super-group consisting of Amber Riley, Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson, who perform One Night Only.

New Year’s Day

BBC 1 – A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong 1:15pm ***New (Repeat)***

I will miss this tonight due to other commitments so I was pleased to see a quick repeat for New Year’s Day with a perfect time slot.

This is the latest raid on TV by the Mischief Theatre Company, whose stage productions (The Play That Goes Wrong, The Comedy about the Bank Robbery and others) have proved blockbusting, award-winning hits full of finely tuned slapstick that teeters on the edge of chaos but never quite falls in.

This time their fictional counterpart, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, brings its genius for catastrophe-farce to A Christmas Carol.

The idea is that after last year’s Peter Pan shambles, the company has been banned by the BBC, but force themselves back on screen by hijacking a starry version of the Dickens classic that is being broadcast live.

From there, they do it their own way, with the new Jacob Marley having some difficulty with his ghostly chains and narrator Diana Rigg held up in traffic. But the show must go on…

BBC 1 – Grandpa’s Great Escape 6:55pm ***New***

A TV drama based on a David Walliams book is becoming as much a Christmas tradition as the fairy on top of the tree. This one, his sixth festive outing, is a heart-warming story about the close relationship between a boy (Kit Connor) and his grandfather, who was a Second World War flying ace.

Except, sadly, Grandpa (Tom Courtenay) an actor I have long admired has Alzheimer’s disease and his episodes of confusion land him in Twilight Towers, a dreadful home for the elderly run by a cruel Miss Trunchbull figure (Jennifer Saunders). When Jack helps his grandpa escape (come on, that’s not giving anything away), you’ll be cheering them on.

It’s full of comedy stereotypes (including Walliams as a boring dad obsessed with traffic cones) but there are a few tear-jerking moments too.

BBC 1 – Maleficent 5pm ***Film***

The untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from the 1959 classic "Sleeping Beauty”. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman with stunning black wings, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army of humans threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal - an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone.

Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the king of the humans and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom - and to Maleficent's true happiness as well.

Sky Premiere - Kong: Skull Island ***Film***

A secret government organization mounts an expedition to Skull Island, an uncharted territory in the Pacific. Led by an explorer (John Goodman) and a lieutenant colonel (Samuel L. Jackson), the group recruit a disillusioned soldier (Tom Hiddleston) and a photojournalist (Brie Larson) to investigate the island's peculiar seismic activity.

But once there, they discover that Skull Island is home to a gigantic ape called King Kong, and find themselves caught up in an ongoing war between the beast and the area's indigenous predators. Jordan Vogt-Roberts directed this reboot of the classic monster franchise.

1960s Mans magazine

There were many of these types of magazines on the shelves back in the 1950s, 1960s. They were still around in my youth mainly in second handbook shops and I was fascinated with the covers of the older editions. By the beginning of the 1970s, they change the cover artwork of the magazines to models although keeping the outrageous story headings until the magazines demise in the late 1970s.

They were called “stag mags” or "adventure pulps" in the USA where a lot of them originated. Many of the titles found their way to the UK. The magazine cover depicted on is article can easily offend and would send alarm bells ringing today. They are colourful, rude, shocking, sleazy, and often downright fascinating and are totally not politically correct in today’s world.

The covers like the one opposite would usually have woman in some kind of mortal danger be it nasty Nazis or some primitive tribe the woman would be depicted in various stages of undress. The titles of the inside stories on the covers were always outlandish and full of sexual innuendo like ‘Intimate Confessions of a Rough Trade Chick’. Now I have heard of Rough Trade Records but have no idea, who or what is a Rough Trade Chick.

In the early editions there was a strong Nazi theme running through these magazines with the woman depicted mostly as resistance fighters, concentration camp inmates, or American nurse’s always-attractive young woman with heaving bosoms. The torture meted out was normally a whipping that kind of stuff the Nazis liked a bit of hot iron branding usually with a swastika. You can see from the cover used, a bit of roasting alive was also an option.

The men in the magazines were the bodybuilder type who enjoyed meeting out pain to their captives. You would sometimes have a weedy professor or a butch lesbian guard who also enjoyed dishing out some pain. There were many devious ways to submit pain, which the writers never seemed to fail to come up with a way to crate pain or kill.

I have never read one of the stories inside the magazine but from the cover art, I can figure out it will be of a sexual nature. The often-lurid cover of which the original artwork is highly sort after by collectors were illustrated by the likes Mort Kunstler, Norman Saunders, and Gil Cohen to name a few.

City v Preston Tonight - The Game is Live on Sky Sports

I didn't see it coming; honestly didn’t see that coming! Fulham I am talking about and the capitulation over 90minutes that was finished off in injury time. By all accounts Cardiff were dire in losing their undefeated home league record at the Cardiff City Stadium in front of a 21,662 crowd which was poor as traditionally Boxing Day has always had a bumper attendance.

It’s not all doom and gloom most clubs hit a blip during the season my main problem is we have to stay at least in the top six although has a fan that hates the Play-offs an automatic promotion spot is preferable. I like playing the lottery but not my football team because that is what the play-offs are, a lottery.

The result of the Fulham and Bolton defeats saw Warnock’s men suffer a back-to-back loss for the first time this season putting even more pressure on Cardiff to get back to winning ways sooner rather than later to push the Bluebirds into one of the two automatic promotion spots. The Boxing Day defeat saw Cardiff drop to third level on points with rivals Bristol City who now are second in the League.

Tonight Preston visit the Cardiff City Stadium and the game kicks-offs 7:45pm and the game is live on Sky Sports the visitors are not far off a spot in the league’s top six. One of Cardiff’s five league defeats was at Preston early in the season where the Bluebirds were well-beaten 3-0. They (Preston) have drawn their last two games, we know Cardiff’s form over the last two games, and they need the three points as Monday they face a New Year’s Day trip to London and a fixture against QPR.

It was rumoured that Iceland midfielder Gunnarsson, could be fit and could make the bench or something against Fulham and that turned out to be way off the mark. Rumours are just that, rumours not worth anything until the team sheet is released. He has not featured in a Warnock squad since mid-October and now we told its still six weeks on the sidelines after undergoing ankle surgery so towards the end of February.

Defender Sean Morrison (groin) remains out and is two to three weeks away from a return to some kind of action. I am sure later we will get an update on the injury list.

Some good news for Cardiff in the Boxing Day defeat to Fulham Kenneth Zohore started after a long lay-off due to injury and scored a wicked goal on his return. Another player back after a long injury Rhys Healey was on the bench for Fulham and came on around 70 minutes.

What have the managers said?

"We were unlucky up at Bolton with the penalty decision and then Fulham were a bit too good for us on the day.

"Now obviously we play Preston and they physically pummelled us up there. So we know what to expect and we'll have to be on our toes and start the game well."

Again, rumour on the bush telegraph is Cardiff have two maybe three new signings next week but we will see they has also been some talk in the press of possible targets. Owner Vincent Tan said he will back boss Neil Warnock but won't spend 'silly money' Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock says he wants to make at least one permanent signing and a further "one or two" on loan in the January transfer window.

Has I just posted this post there was a ‘Newsflash’ that Cardiff City had made a stunning €7 million bid for Besiktas midfielder and Turkey international Oguzhan Ozyakup, if you choose to believe it.

The Apartment 1960 - Film Review

I watched this film ’The Apartment’ 1960 around mid-December before the madness of Christmas and the review has been sitting in a file waiting for me to finish the review. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon watching this classic and with Jack Lemmon one of my favourite actors.

Based around the Christmas and New Year party season in New York Lemmon plays CC Baxter a minor office worker who loans out the key to his apartment to a selected number of executives from the company where he works for rendezvous of a sexual nature. He hopes by doing this trade-off he can secure promotion for himself. At the start of the film, the characters are less than wholesome the men are married; there dates know this but overall hope they will leave their wives.

The love interest in the film comes from Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine who plays Fran a lift girl having an affair with Lemmon’s boss. After spending, the evening at Lemmon’s its obvious he will not leave is wife and when he leaves, Fran takes some pills. It’s left to Lemmon to clean up the mess as he helps her recover at his apartment.

The bush-off for Fran

It has an absolutely top-notch cast, featuring Jack Lemmon (at his wryly-humorous best) Shirley MacLaine (a glowing screen presence); Fred MacMurray (smarm personified). They also benefit from a clever, perceptive, and timelessly relevant script by Billy Wilder, under his capable direction. Though there are plenty of brilliant one-liners, the best of the dialogue feels true and real, which adds to the feeling that you've known Baxter for years.

The Apartment is more of a drama than a comedy and balances the two elements perfectly. Just after one of the more dramatic moments of the film, we see Lemmon straining his pasta with a tennis racquet. The use of the doctor and his wife in supporting roles are completely there for comedy and yet add so much to the film. The ending also rates up there with the best of all time using an old device that doesn't seem at all clichéd in this film. Some say that "Some like it hot" was Wilder's best, but I have always disagree! This film is better.

The Apartment is better and surely would have made my top ten had the first hour not been so predictable but it is close.

Operation Daybreak 1975 - Film Review

Just watched the film "Operation Daybreak" for the umpteen time but I never tire of watching it a typical war movie with the extra of being based on a true story.

Now "Operation Daybreak" tells the tale of a group of Czech soldiers in Exile who parachute in to Czechoslovakia on a mission to assassinate SS-General Reinhard Heydrich, (Anton Diffring) the Reich Protector of Czechoslovakia. Heydrich was one of the main architects of the final solution the mass murder of all Jews in Germany and occupied territories he did such a good job planning it not many Jews escaped.

What follows is their meeting with the local resistance, their planning and after one failed attempt to kill Heydrich. He is recalled to Berlin to take up a new job so there could be one more chance to assassinate him. This time with little time to prepare this attempt, which would mean the assassins Kubis (Timothy Bottoms) and Gabcík (Anthony Andrews), would be in the open and in great danger.

Lucky for them Heydrich was separated from his escort and has he entered the ambush, Gabcik stun gun jammed so he threw a hand grenade, which fatally wounded the Reichsprotektor who died days later via blood poisoning. The assassination had drastic consequences. The Nazis' desire for revenge would catch up with both Kubis and Gabcik along with countless others. Thousands of men, women, and children were killed in the weeks that followed.

Curda who was dropped with Kubis and Gabcik betrayed the group and their resistance helpers who were rounded up and we see what happen to the main characters that the end of the film. Before the end, we see the group of Czech soldiers who are now together hiding in a church are found and battle it out with the Germans where they are all killed. There is a cruel ending for Kubis and Gabcik.

I am no historian but when I first saw the film I when to the library to search the truth sparked me into wanting to know more, the truth of the assassination attempt and what followed and it is fascinating. What is also fascinating is that whilst "Operation Daybreak" unsurprisingly takes some poetic licence with the facts the basic storyline is true to what happened, following closer to the truth than many movies.

Christmas Day top 10 - 2017

I can never understand why Mrs Brown's Boys is so popular! I find it truly unfunny but still it came out top in the Christmas Day TV ratings as the most-watched show on a single channel with 6.8 million viewers. Unbelievable and so are how low the viewing figures are last year Strictly Come Dancing was top with figures of 7.2m with The Great British Bake off Christmas second with an audience of 6.3m and this year don’t feature after its move from the BBC to Channel 4. But without doubt, it would be the big winner of the day for the channel.

The BBC won eight of the top ten shows and won the battle of the soaps with EastEnders taking the crown over Coronation Street who last year were top soap losing a million viewers in the process. I watch them both due to the wife’s obsession I would agree that EastEnders was the best. The only other ITV entry in the top 10 Emmerdale lost a million viewers over last year according to official figures.

The only Drama in the top 10 was Call the Midwife, which I predicted last week. The ITV flagship TV drama was the two hour Christmas special Victoria failed to make the top 10. It didn’t help being up against EastEnders for the first hour.

Comparing this year’s figure with last and only Call the Midwife and EastEnders saw a small increase over 2016 figures but for saw, we will never see figures of 20+ million watch so Christmas Day show ever again.

Christmas Day Viewing Figures 2017

1. Mrs Brown’s Boys – 6.8m (BBC One)

2. Strictly Come Dancing – 6.5m (BBC One)

3. Call the Midwife – 6.3m (BBC One)

4. EastEnders – 6.3m (BBC One)

5. Doctor Who – 5.7m (BBC One)

6. The Queen – 5.2m (BBC One)

7. Coronation Street – 5.1m (ITV 1 when ITV+1 is included)

8. BBC Teatime News – 4.2m (BBC One)

9. The Highway Rat – 4.0m (BBC One)

10. Emmerdale – 3.7m (ITV 1)

Boxing Day football you have to love it

Its Boxing Day and it means only one thing to me FOOTBALL and to my American friends Soccer and sorry it just doesn’t have the same ring about it – soccer, it feels dirty. Playing Fulham around this time of years always invokes the memory of that game with no show George Best but then there was Robin Friday.

After the more than disappointing defeat at Bolton (2-0) at the weekend Cardiff, need to get back on track. Yes, there are injuries in the Cardiff squad but still if you are a benchwarmer or a fringe player, you need to take your chances. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock was not overly happy with the referees’ performance who he considered weak.

"With the penalty it's hit his hand and we've no complaints about that - but deliberate handball? Come on!

"You don't get things like that given in a game like this. It's a Championship game! I think you know when it's a penalty and they were really fortunate to get that.

"When you come up against a side like Bolton you need a strong referee and I think he was weak today. I thought some of the challenges were horrendous early doors and I think we've had more bookings than them.

"With Tomlin I took him off at 2-0 and I could see what Henry and Prattley were doing to wind him up and get him sent off, so why not get him off? We'd lost the points, we didn't want to lose a player as well."

When you consider Cardiff have suffered four defeats in the league so far two of whom have been teams scraping around the bottom end of the league table Birmingham and Bolton so Saturday came as no surprise to me we were due a hiccup.

Fulham are the Boxing Day visitors and it could be a bumper crowd for the game with a traditional festive crowd. The Londoners are just above mid table but will surely feel the force of a Cardiff team wanting to wash away the Bolton defeat. Earlier in the season, Cardiff visited Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground where they fought out a draw (1-1) Danny Ward scoring for Cardiff helping them rescue a point and keeping them top of the Championship at the time.

Ward will not feature in the Fulham game as he is out injured but boss Warnock injury list could be decreasing. Striker Kenneth Zohore, who came on as a substitute in the defeat to Bolton after an ankle problem, is hoping to start. Also hoping to play some part in the game are Aron Gunnarsson (ankle) and Craig Bryson (Achilles) could feature after recovering from injury.

Yes Cardiff lost at Bolton but Fulham are coming to the fortress at is Cardiff City Stadium where the Welshman are unbeaten at home in the league and will be looking to extend it. On Friday Cardiff have another home fixture when Preston North End visit the CCS the game is live on Sky Sports.

After the results on Saturday Wolves stretched their lead at the top of the Championship league table by seven points while Cardiff remain in second three points ahead of third place Derby who are level on points with Bristol City.

Boxing Day Fixture that matter

Bristol City v Reading

Cardiff City v Fulham

Millwall v Wolves

Hull City v Derby County

Christmas Day TV Wars - 2017

A quick look at the Christmas Day schedule shows me another win for the BBC. Normally we just get the show down between the BBC and ITV but because Channel 4 is the home of the Bake Off, someone thought it should be added. I can’t see why they bothered it will get a battering when the Christmas Day viewing figures are released.

Looks like the BBC will be the winners judging by the programming for Christmas Day. On the film front its the BBC hands down with the first showing on terrestrial TV of Cinderella (3:10pm) starring Lily James and Richard Madden. Later in the evening the BBC hit the competition with a strong line up starting with the Doctor Who Christmas Special where Peter Capaldi as his last run out as the doctor before he regenerates into a new doctor with a sex change.

Next up is a Strictly Come Dancing Christmas where previous contestants line-up and fight it out to win the Christmas special follow by the very popular Call the Midwife. EastEnders is at 9pm with an explosive story for one character that will have repercussions around the square.

The early evening ITV are surrendering two hours of programming to Emmerdale and Coronation Street, which are likely to be there big shows of Christmas. Paul O’Grady will separate the two soap operas with a visit to Battersea Dogs home. On the soaps Coronation Street there could be a murder and the hour looks just about as dark as a normal EastEnders Christmas. Not much happy families on Emmerdale either I still hope soap operas will be banish from the Christmas Day schedule one day. Up against EastEnders ITV have thrown Victoria starring Jenna Coleman in a two hour Christmas special.

Channel 4 will be hoping for a good performance from The Great Christmas Bake when four contestants from the last series enter to tent again with a Christmas theme. While on Sky Movies the big Christmas Day film is the musical, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ the rest of digital TV is full of repeats.

Looks like I will be spending my Christmas Day in the company of the BBC like most of my previous Christmases.

Remembering Christmas past … No.4/No.5 … The Eve and the Day

I think has a child I enjoyed Christmas Eve as much as I enjoyed Christmas Day itself with it being a mad house. We had no conveniences like today. Supermarkets that sold everything you need from food, drink, and toys really just about anything. It was shop-to-shop back then and anyway there wasn’t that many supermarkets about. Our closest was a short bus ride away.

I mentioned previously the trip to the Docks Non Political Club to see if we had, won something in the Christmas draw for our oven but after that, a bus into town for some last minute shopping. A trip to Mill Lane market for the veg and fruit and there would be a mass of people doing the same and then a short hop to the indoor market for some cold meats and then the bus home.

We were lucky dad didn’t work Christmas Eve because all of the running around was his job.

We had coin meters we would have to feed and with a total shut down of nearly all shops from 2pm until the 27th, the need to feed the meters was never greater. With the Electric, Gas and TV to feed we needed many shillings. That would mean trips to the shop and asking for shillings in the change or the dreaded going around your neighbours asking if they had a spare shilling or two. That could lead to a treat, which was a double edge sword if it wasn’t a piece of fruit. Mum was never happy unless there was a decent pile of shillings on the mantelpiece.

Around 4pm that would be it other than dad going for a drink at the club before midnight mass, and to seek out a few more shillings. But for the bits of shopping Christmas Eve was really about the shilling.

What kid didn’t wake up early it is hot-wired into a child’s DNA at least until early teenage hood when getting up late is your new DNA? I have mentioned church but I loved standing in the doorway of our tiny kitchen watching mum cook. especially Sunday dinner/Christmas. One of my only claims to fame was when I left home I could cook bits and pieces but I could make a killer Sunday dinner with gravy made mums way.

Something else I like was the rule on Christmas Day you were in for the day! You would see most of you friends at church giving you a chance to brag about what you got and then home. The only chance to get outside otherwise was if you had a new bike mum would allow 5 minutes to have a quick ride.

We would sit down to dinner always the same time around 1pm which I still do today and once we were stuffed we would play with our toys and watching TV and the likes of Billy Smart's Circus and Disney Time all the time topping up with chocolate before Turkey sandwiches . The perfect way to spend a Christmas Day just the family, your family. Boxing Day is for visiting the rest of your family and having them visit you. I could think of nothing worse than dragging yourself and family around your parents or in-laws for Christmas Dinner.

It was agreed between the wife and I before we had any kids that Christmas Day was for us, and Boxing Day was for family excluding when Cardiff City played home or if I fancied an away trip.

Remembering Christmas past … No.3 … I was a Catholic Boy

My old church St Cuthbert's

Being a Catholic boy there was a lot surrounding school and church in the build-up to Christmas learning carols and the school mass with everyone waiting for the last day of school. Going to church was very strictly upheld in our household until I was about 15 years old I never missed a Sunday mass unless I was mitching. Yes I mitched from church from time to time, if dad was working or something and he was going to evening mass. Now that was really sad.

I also wanted to go to mid-night mass it was like a coming of age for a young Catholic boy, it means you were able to stay up late and go to bed late giving mum a chance to wrap the remaining presents while we were in church.When we returned home even though I knew who Father Christmas was the presents where nowhere to be seen as mum shooed me to bed.

I was 11 years-old for my first mid-night mass that started at mid-night within a year or so it was down to 11pm kick-off and now there was security on the door to keep any drunks out of the church after a commotion the previous year. With the drunks barred the only fun left was watching the alter boys trying to stay awake which could be difficult one year, and for the life of me I can’t remember who it was but he looked like someone out of a zombie film and the second he sat down he was sparked out asleep. I knew most of the alter boys and I think dad would have loved to see me up there but that was not for me.

I asked dad about this Christmas Eve at St Patrick's and he said he will be going to the earlier mass for dad will be at 7pm as not many churches still do mid-night mass. I always thought mid-night mass was special like some secret Catholic society but it was just a normal mass.

I must have love church … not really as later I would be back for Christmas morning mass with the whole family minus mum and any baby family member. Mum was a non-Catholic anyway and would be home cooking up a family feast.

Cardiff City on the road to Bolton in a hunt for 3 points

Cardiff City face Bolton later today with three points on the line to keep the pressure on Wolves, and keep a healthy points difference between Cardiff in second place, and third occupy by Bristol City as it stands today before the afternoon games.

Bolton are languishing in the bottom three as they have for most of the season but Cardiff can’t go into this thinking the game will be a push over they must deliver 90minutes of hell to Bolton to secure the three points. Over the last five games, the home club have managed just four points out of fifteen while the Welshmen have gained an impressive thirteen out of fifteen over the same number of games.

Games to watch out for today

• QPR v Bristol City
• Wolves v Ipswich

It is still the case of who is not fit for Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock with Craig Bryson (Achilles), Kenneth Zohore (ankle) but both are nearing fitness, along with Aron Gunnarsson (ankle) and they have been joined by Danny Ward (knee) who could face a lengthy spell on the side-line.

Cardiff striker Omar Bogle is fit after a calf problem, Kadeem Harris and Rhys Healey, named on the bench for the 1-0 win over Hull last week, are back in training and either could feature in the game at some stage.

Other news the Cardiff boss is reported he will be entering talks about a new contract his current deal runs until the end of the season. He isn’t rushing into contract talks with promotion top of the agenda.

“I’ll definitely be working next year, I’ve made up my mind on that, and I will have another season. We have spoken and we will speak over the next few days and weeks, but I’m not in a rush. I wouldn’t dream of leaving the club and Mehmet halfway through the season.

And Cardiff City fullback Declan John yesterday agreed a deal to join Rangers on a permanent basis following a spell on loan.

Remembering Christmas past … I believed until … No.2

The Ugarte brothers

I am the one on the right

I remember being a happy child believed in Farther Christmas excited about every December.We were in wonder of the Christmas festive period school, church, and home in winter Cardiff city centre looked grey and dull until December went town was all lit up with the festive bright lights and shop window. 

I remember the illusion being busted just before 1969 when the curiosity of an 8-year-old led to the discovery on the landing upstairs of our old home in Pomeroy St. I often wondered when we were out shopping at Christmas why mum or dad would disappear and come back with a shopping bag and was not, allowed to peak in without getting a little slap on the back of the head for being be a bit nosey.

Then there was the big landing cupboard it was out of bounds until that faithful day a few weeks before that 1969 Christmas. On top there was a big-mirrored frame and anyway I couldn’t open the door even with a simply door catch - It was tough to try to open.

Remember those shopping bags that once in the house would disappear, vanish into the heavens.  Even on the bus home my ears would ring to a sharp shouted ‘Peter’ from my mum or dad if I tried to peck in it was so frustrating, I was just a nosey boy and could not help it. I believed in Santa at eight and was a fully paid member of the club. But one day while playing around I noticed the catch on the cupboard was not fully down here was a chance maybe to have a look inside I am nosey Pete and tempted.

On opening the door! Low and behold, it was like Father Christmases grotto, a wonderland of toys. If I believed in Santa before opening the door well now the secret was out … Santa was (drum roll) … mum and dad. Knowing this piece of information didn’t spoil my Christmas, I spied a little something in the cupboard that I wanted and hope it was not for my brother got it not me. Anyway back then, what was your brothers was yours to play with, its called sharing.

Talking about sharing I did not share the wonderment of the landing cupboard with my brother I think it maybe have been wrong to spoil his Christmas, it was up to him to find out about.  Pretty major thinking for a 8-year-old or I just wanted to keep my secret to myself.

Remembering Christmas Past - Christmas Draw - No.1

Pattersons James St 

When I was a kid, my Dad a member of the ‘Docks Non Political Club’ would have a Christmas Draw every year. Every time dad when to the club mum would remind him to buy tickets. By December, we would have maybe just over a hundred tickets he’d bought throughout the year when a couple of days before Christmas  we would receive the list of numbers and if you match one you were a winner.

At the club on Christmas Eve, the tables would be full of meat and booze. Mum was only interested in winning a few nice joints for the Christmas table and if we did win a few bottles of booze dad was under instructions to trade them off normally to my Uncle Joe and Tony.

This one year we did particularly poor only winning a chicken and a bottle of booze leaving mum disappointed has we normally did better than that. But Uncle Joe came to the rescue donating a joint of Pork or Beef for our Christmas oven.

Although we normally won something a piece of Pork, Beef or Chicken mum would always order a turkey at the butchers not wanting to leave it to luck and come to think of it I don’t think we ever won a Turkey in the draw. We didn’t have a freezer or a fridge back when I was a kid so mum would cook all the meat and we would have cold meat sandwiches for a while. We didn’t have one but I can remember a cold box fix to the wall outside in your back yard. It was just a wooden box! You could supposedly keep meat, sausages, and bacon fresh for a few days not sure I like the sound of it now. Our neighbour did and I think mum may have used it from time to time.

I will have to ask dad if our butchers Pattersons supplied the club with the meat that would put them in a win, win situation and they were only a few doors away. It’s were our Turkey was ordered and a day or so before Christmas Eve the window would be full of hanging Turkeys with name tags and if yours was there you could have a visit. Our Turkey somehow manage to fit into our somewhat small oven and I loved watching mum work her magic in our tiny Pomeroy Street kitchen.

With the demise of the Working Men’s clubs, you don’t see the old fashion Christmas Draw where you buy tickets throughout the year. Now you are more than likely to find a pub running a raffle night, which is not the same.

No more ‘Docks Non Political Club’, gone with the destruction of James St and with many of the members and their families also victims of Cardiff City council destroying the surrounding area it effected the membership. A move to a new location failed so it is no more but for those who can remember.

No snow Christmas Day - Rain - Wind - Make the best of it folks

As the song goes, “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas’ what a nice sentiment but that dream isn’t happening this Christmas Day in Cardiff my home city for sure. I will have to leave it to the TV for that elusive white Christmas because it nearly always snows on TV and films at this time of the year.

However, at the time of this post the chances are rain and high wind for the 25th not the Christmas most people are looking for or want. The perfect Christmas must involve snow surely. I couldn’t imagine Christmas in the hot climates and would never seek it out like some with holidays.

It’s not as if I want lots of snow just enough, an inch or two would be fine. I can picture my perfect white Christmas it never changes. I open the front door between seven, 7:30pm on Christmas Eve to the delivery guy bringing our Indian curry takeaway with his head, and shoulders showing the first sign of snow. Behind him, I can see the roofs across the road turning white that’s a picture perfect scenario for me.

I don’t want to look out on a blizzard from my bedroom window as I go to bed just a light falling of snow. The same in the morning as I open the front door for some brisk morning air. I am far too old for snowball fights or building snowmen but I love to feel the snow squelch underfoot a refreshing sound that squelch I do enjoy walking in virgin snow.

I never believe in the long weather forecast, which early in the year were predicting snow at Christmas they never get it right be it snow at Christmas or a heatwave in the summer.

Three Horse Race for the Christmas No.1 spot

The build up to the Christmas No. 1 single has been fairly quite if you discount me promoting Wham’s “Last Christmas” for the top spot and there is still time to buy it via download. It would be a fine tribute to George Michael, who died last Christmas Day.

With the No. 1 Christmas single to be announced on Friday, it’s when we will know.

With George Michael, dying last Christmas many fans like myself would love to see him reach the top spot. I checked the latest chart positions last night and it looks to be a three horse race. Has of last night Ed Sheeran was currently occupying the top spot with the track “Perfect”.

Surprisingly at No.2 is another of my Christmas favourites Mariah Carey with “All I want for Christmas is you” and any other year I would love to see it at No.1 but not this year. “Last Christmas” is third and in need of a final boost to catapult it into the No.1 spot. It is good to see no X factor crap it was a chance I believe all the protests over years about Simon Cowell and his fascination to have the No.1 spot tied in with his show … No more Mr Cowell.

I remember when the Christmas No.1 was a big news story up until the official announcement of the Christmas No.1. There was always plenty of speculation surrounding the race to the top spot back when you would have to go to record shops or WH Smiths to buy your chosen single where today it takes a few taps on your computer to buy music.

Can you buy 7-inch singles anymore? I rarely go in record shops the last time must have been when HMV was on Queen Street, Cardiff years back searching for something for one of my young sons back in the 90s.

Sunday Crush – Kate Beckinsale

Yes, there was the Underworld series where she donned a costume consists of a sexy cat suit made from stretchy black PVC fabric with a zip up the front. However she came to my attention in an earlier film where she played an English Rose but not as innocent as she looked.

The film was ‘Haunted’ (1995) where she plays one of the three grown Mariell children in 1905 and becomes the romantic interest of David a young man tormented by guilt and remorse after the death of his sister. We find out her brothers and her are ghosts living in a house burnt out after a secret incestuous past with her brothers was discovered the fire kills them, To David everything looks real the house, outbuildings the only living person living there is their Nanny who they forcibly keep there. With the help of the ghost of his sister, he manages to escape the Mariell’s or did he.

Beckinsale is naked a lot in this film and when she isn’t, she’s dressed up in various costumes including equestrian riding gear and flapper attire. One thing’s for certain, Christina Mariell (Beckinsale) certainly has the ability to raise your spirits, among other things.

Round the internet she’s known as the Queen of corsets and I have to agree and it helps to have a stunning body to fit into one, it helps. Besides being very sexy funny and interesting she, travels with a pantomime horse costume and with a friend enjoys nothing more than a quick canter around a hotel hall if she is bored. Also on that Graham Norton show, she was outed as queen of pranks and told the story of a well-placed piece of chocolate. Seek them out on the internet it will give you a laugh.

Underworld

Bluebirds home and face Hull - Game live on Sky Sports

Cardiff City are popular with Sky Sports with tonight’s game against Hull City being televised kick off 5:30pm with the Reading game also televised last Monday Cardiff fans will be hoping for a better score line.

Two late goals at Reading salvaged a point in a game that saw manager Neil Warnock sent off to the stand and fined £2000 the Cardiff boss called his dismissal "a travesty" and earlier in the week gave an extensive review of his injury problems. The increasing injury list includes the likes of Kenneth Zohore and Aron Gunnarsson with the busy Christmas period coming the boss will need every player he could lay his hands on. Sadly, striker Zohore will sit out the festive games hopefully he will return in the New Year Warnock told the press.

Danny Ward has been booked in for a knee operation and Sean Morrison has been ruled out by the groin injury he suffered in the 2-2 draw at Reading on Monday. Craig Bryson and Anthony Pilkington are also major doubts. Cardiff are hopeful that Omar Bogle will shrug off a calf problem to lead the attack against Hull.

Cardiff have by far the better stats of the last five games and Cardiff are still unbeaten at home in the league this season. Cardiff were four points behind leaders Wolves who played last night at Sheffield Wednesday and are now seven points clear after a win. Putting pressure on the Bluebirds to win and bank three points. Hull won their last game their only win in their last five games giving their new head coach Nigel Adkins a winning start.

The club have slashed the prices for the game to attract fans.

The Orville – Venture into space with a new crew - TV Review

I heard about this a while ago and have been waiting for it to air in the UK even though I could have watched it via some iffy internet site early. I even swerved all trailers. Critics gave it a bit of a bashing but the nerdy Syfy community overall have welcome this quirky series.

I had heard it mentioned in the same breath as the film "Galaxy Quest" linking Orville with the same style, which was ok, I loved the film, but I think the series could be better. I said last night after watching the first episode “Star Trek on acid”.

It opens with Seth Macfarlane the lead character as Ed Mercer, coming home to find his wife having inter alien sex and we then jump a year forward to where he is given the command of the Orville. Now divorced she turns up as his second in command. The crew look like they will add fun to the upcoming episodes.

What we actually got is something much more like a proper Star Trek sci-fi, where the crew has chemistry and real character. There is obviously more comedy than in Star Trek the series, but not that much more; it's just that what is there is a lot sillier. Like Lieutenant Commander Bortus, comes from Moclans, they are a single-gender species. Who only urinate once a year? Isaac discovering what it means to be human (while still being hilariously and "racist"). The Orville made me laugh, watch anxiously in fear and anticipation, and expanded my imagination to what infinite possibilities await in the universe, an idea easy to enhance considering the abundance of cultures and lifestyles that exist even on a single planet.

You can't really review this without making comparisons to the new Star Trek Discovery series, so here goes. This is much better. Simple. It has much more interesting characters, who have proper development going on, and who actually interact with each- other on a personal level. There is action and fighting, but it's more grounded than the bombastic Discovery.

The CGI effects were top notch and was the spaceship, we get to see the hostile alien enemy the Krill, and some good ship-to-ship action has the Orville a Planetary Union's exploratory space vessels takes on a Krill warship and you won’t believe how it was destroyed the Krill ship.

So, in case it's not obvious, I recommend this series.

Must see TV - Week beginning 16/12/2017

It has been a while since I have offered up my weekly TV choice with that mainly down to Christmas but this week the TV schedule has picked up. Mostly thanks to the BBC. I reckon I will have to clean out my saved recordings on my virgin box to make space for the upcoming festive period.

With sadness, the Walking Dead is on their mid-season break and to make matters worse on Wednesday Pinky Blinders series ends, as did the Blue Planet on last Sunday I feel like I should don a black armband.

December 16 Saturday

BBC 1 – Strictly Come Dancing: Final 6:30pm ***New***

Tomorrow it’s the last live show and the only person in the country happy to see the back of the BBC show is Simon Cowell. We will see one of this year’s celebrity hopefuls scoop the coveted glitterball trophy my favourite is still in the mix Gemma Atkinson but as no chance.

Tonight each couple has to dance three times – with one dance chosen by the judges, one of the other dances is a show dance with no rules, and then finally they dance their favourite routine of the series. The judges will have their say however; the public will decide the winner in the end.

BBC 2 – Feud: Bette and Joan 9pm ***New Series***

Emmy-nominated drama, exploring the now-legendary rivalry between celebrated Hollywood actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The story picks up with the pair in 1962, as Joan comes to realise that good roles are not being written for women of her age. Chancing upon Henry Farrell's novel What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. Joan decides she has found the perfect part to showcase her abilities, and convinces director Robert Aldrich to champion a movie adaptation.

However, for the film to proceed, Joan realises she will need the talents - and raw star power - of her bitter rival Bette. Starring Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon

December 17 Sunday

BBC 1 – Sports Personality of the Year 6:45pm ***New***

Another one of those traditions like watching Miss World in days gone by and Eurovision to watch the Sports Personality of the Year show. Over the years its got bigger and bigger from the BBC studio to larger venues.

It’s not a reality show – and yet ironically its way more real, content-wise, in terms of the achievements it celebrates, than 100 reality shows put together and multiplied by, ooh, I don’t know, several hundred more.

The shortlist is announced a few weeks before the award ceremony, and the winner is determined on the night by a public telephone and on-line vote. The shortlist released a few weeks before the award ceremony, and the winner is determined on the night by a public telephone and on-line vote.

December 18 Monday

BBC 1 – Father Brown 1:45pm ***New Series***

As the Kembleford Amateur Dramatics Society prepares to put on a pantomime, a grim incident from the group's past is unearthed. A body is found in the woods, and identified as a woman who went missing from a rehearsal seven years previously. An examination of the corpse provides evidence that a man who confessed to the murder was innocent, leaving Father Brown with a miscarriage of justice to put right in time for Christmas.

BBC 2 – The League of Gentlemen 10pm ***New Series***

Much-loved comedy The League of Gentlemen returns to BBC 2 this Christmas with three brand-new episodes to celebrate the group’s twentieth anniversary at the BBC.

Once again, the three performing members of the League - Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and Mark Gatiss - will be playing a veritable host of bizarre and darkly comic characters inhabiting the fictional Northern town of Royston Vasey, in scripts written by themselves and co-creator Jeremy Dyson.

Royston Vasey is facing a threat more dire than anything it has faced before: dark rumours of boundary changes that could erase the town from the map forever. The fight to save Royston Vasey from administrative annihilation will come from unexpected and surprising directions, all of them local…

December 19 Tuesday

Sky Cinema Premiere – Final Recall (2017) 9:40pm ***Film***

Five friends go on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods for some sun, swimming and sex. With impeccable timing, while all the carefree frolicking in the wilderness is happening, an alien invasion begins. The friend’s early fears though come from a mysterious ‘Hunter’ who is prowling the woods. Is he on their side or the aliens?

Final Recall is not a big budget movie and it shows onscreen with passable special effects and acting that varies from good (Snipes) to not so good. The narrative plays out slow and steady with the odd little twist here and there, but predominantly the main thread is more character based with a lot of your enjoyment of the movie resting on if you have any empathy for the 5 young friends.

December 20 Wednesday

Sky Cinema Premiere – Battle for Moscow 9:35pm ***Film***

I love a war film and the likelihood will be the wife heading to bed early that is ok for me.

Russian World War II drama that follows a group of Soviet soldiers as they put their lives on the line to protect the city of Moscow from advancing Nazi forces. Set in 1941, with a column of German tanks pushing ever further into Russian territory, a small band of soldiers from the Red Army's 316th Rifle Division are forced to go to extreme lengths in order to protect the city and their people

December 21 Thursday

Sky One – Gwen Stefani’s you make it feel like Christmas 8pm *** Christmas Special***

It is well know my attraction to Gwen Stefani in fact I have even told the wife who I love that she would be the only woman who I would cheat on her with how naughty am I.

Blake Shelton, Chelsea Handler, Ken Jeong, Seth MacFarlane, and Ne-Yo join Gwen in this holiday special, which features music and holiday-themed sketches. She sings songs from her "You Make It Feel like Christmas" album, including a duet with Shelton, and such Christmastime classics as "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night" and "Santa Baby."

ITV 2 – The Great Xmas Rant 9pm *** Christmas Special***

A one-off 90-minute show in which comedians vent their anger about the festive season. The Great Xmas Rant will feature stand-ups including Ellie Taylor, Mark Watson, Tom Davis, Stephen Bailey, Darren Harriot, Nish Kumar and Richard Gadd alongside celebrities such as Joey Essex and Chris and Kem from Love Island.

From the turkey, to the hangovers, to the shopping and the cringe worthy office parties, the finest comedians from TV hilariously rant in detail about what annoys them most about Christmas. The show features nostalgic archive, and famous faces sharing their pet hates about Christmas.

December 22 Friday

BBC 1 – Tom Jones & Beverley Knight’s Gospel Christmas 9pm *** Christmas Special***

Gospel Christmas will come from the heart of Cardiff Dockland with this festive treat coming from the Grand Hall of the Exchange Hotel, celebrating a special evening of music and Christmas cheer with Sir Tom Jones and Beverley Knight.

The blend of traditional gospel, carols and songs of spiritual intent from modern greats like Prince and Bob Dylan, performed by choirs and a house band from the British gospel scene, will add up to the freshest of winter warmers.

Sir Tom pays homage to a genre that is very close to his heart, and accompanies the audience back home to the South Wales valleys and to the church where the sounds that led Tom on his musical journey began.

Meanwhile Beverley makes a welcome return to her roots after co-hosting last year’s inaugural show, and sings uplifting and joyful songs that will get you in the mood for Christmas. Brit and Mobo Award-winning singer-songwriter Jessie Ware, soul singer Kwabs and the London Community Gospel Choir and the House Gospel Choir will join them.

ITV – Al Murray’s make Christmas great again 9pm *** Christmas Special***

The Pub Landlord is back this Christmas to host a one-off festive special called Al Murray’s ‘Make Christmas Great Again’ .

Christmas is coming and the nation's favourite publican will be hosting the ultimate public house party. Serving up a Crimbo cocktail… no, make that a pint, (rules are rules) of festive cheer, seasonal games, and fun-loving celebrity guests.

You won't be properly warmed up for any Yuletide celebrations until you’ve experienced this Christmas cracker of a lock-in with The Pub Landlord.