The cost of the next 12 days of Christmas 2014

Those wonderful people at PNC bank have yet again published their Price Index for the Twelve Days of Christmas and the news is good for those on a budget as the increase in cost of the traditional 12 gifts is the smallest since the crash in the Price Index of 2002.

The overall index is up 1.0% on last years prices with the biggest increase being the the geese a-laying. Six of them will now cost $360 up 71.4% on the $210 relative bargin of last year.

Remaining unchanged on last year are the turtle doves at $125, calling birds at $599.96, gold rings $750, swans $7,000, milking maids $58, dancing ladies $7552.84, pipers $2635.20 and drummers $2854.80.

Those leaping Lords however are now charging  $5348.24 a 2% increase on the $5243.37 of 2013. French hens are now $181 up a whopping 10% on their cost of $165 for the three of them last Christmas.

And a partridge in a pear tree will now set you back $207.68 which is 3.8% more than in 2013 when there were a cent less than $200. This was due both to an increase in partridge food costs and shipping for the tree.

Of course the milking maids on their minimum wage will be up in arms about the Lords claiming an improve Christmas Price Index increase in their wages while they are subject to a pay freeze.

Christmas countdown day 3

So this year having seen the number of performing Christmas (and other seasons) light displays I'm bringing you all a different one each day.

So if you put down the games on your mobile phones long enough to look up here is today's offereing

Christmas countdown 2012 Day 2

This year I've noticed a lot of YouTube showing houses with their 'performing' Christmas (or other seasons) light displays.

So here we have a little offering from Halloween but replace the pumpkin with a Santa and you get a great Christmas display.

Advent Calendar Day 23

During this run of Christmas treats there hasn't been that many adverts. But this year John Lewis produced one where the twist in the tale had me in tears ths first time I saw it.

ITV delete Tim Minchin #ITVfail

One of the things that fits well into a Jonathan Ross special TV show so well is a song from Tim Minchin. A song from Tim will always make you think. His offering for this Christmas was no different.

However, Peter Fincham ITV's director of television decided, after the show had been edited and was in ready to air format that Minchin's song wasn't to be included. To read what Tim thinks about the decision himself here. Here is the song in question:



Reading the comments in question I find that I am not alone as a Christian who is not offended by the song. Indeed the amount of the bible story of Jesus life that Minchin incorporates into the song is something that may cause an US network concern because of the amount of religion that is in it.

Yes it is satirical. Minchin is a comedian and a very good one. His comedy is of the clever variety and make you think as well as laugh. This song does just that. I think that two different people could very easily listen to this song and come away with different reactions. One would look into just what Minchin said about Jesus to see if it was actually true, or someone could turn around and just laugh at the irrelevance of Jesus and just enjoy their long weekend to celebrate his irrelevance thank you very much.

If Peter Fincham is this concerned about possible complaints one wonders if producers will bother to send him tapes in advance if good stuff is not allowed to be aired. Will ITV be able to compete with Channel 4 and the BBC and others in cutting edge satire, humour and drama if their director of television is going to be this scared to cause offence.

ITV once was seen as the more rebellious sibling in the TV family, but Fincham's self censoring if OTT and is actually causing me concern for just what freedom of speech ITV and other broadcasters will allow in the future. This is the wrong step over this excellent, IMHO, piece of satirical musical comedy.

Advent Calendar Day 22 - Happy Birthday Dad

Day twenty two of the advent calendar is the day that my Dad would always wake up to some extra cards and presents because it was his birthday. But it has been 5 years since he did so having passed on early in 2007. But my dad loved his big band music so today in a tribute to him that is where this advent calendar shall be visiting.

Advent Calendar Day 21

Well the days are winding down towards the end of this advent calendar. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. I think I've missed out on a little bit of rock so far. So to make amends I've called on the Boss to sort that out.

Advent Calendar Day 20

Christmas is getting closer and today's song actually was released in the first year that I actually did what the title of the song says. We did travel by road from Kingston to Stranraer (via an overnight stay in Glasgow). I'm sure this song did come on the radio

Advent Calendar Day 19

This next contribution is a song that is available to buy today that could be the Christmas number one. It is in the shops or available online so go buy it now, the money* goes to the Royal British Legion and SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association). Anyone who watched BBC's The Choir in October and November plus the Festival of Remembrance will know that these women have the REAL X-Factor this year.

*50p will be donated from every digital single and 40p from every physical single.

Advent Calendar Day 18: Fourth Sunday in Advent

The final Sunday before Christmas itself brings about another more sacred contribution to my Advent Calendar of delights. After the Ukrainian Carol of the Bells last week I've decided to use another of the Carols has some more unusual choral words. So as arranged by Malcolm Sargant based on the Polish original here's The Zither Carol:

Advent Calendar Day 17

Maybe it is the nostalgia of no longer having to battle the London West End crowds to get to work, or even to get about work in the run up to Christmas, but when Chris Martin mentioned the lights on Oxford Street in last year's song I sort of did get all teary eyed. The people I worked with were a good bunch and we usually had a good let down the hair evening on a Sunday when we shut up the shop earlier together as a Christmas do.

So today's offering is of course Coldplay

Advent Calendar Day 16

Each day I will continue to bring you a Christmas Youtube treat on my advent calendar. Of course back on day two I did say I wish I could have included a certain song from a certain film. Well I'm not going to let that Cherry slip through my fingers.

Advent Calendar Day 15

I was hoping that today's advent calendar was hoping be a treat for the Friends of Dorothy unfortunately I couldn't embed Judy Garland's original film version of this song. Instead I give you Katie Melua's version from The Two Ronnies a couple of years back.

Advent Calendar Day 14

Carrying onwards ever onwards towards the sound of sleigh bells one does wonder what all the good boys and girls are wanting for Christmas. A few years ago an antipodean songstress added her twist to this classic Eartha Kitt number. Christmas now just wouldn't be Christmas without Kylie

Advent Calendar Day 13

Another day and another surprise from the cannon of Christmas wonders. I always love it when there is a group or person you'd not expect to take a certain Christmas route. Today is one of those, it is this year's Christmas offering from The Killers yes you did hear that right and it is somewhat different from their usual style as well.

Advent Calendar Day 12

Carrying on with my little reveal of goodies via YouTube for the run into Christmas is a piece of music that appears in Home Alone, The West Wing and several films and TV shows. It is actually Ukrainian in origin and there are so many options I could have used to show you here, but I think that sometimes the simplest bare vocals are the best. So here it is.

Advent Calendar Day 11: Third Sunday in Advent

Once again we reach a Sunday so my advent calendar will take on a more sacred feel for today. Christmas Eve traditionally the BBC goes to King's College Cambridge for Midnight Mass, traditionally I usually miss it being out at a service myself.

But also by tradition this is usually one of the carols that they sing.

Advent Calendar Day 10

Today's surprise behind the window was actually recorded just last month. Having seen the fresh chestnuts in Sainsbury's while we were checking out their range of products at their new store here in Bangor and the singer is appropriate for one reader who got a rather startling present at Christmas last year, he knows who he is.

Advent Calendar Day 9

Keeping on finding new, interesting and fun Christmas related clips to fill up my advent calendar for you here is a little Muppet inspired, Queen related and nativity rich combination.

You don't believe me?

Watch this.

Advent Calendar Day 8

It is yet another day on my advent calendar of goodies for this year. I found this and give you some amazing choreography. The title is the 12 gays of Christmas but as the original with poor sound quality said, not all these gets are necessarily of the gay persuasion but they obviously are members of this dance school.