Waiting for 2025 to end

Evening entertainment

An attempt by me to whittle down a year of new music favourites into fifty or so favourites. Obviously as soon as I click 'post' I'll remember something really obvious that I'd forgotten about.

Unexpected (and brilliant) Christmas present from my wife. One of those flags that the Top of the Pops audience used to insanely wave about

Tonight's viewing

I recently read Claire Dederer's excellent book 'Monsters'. It examines how terrible people are capable of making beautiful things, and how we relate to them when their awfulness is revealed. I thought about it this morning when I heard that Brigitte Bardot had passed away.

This is a nice between festivities read. It goes well with a comfortable chair, coffee and a tub of Quality Street.

BBC2 8-00 PM Carry on Karate (2019) Steven Seagal stars as MI5 agent Sid Rumpo in this all action comedy.

Today's musical discovery. You can really imagine Paul Weller doing an amazing cover version of this.

Got the whole family watching a Tony Scott film on Boxing Day

I read this earlier this morning and I've been thinking about it on and off for most of the day. The music our parents played in the house, regardless of our feelings about it at the time, play as big a role in shaping our tastes as our subsequent discoveries.

Good night

Good morning

Some amazing #vinylsanta packages so far! Feeling even more generous? Please donate to our charity drive for VS regular and thespian @golfyfun.bsky.social, who passed earlier this year. actingforothers.enthuse.com/pf/vincewill...

Well I must have been on #VinylSanta 's good list. Thank you to whoever sent such a thoughtful selection.

Wish there were still TV programmmes interviewing French critical theorists

Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles ~ photographer unidentified (1937)

Merry Christmas to all. I hope that whatever you're doing this season you are warm, dry and comfortable with people you want to be with, in a place where you want to be x

Tonight's viewing Sometimes films feel like the year in which they were made. It's a Wonderful Life, with its mixture of melancholy and optimism is a film that definitely feels like 1946.

Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali 1971 📷 Frank Sinatra

This is such a lovely short film. Eddy Goldfarb is a fantastically spritely 104 year old, who just happened to invent Ker Plunk among many other things. If you need something to get you into a warm hearted seasonal mood this really fits the bill

More afternoon' entertainment

Afternoon viewing. I remember first seeing this when I was about 12 or 13 and being absolutely amazed by how clever I thought the ending was.

#MellowCandle - Swaddling Songs £17.30 (lowest) #ad amzn.to/4bagEIi

Morning viewing. The sort of film that always seemed to be on at this time of year

This is the first time in 35 years that I haven't been delivering at Christmas. The relief is absolutely immense. It's really hard to put into words how stressful it can be. Be nice to your postie, they're doing an exceptional job in terrible circumstances.

Be nice to your postie at Christmas, they are doing a job you would probably find too difficult. 🙏

This is such a lovely short film. Eddy Goldfarb is a fantastically spritely 104 year old, who just happened to invent Ker Plunk among many other things. If you need something to get you into a warm hearted seasonal mood this really fits the bill

When you want to be taken seriously as an artist

Tonight's double bill

A reminder for the 24th, please remember a big part of #VinylSanta is sharing the contents of your VS here on Bluesky. Even if you are not completely set on what you received please appreciate the effort made by your Santa, join in and post. 🎅

Festive Afternoon viewing

Today was the last of the dark days. From tomorrow the light starts creeping back in. It'll take a while but we'll get there x

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice

"He's making a list, he's checking it twice"

Christmas tree festival this afternoon at St Saviour's in St Albans.

He's been! Here's everything I read this year (and a few things I wrote): Henry James! Joseph Heller! Penelope Fitzgerald! A biography of the unsuccessful 1928 Democratic presidential candidate, Al Smith! advicetothelovelorn.blogspot.com/2025/12/Book...

I love my two blackout drunk Minnesota sons

Kim Jong Un's just done his big Christmas shop at the Pyong Yang branch of Morrison's

Good morning

Another sit com playlist from a few years ago. Obviously Alan & Phillip lived in student poverty (despite Phillip claiming royal heritage) so this should definitely be considered a record wish list for them rather than the contents of their shelves

Moon landing themed Christmas lights. Carnaby Street 1969

Spent some time with the latest Van Morrison album this morning. It's as if he's found a long lost map that's shown him how to get back to the golden mystical place he used to visit regularly. Oh, and his voice, even at 80 years of age, is still a thing of wonder.

Three years gone. RIP Terry