RoverAndOut

I like the Beach Boys. I enjoy Christmas songs. I don't want surf pop at Christmas though.

Right decision for me of the final 2 but Groove... was in my top 5 when I came to the remaining final songs. Lovefool is one of those songs that is probably not as mainstream as you might expect but lots of people would know if they heard it and is a genuinely great song. Would've been a harder choice if Bittersweet was still there too and I think I was probably Team Torn of the songs left when I rejoined. Plenty of great tunes in the 90s...and plenty of shite. Unfortunately we don't always all agree which ones are which.

Philosophically speaking, it is always just beginning. What is happening now is the present, what happens in 5 minutes' time is the future. I suppose the bigger question is whether you can refer to it in the past tense of "just begun" because if it just begun, it's now the present, not the future.

15/12/23 55 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 50 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 49 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 46 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 47 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 46 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 44 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 42 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 41 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 39 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 38 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 35 Wham! — Last Christmas +6 23 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 13 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) 4 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka -9 Think we're probably about there now in terms of top 12. Getting rid of Bing for the same reason as lilham and much as I love Kate and Nat, not sure what of the top 12 they'd dislodge.

Bloody hell! This game! Looked like a straight fight between Verve and Lovefool but bam! Bittersweet Symphony gone and Deee-Lite still in business!

15/12/23 19 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony +2 18 The Cardigans — Lovefool +2 5 Deee-Lite — Groove is in the heart -6 Can't wait til the morning at this stage. Amazing how close it still is and I'm not going to choose until I have to! If, indeed, it lasts the day (although, if my maths are correct, this should be my last vote in the game?).

This one completely passed me by at the weekend! So thanks @justonecornetto for the notification! Yes, Alex Neil pays the price for Stoke's recent poor run that has seen them slip to 20th in the Championship, losing 1-0 at home to lowly Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. He joined Stoke 20 months ago, leaving Sunderland, who hired Tony Mowbray and finished 6th, while Stoke ended the season under Neil 16th. Both managers have been sacked in recent weeks and Mowbray is on the list of favourites to take over from Neil at Stoke! And so the merry-go-round continues! Anyway, his dismissal was a unique hit for @Commtech Sio Bibble, earning him his 5th hit in the game, putting him at 25% completion! Sly Ronnie still out front for now, although he hasn't scored a hit now for more than 6 weeks - his last score was at the end of October! Hope for the rest of us. Updated Scoreboard Sly Ronnie - 9 Wannamaker - 8 Lady Fiona, Rover and Out, Great Uncle Bulgaria - 7 Diego, Bibliogryphon - 6 MariNisia, Commtech Sio Bibble - 5 Maryportfuncity - 4 Buffalo Phil - 3

14/12/23 63 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 46 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 44 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 43 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 43 Bing Crosby — White Christmas +1 42 Wham! — Last Christmas 41 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 41 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells +1 39 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year +1 38 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride +1 38 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock +1 37 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree +1 31 Queen — Thank god it’s Christmas 30 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 29 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 12 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby 10 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) 03 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day -9 Spreading the love around today, as there's no major concerns in the current top 12 for me. Sorry to those who like it, but I can't vote for a song I've heard once as the greatest Christmas song of all time.

14.12.23 26 The Cardigans — Lovefool 24 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart -1 14 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony +4 00 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger -5 Well the 3 songs i wanted shut of have now gone, but Alright is greater than Deee-Lite. This has been surprisingly competitive, a literal race to the bottom.

13/12/23 61 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 53 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 42 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 41 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 40 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 39 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 37 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles +6 36 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 35 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 35 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 35 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 34 Wham! — Last Christmas 34 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 30 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 27 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 22 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) 20 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas 19 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby 16 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 16 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run 14 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick -9 13 Elton John — Step Into Christmas Didn't vote in this one this morning, still too unwieldy with so many songs. Sorry Elton, you've not got a hope of going through, so time to throw my support elsewhere.

I can't complain, you win some, you lose some.

13/12/23 27 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger -1 24 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 16 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 13 Supergrass — Alright / Time +2 13 The Cardigans — Lovefool +2 10 Deee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart 00 Pulp — Common People -5 Early vote today - can't let the opportunity slip! Sorry folks!

12/12/23 22 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 22 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 21 Pulp — Common People 17 The Cardigans — Lovefool 16 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 16 Supergrass — Alright / Time +4 11 Deee-Lite — Groove is in the Heart 5 Blur — Song 2 -6 Darn it, we were so close 9 hours ago!

12/12/23 54 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 46 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 40 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 39 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 38 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 37 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 36 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 34 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 34 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 33 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 33 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 33 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 32 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 31 Jona Lewis — Stop The Cavalry 30 Wham! — Last Christmas 30 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 26 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas 23 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick 23 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)  23 Elton John — Step Into Christmas +6 22 Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby  21 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run 20 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 16 The Crystals — Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 9 Gabriella Cilmi — Warm This Winter -9

Although RTD's comments since have suggested maybe it has? Not sure what it means for future regenerations though.

Why do you think I took a break for a while..?

11th December 24 Pulp — Common People 22 Supergrass — Alright / Time 22 The Cardigans — Lovefool +4 21 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 21 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 19 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 17 Deee-Lite — Groove is in the Heart 12 James — Sit Down 12 Blur — Song 2 -6 Torn is ace you bastards, and definitely a song of the 90s. I know some of these have fans but there's at least 3 in here I want shut of.

11th December 52 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 44 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 39 Jona Lewie — Stop the Cavalry  39 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 38 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 37 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year  35 Wham! — Last Christmas 34 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 34 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 33 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 32 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 32 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride  31 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 30 Gabriella Cilmi — Warm This Winter 30 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 28 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 28 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas 27 The Darkness — Don’t Let The Bells End 26 Elton John — Step Into Christmas +6 25.Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby  24 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) 24 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday  24 Beach Boys — Little Saint Nick -9 22 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 22 The Crystals — Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 16 Kay Starr — (Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag 16 Mike Oldfield — In Dulci Jubilo  15 Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run Let's slide something out of the Top 12 and see what happens...

Don't think it's intended to happen every time (Ncuti Gatwa won't stick around when Jodie Comer becomes the 16th Doctor ). Bigeneration was assumed to be a myth (which suggests it has happened in the past). I'll be honest, although I've been a huge fan of New Who, and I'm perfectly comfortable with Jodie Whittaker becoming the 13th Doctor and the Timeless Child reveal, while awkward and making the Doctor somewhat god-like, I'll accept. But the simple fact is, I remember only bits of Peter Capaldi's run and even less of Jodie's. There's some good, even great, episodes in there, but I've only seen a lot of them once or twice. I've had a lot more on over the past decade, I'm a bit older, so I've not done the umpteen run-throughs I've done of the Eccleston, Tennant and Smith eras previously. Basically, all this is prefacing that what I'm about to say is very vague and non-specific. But in recent years, the Doctor has gone through a lot and its body has been altered in several ways over the past decade. Matt Smith's Doctor got a new regeneration cycle of unspecified length for helping to save Gallifrey, Capaldi's Doctor spent a billion years trapped in the Confession Dial, Jodie discovered she's actually been regenerating for centuries, if not millennia, prior to Hartnell. And then there was that thing where the Master transferred his consciousness into the Doctors body and back in The Power of the Doctor. Is it really that outlandish to suggest that all this could cause a case of bigeneration within the Doctor's stressed and traumatised body? He's retiring to Donna's garden to recuperate for this very reason. I'm curious to see what RTD has planned for Tennant's Doctor - it's hard to imagine that he's left him there "just in case" (but maybe he has?). I suspect, from first viewing, that Gatwa's portayal could be such a force of nature, we may quickly forget Tennant is pottering around with Wilf in the Nobles' house but we'll see. RTD rescued Doctor Who, I trust him not to kill it off inside 3 episodes.

What is Witnit?!

I like to watch not knowing the scores too if possible, since Rovers are no longer in the top tier. Sometimes catch a few scores, but generally at least a few I don't know. When a match like Man United v Bournemouth is first on, you know one of 2 things has happened: either Man United have tanked them or Bournemouth have earned a surprise win.

Simply not true. Brilliant song and regularly makes it into the top 5 in the UK charts at this time of year. Might make #1 this year thanks to his death, but regardless, it's a classic.

10/12/23 28 Kylie Minogue — Confide In Me 27 Pulp — Common People 25 Natalie Imbruglia — Torn +4 25 The Cardigans — Lovefool 25 Madonna — Beautiful Stranger 24 James — Sit Down 22 Deee-Lite — Groove Is In The Heart 21 Supergrass — Alright / Time 18 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 12 Blur — Song 2 -6 10 Ace Of Base — The Sign 04 Fatboy Slim — Right Here, Right Now Missed a day here too I think. Back to it.

10/12/23 42 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 42 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 40 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride  40 Wham! — Last Christmas 38 Gabriella Cilmi — Warm This Winter 37 Queen — Thank God It’s Christmas 37 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 35 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 34 Bing Crosby - White Christmas 35 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 34 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 34.Eartha Kitt — Santa Baby 33 Beach oys — Little Saint Nick 29 Saint Etienne — I Was Born On Christmas Day 29 The Darkness — Don’t Let The Bells End 29 Burl Ives — Holly Jolly Christmas 28 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 28 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells 26 Perry Como — It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 26 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 25 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)  24 Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters — Mele Kalikimaka 24 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 23 Wombles — Wombling Merry Christmas 23 Mike Oldfield — In Dulci Jubilo 23 Kay Starr — (Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag 22 Dean Martin — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 22 Elton John — Step Into Christmas 21 The Crystals — Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 20 Gene Autry — Here Comes Santa Claus -1 18 Chris de Burgh — A Spaceman Came Travelling +6 18.Chuck Berry — Run Rudolph Run 00 The Waitresses — Christmas Wrapping -4 00 Perry Como — Winter Wonderland -4 Think I missed a day again? Oh well, best make up for lost time and start trimming the list a bit. Don't hate either song but we've got 15 days to get this done, so using my 9 points wisely.