Toast

For those who don't get the Percy Faith/Filth joke - it's a reference to 1970s British sitcom 'The Lovers' starring Richard Beckinsale and Paula Wilcox. Geoffrey is continually trying to persuade his prim girlfriend Beryl to have sex, which she refers to as "Percy Filth".

Tue 19 Dec 30 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York +1 26 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 24 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day 22 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles +3 17 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 10 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year -6

Tue 19 Dec 43 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me  +4 37 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John 28 John Leyton — Wild Wind 20 The Allisons — Are You Sure 19 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Because They’re Young 18 Bobby Darin — Lazy River 17 Percy Filth — Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ -4 14 Billy Fury — Jealousy 00 Ricky Nelson — Hello Mary Lou/Travellin’ Man -2

Arrrr

Time's up.

Mon 18 Dec 34 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 34 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 24 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles +4 21 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day 19 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 19 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 13 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride  00 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock -6

Mon 18 Dec 37 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John  36 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 35 Percy Faith — Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ 30 The Allisons — Are You Sure +4 22 John Leyton — Wild Wind 21 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Because They’re Young 18 Bobby Darin — Lazy River 15 Ricky Nelson — Hello Mary Lou/Travellin’ Man -6 14 Billy Fury — Jealousy

Likewise. Thank you for running the game. John Ashton Tom Baker Franz Beckenbauer Cindy Birdsong Jason Becker Brian Blessed Stan Bowles Clive Brittain Tom Brokaw Theo Burrell Rob Burrow Phil Collins Tim Curry Shannen Doherty Derek Draper Sven-Göran Eriksson Roberta Flack Stuart Gray (b.1973) Richard Hadlee Françoise Hardy Gerald Harper Cissy Houston Richard Ingrams Jonnie Irwin [joker] Terry Jacks David Jason Ron Jeremy Toby Keith Duke of Kent Eddie Kidd Georg Koch Jeanette Lee Jean Marsh Steve McMichael Liza Minnelli Patrick Murray Dave Myers Linda Nolan Andrew Ranken Esther Rantzen Chris Rea Jane Rossington C.J. Sansom Dennis Skinner Nigel Starmer-Smith Sly Stone Andy Taylor Norman Tebbit Michael Tilson Thomas Ted Turner Johnnie Walker James Whale Bruce Willis Subs Linda Ronstadt Roberta Flack Ethel Kennedy Glynis Johns David Attenborough

Only to be expected, since he played himself. Says he's going to "fly the flag for the UK in the gayest way possible."

I've been out around the shops quite a lot and haven't heard much Christmas music at all, or at least it hasn't penetrated my consciousness. Did notice a bit of Steeleye Span 'Gaudete' in Sainsburys the other day, but that's probably because it's one of the less common ones.

Sun 17 Dec 32 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 28 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 27 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles +4 23 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day 22 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 20 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 15 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 14 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock -1 11 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 08 Wham! — Last Christmas 00 Bing Crosby — White Christmas -5

Sun 17 Dec  40 Percy Faith — Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ 37 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 37 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John 35 The Allisons — Are You Sure +4 28 John Leyton — Wild Wind 21 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Because They’re Young 20 Ricky Nelson — Hello Mary Lou / Travellin’ Man 18 Bobby Darin — Lazy River  16 Billy Fury — Jealousy 10 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Pepe 00 Johnny Preston — Cradle Of Filth -6

He's not my cup of tea. He had a guest spot with the Pet Shop Boys last time I saw them. Mercifully not on 'It's A Sin'. I think it was 'Dreamland'.

Lot of people on Twitter commenting that Chelsy should get the payout! https://twitter.com/JenCarsonTaylor/status/1735982852334895254

Sat 16 Dec 22 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 22 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 21 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again 20 Wham! — Last Christmas 20 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 20 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 18 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles +4 18 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock -6 18 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 17 Jona Lewie — Stop The Cavalry 16 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 14 Wizzard — I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day

It's a common misconception that the censuses were conducted on the doorstep. Every household was given a form to fill in, which was collected by the enumerator a few days later. The enumerator then copied the contents of the forms into his summary book and (before 1911) the individual forms were discarded after the information had been extracted. So the enumerator's books are not a primary source, but transcriptions, and there's a lot of room for copying errors, especially as some of the handwriting would be very poor. That goes for some of the enumerators too! There would have been cases where the form hadn't been completed and the information collected on the doorstep, but for the most part people filled in their own forms, often with the help of a literate neighbour. In some neighbourhoods the local schoolteacher or parish priest might go round to assist anyone who found it difficult. You're right about misspellings and mishearings, of course. And spelling of names was generally inconsistent, people tended to write them down as they heard them.

The UK-based racehorse trainer Sir Michael Stoute is from Barbados, and his name is pronounced /staʊt/ to rhyme with out.

Sat 16 Dec 55 The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl — Fairytale Of New York 54 Greg Lake — I Believe In Father Christmas 50 The Pretenders — 2000 Miles 49 Bing Crosby — White Christmas 48 The Ronettes — Sleigh Ride 48 Andy Williams — It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 46 Wizzard — I Wish it could be Christmas Every Day 39 Brenda Lee — Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 37 Jona Lewie — Stop the Cavalry 36 Bobby Helms — Jingle Bell Rock 25 Ray Conniff — Carol Of The Bells -9 23 Wham! — Last Christmas +6 15 Nat King Cole — The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) 09 Kate Bush — December Will Be Magic Again

Sat 16 Dec 36 Percy Faith — Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ 34 Jimmy Dean — Big Bad John 28 John Leyton — Wild Wind 28 The Drifters — Save The Last Dance For Me 26 Ricky Nelson — Hello Mary Lou / Travellin’ Man 26 The Allisons — Are You Sure +4 21 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Because They’re Young 18 Cliff Richard & The Shadows — A Voice In The Wilderness  17 Johnny Preston — Cradle Of Love  16 Duane Eddy & The Rebels — Pepe 14 Bobby Darin — Lazy River  14 Billy Fury — Jealousy  -6 12 Elvis Presley — A Mess Of Blues 09 Adam Faith — Someone Else’s Baby

I'd missed that one. Fuckinell, that's dreadful.

Blow Job (sorry) Grand Marnier, banana liqueur, coffee liqueur Very tasty indeed. Although Giffard Banane du Brésil is so delicious that it seems a wicked waste to mix it with anything else.

This explains much.

Exactly, there are things far more seriously wrong with the press than tittle-tattle about celebs.

I was surprised to see the outcome of this, but reading past the headlines it emerges that it was only a partial win for Harry. More than half of his claims were dismissed. It did seem clear from his testimony that he had little to no evidence beyond his own imagination and accordingly the judge has dismantled and binned most of Harry's claims. The Mirror doesn't come out of it as badly as the headlines suggest too. Summary It's well worth reading the full judgment. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Duke-of-Sussex-v-MGN-Judgment.pdf