I would like to start by wishing you all a Happy New Year. May 2012 bring you whatever 2011 didn’t.

We had great fun over the festive period on the show, which was enhanced by the fact that the Phoenix FM studio was decked out this year for the first time in a few years, with tinsel, lights, candles, the works.

For the first time ever over the festive period, I decided to set both me and Michelle Ward (EML) a festive challenge in the week leading up to Christmas. It was simple – one week to learn the lyrics to The Pogues classic ‘Fairytale of New York’ and perform it unrehearsed, unedited, Live, on the show on Christmas Eve Eve.

If you didn’t hear it first time round, here you go…
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Bryan-Michelle-Fairytale-Of-New-York.mp3]

Best Christmas present I got this year…

After the big day came and went…like that… it was then time to reflect back on the year that was 2011 with the special ‘Year In Review’ –
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/2011-YEAR-IN-REVIEW.mp3]

I also appeared in the Gazette…again…this time giving my New Years resolution. Lets just say the reporter caught me at a bad time and what I was quoted got me into a very awkward situation with my boss.
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/New-Years-Resolutions.mp3]

In local news – BRENTWOOD has been rated the fifth best place to live in the UK, after rocketing up 13 places in a national league table.
Good health and long life expectancy, decent employment prospects, relatively low crime rates and decent weather have all combined to make Brentwood one of the most desirable places to live in the UK, according to the sixth annual Halifax Quality of Life Survey.

Also a survey, carried out by Woolworths.co.uk, was reported by the Daily Star to show that one in four kids believe the birth of the Messiah took place in Brentwood, instead of Bethlehem and that a quarter of British children think Christmas celebrates the birth of Simon Cowell, not Jesus.
Imagine a holiday celebrating Simon Cowell… he’d love that, wouldn’t he?

I revealed my top 3 albums to look out for in 2012 on New Years Day, they were (in no particular order)

Labrinth – ‘Electronic Earth’ – 19 March
The Prodigy – album title and release date unknown
Baddies – ‘Build’ – Out March (have a listen to first single ‘Bronto’ below)
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Baddies-Bronto.mp3]
also look out for new albums from Michael Kiwanuka, Lana Del Ray, Mumford & Sons and of course Stone Roses in 2012.

The Breakfast Show – 7am till 11am – every week day
Twitter – @bryanpowis