Paul Golder writes for the Brentwood Gazette

Christmas is always a challenging time for us at Phoenix FM as our volunteers need time off from their regular shows to enjoy the holiday with their families – while other volunteers decide that they’d like to take the opportunity to spend more time in the studio!

We have a full schedule on Christmas Day with Christmas specials from Jo Bailey, Nadia Harding, Bob Simpson, Xanthe Bearman, Ali Robertson, Andy Gilson, Nigel Fitzmaurice and Stewart Pink.

Our Boxing Day community highlight is What Christmas Means To Me, presented by Patrick Sherring.  Along with his regular Friday show Patrick, who recently retired as Priest-in-Charge of Margaretting with Mountnessing and Buttsbury and Rector of Ingatestone with Fryerning, has been presenting a live Boxing Day special for several years.

Guests on Sunday’s show include Ian Kemble from Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust, psychologist James Roast and Father Matthew Austen, assistant curate at St Thomas of Canterbury, Brentwood.

We have a full service between Christmas and the New Year too.  And unlike many other radio stations, I’m glad to say we have no repeats!  All of our shows are original and recorded only for our listeners.