One 2 Three
Patrick Sherring
Today I was joined by Ian and the team from the Brentwood School’s Christian Worker Trust. They talked about the projects thay have been working in schools in Brentwood helping pupils understand the real meaning of Christmas.
We heard from Ian Moore from Billericay Baptist church talking about Christmas memories and what he really loves about Christmas.
Andy Griffiths, co-ordinator of curate training (and other roles) for the Diocese of Chelmsford, talked about a cheese Advent calendar and what Christmas means to him.
Tim Lee from St. Gile’s Mountnessing dropped in to tell us about all he had been doing on Christmas day this year. This included a Christingle at St. Giles Mountnessing and another at St. Edmund & St. Mary Ingatestone, an evening service at St. Margaret’s Margaretting and a early Christmas morning servcie at St. Mary’s Buttsbury. WEalso chatted about the year. We felt that the sense of community and looking out for each other that became a necessity in the pandemic was now needed at the time when many people were decided if they could “heat or eat”. There are many initiatives seeking to help people.
Our eclectic music mix included two feature albums.
Carrie Underwood released My Gift in 2020. It reached no 5 in the Billboard hot 200. It was also no 1 in the Christian, Country and Holiday charts.
Smoke and Mirrors by Lisa Harman, which was released on Christmas Day.
We had a competition to guess the year that three tracks were at no 1 on the Christmas chart.
The Flying Pickets – Only you – was no 1 for 5 weeks across Christmas 1983. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had ironically said it was her favourite record.
Bob, Rhia and Tim all identified that the Flying Pickets were no1 in 1983
The Justice Collective – He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother – Christmas no 1 for one week in 2012. This was a charity single to raise money for various charities associated with the Hillsborough disaster. Organised by member of The farm and the Clash, the track featured many artists including Beverley Knight, Holly Johnson, Melanie C, Glen Campbell and two members of the Hollies. We had answeres ranging from 1987 to 2918! Sian was correct with 2012.
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir – A bridge over you. No 1 in Christmas week 2015. Recorded two years earlier, a social media campaign was begun by Junior doctors to make it no 1 in response to the government discussing extending the hours Junior doctors were expected to work. The group from Harlow all thought this was no 1 in 2020. Tim thought 2013. The correct year was 2015.
Thanks to Chris, Bob, Rhia, Mark and Sian in Harlow and Tim in the studio for taking part.
Join me again on Friday 6th of January 1 – 3 pm when my studio guest will be Nicholas Henshaw, the Dean at Chelmsford cathedral.
