Broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7:00p.m. uk time on Radio Soapbox: http://radiosoapbox.com
Welcome to the Shelley Tasker Show, where we dive into the festive spirit and explore the rich tapestry of Christmas traditions. Joining me this evening are the delightful Mallificus Scott and Al Von Kirk. We embark on a journey to uncover the meaning of Christmas, starting with the intriguing tradition of Wassail, a Cornish custom involving mulled cider and carol singing. We delve into the historical roots of Christmas, exploring its connections to ancient Greco-Roman festivals and the intriguing figure of Mithra, the god of light.
Our conversation takes us through the Sami people of Northern Scandinavia and their influence on Christmas folklore, including the origins of Santa's elves. We discuss the blending of pagan and Christian traditions, the significance of the 25th of December, and how these customs have evolved over time.
As we reminisce about childhood memories and the magic of Christmas, we reflect on the importance of community and the joy of being present with loved ones. We also touch on the modern challenges of technology and the simplicity of traditional festivities.
Join us for a heartwarming discussion filled with stories, laughter, and a touch of nostalgia as we celebrate the spirit of Christmas and the joy it brings to our lives.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Shelley Tasker Show coming live out of radiosoapbox.com. It's good to have your company. Today's date is Wednesday, 18th December, 2024. Happy hump day. And I'm also streaming live via Rumble. If you wanna join in the chat, please do so. So we're gonna do another roundtable last week. We all decided we enjoyed it last week. Let's get together. It's good to have a chat. So, joining me this evening is the wonderful Malefika Scott and then mister Al Von Kirk. Good evening, boys.
[00:01:34] Unknown:
What's that? What was that? Good good evening. It's so Joy. I've caught you off guard there, haven't I? What did you say? I misheard. I I said Wesail.
[00:01:47] Unknown:
Oh, oh, what does that mean?
[00:01:51] Unknown:
I'll be doing my research. I actually heard this at. The weekend, I took, my little ones to see Far Christmas, and it was amazing. I'd like to say anyone that hasn't been to should definitely definitely get down there, take your children. The guy that's doing, let's hope your children aren't listening right now. The guy that's playing for Christmas is astonishing. He he did a he did a really, really, really amazing job. He told it was proper old school, and he came out in his green robe, and, he he played the part amazingly. I was really, really impressed. But, he came out and he said, was sailed to us all. And I was like, hang on a minute.
What on earth was sail? And he sort of looked everyone sort of looked at looked at him a bit astonished. He's like, Wasayo. And he he was making everyone say it back. And and it turns out Wasayo was part of part of a Christmas tradition.
[00:02:46] Unknown:
But I feel like I'm hogging the show now. Oh, it does go off in lightness in lightness. Let's just say to the listeners that the subject of the subject of tonight's show is what is the meaning of Christmas. So right. Yeah. Carry on, Hal. Probably should've let you do the intro. No. That's alright. I only have that one line to say. That's cool.
[00:03:07] Unknown:
Wassail, it it it has particular relevance here in Cornwall because of, our cider drinking, traditions. And Wassail was a tradition where, they would go house to house. I believe they would be singing carols and the rest of it, but they'd they'd basically be getting pissed. And, they'd have a bowl of mulled cider, and they'd knock on your door and offer you a, a glass of mulled cider and sing you a load of carols. And if you if, if you if you joined in, you got all the festive, festivities, the joy joyfulness. And if you didn't, well, you got a load of drunk people.
[00:03:48] Unknown:
I thought you came on and you said, what's on?
[00:03:52] Unknown:
What's on? Yeah. What's on? Comes from that, but what's on? So what's sale? What's sale? What's sale? I like that. Know the actual I didn't look deeply into the meaning of the word. So if someone could chime in and So that's Cornish. On the chat. Is that Cornish? I don't know if it's actually Cornish, but because because of the cider drinking, people would, like, make their way down to the lunches. Look. They they would hang they would hang, bread or toast, dipped in for sale off the on the tree. And, this is as tradition goes, and to attract the robins, which which will always being considered, kind, beautiful spirits. And, yeah. And it would be it would be an offering for the harvest for next year.
So yeah.
[00:04:39] Unknown:
Okay. So Waseil is simply the practice of and is the beverage. It's the name for it for all of it. It's the beverage. Yeah. It's the beverage, but it's also the it's also if you're if you go Waseil, it's the it's the visiting house to house practice of people going door to door singing, offering drink. So there you go. That's that's it. That's it's it doesn't have an actual other meaning. It's just the name of the drink.
[00:05:04] Unknown:
Oh, I like it. I liked it. I I I I I can get on board with this. I like a bit of mulled wine, a bit of mild wine. What's on? We're sailing. What's off? So, yeah, this Christmas, if you're if you're out and about, we're sailing.
[00:05:18] Unknown:
Yeah. Well, that's we should we should go. We're sailing. I think that's a really nice you know, I'm always talking about community. I'm always talking about community, but what a lovely community event. You know? Just go around, make a go around with a big mind you, you'd need a license to do it now, wouldn't you? Which mind you, only if you're selling it. If you're giving it away, I don't think you would. So
[00:05:40] Unknown:
it kinda goes in in hand in hand with the the tradition of, Halloween, obviously, because Halloween was was traditionally a time of of things dying and the winter and, leaves falling off trees and harvest. It's a harvest festival. We're going into the winter. Let's let's start stocking up and piling up pumpkins and all the rest of it. And being a gardener myself, I I started looking into that a long time ago, so Halloween. And then knocking on people's doors again. So moving on to Christmas, it's the time we're getting halfway through the cold season. Now let's all get together and have a bit of cheer.
[00:06:20] Unknown:
Yeah. That's that's certainly one take on it. It's also to do with all hallow's eve as well, isn't it? So that's a that's a darker side of it, but Halloween, that is, not Christmas. I think we'll get into it tonight. I've I've been doing quite a lot of, a lot of looking, delving into it,
[00:06:36] Unknown:
all the Christmas traditions. And there are so many different takes because as we know, we're a nation of many different, European, what's the word, cult that our culture is made up of, different oh, what am I trying to say? Races. We're you know? Yeah. But our our culture, our our our our festivities, I guess, just just the Different religions. The the words on the tip. Yes. Yes. Some of it's religious. Some of it's kind of pagan, not not religious or or old, basically. Anything that isn't, of the Hebrew, or the a Abrahamic religions, is it? The 3, so people would have been traditionally, it would have been more about nature and and, yeah.
[00:07:28] Unknown:
Yeah. Nothing to do with Pagan times. Yeah. Nothing to do with Christ's birthday or nothing to do with, well, Christianity, really. Well, it's not I've been chatting to bit of Sorry. Oh, go on. Sorry. No. I've been No. No. No. You're chatting away. I've been chatting to a vicar today, and he sent me on down some wild rabbit holes, actually, because it's just when you just say, what is the meaning of Christmas, it well, there's just so many elements, isn't it? What part of Christmas and stuff? But he told me to look into the traditional Sami people. Have you heard of those?
[00:08:05] Unknown:
Yeah. I've heard of it.
[00:08:07] Unknown:
Have I pronounced it right? Enlighten us. Well, basically, they're the group of people who would who traditionally lived in Northern Scandinavia and Russia. And today, they live in Sami, which is Lapland and surrounding areas. But their way of life was based on hunting, fishing, herding, and they were known for all of their skills with reindeer and lasso. So the Sami people, if you, like, do a goo Google search on, like, images of them, older Sami people going back many years ago, they have, like, fair skin, fair eyes, fair hair, and they would give what lots of people think is the idea of where the elves came from with Santa.
Oh, okay. Yeah. And then what they used to do is on their Christmas Eve s a I? The what? S a m I. Yes, Sammy. But it was, the Christmas, obviously, is a Christian holiday, but it was introduced to the Sami people by our Christian colonisers. But when they started celebrating it on Christmas Eve into early hours Christmas Day, they had tipis. And the top of the tipi is where other people would throw food down and stuff. And they believe that this idea of, like, Santa putting presents down the chimney carries on like that tradition of the Sami people bringing food and blessings on Christmas Eve.
[00:09:39] Unknown:
That's just one element of it. But yeah. Yeah. No. That's that's quite a lot.
[00:09:46] Unknown:
Sorry?
[00:09:47] Unknown:
I was I was gonna say I've heard a bit I've heard a bit about that before. There is also I mean, I've I've got a little let's let's do the sort of historical bit as far as the UK is concerned. So according to the, Encyclopedia Britannica, Christmas is the holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated by the majority of Christians on the 25th December, the Georgian calendar. But early Christians did not celebrate his birth, and no one knows which date he was actually born, obviously. Some people put it to Easter. And, basically, the the origins of the holiday and its December date lie in ancient Greco Roman world, as commemorations probably began sometime in the 2nd century, there are at least three possible origins for the December date.
So the Roman Christian historian, Sextus Julius Africanus, stated Jesus Jesus' conception to the 25th March, which is apparently the same date upon which he held that the world was created. Why you've why you would create the world nearly at the end of a month instead of the beginning, I don't know. Must must make the tax returns nightmare. But anyway, so, which after 9 months, obviously, in his mother's womb, the resulting, date was December 25th for his birth. So in the 3rd century, the Roman empire, which at the time had not adopted Christianity celebrated the rebirth the rebirth of the unconquered sun. So sol invictus, that's what they called it, on December 25th. This holiday not only marked the return of longer days after the winter solstice, but also followed the popular Roman festival, called the Saturnalia, during which people feasted and exchanged gifts.
It was also the birthday of Indo European deity, Mithra, the god of light and loyalty whose cult at the time was growing very, very popular amongst Roman soldiers. So, the church in Rome formally began celebrating Christmas on 25th December in 300 the year 336 during the reign of emperor Constantine, as Constantine had made Christianity the effective religion of the empire. Some speculated that choosing this date had a political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations, obviously, solstice and all that kind of thing. The date was not widely accepted in the Eastern Empire, where January 6th has been favored. Oh, that's an ominous date, isn't it? For another half a century, Christmas did not become a major Christian festival until 9th century. So just my last little bit on this, and then then you guys can tell me to shut up for the rest of the show.
So Mithra was, an ancient Indo Iranian mythological god, the god of light, who he was very, very popular with the Romans. He, she, he, I believe, was very, very popular with the Romans. And, basically, long and the short of it is, Mithra, god of light, whose cult spread from India in the east as far west as Spain, Great Britain, and Germany. Largely true. The Romans, but also Alexander the Great. So he was the main rival. Now, what's interesting, he was the main rival at the time of Christianity as far as the Roman empire was concerned. And what the only the only thing that makes this really quite interesting for me is that they always say that Romans didn't come down that far into the southwest. Yes. They did.
So so, if you go into so, the Mithra apparently was born from the earth itself, born with a torch in one hand and a blade in the other. And, sacrificed a sacred life giving bull whose blood fertilized the world and the planet and gave forth all the life that, you know, the the earth is able to produce. That's the whole point, you know. So the Romans found it, you know, quite inspirational. And when they came down here or towards this direction so have you guys heard of Kent's cabin? No. I'm sure a lot of the listeners will have heard of Kent's cabin. If you go to, sort of, sorry, Torquay, you can go and visit Kent's cabin. It's, it's an absolutely fantastic, cabin to go and visit because it it because of how old some of the artifacts that were found there are. But in Kent's cavern so the I've got a little picture here from, Wikipedia about Mithra, that is a it's a picture of Mithra who's it's a statue of Mithra who's born from the rock, and he's there holding his blade in one hand and and the torch in the other, you know, this god of light.
Well, once they started excavating Kent's cabin, they found I'm gonna put this image over into the chat for you guys to have a look at because it's quite freaky. They found this in the rock, and they found Roman coins underneath it. And they think they attributed this rock formation. The Romans attributed this particular rock formation to Moshe himself. I mean, you can go and see that today or tomorrow, if you like. You know, that kind of thing. So, I just thought I'd throw that in there. But, yeah, origins of the 25th are largely pagan and also to do with this whole Mithra thing. So So there you go. Yeah. Satrinelia
[00:15:30] Unknown:
and the whole pagan thing that seem to be the main two things that have influenced the Christian and pagan tradition stuff. Yeah. Most of it from the satrinelia. But it was also to do with it was to do with Saturn, wasn't it, mainly? Worshipping the god of Saturn. That's what Saturnalia Yeah.
[00:15:52] Unknown:
Saturday and yeah. I I I would just like to chime in from my research because I get a little bit, not not by anything you said, but I get a little bit irritated when with people coming back to me and saying, oh, it's all Satan worship and and stuff like that. I think there's too much of that that flies around, and there obviously, this stuff goes on. I I even said it myself last week, but Christmas and it is what we make it. Everything is what we make it. And it's it's when people say this, it's like, well, okay. You can find truth if in in anything you look. But Saturnalia, the the Romans, at this time of year, they as far as I know, again, I stand if I stand corrected, please correct me. That's how I learn. But if, sorry, the the the they they this time of the year, they turned the festivities over to, the the peasants, if you like, and it roles were reversed. And but I don't think there's any any sort of, like, Satan worshiping sort of stuff going on. And the link between satanalia and sat I don't I don't buy it personally, but I could be wrong. But, yeah, I just wanted to say that. And when you say miffra, James, I can't help but think of mumra from from the cat.
That picture's amazing. If if anyone's listening, just go and go and Google. What was it? Kent's Kent's cavern. Kent's cavern. Mithras. I need to go there now. Yeah. I need to go there now. At least take kids. That's a loaded place you need to take the kids to. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Reason being is when they first discovered that place,
[00:17:31] Unknown:
what was actually a calcified floor, They thought that was the the floor of the cave. It wasn't at all. They managed to excavate it a heck of a lot deeper. But originally, the calcified floor was nearly up to the ceiling of the cave because of everything that had been deposited in in the cave. And they used to employ children, yeah, and grease them up strip them naked, grease them up with pig fat, and tie a rope around their ankle, and send them down these tiny little holes.
[00:17:59] Unknown:
Oh my gosh. Children, we went to Givore. Givor tin mine. They used to send them to get scrape the arsenic out of the inside of one of the kilns or something. I I might be getting some of the yeah.
[00:18:10] Unknown:
Crazy. Poor kids. But, yeah, I guess you got, you know Well, they do reckon a lot of harvesting went on. With this whole, satanalia stuff. It was the day before, wasn't it? They would, harvest well, not harvest. What's the word when you, like, give sacrifice. They would sacrifice load of baby pigs, but then they would feast on them all the next day. And it was that day that the poor But don't could sit at the table with their masters and stuff like that. Everybody had a day off. But who cooked? Yeah. Everyone had a day off. It's down to interpretation.
[00:18:45] Unknown:
It's it's down to interpretation because we sacrifice loads of turkeys and all the rest of it. It's like do. It was it's sacrifice. That's the meaning of the word. It's a lot of this stuff is,
[00:18:55] Unknown:
oh, what's the Well, I mean, it it does not say epidemiology, but it's not that. It's what's the word meaning of words? You'll come up with a word for minutes, Al. Etymology.
[00:19:05] Unknown:
Etymology. Thank you. Not epidemiology.
[00:19:09] Unknown:
No. But it's it's no different. Yeah. It's no different, you know. It's not that like with with Mithras, because Mithras is famous is most famous for slaying this life giving bull. On the celebration of Mithras each year, they would they, you know, all the big temple, they would they would sacrifice a bull
[00:19:29] Unknown:
for Mithras. You know?
[00:19:32] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. But the whole idea is that Christmas Day is just feasting and celebrating, really. Unlike you said just now, Al, it is it is what you make it. It's got so many different meanings. It is what you make it. Yeah. Well, listen. Child is special based on father Christmas, isn't it? I I wasn't thinking about as Jesus's birthday. It's all about father Christmas
[00:19:55] Unknown:
coming. Simple question, though. Would it would it really matter what date Jesus was born on? Because, yeah, all we can in in the words of Robert Forazon, all we can hope for is historical exact itude. Like Al says, it's the meaning of
[00:20:12] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:20:13] Unknown:
And and what you take from it. You know, because really, you know, I suppose when you get to the pearly gates, you only answer for yourself anyway.
[00:20:23] Unknown:
Exactly. Exactly. And I think, sort of on a broader landscape, I think this time of year, we take things for granted, don't we? Because we've got everything. So and I and I I I, take a bit of a risk saying this, but we we've got things fairly easy. We're fairly comfortable. You know? If you want, you can go and flick the heating on. Okay. Some people can't, but, you know, that's there's there's an argument for all of this. But we've got we're we're more comfortable in the sense of oh, this is a massive subject, isn't it? Because you can you can pull this apart from every angle. But, I've lost my train of
[00:21:09] Unknown:
thought. No. I I think I know what you're trying to say. That is. It's that yeah. Look. We all currently at the moment, we speaking for the 3 of us. Yes. We're we're we're fairly comfortable. I can flick the heating on if you if I want. I've actually just flick the heater on. I can see. Yeah.
[00:21:25] Unknown:
Presence, for instance. Being in the presence of your loved ones, surely, that's what presence should be. And I'm as bad as anyone else. I I need to connect with people, but I think we take things for granted, and we really need to, if only everyone could be a little bit more honest with themselves and honest with others, and and I think if if people could, this would be a a a different world. It really would. Well, we need to start going we're sailing
[00:21:51] Unknown:
out. We need to start going the sailing. Let's get the spirits. I think I think we need to do it all. Robins out. Yeah. Exactly there. Get the robin reliance out and go go round with sailing. Yeah. No. But like, again, I'm always talking about community. What a beautiful thing to, you know, be able to go around to your neighbors. Oh, it's it's it's worth sailing time, you know? And you'd be, you know, and you yeah. You'd like to try old Gertrude's worth sale from down the road because she mixes it with this, that, and the other. And crikey, that blows your socks off and all that kind of thing. Yeah. You have various people going around, but everyone will get to know everyone, wouldn't they? Whereas Yeah. And they could all ditch their mobile phones for a night. How about that? We could make a brand new sailing night where everyone ditched their mobile phones. And your mobile phone. You see what I did there? Yeah. I do. You gotta get it in. And I was gonna say,
[00:22:41] Unknown:
you know, when you talk about heating, I don't have to worry about flicking on a switch because it's all tapped up to my phone, Maleficos. When my house knows that I'm in the radar, the heating comes on. So there Yeah.
[00:22:58] Unknown:
Tell you what, we're all You're not If Darren stops it in this house, I'm dark.
[00:23:02] Unknown:
Smart meter smart smart heating, have you, where you can do it from your mobile phone? Yeah. We're not on a smart meter, but Darren is Oh, she doesn't when when when she's in the vicinity, it's she's in the vicinity, it'll automatically come on. So if she's in the lounge, is that right? Well, no. If I'm driving
[00:23:18] Unknown:
home from work, if I'm, like, within 5 miles, my house name It's connected to your Internet. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, okay. I tell you what.
[00:23:26] Unknown:
I tell you what is lovely. You know, I tell you what is lovely. You've just brought up something that that I bumped into a mate of mine that I haven't now I'm about to be very cynical. Trust me. I bumped into a mate of mine a few days ago that I haven't seen for a while. And I was I just got back from I've been ill. This was the Saturday versus the Sunday, and we'd had to go out shopping. I'd had a late night because I'd I'd helped Patrick out with Blackbird 9 show. So I was feeling really groggy. And my mate turned up. And I haven't seen him for, like, about 2 years. And I grew up with this guy.
And, he was saying how crazy it is now that all his loved ones on his mobile phone, he can track where they are in the world, and it shows how fast they were going on on their last journey and all that kind of thing. And if you pay, you get even more detail. I said, and this is a blessing. Is it?
[00:24:18] Unknown:
Well, it is a bit like, what do someone said to me, what do we do before mobile phones? What did we do? Do you know what? We trusted each other, and we we had to have integrity. We had to have because if we didn't, we'll lose it. Switched the heating on when we got home, not
[00:24:32] Unknown:
Oh, shut, sir. Actually
[00:24:34] Unknown:
No. To be fair. No. Someone's put it on time as a fire, and you'd get home and you'd say, well done for doing that. Okay. Right. I can I'm going off. I'm on air. That's that's how I want. I would like an old fire. I would like We're we're all we're all yeah.
[00:24:46] Unknown:
I have to be because We're all up. Darren is very tech savvy. Yeah. And, I mean, lights there's not a light switch in this lounge. And now I do say to him, honestly, if anything happens to him, I am snuffed because, you know, I say, Alexa, turn on the lights. She turns the lights on for me. And my heating and sometimes I come in, and it's not on. And Darren says, oh, you've turned off your location settings, so the house doesn't know where you are.
[00:25:13] Unknown:
So I've Yeah. I I I probably I can't say too much because it's, I I had a friend who passed away last year, and, he was very tech savvy. And, actually, no. I'm not taking it there because it's a bit dark and all. Oh, no. Just do it now. You you can't do that. Well, he bless him. Bless him. He was a great guy. He set the whole house up to do everything. And and when he passed, his other half was left, like, what am I supposed to do with this house? It was a case that she couldn't work the place. Mhmm. It it just it just it's it's reliance on on something. Just get him to leave you a, a user manual just in case. But it to me, it's a bit it's just a bit like, greetings, Dave.
[00:25:57] Unknown:
Yeah. I think the 2,001 space obviously in it. To leave me It's a bit all of this information. Game. Yeah. All along with this bank details. That's that's professor Falcon.
[00:26:07] Unknown:
Yeah. Professor Falcon. Yeah. War games, though, isn't it? Yeah. War games. Yeah. Yeah. Brilliant film. Happy brother. Yeah.
[00:26:14] Unknown:
Sorry, Shelley. We spoke over you then. What No. No. That's alright. I just said along with all these instructions, I need his bank accounts. Oh, we do go to the bank of it because, you know, I would be. I'd be screwed because I just don't know how anything works.
[00:26:27] Unknown:
So The truth is the truth is we we don't need any of this stuff. No. We don't. We've got Daisy. Need any of it. We we were doing just fine. Yeah. You could argue that point. People would probably rip me apart for this, and I and I'd be quite happy to listen. But, really, live simple. They hate it. That's the way I think. And we're all guilty to one degree or some degree or or the other. And, yeah, I sound a bit self righteous now, don't I? But but,
[00:26:58] Unknown:
I feel like I'm that that person all the time at the moment. I'm ramming on about food all the time, and somebody joked at work the other day and said, oh, it's Shelley from the Good Life. And I'm always trying to drop him back in the morning. Descilled. Yeah. What they're eating and stuff. And I had such a busy day yesterday, and then I had the grandchildren over for the night. And then a Christmas play, I came out of Aldi with a bag of chicken nuggets and alphabites. And I cringed, and I was like, oh my god. And I was like, I'm so sorry, kids. They didn't eat breakfast.
You know? Yeah. But I cook from scratch all the time. But I it makes me realize how people that are working all the time, they have not got time to eat properly and prepare meals and stuff.
[00:27:41] Unknown:
You know? I didn't I didn't very rarely do that. There is one way there is one way that's very, very easy. And and, look, anyone that thinks that they can't cook for themselves, give me half an hour on a Skype call. Like, if you think you haven't got time in the day to cook for yourself before you go to work, literally, 5 minutes chopping up some stuff is sticking in slow cooker. Yeah. It's literally nobody literally takes a lot of insulin. As long as you as long as you have the ingredients, it it'll take you 5 to 10 minutes before you alright. Let's say 10 minutes if you wanna be pedantic about chopping skills. But
[00:28:19] Unknown:
I can chop an onion.
[00:28:22] Unknown:
At the end of the day, you can cook it. And you know what? What's so lovely is when you get home from work, the smell of it and everything, and you just it makes you more hungry. And you're like, yeah, I really wanna eat this. You know? So Yeah. You can. And anyone says they can't cook for themselves because they work is is absolutely full of nonsense because I work I work like an absolute idiot, and I still manage to come home and cook for 4. And they don't all eat the same things either.
[00:28:50] Unknown:
A lot a lot of it is down to preparation and down to being organ organized, really. But, again, like I say, I I was being pedantic with the whole chopping thing only because I, I remember looking up on YouTube. How do you do this properly? How do you dice? How do you get things? Like, for certain for certain recipes, you have to do that. But, really, you're right. I remember when I first started growing my own vegetables, I I was like, well, I got all this stuff. What do I do with it now? And then I went to a a thing with, Simon Goldberg.
It was a a trust, a thing to do with Freeman on the land stuff a long, long time ago, probably looking back 15 years ago now. And it was a very, very interesting, it was a whole nother story. But, we were all in this big sort of like beautiful marche loads and, and something happened and, everyone needed to eat. And there was this big table of all this food, and I said I just I just stood up and said, you know what? I'm I'm I just stood up, stood up to the plate. Is that the same? And, I I just started chopping all these vegetables, chucking them in this big wok. Just had to do it really quickly, and I made this big thing thing that I started to call that my veg medley, and it was beautiful and everyone loved it. What was funny was all the children were running up, and they were like, can we have some of those vegetables you just chopped, or can we just you're just taking stuff off the table. It's like, yeah. Go for it. It's just yeah. So it was again, it became a a real communal thing. And, yeah, you could you could look at the festivities that were you know, it's just everything is being streamlined and perfected and and, even though it's a No. Not perfect. Real world. Broken. Not yeah. Broken. Not perfect. Perfected isn't a real word. But, there's no such thing as perfection. Nature doesn't allow for that affection.
Yeah. Yeah.
[00:30:44] Unknown:
But, again, I'm I'm just for perfection as well. I'm getting older, I'll tell you.
[00:30:50] Unknown:
Shelley, can I can I just ask you, your your sanity okay? You've lost me there. What? Go on.
[00:30:59] Unknown:
I just said gravity doesn't allow for perfection. I'm getting older, I tell you. Oh,
[00:31:07] Unknown:
Shelley, your your Sammy peoples, are they the people that would, that would pick the fly gaff garrett mushrooms and and feed them or they the reindeers would eat the fly, and then they drink the urine and and get all their bit. Yeah. I think so. Some people say that's flying reindeers going through the sky. Some people say that's not true,
[00:31:24] Unknown:
but it's just another theory. I mean, there's so many. But they are the people, like I say, the elves and stuff. And, yeah, it's been quite interesting, actually, chatting to the vicar out of all the people. I've got an
[00:31:38] Unknown:
where was the vicar from?
[00:31:41] Unknown:
I don't know where he's but he's Or, you might you might not you might not even say. He's a he was a new age traveler. He found Christianity at the age of 30. He's covered in tattoos, got piercings everywhere, and he's our vicar at one of these churches that I go to. And he's just lovely. Absolutely lovely. He's a cool vicar. He's a cool vicar. Really cool vicar. Yeah. I was like, you've gotta come on my show and talk about this stuff. But yeah. Does he wear sunglasses?
[00:32:08] Unknown:
No. Saint Morgan. Here's a story for you. And I haven't been here for a very long time. 9 o'clock, Christmas Eve. Apparently, you go and stand by the post office in Saint Morgan, and I'm not even sure whether you can see all the way through now. But we did this in 1995. I got told by a friend who grew up in Saint Morgan, or at least worked at the Falcon Inn as the chef at the time. And, if you go and stand by the post office and stare towards the church, there's a there's a gravestone just to the right hand side of the the door to the church. And at 9 o'clock, it glows.
[00:32:50] Unknown:
And did it glow when you went? Gold.
[00:32:53] Unknown:
It did. Oh. And it was extremely it was a it was a strange I was, like, not expecting it to do it. There were a few people stood around. I went back about 6 or 7 years later for a laugh with a girlfriend, and it didn't glow. I'd like you know, did someone play something to make it glow? Who knows? But it was it was the story I was told at the time was that a paranormal investigator had gone along, put these probe things or a tape recorder on the grave, and, and they didn't this this brings me to another point about Christmas as well about telling sitting around and telling stories and ghost stories and all the rest of it. And, yeah, he apparently, someone contacted him after the fact and said, you know, what what what did you what did you what did you hear? But, and he was saying, I I don't I was I was, what, 15? So, my friend was a bit older. He's a friend of my sister, so he could have just been having us on and and making things exciting for us. But it worked, and it was interesting. But this this grave did glow, and there were other people around, but it was it was strange. I'd I'd I'd I'd I'd been up there again, and it didn't do it. So is it just something to do with light, or was someone having us on? I don't know. But there you go. There's a story.
[00:34:22] Unknown:
I do like a story. It's not a particularly bright one, but, yeah, it's like yeah. Yeah. Well, I've got a story to tell you. It's drama, and it's nothing to do with Christmas. On Saturday night, I was upstairs helping Perrin on his computer, and my dog started going nuts. And I came downstairs, and there was a woman stood in my lounge who was paralytic off her face. And I thought that she was the neighbor's sister, so I kind of marched her across the road. She could just about stand up. And no one was home, so I went next door to the mother because they all kind of live next to each other. And this little, like, 70 year old is coming out, and I'm like, don't panic. It's Shelly. You know, she was in a dressing gown and undoing all the gays. I said, I've got your daughter, I think, here who is absolutely paralytic, drunk, and perhaps off their face on drugs as well. Anyway, by now, I turned around. This woman had gone.
She'd come back to my house. She was in the lounge again hiding behind the radiator because my dog was going absolute nuts at her. And I got the dog put away, and then I grabbed her and, like, shuffled her out through the front door, and I called the police. And this guy turns up, and he says, oh, I think, you that person well, that person was in a taxi with me. She was going up to Troon, the next village, and she must have got out the taxi. He didn't know about it. And I think it's because the taxi driver thought, god, no way am I taking this person because I can't even get a name, you know, not not to see where she'd go in or live. Anyway, so we're waiting for the police. And then he said, and by the way, perhaps I ought to tell you this. He said, that's actually a man, not a woman.
And I was like, no. I know my word. I know. And by now, this person is desperate for a we and has a we in my head stood up. It is a man. So that was extremely odd, and, of course, then the police came, took her, him away. But it was a real drama. For 24 hours, I said, I suppose my adrenaline was just, you know, comes right up. And then
[00:36:40] Unknown:
oh, music someone?
[00:36:47] Unknown:
Who's saying that? Who did that? Are you still there, Maleficus?
[00:36:55] Unknown:
Sorry. Sorry. Do What's out Beatles about? That. That was a joke. Alright.
[00:37:02] Unknown:
Do you remember Yeah. Do you remember Beatles about? Of course, I do. Was I around with a little hand? But the ironic thing was when I was taking my son to his carol concert last night, that woman, man, was stood up outside of the shop. So I went up to that person, and I said, I'm just checking that you're alright. I said, because from seeing you in my house twice on Saturday night, you were in quite a state. And this other woman next to her him says, was it you that phoned the police? And I said, yeah. And I said, I'm glad you were. I said, but I thought I better come and say hello and just let you realize that for 24 hours or so, you've really put the up me on my heart rate.
And he, she said, they were very apologetic, actually, and just said, I'm so sorry for whatever stress and upset I caused you. And I said, well, thank you, and I just left.
[00:37:55] Unknown:
Yeah. Oh. And then Wow. Well done, you. She could've made she she
[00:37:59] Unknown:
just had to be embarrassed. Dressed up in a Santa costume, at least. You know? Well, talking to somebody today, they'd say that You stood in your stood in your front room for crying out loud. I know. I know. Just it's mental, and now it's, like, to shut the doors because you don't expect you know, you might expect someone to try to break in, but a a random person coming in your lounge off their face. And, of course, I'd appear in there as well. Yeah. It was, iconic. Yeah. It's like it was like EastEnders. Anyway Wow. Yeah. So that's my story. Yeah. Nothing to do with Christmas. Crazy stuff.
[00:38:32] Unknown:
Sorry. So I I cut out a few times throughout that. My, I'm still having ongoing problems with my Internet service provider, which is one of these
[00:38:44] Unknown:
Oh. Oh, he's gone again. Testing.
[00:38:46] Unknown:
Alright. He's having problems. Should we I think we're With his interview. I think Malef because we're gonna have to pay him a we're gonna have to pay him a visit. Oh, dear. I'm sorry he's playing that. That was that was No. That's alright. Very quick thinking. You might I thought you might I thought you might get that. Yeah. It's like yeah. I watched it. Bit of eighties reference there again.
[00:39:06] Unknown:
Yeah. You're being wound up. That was a good show, wasn't it, back in the day? I used to enjoy that. And I used to enjoy Saturday night TV, being around, well, being around the TV as much as, you know, TV wasn't Was it? Then. Little little man, little beard, little hand, little weird. Yeah. I think casualty and stuff like that. Are you back, Maleficos?
[00:39:30] Unknown:
The yeah. Some of it makes me gives me the shivers, though, because because it it's just like just, oh, just I can't stand television. I really can't. I I don't I I I like stuff on demand because at least then you can pick and choose, but Yeah. Just sit in there aimlessly watching tell do you know what? Coronation Street still gives the theme tune still gives me shivers. It really does. And and and I I even even now, I I I I go to see mom and dad and watching it. Bless them. They're of that generation. And, I I I just I'm just like, listen to how they're talking to each other. Like, this comes down to the whole television programming.
You know, anyway, I won't go off on that tangent. So, yeah, Maleficos is saying in the chat he's got connection troubles, which I think we've already established.
[00:40:19] Unknown:
But, Oh, bless him. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And there is ideas. I don't watch much television. I do like to watch a bit of rubbish every now and then and just zone out. I do like the whole documentary stuff. I like comedies, like the good old days when we were young. It's all guilty pleasure, isn't it? It is. But you know when you used to watch things like, was it in sickness and health? Hail and pace. Yeah. Those things. I mean, they couldn't get away with any of that now. And but that was like because you weren't everything. In it. Yeah. You've gotta be so politically correct. Perhaps that's why they've stopped making. I don't know if they do comedies anymore like that. I think they tend to be more on Netflix. But and because, like you say, everything's on demand, you're not all drawn together to share each other's company and have a laugh because it's like, I don't wanna watch that. I'll do something else, and I can watch it again if I want to, you know, at a later date.
I don't know. Anyway
[00:41:12] Unknown:
Yeah. That's it. So techno technology does have its advantages. I'm not I'm not saying that, you know, it's it's like it's like all of this with suites and everything. There's if you if you go one way too far one way, you you inevitably are gonna bounce back and do a full catapult the other way. So you do have to be careful. Everything's balanced, isn't it? Yeah. Definitely.
[00:41:36] Unknown:
I'm not that sort of person that could sit down and watch TV all day. Anyway, you know, some people, it's their life, isn't it? And I'll say to someone, like, they've had a day off, and you'll say, well, what did you do? Oh, I caught up on my series. And I'm just like, what? But then, you know, how how dare I be so judgy? They might have had the most stressful
[00:42:08] Unknown:
Wassail. What's on Wassail. Drink and be merry. Sorry about that. Sorry. I am I'm currently with, Wildenet, just in case anyone's interested, about how good they may or may not be. Joe, incidentally, just as a quick sideline, do you know they bill my neighbors for 2 months before they even got connected? At which point, they've canceled the connection.
[00:42:29] Unknown:
I shouldn't think well, doesn't the naked wilderness give it away, Maleficos?
[00:42:33] Unknown:
Oh, hello?
[00:42:34] Unknown:
Is it gone again? Hello? Yeah. Doesn't the name Wilderness give it away? Like
[00:42:41] Unknown:
Wildernet. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's just
[00:42:44] Unknown:
yeah. You're Well
[00:42:47] Unknown:
You're out in the Wildernet. Anyway, so, yeah, the last I really caught was, apart from the freaky guy in your house was just how how good or bad TV can be, etcetera, etcetera. So sorry. I'm I'm kind of back up to speed, but, yeah, I'm back.
[00:43:05] Unknown:
Phew.
[00:43:05] Unknown:
Christmas TV. What was the what was the best Christmas TV you remember apart from Bloody Eastenders? Because that was just depressing. And horses. I don't never understood that, hasn't it? Only for the Disney movies. That's a classic.
[00:43:16] Unknown:
I've got a classic Christmas line for you then, Shelley. Go on. One more turn, dear boy.
[00:43:26] Unknown:
Oh, I love it. If only they could do, like, a Christmas special on that again now. But that was just true comedy, a genius.
[00:43:34] Unknown:
Absolutely genius. And he's quite a posh old boy, really, isn't he, David Jason? I listened to him in interviews and stuff, and he's very well versed. He was royal Shakespeare royal Shakespeare and everything trained. Look. They didn't think that the Only Fools and Horses was gonna make any headway at all. They just went down an absolute storm.
[00:43:51] Unknown:
Yeah. Mhmm.
[00:43:53] Unknown:
Yeah. I think people can relate to it. Just the way they live, their dodgy scams and stuff. And we don't some of the best comedies are the ones that they just show real life, don't they?
[00:44:03] Unknown:
Well, people are laughing. What? There was a
[00:44:07] Unknown:
He's gone. He's gone. He'll be back.
[00:44:10] Unknown:
He's gone. He's gone. He's bouncing around in that cyberspace that's on the Internet. Space. Yes.
[00:44:16] Unknown:
Swearing at his computer.
[00:44:18] Unknown:
Here he is. Just bouncing on that computer screen like a gremlin. Yep. I've watched Gremlins. That's a great film to watch at Christmas time. It's one of my favorite Christmas tunes. I had to endure That man alone the other night. I love Christmas Carol.
[00:44:34] Unknown:
Yeah. Oh.
[00:44:35] Unknown:
I'm not I'm just not I don't know if it's because my little one's getting older. I'm not that Christmassy this year. I just don't feel it. I think it's about children, isn't it? You know? He started it's it's obvious. It's like he's he's having doubts. But, yeah, he doesn't wanna do anything. Doesn't wanna see follow-up with this.
[00:44:53] Unknown:
I think that's an important an important time to catch it. Don't don't pressure him, but just say, do you know what? It's alright. So I I felt like that when I was younger, and and it is weird because you start to realize you you you know, keep keeping an innocence and so so unlikely so, when they're younger, and and it's magical, isn't it? I still remember, in primary school, making things out of the shiny red and gold and and, and silver paper as a child. That that that really is quite magical and
[00:45:27] Unknown:
just Yeah. The little lanterns and tissue paper. Yeah.
[00:45:32] Unknown:
Yeah. That is the feeling of I was in Chris Dingle. Chris Dingle. Yeah.
[00:45:37] Unknown:
Yeah. Sorry.
[00:45:38] Unknown:
The 1st year I was in primary school, we all had to take in a hard boilers at the age of nearly the end of being 4. I had to take in a hard boiled egg at Christmas, and, we had to decorate them in some Christmas fashion. And they were there for like a week or so or or only about 5 days, and then we broke up for Christmas. And I got to take mine down off the shelf, and I took it home. And my my dad said, it'll be fine to eat. It'll be fine to eat if you if you wanna eat it. And I was like, I was umming and ahhing as to whether I should destroy my creation to eat the hard boiled egg. And then I thought, well, I can't keep it forever. I may as well crack it open. And I I beat apart my lovely, wonderful creation at the age of 4. It must have looked absolutely rubbish. But I thought it was amazing. And, as I beat it apart and took the top off, realized part of the yolk was still runny, and my dad quickly whipped it. And I said, you can't eat that.
It's not properly boiled. And I was like, oh, it just destroyed my creation.
[00:46:39] Unknown:
I remember, dude, the Chris Dingle, where you get an orange and you you this is this is properly where the I was about funny enough, I was about the same age. You stuff it full of cloves to it all it's all symbolizes. So I can't remember what the stoves, the the cloves, sorry, were. But, there was a red band around the center around in the middle of it, and you put a candle in it and you light it. And we did Christmas plan. I remember doing it with my friend. We did the speech, and I remember getting getting praise off my teacher because I gave my mate a wink when it was his part to sort of, like, queue him in. And my teacher was like, that'd be good work. But, I must've been about 4 years old then as well. And and it it's magical, isn't it? It's, it's again, it comes down to the the the lost innocence and and how we take things for granted now and how it all changes. And we we're losing that magic. And I know this has become a bit of a cliche and lots of Hollywood sort of cover this. Like, Shelley, when you said about, oh, I've lost I don't feel very Christmassy at the moment, or I can think of that film where father Christmas's sleigh is trying to get off the ground, and they're trying desperately, but they can't because everyone's all miserable. And, oh, I don't feel like doing Christmas this year. Do you know why? Because it's been sub verted like everything else. You have to go out and you have to buy everyone presents and all. No. Just be in their presence. Just everyone just just just make the effort to just be with the people that that you love, and, yeah. I'm getting all, sentimental and silly now.
[00:48:10] Unknown:
You're still there? Yeah. Yeah. I'm listening. I'm listening to your lovely little story. And that's the thing, isn't it? It's memories, but they're childhood memories. Magic. Yeah. You you sound like you had a lovely childhood. And I think we've had, you know, like, nearly, well, 11 years of him believing. So we've done amazing, really. And he said, you know, like, a few of our friends laughed at us because we still believe. So I think now he's questioning it. And, oh god, I'm not gonna let him go into secondary school believing. You know? So this is the last year. Westlake.
[00:48:43] Unknown:
Get him out. Get him out with us doing some sailing. I think that's, he he needs to transition to an to a to a different oh god. Sorry. Mentioned the t word, didn't I? Oh, oh, they've just distorted everything. I kinda yeah. Let's move it on to a new new tradition. Tradition. That's the word I was looking for earlier.
[00:49:05] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. You make you all make your own traditions, don't you?
[00:49:10] Unknown:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It is it is what you make it. Yep. Yeah. Oh.
[00:49:17] Unknown:
Oh. Oh, what are you doing? Where is Maleficos? Has he gone again? Your question.
[00:49:23] Unknown:
He has. Yeah. I I would, but I'd feel more comfortable if Maleficos was in the room. I I'm rather intermittent. I don't even know if you can hear me now.
[00:49:32] Unknown:
I I don't mind. I I'm not going I'm not gonna commit to anything just purely because I I I can't guarantee my Internet connection is gonna stay up. So
[00:49:42] Unknown:
Okay. Yeah. And to be fair, I've pretty much exhausted most of the stuff that I was looking into other than, games at Christmas time. And this was another thing from Trice that I, I found really nice, that, unintentionally rhymed. But, it's was. So he came out or. I can't remember what he called it, but he came out and and it was funny because the way he dealt with it was everyone was sort of looking at him going, is he does he mean what we think we mean? And he said, how else what other games found in the Bosch Boys? Oh,
[00:50:23] Unknown:
Oh, charade.
[00:50:24] Unknown:
It's just brilliant the way. Yeah, Christmas Christmas games. So let's switch the telly off now and actually think about some compute that oh. Oh my lord. Talk about fraud and slip. Compute not computer games. Games.
[00:50:40] Unknown:
Yeah. We it was almost tradition on Boxing Day that we would play charades, and we would just have so much fun. And it is the only time we'd play games like that unless we went on a family holiday or something, and we all interact. But I know lots of people, they say Christmas Day, that's what they do. They play board games. They all just sit down together and play board games. I'm too knackered for that. Yeah. It's the last thing I wanna do.
[00:51:08] Unknown:
Yeah. It's all all gluttonous. We've all filled our bellies, and we're we're now tired and wanna go to sleep and just switch tally on and, yeah, let the kids play with their toys. But,
[00:51:18] Unknown:
no. I've got so I got some lovely memories of Christmas. I'm not being funny. Like, going up to, like, my mom's mum.
[00:51:26] Unknown:
This is a good story. Every time it gets to a good book, Maleficos. In the cupboards. Maleficus, you've only just come back. Maleficus, you've only just come back. For about
[00:51:41] Unknown:
10 seconds then.
[00:51:43] Unknown:
Okay. Listen, guys. I'm gonna I'm gonna say happy Christmas to you and and your listeners. Thanks for inviting me on, but, obviously, my connection is just so dire. Oh,
[00:51:52] Unknown:
no worries, Maleficos. Well, we'll do it again in the new year when you've got your Wi Fi all sorted.
[00:51:58] Unknown:
Yeah. Well, they've got they've got till 10th of January, and then I'm switching back to the old ISP.
[00:52:04] Unknown:
So Good idea. Yeah. Take care, folks. Alright. Well, lovely. Thanks for joining us. Merry Christmas.
[00:52:09] Unknown:
Toodle oo. Merry Christmas. Good night.
[00:52:12] Unknown:
Cheers. Oh, bless him. Yeah. It's a nightmare where Cheers and gone. Cheers and gone. Over and out. Yeah. Does he you know? Anyway, at least you're still here, Al Von Curp. So, yeah, it's been it's it's been a good year, and, actually, I've just realized it's gonna well, I haven't just realized, but this is the last one of the year. I won't be doing a show next Christmas day. No. I'm sorry. I'm not gonna be loyal. I am gonna be sat down watching rubbish TV. Yeah. What are you doing for Christmas then? Is
[00:52:47] Unknown:
it what what? No Christmas speech?
[00:52:49] Unknown:
A Christmas? Or the queen's speech?
[00:52:53] Unknown:
I'm I'm
[00:52:54] Unknown:
oh, the king's speech, don't you know? Yes. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Of course. The king's speech now.
[00:53:00] Unknown:
Like, we were made to listen to that, and, it was, like, not opening your presents until until you to be fair, it was stocking in the morning. Like, I I am very fortunate. I'm very, very, appreciative of of my upbringing and and, kinda makes me wanna give a little more at Christmas time. Now if if I can find the time and just settle into a space where I can I can give a little, then I will? But, yeah, like I said, I'm I'm very grateful. It was it was open the stocking or stocking presents with my brothers and sisters, and then we had to watch. We had Christmas dinner and watched, the the queen's speech. And then after that, it was, open the main presents under the tree. And, yeah. So, we were always made to watch it. So it kind of almost I think when you're made to do anything, it cuts you off, for for a long, long time. We we always had to go to I like I said, last week, I was never
[00:54:03] Unknown:
sorry. So No. No. No. That's alright.
[00:54:06] Unknown:
We used to I was I was I was never.
[00:54:10] Unknown:
I think there's a slight delay. Very, but I'm never really a royalist. It didn't make sense to me at all, but you yeah. Sorry. I'll I'll No. No. I was just gonna say, you know, when my grandparents were around, that's that was the highlight of a day, the Queen's speech at 3 o'clock. And I always remember 1 year when the family weren't speaking and my brother joking at 3 o'clock and saying, should we phone Nan and start prank calling her? But that was so Brilliant. Yeah. No. I mean, my son's with his dad this year. Obviously, we take it in turns. And my daughter said to me, like, doesn't that upset you and think you think he's not with you at Christmas? And I'm like, no. Do you know what? Because I've got such an age gap, I've been, like, officially doing Christmas Eve for, like, 27 years, and I'm exhausted.
And last year was the worst he's ever been. He was up every hour. So I hope he's up every half an hour for his dad this year.
[00:55:04] Unknown:
Yeah. It's not it it'll be nice. I'll get him on the mold side, don't you? Might might be. Yeah. Well, that's why he wouldn't drink Oh, dear. He drinks water. How old did you say he was? Sorry. He's 11. Oh oh oh, right. Okay. Yeah. Good. Yeah. Not my 27 year old.
[00:55:21] Unknown:
Yeah. Still jumping on the bed. No. But it is. It's it's for children. I love it. And, you know, I went to the carol service last night, and I was like, oh, this is his last one at primary school, but I'm just like, I don't know. I'm a bit emotionless. Don't know what's wrong with me. Perhaps, nothing can, like Yeah. Really, really upset me. Crying out a little bit there, shall we? Sorry. Am I? Oh, it's just Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Don't don't leave me here all my Oh, I've mentioned that. For 5 minutes.
[00:55:52] Unknown:
I was only it's only, like, 4, 3 Hello. This is, welcome to the Shelley Tasker Show.
[00:55:58] Unknown:
It's Oh, dear. I have had those moments when, like, guests haven't been able to get on for whatever reason. I know you have. Yeah. And I have had to talk rubbish. Yeah. Well, you should have messaged me, and you should have said, Shelley, I'll come on and chat to you. I've I've bought a world really love you then, actually. Well, it doesn't matter. I would have appreciated anyone hopping in. Anyone. I think on the first time that ever happened, I got in the story about my birth.
[00:56:23] Unknown:
Remember this is pre radio soapbox? So at the time, it was, speak free, wasn't it? Yeah. And I don't think there was a chat thing set up. Yeah. Oh, I don't know. Or was there? I miss out on that. Wow. Yeah. Anyway But, yeah. So what am I doing this Christmas? We are going to visit, my ex partner. We're going up to her, mom's. Sadly, it's it's a bit of a sad time for her at the moment, so we're gonna go and spend some time with her. Yeah. So but but my 2 will love it. So And how old are you? That's what we're doing.
[00:57:02] Unknown:
How old are yours?
[00:57:04] Unknown:
10 10 and 8.
[00:57:06] Unknown:
Yeah. Good age. So I was about they're really excited.
[00:57:11] Unknown:
Oh, yeah. They yeah. Yeah. Love it. So it's nice nice for us to sort of get together and and do something for them as well. You know? But we we we try and keep it. It was all getting a bit personal now. We we try and try and, try and keep it amicable and nice for them. And I think we do a pretty good job of it. So bless bless her. Yeah. Well, good on you. It's not easy, is it? Yeah.
[00:57:34] Unknown:
Plus I get to go record shopping. Yeah.
[00:57:36] Unknown:
I love a record. I'll be going up and visiting my I'm hoping they're open. I tried to call Alan's today, actually. It's, Alan's, CD and record records and and CD, CDs in, in London. Brilliant little store. I like going in there and just watching it get dark and from and putting records on and and just digging through digging through and yeah. And having a chat with the owner is a great guy. So yeah. There's something to be said for looking forward to. Discovering
[00:58:06] Unknown:
new old music, though, as well, isn't there? I've recently got into the Eagles. Yeah. And I oh my god. I just love music. Oh, that's whenever I've got 5 minutes, I'm playing the Eagles. Yeah.
[00:58:18] Unknown:
Even my 2 say the old music's the best music. So
[00:58:21] Unknown:
Yeah. There's something to be said about it. Definitely. Anyway, I suppose we should round up, really. We're near near the end. And, yeah, it's been really nice to to hear about your Christmas stuff, Al, and thanks for coming on again. It's it's been a nice little Yeah. Thank you. No. You're welcome. And, Wasayo. Wasayo. Right. Well, you take care of yourself, mister Vonke, and, I will catch you in the new year for another roundtable. We'll do it then. And Merry Christmas to everyone out there. Yeah. Ho ho ho. One ale.
[00:58:53] Unknown:
Ho ho ho. Right.
[00:58:55] Unknown:
Onwards. So that is it for the year, guys. So, I hope you have an awesome Christmas, and, yeah, make it special. Be happy. I will be back, I'm guessing, in about 2 weeks. I'll check my diary, but I will be here. Have an awesome Christmas, and I'll speak to you in the new year.
[00:59:17] Unknown:
Merry Christmas.
Introduction and Greetings
Roundtable Discussion Begins
The Meaning of Christmas
Christmas Traditions and Origins
Community and Celebrations
Cooking and Family Meals
Stories and Memories
Christmas Plans and Reflections
Closing Remarks and Farewell