Merry Christmas and a happy new year from Sandwell Talking News. Welcome to our Sandwell Talking News Christmas Special 2024! We’ve got stories, poems, seasonal songs and music, fun facts about Christmas, and festive messages from our volunteers. All thanks to the work of our dedicated and talented volunteer team. Enjoy!
Our next edition of the Sandwell Talking News is now available (Saturday 11 January). Please contact us if you would like to become a regular listener, or if you have any comments about the Christmas Special. You can call and leave a message on 0121 699 6696.
What’s in this edition, in the order in which you can hear it:
- Introduction from our editor, Ray
- Festive greetings and messages from the Sandwell Talking News volunteer readers
- Twelve Days of Christmas medley
- Rachel reads a skit on the Twelve Days of Christmas by anon
- Rachel – Origin of Twelve days of Christmas
- Pam introduces Frank Caldwell on Christmas at Oak House
- Remi (Sarbjit’s daughter) sings 12 days of Christmas
- Trevor reads 12 days of Black Country Christmas (from Black Country Living Museum)
- Pam interviews Santa and Mrs Claus at the SVI Santa’s Turkey Sandwich Party
- SVI members, staff, volunteers (and at least one dog) sing 12 days of Christmas at the SVI Santa’s Turkey Sandwich Party
- Prince, our new STN volunteer journalist, interviews musicians Sam Wilson and Helen James at the Birmingham Christmas Market
- The Origins of Tinsel read by Alison
- Becky reads the poem Snowy Night by Mary Oliver
- Debbie reads her short story ‘The Christmas Bauble’ which she wrote for us herself
- Gavin reads a poem by former SVI Chair Graham Price ‘Festive Cheer’
- Short story, A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, read by James
- Poem, A Traditional Family Christmas by Brian Bilston read by Jan
- Poem Mrs Claus by Brian Bilston read by Jan
- Karen plays a medley of Christmas tunes
- Extract from A Country Christmas by Miss Read read by Linda
- Olivia (Sarah-Ann’s daughter) reads two poems – Snowball and the Chubby Snowman
- Trevor reads a poem by Ivor Davis ‘P.S. to Santa’
- Lauren reads her poem ‘Growing Love’ which she wrote herself
- Jennie reads a Black Country Nativity (this is a repeat from an earlier Xmas Special, back by popular request)
- Janet talks about her Christmas memories of visiting Lewis’s department store in Birmingham
- Syreeta plays a medley of Christmas songs on the steel pans
- A repeat of the Santa interview with
- SVI choir sings Jingle Bells (from a couple of years ago)
