This is one of the traditions of life in the UK that I really love. The Radio Times Christmas double issue. I doubt that many homes in the 60s/70s would not have bought the RT every week – we certainly did, as did DMs family so my sample of 2 has a 100% success rate.

It’s the Radio Times, originally published by the BBC to tell the nation what was on their channels over Christmas. Later it covered the Independent TV channels too and in fact, ITV had its own ‘me-too’ called the TV Times…..I think they were trying to paint the Beeb as old-fashioned!

These days, long after teletext and now digital TV with onscreen TV guides, it seems to have lost its utility in the modern world. Somehow though, despite the fact that we can get great info online about the TV and radio, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the Radio Times.

I wonder if the TV Times (the independent TV equivalent) still exists – I’ve not seen it this year, though the RT is everywhere.

Anyway, every home should have one and, to coin a phrase, ‘I never knew there was so much in it’!

I am a Beeb devotee and I cannot imagine a day when I wouldn’t buy this…..though I’d probably NEVER buy the weekly one! So, I'm nearly ready (won't bore you with painting and decorating details tonight).

last year - mussels!