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Bye Bye Professor Bunce!

Our Super Senior Studio Manager Professor Graham Bunce says goodbye as he retires after 42 years in the 91Èȱ¬! Plus, we take a telephonic trip to Bournemouth...

Our Super Senior Studio Manager Professor Graham Bunce says goodbye as he retires after 42 years in the 91Èȱ¬! Sir Terry Wogan, Ken Bruce, Tony Blackburn and Bob Harris join us in paying tribute...

We take a telephonic trip to Bournemouth to find out what's going on during the festive period...

Noah tells us about his Christmas play...

Jimmy Doherty delivers a Festive On This Day...

We rediscover the hidden talents of a younger Justin Bieber...

And Rev Sharon Grenham Toze shares some wise words in Pause For Thought...

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Thu 12 Dec 2013 06:30

Music Played

  • Bellowhead

    Christmas Bells

    • (CD Single).
    • Navigator Records.
    • 001.
  • Justin Bieber

    Baby

    • Island Records.
  • David Bowie & Bing Crosby

    Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy

    • I Believe.
    • Telstar.
  • Joe Brown & The Bruvvers

    A Picture Of You

    • The Greatest Hits Of 1962.
    • Premier.
  • Peter Cook & Dudley Moore

    Goodbyee

    • Unknown.
  • The Crystals

    Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

  • The Doors

    Hello I Love You

    • The Doors - Greatest Hits.
    • Elektra.
  • Clive Dunn

    Grandad

    • Hits Of The 60s, 70s & 80s (Various).
    • Kenwest.
  • The Feeling

    Boy Cried Wolf

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG.
    • 001.
  • The Four Seasons

    December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)

    • The Very Best Of.
    • Polygram Tv.
    • 11.
  • The Isley Brothers

    Harvest For The World

    • The Greatest Hits Of 1976 (Various).
    • Premier.
  • Leona Lewis

    One More Sleep

    • (CD Single).
    • Syco Music.
  • Darlene Love

    Christmas (Baby Please Come 91Èȱ¬)

    • A Christmas Gift For You (Phil Spect.
    • Phil Spector Int.
  • Paul McCartney

    Queenie Eye

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
    • 001.
  • Kylie Minogue

    Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.
    • 1.
  • Olly Murs

    Hand On Heart

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
    • 1.
  • Roy Orbison

    Pretty Paper

    • Roy Orbison - Golden Days.
    • Monument.
    • 18.
  • Katy Perry

    Roar

    • (CD Single).
    • Capitol.
    • 1.
  • The Pogues

    Fairytale Of New York (feat. Kirsty MacColl)

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Music UK.
  • Elvis Presley

    Blue Christmas

    • If Every Day Was Like Christmas.
    • RCA.
  • Lionel Richie

    Dancing on the Ceiling

    • Dancing In The Street (Various Artis.
    • Universal Music Tv.
  • Roxy Music

    Dance Away

    • Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music - Street Life.
    • Eg.
  • Boz Scaggs

    Lido Shuffle

    • The Greatest Hits Of 1977 (Various).
    • Premier.
  • Simple Minds

    Promised You A Miracle

    • The Best Of Simple Minds.
    • Virgin.
  • Snow Patrol

    Spitting Games

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.
  • Rod Stewart

    Maggie May

    • The Best Of Rod Stewart.
    • Warner Bros.
  • Wham!

    Last Christmas

    • That's Christmas (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Kim Wilde

    Hey Mister Snowman

    • Wilde Winter Snowman.
    • Wildeflower Records.
    • 001.

Pause For Thought: Sharon Grenham-Toze

Pause For Thought: Sharon Grenham-Toze
Reverend Sharon Grenham-Toze, Anglican Priest and Prison Chaplain:

Ìý

I suppose I should be saying ‘G’day Chris’ this morning, as I’ve just come back from my first ever trip to Australia. It was the fulfilling of a childhood dream for me – and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve fed kangaroos by hand, seen some amazing scenery and had the very weird experience of summertime in November.

Ìý

Ìý

Even stranger was getting used to seeing Christmas decorations in all the shops while it was 30 degrees plus outside. To me all the red and gold and green, the reindeer and the tinsel seemed completely out of place, because I’m so used to connecting the whole yuletide thing with snowy scenes and the nights closing in early. We get so used to things being the same as they always are, don’t we, that when something happens to jolt us out of what we’re used to, it can feel very uncomfortable.

Ìý

Ìý

Last year I spent my first Christmas newly single, in a different house after 11 years, with my kids, for the first time in their lives, spending half the day with their dad and half with me. That felt really uncomfortable too, and not like ‘proper’ Christmas at all. But this year I feel much more settled, and really looking forward to it. Somehow being booted out of the old ways and having to start again made me look at what was really important about the celebrations, and what I could do without. And my trip to Australia has even got me thinking about all the decorations and trimmings, and what Christmas would be like if we didn’t get so involved (and stressed) by all of that.

Ìý

Ìý

I bet there are quite a few of your listeners, Chris, who are going to have a bit of a shaken up Christmas this year – maybe someone special isn’t there this year, or things are changed in some way – and it’ll all feel strange. It will settle again, but it could also be a chance to think again about what’s important to us at this time of year, and what really doesn’t matter.

Broadcast

  • Thu 12 Dec 2013 06:30

Farewell Chris Evans: The best bits from his last shows at Radio 2

After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.

500 Words

91Èȱ¬ Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.