Blame it on my poor taste, or perhaps on the wonderful snowy scene outside my window this Friday morning, as I watched the show on iPlayer, but.... I loved it! The show overall, I mean. Sure, there were bits I was not over the moon about, and bits where my toes curled somewhat, but I won't mention them, it would be unfair. Instead I will mention my personal highlights, in no particular order:

Paul Sartin's MCing was deliciously tongue-in-cheek throughout, and if he wasn't quite up to 's standard, I don't give a toss. After all isn't such a versatile and great player of so many instruments and characterful singer. So there.

George Unthank's song about the Tar Barrels in the snow was gorgeous, evocative and excellently sung by the Unthanks and rest of the crew.

Thea Gilmore's song "That'll be Christmas" is in the "I wish I'd written that" category, and she sang it very well, I thought.

I actually loved the "Mistletoe Bough" song. Great ghostly story, and I am a fan of Jon Boden's voice, so couldn't go wrong.

I thought Sam Lee did great to step in at the last minute for the voiceless John Spiers - and his is another voice I like anyway.

And Belshazzar's Feast were great, and Bellowhead themselves the most fun I've seen them on the screen.

And overall, a great selection of appropriate material. I don't often say this, but I wish I'd been there.

So quit bellyaching and tune into iPlayer and watch it - again.

.................

As for the kind comments above - thanks. And I know I'd be great on TV, not that I'll ever get the chance, but I have the figure to do a wide angle lens justice, and the kind of face HDTV was invented for (I could also do surface-of-Mars close-ups). But seriously, thanks.