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Richard Allinson sits in

Richard Allinson sits in for Chris Evans with a fully interactive show for all the family, featuring music, special guests and listeners on the phone.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Music Played

  • Louis Armstrong

    Cool Yule

    • Serendipity O.S.T. (Various Artists).
    • Columbia.
  • James Brown

    I Got You (I Feel Good)

    • Hits Of ... 65 & 66 (Vol.1).
    • Polydor.
  • Commodores

    Brick House

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

    Don't You Know

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
  • The Darkness

    Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.
  • The Drifters

    White Christmas

    • Billboard Greatest Xmas Hits.
    • Rhino.
  • Al Green

    I'm Still in Love With You

  • Ben Haenow

    Something I Need

    • (CD Single).
    • Syco.
  • Tom Jones & Cerys Matthews

    Baby It's Cold Outside

    • (CD Single).
    • Gut Records.
  • Little Big Town

    Day Drinking

    • (CD Single).
    • HumpHead.
    • 001.
  • Pixie Lott

    Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)

    • (CD Single).
    • Mercury.
    • 1.
  • Nick Lowe

    I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass

    • The Best Of Nick Lowe.
    • Demon Records.
    • 6.
  • Madonna

    Papa Don't Preach

    • Madonna - The Immaculate Collection.
    • Sire.
    • 4.
  • The Maisonettes

    Heartache Avenue

    • History Of The 80's (Various Artists).
    • Br Music.
  • Meat Loaf

    Dead Ringer for Love

    • Rock Of America (Various Artists).
    • Trax Label.
  • Olly Murs

    Up (feat. Demi Lovato)

    • Never Been Better.
    • Epic.
    • 004.
  • Robert Palmer

    Addicted To Love

    • Sounds Of The 80s - Like A Record Baby (1984-1986) (Various Artists).
    • UMC.
  • Chris Rea

    Driving Â鶹ԼÅÄ For Christmas

    • (Single).
    • WEA.
    • 1.
  • Mark Ronson

    Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)

    • (CD Single).
    • Columbia.
    • 001.
  • Emeli Sandé

    Next To Me

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
    • 1.
  • Frank Sinatra

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

    • Christmas Songs By Sinatra.
    • Columbia.
    • 6.
  • Sam Smith

    Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Radio 2 Session, 18th 2014)

  • Snow Patrol

    Chocolate

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.
  • Shakin’ Stevens

    Merry Christmas Everyone

    • That's Christmas (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Carla Thomas

    Gee Whiz It's Christmas

    • The Complete Stax / Volt Soul Singles 1959-1968 CD3.
    • Warners.
    • 2.
  • Meghan Trainor

    Lips Are Movin

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
    • 001.
  • KT Tunstall

    Sleigh Ride

    • The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection.
    • EMI.
  • The Waitresses

    Christmas Wrapping

    • NOW That's What I Call Christmas (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Andy Williams

    It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

    • Christmas Love Songs (Various Artist.
    • Arcade Records.
  • Wizzard

    I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

    • That's Christmas (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Stevie Wonder

    What Christmas Means To Me

    • 20 Motown Christmas Classics (Variou.
    • Hitsville.

Pause for Thought

Pause for Thought

From Canon Ann Easter, Chief Executive of a Charity and Chaplain to the Queen:

I love everything about Christmas and almost all the trimmings  – I’m still waiting to find a reason for bread sauce and it will always grieve me to pay for wrapping paper – but everything else, the  carols and the cards, poinsettias and presents, the champagne and the Christmas specials, they’re all brilliant. But, if I had to say what I like best, it’s got to be the angels and at home we have angels – pictures, statues, cards -  everywhere.

The Christmas story starts with an angel who went to tell Mary that she was going to have a baby, then went on to Joseph, her fiancé, to tell him that what looked a bit dodgy was actually God’s doing and all would be well. Then, when Jesus was born, loads of angels came to tell the shepherds the good news and to make a heavenly choir of joy and thanksgiving.

It’s not only Christians and ABBA who believe in angels – they are celebrated and recognised as God’s assistants by Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs too, and whether they’re cute cherubs or strange, ethereal lights, it’s clear that we humans need them.

I’ve never actually seen an angel  but I’ve certainly been aware of a presence and I’ve glimpsed a light over my shoulder which seemed to want to attract my attention. Or sometimes, I’ve caught a whiff of a fragrance that I couldn’t name but I know I recognise it. I love the idea of a guardian angel, a friend and protector who’s always around, especially when we could do with some advice.

And, of course, sometimes, God calls humans to be angels – the person who handed in a wallet they’d found; another who ran after a lady who’d left her shopping on the ground in the car park; those who help in night shelters and volunteer in hospitals too.

This Christmas, I pray that we may be aware of the angels around us – earthly as well as heavenly – and that we will look out for an opportunity to be an angel for someone else.

Broadcast

  • Mon 22 Dec 2014 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

Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.