Tuesday, 23 August 2022

CHRISTMAS RULES

 

Our Christmas fare

Tables heaving

Cupboards overflowing

Contrasts starkly

With our foreign brothers

With meager bowls

Of meal or rice

How would they react?

To our gluttony

 

The homeless survive

On handouts

Of soup and bread

Or half eaten burgers

Discarded in bins

Sleeping in doorways

Or In cardboard boxes

With news paper bedding

 

Should we feel guilt?

For having more than they

For our good fortune

No we shouldn’t

But we should not forget them

We should spare a thought

For the less fortunate

And be charitable

A kind word or deed

Celebrate Christmas

By Christ’s rules

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE CHRISTMAS CONTEST (2021)

 

Something is missing in the life of successful company executive Lara (Candace Cameron Bure), though she doesn’t know what, but if you suggested it was her former professional Baseball player ex Ben (John Brotherton), you would get short shrift.

So, when they are unexpectedly thrown together, years after a painful breakup, when they compete in a televised weeklong Christmas contest to win money for the charity of their choosing, they are both shocked.

However, once their initial animosity subsides and the competition progresses, they start to talk, but Lara is forced into a difficult conversation with her mother Donna (Barbara Niven) and Ben expresses his concerns with his grandmother before they begin to rekindle their relationship while battling each other to become Denver's Queen or King of Christmas but the real victory will be love.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – HUMBOLDT PARK

 

This seasonal drama is about the Puerto Rican Rodriguez family living in the area of Humboldt Park in west Chicago who face what may well be their last Christmas together.

The Rodriguez family is headed by jovial bodega owner Edy (Alfred Molina) whose recent secretive behaviour has convinced his hot-tempered wife Anna (Elizabeth Peña) that he is having an affair which prompts her to unceremoniously announce at the family dinner table that she wants a divorce.

This sets the tone for the whole film which goes on to reveal all the flaws and weaknesses in the lives of everyone around the table.

Freddy Rodríguez, Luis Guzmán, Jay Hernandez, John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Vanessa Ferlito and Melonie Diaz make up the very able supporting cast in this enjoyable Christmas offering.

Monday, 22 August 2022

VENTURA HOLIDAY

 

A Christmas cruise in the Caribbean

What a dream for the Christmas season

It’s a dream holiday for anyone

And costs thousands of pounds for a reason

Among other things what you would expect

When venturing on the ocean waves

Is to be in company of likeminded people

Who comprehend how they should behave

You book early to avoid disappointment

And the chance to choose where to stay

Settle the amount in plenty of time

Then in December you’re on your way

But then to ensure a full compliment

Those greedy so and so’s at P& O

Heavily discount the remaining cabins

To all and sundry, happy Christmas ho ho ho

From every city, village and town

From Great Yarmouth to Merseyside

From John O’Groats to Lands End

And from Fishguard to Tyneside

They come in search of a bargain

And a cut price berth on a luxury cruise

The uncouth the loutish and the crude

They who measure fun in volumes of booze

And so begins the Chav cruise from hell

Not hell for the Chavs themselves sadly

But for the poor souls who paid their way

Chavs know no other way to behave but badly

For alcohol consumption they know no limit

This is apparent for every poor soul to see

Drunken food fights soon breakout

Some even set fire to the Christmas tree

What a sad indictment on our society

The way the Chavs behave abroad

It’s a shame that international law

Won’t let us throw the bastards overboard

CHRISTMAS SHOCKING

 

Well-worn festive tunes

Blare out

Hapless faces

Stare out

Faces strained

Bemused, Confused

Lists gripped tight

Pens ticking or deleting

Then onward

Loaded trolleys

Wildly steering

Zig zagging

Aisle to aisle

Every item

Must be had

Gin for her

Beer for dad

Chocs and cakes

Chops and steaks

Turkey, stuffing

Nuts and fruit

Frozen this

Prepacked that

Pop and juice

Something’s loose

Everything ticked

On the tight gripped list

Nothing missed

Merry Christmas wished

Hundreds of pounds

Of Christmas bought

The festivities can begin

Relax in the knowledge

The shops will only be shut

For twenty-four hours

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A CHESTNUT FAMILY CHRISTMAS (2021)

 

Talented pastry Chef Nina Chestnut (Meagan Holder) works as a live-in Chef for a wealthy family although her family believe she is a successful lawyer.

When her employer’s family go away for Christmas to a resort, Nina looks forward to spending a relaxed Christmas in the luxurious house.

However, during a phone conversation with her brother she accidentally commits to hosting her ambitious brothers Kyle and Jayson (Jaime M. Callica and (Klarc Jerome Wilson) and her niece Rogue (Kalista Wilson) for the holidays, because she had told them that she was the wealthy homeowner in order to impress them.

Desperate to impress her siblings, Nina enlists the help of her best friend Malcolm Butler (Brad James) to keep up her ruse, as she has told her brothers that they are engaged.

Everything goes relatively well until her employers return to the house early and her secrets are revealed, but then so are the rest of the family. 

So, with everyone's secrets exposed and the web of lies unravelled the only unresolved issue was the unrealized relationship between Nina and Malcolm.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)

 

It’s the 1940’s and Christmas is approaching and 9-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) wants only one thing for Christmas that year: a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun.

When he mentions it at the dinner table, his mother (Melinda Dillon) immediately reacts by saying that he'll put his eye out.

He does little better when he raises it with his father (Darren McGavin) or his teacher (Tedde Moore) but all the while he fantasizes about what it would be like to be “Red Ryder” and catch the bad guys.

When the big day arrives, he gets lots of present under the tree including a lovely gift from his aunt that his mother very much approves of but will the BB gun be among them?