4. What PGS Staff are Reading, Watching and Listening to this Christmas

Portsmouth Point editors asked members of PGS staff to share their favourite Christmas songs, books and stories. 

Mr Ryan

There are two films that I must watch every year at Christmas.  The first is The Snowman, based on the Raymond Briggs book. It is beautifully animated, charming and I love the beautiful simplicity of what makes the young boy happy in this film. Watching it reminds me of Christmas growing up with my family as it became a tradition to watch it every year on Christmas Eve and, now I have a young family myself, I am looking forward to carrying this on.

The second film is Die Hard.  It is a classic action film and in amongst what can sometimes be the too-sickly-sweet over dressing of Christmas this film is a breath of fresh air!  Alan Rickman's portrayal of the archetypal action film villain is genius!

Happy Christmas everyone!

 

Mrs Clay

The song that means 'Christmas' to me is 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', sung by Judy Garland, which always makes me cry - and will have even more significance this Christmas as I will be missing some of my family members, unable to see them in person. 

Every year, I watch Love, Actually with my husband, while we wrap the presents - and enjoy a glass of red wine (having saved a good bottle for the occasion). 

Mr Rees

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is my go-too film - I definitely see myself as Clark Griswold in my approach to Christmas parenting. 

The song 'Fairy Tale of New York' brings back happy memories of celebrating Christmas, with a pint of Guinness, at university. 

As for books, The Jolly Christmas Postman has attained the status of a classic in our household, brought down from the loft each year to be read and enjoyed by all members of the Rees family. 

Mr Ansell

As a child, I watched The Wizard of Oz on TV every Christmas. It is such an uplifting and magical film and I love the fact that it has two endings, one sad, one happy, summing up the bittersweet nature of the Christmas season. I still try to watch it ever Christmas with my family. 

My favourite Christmas book is The Snowman - wonderful illustration, full of feeling and emotion and yet at the same time so restrained and understated. My music of choice is: 'Stay Another Day' by East 17, which interestingly was not originally written as a Christmas song; however, the band's manager added the bells to the soundtrack - and the rest was history (and £100,000 to the band in royalties every Christmas season).