Go Christmas carolling

“‘Twas in the winter of 1969 when I experienced my first Christmas banding job. Wigston Temperance Band were out every Christmas and carolled around the streets of deepest Leicestershire come rain, snow, flood or permafrost. On this occasion it was the latter and I was woefully underdressed for my first Captain Oats experience, wearing a flimsy shirt, jacket and school shorts. By the time we reached the third verse of ‘Good King Wenceslas’ I was deep and crisp and even – cooler than an Eskimo’s hooter! A morbid blue pallor filled my face and it was only when one of the cornet section noticed that I was lying in the snow trying to go to sleep, that my trombonist father (oblivious to my hypothermic status) was advised to take me home immediately.”

“The St. Nicholas Cathedral in the city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne hosted Christmas Carolling in Candlelight on the evening of 21st December. Me and a few other friends went there for the experience and it was amazingly serene. It was quiet and focussed and the carolling was beautiful. We were handed a pamphlet when we entered on which the entire schedule along with the actual words of carols and prayers were printed. We just had to follow the schedule.”