A Selection of Christmas Classic Films to get you in the Yuletide Mood

A festive film can make you feel warm and fuzzy inside when it’s cold and dark outside. There is nothing like sticking on a classic flick, with a tin of chocolates in your lap, a mulled wine in your hand, and the lights of the Christmas tree illuminating the room. This selection is guaranteed to help you get in the Yuletide mood, whether you’re watching them for the first time or they are on your annual holiday must-view list.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

It’s an oldie but a goldie! James Stewart plays businessman George Bailey in this fantasy drama, and Donna Reed plays the role of his wife. It is set in the fictional town of Bedford Falls, where George is saved from the despair of financial ruin by an angel named Clarence (‘Attaboy, Clarence!’). The way the stunning final scene leaves you feeling is unparalleled. The entire town shows up in support of George and his family, singing ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ around the piano, which segues into ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and if that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, you are made of sterner stuff than my granny’s Christmas pud! Famous quote: ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.’ Magical, just magical.

The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

This is a romantic comedy and another angel-themed film - what is it about people in the 1940s and angels? This one is called Dudley, played by Cary Grant; no list of classic movies is ever complete without him. David Niven is Bishop Henry Brougham, who, alongside his wife Julia (Loretta Young), is trying to raise money to build a new cathedral. Henry prays for divine guidance, so the suave Dudley appears, but there is friction between the Bishop and the angel as his charms are working a bit too well, plus he redecorates the Broughams’ Christmas tree, and no one likes that (my sister used to do it to me). It all comes good on Christmas Eve, just in time for the big day.

Scrooge (1951) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

It’s hard to know where to start with this one, as there have been so many screen adaptations of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843) over the years, but Alastair Sims embodies the role of Ebenezer with spite and misery. Rather than regurgitate the plot, which we are all familiar with, here are some recommendations for variations of the cautionary tale. There are two films from the 1930s, the one starring Seymour Hicks as Scrooge is particularly atmospheric. Scrooged (1988) is a comedy, modern retelling of the story, with Bill Murray playing TV producer Frank Cross who replaces the Scrooge character. For the grandchildren, as some of these give quite a fright, there is The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), which is a fun way of introducing them to the story; as is Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), and at only 26 mins long it is ideal for small grandchildren. Although this is a list of films, the BBC mini-series version from 2019 starring Guy Pierce is an absolute must. A man named Kris Kringle (played by Edmund Gwenn) finds himself in demand as a New York department store Santa after taking the place of an intoxicated man dressed as St. Nick in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. A subsequent court case questions his mental health after Kris repeatedly tells all and sundry that he is the real deal. An eight-year-old Natalie Wood co-stars as Susan, the little girl who was told not to believe in fairy tales by her mother, but Kris emphatically tells her that he is Santa Claus. However, she loses faith in him when he can’t get her the house she wants (and they say kids nowadays expect too much!). Susan’s dream comes true eventually, and Kris is proven to be… Well, I’ll let you find out for yourselves if Father Christmas exists.

There is a 1994 adaptation of the film starring Richard Attenborough, which is highly recommended. Especially the colourful Thanksgiving Day Parade, Dickie is always a joy to behold too.

White Christmas (1954)

That old crooner Bing Crosby is in Technicolor, in fictional Pine Tree, Vermont on Christmas Eve, doing what he does best. Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney also star alongside him in this Christmas musical and miracle, as you don’t often see it snow right on cue for the holidays anymore. Two former soldiers become a song-anddance act and fall for a couple of sisters doing the same thing. Holiday Inn (1942) is very similar to White Christmas, both star Bing Crosby, although this time he is with the iconic Fred Astaire. Irving Berlin composed the soundtracks; the plots involved an inn and a song-and-dance act, and the quintessential yuletide tune ‘White Christmas’ featured in both. They are set in New England, with Holiday Inn in Connecticut. They were even filmed on the same Paramount set.

Cosy Reads

The season of reading is upon us. There is nothing quite like enjoying a good read curled up in the comfort of your home. From emerging to established authors and from novels to royals, we’ve got you covered. So, if you’re in the market for your next book, here’s our selection of the best page-turners. Sit back, relax, and get stuck in.

Spare by Prince Harry

The Prince’s candid memoir shook the world from the moment the cover was released, and the news has instantly turned the 38-yearold royal into a best-selling author. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a story of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief. These emotional words will give readers a glimpse into what life was really like for Prince Harry growing up in the royal household. The book will focus on his moving personal journey from the trauma of losing his beloved mother at such a young age to healing and becoming the husband and father he is today. Set in 1967 Iowa, nursing school roommates BettyKay and Kitty don’t have much in common. BettyKay, a farmer’s daughter, has risked her family’s disapproval to make her dreams come true away from her small country town. Kitty grew up in the city and has always relied on her beauty and wit to get by and to hide a devastating secret from the past that she can’t seem to hide from. Despite their differences, the two share a determination to prove themselves in a changing world, forging an unlikely and powerful bond. Before their first year of studying completes, tragedy strikes, and the women’s paths are dispersed. But against all odds, a decadeslong friendship forms, with the two at each other’s side through love, marriage, failure and death, from the jungles of Vietnam to the glamorous circles of Hollywood. Until one winter night, their relationship arrives at the ultimate crossroads.

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

An inspiring follow-up to her critically acclaimed, #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, the former First Lady introduces The Light We Carry; an inspirational volume of personal insight and wisdom, aimed at highlighting the complexities of relationships, communities and identity for everyone in today’s highly uncertain world. Michelle believes we can all lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change. Michelle offers readers a series of fresh memories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can enhance the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the practices and values she has developed to successfully overcome various obstacles that helped her continue to “become.”

The Seamstress of Sardinia by Bianca Pitzorno

Ticket to the World by Martin Kemp

Ticket to the World is Martin Kemp’s time-warp trip down memory lane, reliving that truly unforgettable decade; a joyous, nostalgic celebration of 80s culture from one man at the centre of it all. The 80s transformed life as we knew it. Music, style and culture exploded in a haze of dayglo colour. There were hardships, but there were opportunities too. Martin Kemp lived through them all and helped to shape Britain’s last real youth movement. Ticket to the World recalls what it was like to lead the New Romantics, stay up all night at the Blitz with Sade and Boy George, travel the world with Spandau Ballet and contribute to the era-defining Live Aid all told from someone who lived the 80s life to its fullest.

In 1900 Sardinia, a young woman’s remarkable talent with a needle earns her the role of seamstress for a wealthy family. Inside this privileged world, a million miles away from her own humble beginnings, the young talent quietly takes measurements, sketches designs, mends hems and becomes privy to whispered secrets and stories of all those around her. The Seamstress of Sardinia transports us to a society harshly divided by wealth and shaped by passion, hope, ambition, and love.

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton

As shattering weather and rising sea levels cause devastation in Florida, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the south-eastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker, his pregnant wife, Frida, and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the ferocious winds in search of his children. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labour and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm. As Florida continues to collapse, Wanda grows. This is a story full of hope and resilience, following one extraordinary woman’s life as she navigates the uncertainty and brutality of a rapidly changing world.