A Christmas cheer...

With countless amounts of leftover turkey inspired meals slowly coming to an end, we can all look forward to the New Year celebrations.

As clique as this may indeed sound to most, I would have to say that this Christmas period has turned out to be my favourite. Hitherto as the festive season would approach - and with more and more years adding against me - I have found myself increasingly in desperate need - come Christmas Eve - to obtain the slightest inclination of magical feeling.

However this year was very much different. Magical feeling came much earlier than usual and with a sense of serenity and ease. I think in a way in can be being immersed in Santa's Grottos or Hyde Park Winter Wonderlands that can help one fall into the festive mood. But it is more important with who you spend this time with. Friends, family, girlfriends, boyfriends... I believe this is what makes it special.

I am very sorry to anyone reading this who this year did not quite attain their much desired festive spirit in time for Christmas dinner.

Believe me, I very much can give condolence as I have found myself in this position on not too few occasions.

Happy Christmas (as I hope for everyone it was one)

Yours Joe
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You know it is Christmas when...

...You wake up to the freshly sprinkled whiteness of the first winter snow, Santa's grottos with his green pointy-shoed little helpers guiding the sometimes more than reluctant small children into a dimly lit dwelling where they are to tell of the many things they desire to find under their trees in later days to come, all the while warming the rounded red jolly man's knee. On the slight fringe of a disturbing annual tradition one might say. The smell of cinnamon, sparkling incandescent lights draped across our high streets, many a steaming Christmas puddings. But foremost, seeing the iconic Coca Cola truck tops it all this festive year for me!

Yours Joe
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Gingerbread, mulled wine and cider with a Y...

Sometimes Christmas can be made exceptionally special by the people which we share these magical times with and this is the way it should be as aposed to the gifts we recieve being the main event. Even though I am a little under halfway through the door-opening process of my advent calendar, I already somehow know that this year's festivities will be a very lovely resolution to the year. It has in fact been already a rather wonderful time thus far.

After a recent time passing of six months with my girlfriend, we thought that mulled wine and mulled cyder (yes, with a "Y") were in need of being brewed up to warm us up from the blistering cold that blows and blusters outside these walls in which I sit writing this. Also as it is indeed Christmas, what better time is there to make some gingerbread men.

Ensuing two or three hours of bubbling, stirring, messing up and slight charring, we had successfully mulled our wine and cyder as well as a number of gingerbread biscuits.

I think that the Jamie Olivers and Gordon Ramseys of this world would find themselves profoundly jealous of our efforts and able ability here!

Yours Joe

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Bang the drums...

My movie-making addiction seems to have somewhat overwhelmed me, leading to me creating more recording vlogs, giving people an insight into my band's progress with their album recordings...

Video two of four so far; tracking drums.

Yours Joe

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Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Time to embrace all those many Christmas songs that have been itching at our radio stations and shopping stereo systems. December 1st 2011 has come to pass and now our ears have but no choice to hear "sleigh-bells ring" knowing that "Santa Claus is coming to town." Indeed, I am sure he is busying himself along with his many little helpers to once again get all our most joyous desires wrapped up and safely put under our trees come the twelve strikes of midnight. But one must not forget that if you have not been on your very best behavior then you may well find your sooty hands clutched around a piece of coal come Christmas morn.

All towns have now been sprinkled with their festive fairy lights truly injecting the Christmas spirit into even those few humbugs that inhabit these lands. When I see such sites as this, a flutter of compassion and a tickle my belly lets me know that Father Christmas and his reindeers are soon to be on there way!

Yours Joe
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