Christmas Guide Rate Card 2012 -...
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CHRISTMAS GUIDE WISH LIST 2012 To book your advert now call 0131 550 3060 PUBLICATION DATE 14 November 2012 FORMAT A4, full colour DISTRIBUTION 22,000 copies (with extra distribution across independent stores) LIST READERS The List has 66,500 regular readers List readers have high levels of disposable income In the average month, List readers will spend a whopping £8.3 million on consumer products (clothes, books, CDs etc) Let us do the business for you! COVERAGE 7 weeks: Readers will hold onto and refer to the publication in the run up to Xmas and New Year Glasgow & Edinburgh: Equal distribution in each city THE GUIDE WILL FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS: 1. Christmas gifts Our shopping experts give you ideas for the most covetable gifts. We do the trawling so you don’t have to. With a mix of independent outlets and high street stores, we find the perfect pressie for every personality. From glamour pusses to adrenaline junkies, there’s something for everyone. Complete with a directory of stockists. 2. Going Out What’s on: The List present the complete guide to special events to get you into the Christmas spirit. It will feature recommendations of pantos, seasonal shows, concerts, club nights and other things to do over the festive season. Get out and get merry! 3. Entertaining Food & Drink: It’s the season to eat, drink and be merry, so follow The List’s tips to make your Christmas dinner go with a bang. AD RATES Full page: £930 Half page: £600 Quarter page: £365 Eighth page: £220 COPY & PAYMENT DEADLINE Friday 19 October WISH LIST STOCKBRIDGE Take the chill out of winter this season and explore this stylish village in Edinburgh – it’s got everything, from trendy independent boutiques with gifts galore, to homemade arts and crafts stores and well-stocked music shops. Then, after a hard day’s festive shopping, while away the wintry nights in one of the relaxing bars or restaurants with a Christmas cocktail in hand. BLISS 5 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HU, 332 4605 Bliss was taken over by Louise McFarlane in July 2011, after she had worked there for almost ten years before. Although Bliss is best known as a good place to get baby gifts, products for adults are making a welcome comeback. Brightly coloured homewares from Scott Inness are available, plus Scottish Fine soaps and Ness handbags. For children there are Jelly Cat toys, Toby Tiger organic clothes, Starchild shoes and lots of wooden toys for all ages. GALERIE MIRAGES 46A Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HL, 315 2603, galeriemirages.co.uk Established in 1987, Galerie Mirages is Stockbridge's best kept secret. Tucked away in a former 19th century bakehouse, it is an ideal place to shop this Christmas if you are looking for special and unique gifts. There is an amazing range of silver designer Jewellery, semi-precious stones, fashion jewellery, accessories plus beautiful Christmas decorations and gifts carefully sourced from around the world. KISS THE FISH 9 Dean Park Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1JN, 332 8912, kissthefishstudios.com Delight your friends and family this year with handmade presents. You can drop in to Kiss the Fish Studios and choose from a huge selection of animals, boxes, frames and letters ready to be decorated with paints, gorgeous ‘decopatch’ papers, glitter and sparkles. Or why not try your hand at mosaics, ceramics, felt- making or sewing at one of their adult workshops? HAMILTONS 16-18 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5AU, 226 4199, hamiltonsedinburgh.co.uk Rather than being upset by the cold, damp evenings, Hamilton’s have chosen to embrace the season with a new Christmas menu; braised beef with black pudding or roast butternut squash with cranberries and Strathdon Blue get our vote. Pair these with hot buttered rum and you’re in for a festive treat. Contact Jenna Raffaelli at 556 4456 or at [email protected] EDEN 18 North West Circus Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6SX, 225 5222, edenretail.co.uk Independent fashion boutique Eden presents an exclusively different selection of designer womenswear, accessories and jewellery from Spain, Italy and beyond. Labels include Desigual, Hoss Intropia, Selected Femme, B Young, Indiwoman by Individual and Anna Scott. Shop in-store or shop online at www.edenretail.co.uk ADVERTISING FEATURE LUCIE FENTON GALLERY 20a Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HN, 332 3999, [email protected] Independent shopping at its best. Lucie Fenton Gallery features a handpicked range of contemporary jewellery from Scottish designers and further afield. Original artwork and prints on show are from local artists including John Heywood and Susan Mitchell. There is also a busy framing workshop offering a bespoke framing service. THE RACONTEUR 50 Dean Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1LQ, 343 3221, theraconteuredinburgh.com The warm glow of the tavern lights extend through the dull haze of the winter evening. Upon entering you'll be enticed by the intoxicating aromas of cinnamon, vanilla and spiced fruits. The boys are serving up fresh warm, winter punches to help set back the winter cold. Keep an eye out for future wine evenings, the second birthday evening and future goings-on, at theraconteurstockbridge on Facebook. VOXBOX MUSIC 21 St. Stephen Street, EdinburgH, EH3 5AN, voxboxmusic.co.uk Edinburgh's newest music shop, selling all genres of collectible records, CDs and memorabilia. With a wallet friendly Backroom Vinyl section for the music lover bargain hunter. VoxBox also sponsors Edinburgh's only serious record fair at Cafe Camino. Come along on Saturday 26th November. ALPINE WISH LIST 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 7 9 10 WISH LIST We’ve got Christmas covered PRESENTS THEATRE MARKETS COCKTAILS EATING OUT CLUBS FREE Christmas 2011 at macrobert A treat for every age and taste Jackie and the Beanstalk Written, directed by and starring Johnny McKnight One of Scotland’s best pantomimes 23 Nov – 7 Jan Tickets from only £11 To find out more about our panto, Christmas shows for under 5s and a special VIP panto party head to macrobert.org/christmas MACROBERT, UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING TICKETS 01786 466666 WWW.MACROBERT.ORG 5 York Place, Edinburgh 0131 558 7272 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow 0870 600 6055 THE COMEDY CLUB thestand.co.uk WISH LIST OH YES IT IS! PANTO SEASON From local celebs in drag, to witches, sweetie showers and enchanted forests, the Christmas theatre season reminds us we’re never too old for magic Words: Allan Radcliffe BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, Fri 25 Nov–Sat 31 Dec The Lyceum has a reputation for classy Christmas entertainment and this year’s offering is no exception. Neil Murray directs Stuart Paterson’s faithful version of the French fairytale in which a hideous beast surprises a merchant stealing his prized roses and forces him to send his beloved daughter to entertain the lonely monster in his castle. Belle and her new host strike up an unlikely friendship, but that’s thrown into jeopardy when the evil witch Crackjaw hatches a plan to destroy the Beast. A tale as old as time, given thrilling new life by the Lyceum’s Midas touch. CINDERELLA Dundee Rep, Tue 29 Nov–Sat 31 Dec Its the original rags-to-riches story, and perhaps the best loved of all panto staples, but Dundee Rep’s Cinderellacomes with a truly magical twist. Instead of toiling all day in the kitchen, in Phil Porter’s adaptation Cinders works for her father in a retirement home for elderly magicians and their assistants. When our heroine’s dreams of attending the royal ball are thwarted by her wicked stepsisters, she’s forced to turn to the retired magicians for help. But will their failing powers be up to the task of transforming Cinders from care assistant to fairy princess? MISTER MERLIN: A PURE MAGIC PANTO Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 2–Sat 31 Dec Having wowed audiences over the last couple of years with irreverent reworkings of traditional pantos, including Flo Whiteand Mother Bruce, the Tron’s 2011 seasonal offering is a (very) loose adaptation of the Arthurian legend. When Merlin’s magic wand is stolen by the Great Bahooky, as part of the baddie’s cunning plan to achieve wizard world domination, the bearded magic man turns to the Govan Fairy and his puppet pals to help him brave Castle Clabber and get his mojo back. Last performed over 20 years ago, Mister Merlin has been rewritten by creator Alex Norton, with Tron artistic director Andy Arnold at the helm. HANSEL & GRETEL Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 3 Dec–Sat 7 Jan With its plucky child heroes, cottage made of sweets and wanders through a spooky forest, Hansel and Gretel is one of the most thrilling of all festive stories. Yet, its themes – which include famine and cannibalism – have brought it a reputation as one of the darkest of the Grimm fairy tales. For writer Alan McHugh, much of the pleasure of adapting Hansel and Gretel for a family audience comes from this distinctive mix of light and dark. ‘I think children like to be frightened when they go to the theatre because it’s a “safe” kind of fear in that when the lights go back up, everything is OK again,’ he says. ‘We earn the right to visit these dark places if we give the audience enough fun to balance it out. It’s the journey we take them on, and how we reach that happy ending that keeps them engaged.’ One of the key innovations in this year’s show is the inclusion of original songs by composer Claire MacKenzie, who has been involved in the creative process right from the very first draft. ‘Once [director] Guy Hollands and I are happy with our structure, and have a working script, I sit down and write barrowloads of suggested lyrics and send these to Claire, which she then sculpts into songs around her musical ideas,’ says McHugh. ‘The songs are developed in very much the same way as the script, in that they are batted back and forward between us until we are all happy with what we’ve got.’ As McHugh acknowledges, one of the biggest challenges for panto-makers is holding attention spans. ‘If the adults see their children enjoying themselves, they can relax and lose themselves in the story, and become kids again for a couple of hours. Hansel and Gretel has all the ingredients necessary for this: goodies, baddies, mystery, magic, thrills, fun . . . and more than a hint of danger.’ list.co.uk WISH LIST DANIEL SLOSS COMEDIAN My Christmas Day has been exactly the same since I was five. We wake up early – 7 or 8 o’clock – in my parents’ house in Fife. Over the next few hours family members arrive – we seem to have more every year. Every member of the family gets a couch or a chair to put their presents on. The older you get the smaller your space gets – my space is on top of the telly now! About 5pm, Dad covers up our huge pool table with four boards and it’s transformed into the biggest dinner table ever. My best friend has been with us for the last few years, and we don’t eat much the day before to prepare ourselves. Mum prepares for weeks in advance, decorating the house and the tree. She gets the biggest turkey ever, parsnips, gravy, roast potatoes: the works. She makes so much we’re feeding off it for a week after. On Boxing Day my dad and I make the ‘Moist Maker’ with the leftovers. Three pieces of toasted bread crammed full of everything leftover: the toast in the middle is drenched in gravy. It could kill you, but I love it. Alcohol- wise, we start with mulled wine; then I move onto white wine, then a wee Baileys – because I am a bit of a girl. My mum loves a party game, so we have a ‘prize bin’ of items she’s collected throughout the year, and if anyone says anything even slightly funny, Mum shouts ‘Bring out the prize bin!’ and they get to pick out a prize. As the night goes on the younger kids go upstairs and the adults continue to drink: the Pictionary starts, the charades, the After Eight game . . . For me, though, it’s not just Christmas Day, it’s the run up too. Watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, or Home Alone with the family, and them all shouting at the telly: ‘Look it’s you!’ whenever Macaulay Culkin comes on screen, because they think I look like him. That’s Christmas. BRUCE DEVLIN COMEDIAN My extended family live up in Dundee so myself, Keith [my partner] and the dog head up on Christmas morning with the presents and to wish them Merry Christmas. At about half two, Keith and I begin the drive back home for our Christmas dinner in Edinburgh. I’ve always loved the Christmas dinner thing. People get their knickers in a knot, but you can commit to it as traditionally as you want, or not. I love the whole decorating the tree with a wee mulled wine and Keith loves cooking the turkey and trimmings. I love the fact it’s always freezing outside. As a wee boy I’d always associate watching Wizard of Oz with Christmas, and though I am not religious, I always watch the carol service on Christmas Eve on telly. I like being home for Christmas. One Christmas I ended up in Amsterdam doing a gig. I spent the festive season walking round the Museum of Sex and eating a McDonald’s before doing a gig at night with a stinking hangover. Never again! I like to be in Edinburgh and stay up late on Christmas Eve drinking a snowball or two and then going through the motions with the dog on the morning that Santa’s been. We have the tree all done up like a prostitute. After we’ve eaten turkey and all the trimmings, we get into our Primark sleep suits – they have feet and everything to keep you warm! – and watch the telly, while indulging in our drinks fountain, which I love. MARK MILLAR COMIC BOOK WRITER I’ve never understood those people who feel the urge to disappear for Christmas or talk about surviving the holidays. It’s like suffering through a delicious cake or enduring your favourite movie. Who doesn’t like time off work, hanging out with the people you love and getting loads of presents? It's mental. My birthday is Christmas Eve and because I have a big family Christmas tends to last about a week and a half by the time we see everyone. I'd love to say I’ve hit an age where I prefer to give than receive but have to admit that nothing thrills me more than tearing through a pile of presents at 6 in the morning. Like most people I think I try to make it as close to a childhood Christmas as possible, which means Broons and Oor Wullie books and a gadget to play with plus a couple of selection boxes for breakfast so I’m feeling sick at lunchtime. danielsloss.com; brucedevlin.co.uk; markmillarworld.tv WISH LIST TALKING TURKEY FESTIVE FOOD What does Christmas day mean to you? Do you really have to go traditional with turkey and trimmings? Will Chinese takeaway do the job just as well? We track down some familiar faces and hear what happens in their house on Jesus’ birthday Interviews: Anna Millar ‘WE HAVE THE TREE ALL DONE UP LIKE A PROSTITUTE’
Transcript of Christmas Guide Rate Card 2012 -...
CHRISTMAS GUIDE WISH LIST 2012
To book your advert now call 0131 550 3060
PUBLICATION DATE14 November 2012 FORMATA4, full colour DISTRIBUTION 22,000 copies (with extra distribution across independent stores)
LIST READERS The List has 66,500 regular readers
List readers have high levels of disposable income
In the average month, List readers will spend a whopping £8.3 million on consumer products (clothes, books, CDs etc)
Let us do the business for you!
COVERAGE7 weeks: Readers will hold onto and refer to the publication in the run up to Xmas and New Year
Glasgow & Edinburgh: Equal distribution in each city
THE GUIDE WILL FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS:1. Christmas giftsOur shopping experts give you ideas for the most covetable gifts. We do the trawling so you don’t have to. With a mix of independent outlets and high street stores, we find the perfect pressie for every personality. From glamour pusses to adrenaline junkies, there’s something for everyone. Complete with a directory of stockists.
2. Going OutWhat’s on: The List present the complete guide to special events to get you into the Christmas spirit. It will feature recommendations of pantos, seasonal shows, concerts, club nights and other things to do over the festive season. Get out and get merry! 3. EntertainingFood & Drink: It’s the season to eat, drink and be merry, so follow The List’s tips to make your Christmas dinner go with a bang. AD RATESFull page: £930Half page: £600Quarter page: £365Eighth page: £220 COPY & PAYMENT DEADLINEFriday 19 October
2011 THE LIST CHRISTMAS GUIDE 35
WISHLIST
STOCKBRIDGETake the chill out of winter this season and explore this stylish village in Edinburgh – it’s goteverything, from trendy independent boutiques with gifts galore, to homemade arts and craftsstores and well-stocked music shops. Then, after a hard day’s festive shopping, while away thewintry nights in one of the relaxing bars or restaurants with a Christmas cocktail in hand.
BLISS5 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HU,332 4605
Bliss was taken over by Louise McFarlanein July 2011, after she had worked there foralmost ten years before. Although Bliss isbest known as a good place to get babygifts, products for adults are making awelcome comeback. Brightly colouredhomewares from Scott Inness are available,plus Scottish Fine soaps and Nesshandbags. For children there are Jelly Cattoys, Toby Tiger organic clothes, Starchildshoes and lots of wooden toys for all ages.
GALERIE MIRAGES46A Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HL, 315 2603,galeriemirages.co.uk
Established in 1987, Galerie Mirages isStockbridge's best kept secret. Tuckedaway in a former 19th century bakehouse,it is an ideal place to shop this Christmasif you are looking for special and uniquegifts. There is an amazing range of silverdesigner Jewellery, semi-precious stones,fashion jewellery, accessories plusbeautiful Christmas decorations and giftscarefully sourced from around the world.
KISS THE FISH9 Dean Park Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1JN, 332 8912,kissthefishstudios.com
Delight your friends and family this yearwith handmade presents. You can drop into Kiss the Fish Studios and choose froma huge selection of animals, boxes,frames and letters ready to be decoratedwith paints, gorgeous ‘decopatch’papers, glitter and sparkles. Or why nottry your hand at mosaics, ceramics, felt-making or sewing at one of their adultworkshops?
HAMILTONS16-18 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh,EH3 5AU, 226 4199,hamiltonsedinburgh.co.uk
Rather than being upset by the cold,damp evenings, Hamilton’s have chosento embrace the season with a newChristmas menu; braised beef with blackpudding or roast butternut squash withcranberries and Strathdon Blue get ourvote. Pair these with hot buttered rum andyou’re in for a festive treat. Contact JennaRaffaelli at 556 4456 or [email protected]
EDEN18 North West Circus Place,Edinburgh, EH3 6SX, 225 5222,edenretail.co.uk
Independent fashion boutique Edenpresents an exclusively different selectionof designer womenswear, accessoriesand jewellery from Spain, Italy andbeyond. Labels include Desigual, HossIntropia, Selected Femme, B Young,Indiwoman by Individual and Anna Scott.Shop in-store or shop online atwww.edenretail.co.uk
ADVERTISING FEATURE
LUCIE FENTON GALLERY20a Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HN, 332 3999,[email protected]
Independent shopping at its best. LucieFenton Gallery features a handpickedrange of contemporary jewellery fromScottish designers and further afield.Original artwork and prints on show arefrom local artists including John Heywoodand Susan Mitchell. There is also a busyframing workshop offering a bespokeframing service.
THE RACONTEUR50 Dean Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1LQ, 343 3221,theraconteuredinburgh.com
The warm glow of the tavern lights extendthrough the dull haze of the winter evening.Upon entering you'll be enticed by theintoxicating aromas of cinnamon, vanillaand spiced fruits. The boys are serving upfresh warm, winter punches to help setback the winter cold. Keep an eye out forfuture wine evenings, the second birthdayevening and future goings-on, attheraconteurstockbridge on Facebook.
VOXBOX MUSIC21 St. Stephen Street, EdinburgH,EH3 5AN, voxboxmusic.co.uk
Edinburgh's newest music shop, sellingall genres of collectible records, CDs andmemorabilia. With a wallet friendlyBackroom Vinyl section for the musiclover bargain hunter. VoxBox alsosponsors Edinburgh's only seriousrecord fair at Cafe Camino. Come alongon Saturday 26th November.
2011 THE LIST CHRISTMAS GUIDE 31
ALPINE
WISHLIST
1
2
3
4
5
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8 1 Alpine stamp set,Yellow Owl Workshop
£20, from Red Door Gallery; 2 Dog santa suit £22 fromPresent; 3 Fox necklace£32, from Hannah Zakari;
4 Deer print by Orwell &Goode, £40 from The Shop
of Interest; 5 Velvet mountain
cushion (in navy, moss,mustard, red or teal) large
£70, or small £45, byBanderole; 6 Brooches byLouise Smurthwaite £8each, from Welcome Home;
7 Happy FuckingChristmas card, £2, or 5
for £7.50, Miso Funky; 8 Llama and pylon
pompon scarves £54-£58,from Hilary Grant; 9 Woodenbicycle mud guards £142
per pair, from SquareTree 10 Alpine hut sampler
£8.50, from Miso Funky
7
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WISHLISTWe’ve got Christmas covered
PRESENTSTHEATREMARKETS
COCKTAILSEATING OUT
CLUBS
FREE
Christmas 2011at macrobertA treat for every age and taste
Jackie and the BeanstalkWritten, directed by and starring Johnny McKnight
One of Scotland’s best pantomimes
23 Nov – 7 JanTickets from only £11
To find out more about our panto,Christmas shows for under 5s anda special VIP panto party head to macrobert.org/christmas
MACROBERT, UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING
TICKETS 01786 466666WWW.MACROBERT.ORG
5 York Place, Edinburgh0131 558 7272
333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow0870 600 6055
T H E
COMEDY CLUBthestand.co.uk
2011 THE LIST CHRISTMAS GUIDE 13
WISHLIST
OH YES IT IS!PANTO SEASON
From local celebs in drag, to witches, sweetie showers and enchanted forests, theChristmas theatre season reminds us we’re never too old for magic Words: Allan Radcliffe
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, Fri 25 Nov–Sat 31 Dec
The Lyceum has a reputation for classy Christmasentertainment and this year’s offering is no exception.Neil Murray directs Stuart Paterson’s faithful versionof the French fairytale in which a hideous beastsurprises a merchant stealing his prized roses andforces him to send his beloved daughter to entertainthe lonely monster in his castle. Belle and her newhost strike up an unlikely friendship, but that’s throwninto jeopardy when the evil witch Crackjaw hatches aplan to destroy the Beast. A tale as old as time, giventhrilling new life by the Lyceum’s Midas touch.
CINDERELLADundee Rep, Tue 29 Nov–Sat 31 Dec
Its the original rags-to-riches story, and perhaps thebest loved of all panto staples, but Dundee Rep’sCinderella comes with a truly magical twist. Insteadof toiling all day in the kitchen, in Phil Porter’sadaptation Cinders works for her father in aretirement home for elderly magicians and theirassistants. When our heroine’s dreams of attendingthe royal ball are thwarted by her wickedstepsisters, she’s forced to turn to the retiredmagicians for help. But will their failing powers beup to the task of transforming Cinders from careassistant to fairy princess?
MISTER MERLIN: A PURE MAGIC PANTOTron Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 2–Sat 31 Dec
Having wowed audiences over the last couple of yearswith irreverent reworkings of traditional pantos,including Flo White and Mother Bruce, the Tron’s 2011seasonal offering is a (very) loose adaptation of theArthurian legend. When Merlin’s magic wand is stolenby the Great Bahooky, as part of the baddie’s cunningplan to achieve wizard world domination, the beardedmagic man turns to the Govan Fairy and his puppetpals to help him brave Castle Clabber and get his mojoback. Last performed over 20 years ago, Mister Merlinhas been rewritten by creator Alex Norton, with Tronartistic director Andy Arnold at the helm.
HANSEL & GRETELCitizens Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 3 Dec–Sat 7 Jan
With its plucky child heroes, cottage made of sweets and wandersthrough a spooky forest, Hansel and Gretel is one of the mostthrilling of all festive stories. Yet, its themes – which include famineand cannibalism – have brought it a reputation as one of thedarkest of the Grimm fairy tales. For writer Alan McHugh, much ofthe pleasure of adapting Hansel and Gretel for a family audiencecomes from this distinctive mix of light and dark.
‘I think children like to be frightened when they go to the theatrebecause it’s a “safe” kind of fear in that when the lights go back up,everything is OK again,’ he says. ‘We earn the right to visit thesedark places if we give the audience enough fun to balance it out. It’sthe journey we take them on, and how we reach that happy endingthat keeps them engaged.’
One of the key innovations in this year’s show is the inclusion oforiginal songs by composer Claire MacKenzie, who has beeninvolved in the creative process right from the very first draft.‘Once [director] Guy Hollands and I are happy with our structure,and have a working script, I sit down and write barrowloads ofsuggested lyrics and send these to Claire, which she then sculptsinto songs around her musical ideas,’ says McHugh. ‘The songs aredeveloped in very much the same way as the script, in that they arebatted back and forward between us until we are all happy withwhat we’ve got.’
As McHugh acknowledges, one of the biggest challenges forpanto-makers is holding attention spans. ‘If the adults see theirchildren enjoying themselves, they can relax and lose themselves inthe story, and become kids again for a couple of hours. Hansel andGretel has all the ingredients necessary for this: goodies, baddies,mystery, magic, thrills, fun . . . and more than a hint of danger.’
list.co.uk
WISHLIST
2011 THE LIST CHRISTMAS GUIDE 21
DANIEL SLOSSCOMEDIAN
My Christmas Day has beenexactly the same since I wasfive. We wake up early – 7 or 8
o’clock – in my parents’ house in Fife. Overthe next few hours family members arrive – weseem to have more every year. Every memberof the family gets a couch or a chair to puttheir presents on. The older you get the smalleryour space gets – my space is on top of thetelly now! About 5pm, Dad covers up our hugepool table with four boards and it’stransformed into the biggest dinner table ever.My best friend has been with us for the lastfew years, and we don’t eat much the daybefore to prepare ourselves. Mum prepares forweeks in advance, decorating the house and thetree. She gets the biggest turkey ever, parsnips,gravy, roast potatoes: the works. She makes somuch we’re feeding off it for a week after. OnBoxing Day my dad and I make the ‘MoistMaker’ with the leftovers. Three pieces oftoasted bread crammed full of everythingleftover: the toast in the middle is drenched ingravy. It could kill you, but I love it. Alcohol-wise, we start with mulled wine; then I moveonto white wine, then a wee Baileys – becauseI am a bit of a girl. My mum loves a partygame, so we have a ‘prize bin’ of items she’scollected throughout the year, and if anyonesays anything even slightly funny, Mum shouts‘Bring out the prize bin!’ and they get to pickout a prize. As the night goes on the youngerkids go upstairs and the adults continue todrink: the Pictionary starts, the charades, theAfter Eight game . . . For me, though, it’s notjust Christmas Day, it’s the run up too.
Watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, orHome Alone with the family, and them allshouting at the telly: ‘Look it’s you!’ wheneverMacaulay Culkin comes on screen, becausethey think I look like him. That’s Christmas.
BRUCE DEVLINCOMEDIAN
My extended family live up inDundee so myself, Keith [my
partner] and the dog head up on Christmasmorning with the presents and to wish themMerry Christmas. At about half two, Keithand I begin the drive back home for ourChristmas dinner in Edinburgh. I’ve alwaysloved the Christmas dinner thing. People gettheir knickers in a knot, but you can committo it as traditionally as you want, or not. Ilove the whole decorating the tree with a weemulled wine and Keith loves cooking theturkey and trimmings. I love the fact it’salways freezing outside. As a wee boy I’dalways associate watching Wizard of Oz withChristmas, and though I am not religious, Ialways watch the carol service on ChristmasEve on telly. I like being home for Christmas.One Christmas I ended up in Amsterdamdoing a gig. I spent the festive season walkinground the Museum of Sex and eating aMcDonald’s before doing a gig at night witha stinking hangover. Never again! I like to be
in Edinburgh and stay up late on ChristmasEve drinking a snowball or two and thengoing through the motions with the dog onthe morning that Santa’s been. We have thetree all done up like a prostitute. After we’veeaten turkey and all the trimmings, we getinto our Primark sleep suits – they have feetand everything to keep you warm! – andwatch the telly, while indulging in our drinksfountain, which I love.
MARK MILLARCOMIC BOOK WRITER
I’ve never understood thosepeople who feel the urge to
disappear for Christmas or talk aboutsurviving the holidays. It’s like sufferingthrough a delicious cake or enduring yourfavourite movie. Who doesn’t like time offwork, hanging out with the people you loveand getting loads of presents? It's mental. Mybirthday is Christmas Eve and because I havea big family Christmas tends to last about aweek and a half by the time we see everyone.I'd love to say I’ve hit an age where I prefer togive than receive but have to admit thatnothing thrills me more than tearing througha pile of presents at 6 in the morning. Likemost people I think I try to make it as close toa childhood Christmas as possible, whichmeans Broons and Oor Wullie books and agadget to play with plus a couple of selectionboxes for breakfast so I’m feeling sick atlunchtime.
danielsloss.com; brucedevlin.co.uk;markmillarworld.tv
WISHLIST
TALKINGTURKEY
FESTIVE FOOD
What does Christmas day mean to you? Do you really have to go traditional with turkeyand trimmings? Will Chinese takeaway do the job just as well? We track down somefamiliar faces and hear what happens in their house on Jesus’ birthday Interviews: Anna Millar
‘WE HAVE THE TREE ALL DONE UPLIKE A PROSTITUTE’
Christmas Guide Rate Card 2012.indd 1Christmas Guide Rate Card 2012.indd 1 18/09/2012 14:4218/09/2012 14:42
