2011 In WWE

The year 2011 has been a memorable one in WWE. Almost every major star who could have made an appearance did so; some shocking incidents have taken place; and a number of stunning matches went down. These are my WWE Awards for the year of 2011:

Wrestler Of The Year: Randy Orton. The Viper has had great bouts with the likes of The Miz, CM Punk, Christian, Dolph Ziggler and more. Arguably his best year to date, The Legend Killer was the Man in 2011.

Rivalry Of The Year: Randy Orton vs Christian. As entertaining as John Cena vs The Rock was at times, it won't result in a singles match until 2012. Orton vs Christian, though, dominated SmackDown for months, running through four Pay-Per-Views, and with every match (including at least two on SD) being of a high quality.

Ultimate Moment Of The Year: The Rock's Return. On February 14, 2011, FINALLY, The Rock returned to Raw after seven years. Originally the host of WM XXVII, The Great One eventually agreed to face John Cena at WM 28, and returned to the ring at Survivor Series. But none of it would have happened had the People's Champion not shaken WWE up on Valentine's Day 2011.

Event Of The Year: Money In The Bank 2011. Featuring two great Money In The Bank Ladder matches, a win that set Mark Henry up to rule SmackDown for the rest of 2011, one of the battles between Randy Orton and Christian, and a memorable and significant main event between John Cena and CM Punk, MITB 2011 was not only the show of the year, but one of the best WWE events in recent years, if not ever.

Surprise Of The Year: Edge's Retirement. Rumours had spread that Edge would retire in the near future, but no-one expected it just eight days after WrestleMania. Retiring as World Champion, with his last match being a victory at WM, the Rated R Superstar went out as high as he possibly could.

Commentator Of The Year: William Regal. The Blackpool-born Superstar usually had something witty and interesting to say on NXT each week, and seemed genuinely interested in the show, unlike some announcers.

Shock Of The Year: Triple H becoming COO. When Vince McMahon walked to the ring on the July 18 Raw, seemingly to fire John Cena, few could have predicted that the show would end with HHH returning and "relieving Vince of his duties", and giving The Game total control over WWE.

Disappointment Of The Year: Sin Cara. When the Mexican arrived, it seemed that a newer version of Rey Mysterio was in WWE, and would eventually lead to Cara vs Rey at WM 28. As it turned out, Cara ended up earning a reputation for the wrong reasons when trying to pull off high-risk moves, then got suspended, and finally injured himself at Survivor Series doing a dive over the ropes, putting him out until long after WrestleMania. (Mind you, Mysterio is also injured for months, so that match would never have happened anyway.)

Unsolved Mystery Of The Year: The Anonymous Raw General Manager. So, who was he/she?

Low Point Of The Year: The death of Randy Savage. Savage's death alone was sad. Even sadder was that he was never inducted into the Hall Of Fame when he was alive, and sadder still was that, just before his death, Savage seemed to be on good terms with WWE for the first time since 1994 (he participated in a commercial for the WWE All-Stars game). Great wrestlers will come and go, but there will never, ever be another Macho Man.

Catch Phrase Of The Year: "Woo Woo Woo! You Know It!" Nowadays, top WWE stars don't have catch phrases, so this award goes to the tagline for Zach Ryder. Admittedly, he started using it in 2009, but when crowds of 10,000+ start chanting it, it means that it has caught on.

Interview Of The Year: CM Punk, June 27 Raw. In the course of one promo, Punk went from just another No. 1 Contender (albeit one supposedly leaving WWE) to one of the most-talked about wrestlers in, erm, wrestling. All the momentum that would carry him to two WWE Titles and a permanent top spot on Raw came from this one interview.

Warmly Received Occurence Of The Year: Daniel Bryan cashing in Money In The Bank. After a two-year period which saw Daniel Bryan start in WWE on NXT, despite his reputation, then fired days after the debut of the Nexus, followed by a return to become U.S. Champ, getting moved off the WrestleMania card, winning MITB, then struggle for TV time, all whilst receiving constant criticism from Michael Cole, many were more than satisfied when DBryan became World Heavyweight Champion at TLC.

Forgotten Moment Of The Year: A tie. It's either Dolph Ziggler's 10-minute World Title reign on SmackDown in February, or The Miz's short-lived decision to have an upside-down WWE Title between March and May. Actually, scrap that: it's Miz and John Cena's 5-minute Tag Title reign in February. Seriously, does anyone still remember that?

Mess-up Of The Year: The November 7 Raw Main Event. I was actually in attendance for this, in Liverpool. Awesome Truth beat John Cena and Zach Ryder when R-Truth booted Cena, and Miz held Cena's legs down for the three count. Only, it must have gone wrong because within minutes, the match was restarted (without a bell), and the sequence was repeated. Even worse, though, the ref's count went wrong (!), so the three count itself had to be repeated again. Cena afterwards complained on the microphone that "That wasn't even a match", presumably to divert attention from what the fans had just witnessed (of course, only one heavily-edited version was screened). The illusion must have been shattered for some fans that night.

OMG! Moment Of The Year: The ring collapse. At Vengeance, Mark Henry suplexed Big Show off the top rope down onto the ring, which exploded as a result. Having previously seen this with Show and Brock Lesnar, it was slightly predictable beforehand, but it was still an epic way to end a Title match.

What? Moment Of The Year: Booker T. Just before the Henry-Show match at Vengeance, Booker T tried to mention Mark Henry's recent win over John Morrison, but couldn't remember Morrison's name, referring to him as the "Parkour kid", and asking his fellow commentators who he was. This, after Morrison had been in WWE, on and off, for nearly nine years. What?

Chant Of The Year: Fruity Pebbles. Only in WWE would you get thousands of people chanting for a breakfast cereal.

Drag-Out Of The Year: NXT Season 5. At time of writing, it has lasted over 40 weeks, despite only being a Redemption series wherein the winner only gets to choose his Pro for Season 6. In addition, past NXT rookies have returned without explanation; the weekly competitions have disappeared; and the three remaining rookies have been featured on other shows anyway (being promoted to another brand is meant to be the prize). Hopefully, this will be finished soon.

Most Annoying Wrestler/Wrestling Personality Of The Year: Michael Cole. No explanation necessary.

Celebrity Of The Year (If you don't count The Rock): The Muppets. Seriously, they made Raw more entertaining on Halloween, which most celebs on Raw have failed to do.

Storyline Of The Year: CM Punk leaving WWE. What started off as an interesting plot ended up as a major development which saw some groundbreaking on-air comments, Punk establishing himself as a top name, Vince McMahon losing his on-air duties, HHH making a return, and by SummerSlam, two people claiming to be WWE Champion, which in itself ended with a Money In The Bank cash-in by Alberto Del Rio. This was something which made Raw well worth watching over July and August.

Tag Team Of The Year: Air Boom. Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston have made a good partnership, and will hopefully continue their reign as WWE Tag Team Champs.

Most Short-Lived Partnership Of The Year: Hunico, Epico and Primo. On the November 11 SmackDown (which I also attended in Liverpool), the three teamed up to take out The Uso's. This would, strangely, be the only time that they were together. Primo and Epico are still together, though, which is something.

Most Unexpected Return Of The Year: Bull Buchanan on the November 14 Raw Gets Rocked special. I thought Brian Christopher/Lawler had got this one when he appeared in the run-up to WM XXVII, but at least he was related to a current WWE employee (Jerry Lawler). Buchanan, though, was only John Cena's partner (as B2) for a few weeks in 2002/2003. Not to suggest this was a great moment or anything, but let's be honest: who expected to see Bull Buchanan on Raw in 2011?

Most Pointless Event: CM Punk's match changing for Night Of Champions. I could understand if CM Punk went from facing Kevin Nash at Night Of Champions to meeting Triple H if the change was made one week later, or even later in the week. But, to do so on the same show, the question is: why?

Rewriting History Occurence Of The Year: Hornswoggle learning to talk. After winning an All I Want For Christmas Battle Royal on the 29/11/2011 SmackDown, Hornswoggle developed the power of speech. But wasn't he speaking clearly at WrestleMania XXVII? And when he was DX's mascot? And, going way back, occasionally when he was Finlay's sidekick? And . . . oh, never mind.

Unintentionally Hilarious Remark Of The Year: Jack Korpela. On an Autumn episode of NXT, after a run-in by Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks on The Uso's, Korpela remarked: "The Party-Starter and The Dreadlock Demolition Crew!" Somehow, this was said with a straight face (or maybe it wasn't).

Most Missed Wrestler Of The Year: Chris Jericho. Although big WWE names have been absent for a while now, it became noticeable once Y2J departed in September 2010. The rumour mill says, however, that he may be back soon. Possibly at Royal Rumble?

Notable Absentee Of The Year: The Undertaker. WM XXVII aside, The Phenom has had no - ZERO - matches this year, mainly due to injuries. Will UT only now compete at WrestleMania, to defend his Streak? Might a "proper" return soon be on the cards? Or could it be at his 19th WM win in Atlanta was the end of the road for the Dead Man? Time will tell.

Welcome Return Of The Year: The classic Intercontinental Title. The version that Cody Rhodes unveiled at Hell In A Cell was actually a bit more updated than the original, but it was still good to see a comeback of sorts for the belt worn by the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and the Ultimate Warrior.

Non-Event That Should Have Been An Event Of The Year: The Raw Supershow. On August 29, Triple H announced that SmackDown wrestlers would appear on Raw, making it a Raw Supershow. However, whilst the likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus began appearing regularly on Monday nights, it didn't make much difference, and the favour wasn't returned in the form of Raw wrestlers appearing on SD every week. Unless the plan is to scrap the Brand Extension in 2012, hopefully this will be jazzed up, since at this point the Draft seems pointless.

Ironic Thing That Isn't Necessarily Good Of The Year: Superstars. The WWE show Superstars mainly features opening-match talent, wrestlers from NXT, or those for whom there was no space on Raw or SmackDown that week. No real story developments, nor major names like Cena, Orton or Punk. In other words, the show Superstars has no Superstars.

In And Out Wrestler Of The Year: Kharma. Before May began, Kharma was awaiting her debut. By the end of the month, she had made her debut, destroyed most Divas, but then left due to pregnancy. On the bright side, Kharma's in-ring debut will finally come some time in 2012.

Non-Existent Character Of The Year: Little Jimmy. We never saw him (unless you count the person at Capitol Punishment), nor do we even know what he looks like. But, for over 7 months, not a week on Raw would go by without a reference to Little Jimmy by R-Truth.

Apparently Unimportant Occurence Of The Year: Kaitlyn turning on AJ. This betrayal between friends was so significant, WWE didn't even air it, despite it taking place during a SmackDown taping.

Forgotten Prop Of The Year: The Cole Mine. Remember that?

Most Embarrassing Moment Of The Year: Trish Stratus' impression of The Rock and Booker T at Elimination Chamber. Not the best way to return after a near-18 month absence from WWE.

Funniest Moment Of The Year: The Rock. There weren't any stand-out hilarious events, either intentionally (Steve Austin singing with a guitar) or unintentionally (Mark Henry chasing the Nexus, but ending up in front of them). So, choose any lines that were spoken by The Rock, mainly as insults towards The Miz and/or John Cena. Mind you, CM Punk's "tribute" to John Laurinitis at the Slammy Awards was also quite humorous.

I Meant To Do That Moment Of The Year: Mark Henry. The World's Strongest Man fought Randy Orton on the October 13 Raw, when Cody Rhodes caused a DQ. Orton fought Cody away, but then was struck by Henry and his World's Strongest Slam. Then, the World Heavyweight Champion pinned Orton. After the match was over.

Least Memorable Period Of The Year: May. Extreme Rules and Over The Limit both took place during this month; but on-screen, I can only really remember Christian winning the World Title, The Rock's Birthday and the Randy Orton vs Christian matches as being noteworthy.

Unusual PPV Advert Of The Year: TLC. Not so much the advert itself, but David Otunga being the main face on it. Which is kind of like next season's Premier League coverage on Sky being advertised by Tottenham's Heurelio Gomes, in terms of current recognition.

Whatever Happened To That Guy Of The Year: Husky Harris. He was Punted by Randy Orton on the January 31 Raw, and hasn't been seen since.

Forward Planning Of The Year: Chris Masters. Or, rather, WWE's decision to feature The Masterpiece in the advert for SummerSlam, and then fire him before the show.

Rising Star Of The Year: Zack Ryder. I was going to say Daniel Bryan, but having already discussed his annum, the award goes to Zack, who started 2011 as someone waiting to be fired, but via a YouTube series, got fan support, then TV time, and by TLC, the US Title. Woo woo woo!

Pointless Championship Of The Year: United States Title. Nothing to do with Zack Ryder; and this seems hypocritical after saying Ryder is Rising Star of the Year for winning this Championship. But, still, especially with SmackDown wrestlers appearing on Raw, is there really any point to the US Title now? Ideally, the US Champ would face the Intercontinental Champ at WrestleMania in a Title Unification match, with the IC Titleholder winning and keeping his Title in existence (since it has been in WWE since 1979; why dump that for a belt which spent much of its lifespan outside WWE?). Something similar should happen with the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles - but that's another story for another time.

Fan Sign Of The Year: Vince, Please Buy Everton FC. Apparently things are getting desperate at Goodison Park. Yes, this was in Liverpool.

Biggest Drop Of The Year: John Morrison. At the start of 2011, he was No. 1 Contender to the WWE Title. He didn't become Champ, nor earn a Title shot at WrestleMania. Then, after apparently snubbing Trish Stratus at WM, and another failed opportunity, he was injured for months. When he returned, he went on a losing streak, winning one match in about four or five months. Finally, he lost on November 28 to The Miz, and then left WWE.

DVD Of The Year: Stone Cold Steve Austin. The DVD alone has almost 10 hours of coverage, including a career spanning documentary, a number of Austin's greatest matches, and a disc full of promos. One of the best WWE DVDs ever.

Hairstyle Of The Year: Sheamus. Mind you, there was Dolph Ziggler's one-week haircut in April, which, erm, made no difference at all. Anyway, Shemaus beats stiff competition from Mr Ziggles and Zach "Take Care, Spike Your Hair" Ryder.

Gang Of The Year: The Corre. Actually, Wade Barrett's army was the only proper stable, since The New Nexus died a slow, painful death; the Alberto Del Rio/John Laurinitis alliance never materialised; and there weren't any other groups. So, a gang that lost in 1:28 at WM XXVII was the year's best. Not a highlight of 2011, really.

From Out Of Nowhere Award: John Laurinitis. At the beginning of 2011, he wasn't known to WWE fans. In July, he began appearing in a minor role. Now, he is the Interim General Manager of Raw. Not bad, that.

Most Successful Wrestler Of The Year: Alberto Del Rio. A Royal Rumble, Money In The Bank and two WWE Title wins, plus a World Championship match at WrestleMania; ADR couldn't have done much more.

More Muscles Than Brains Of The Year: Mason Ryan. Have you ever seen anyone THAT muscular before?

Change For The Better Of The Year: 40-Man Royal Rumble. Extending the field meant a longer and, consequently, more enjoyable edition of the most anticipated match of the year.

Comeback Of The Year: The Rock. Well, there isn't anyone else, is there? Well, there's Kevin Nash, but at time of writing he has only a Rumble cameo and a one-minute match with Santino Marella under his belt. And Mick Foley's only been back for a little while.

And lastly . . .

Match Of The Year: The Undertaker vs Triple H, WrestleMania XXVII. Although the Orton vs Christian rivalry produced a number of great bouts, this showdown at WrestleMania was the most anticipated, the most memorable and the most exciting match of 2011. Taker went 19-0, but only after taking a ferocious beating from The Game. The Streak has never come close to ending, and there may be a rematch in 2012. Perhaps not to the level of the WM meetings between Taker and Shawn Michaels, but still the best match of WrestleMania 27, and of the year 2011 in WWE.

So, as you can see, it's been quite an eventful year in WWE. It was probably more momentous than 2010, and 2009 for that matter. As for what 2012 may provide: well, we already know the WrestleMania XXVIII Main Event, and have done since, well, the night after WrestleMania XXVII. So, a bit of the buzz that normally brings in the New Year is absent.

What is known, however, is that a number of familiar faces are set to return soon, which should make things interesting. If 2012 does see the end of the Draft, then that should also make a difference. In fact, after a year which saw The Rock come back to the ring, CM Punk speak his mind on WWE and Triple H take over the company, just about anything is possible.

I will focus more on possible 2012 developments in a future blog, as well as a "proper" month-by-month review of this annum; but, for now, that's  all on WWE in a memorable and unpredictable 2011.

It's Christmassssssssssssss!

It's that time of year again. The weather turns ice cold, the shops get packed, and G.O.L.D repeats festive editions of Only Fools and Horses on an almost hourly basis. Actually, that last one applies to the rest of the year as well.

 

Anyway, Christmas is coming and, at time of writing, is only 12 days away. I wrote a blog a while back about how certain people begin preparing for Christmas a little early (some stores began interviewing people for Christmas jobs in August; I know because I was one of them), and without doubt there is something nice about seeing the Xmas items gradually build up, from decorations to music to the sale of cards, but once it gets to December, that's when you know Christmas is coming, and every day that goes by is one giant step closer to Christmas Day.

 

Sometimes, I write a blog without necessarily knowing what direction it is going in. This piece falls under that label, as I am using this write-up to discuss why I personally enjoy Christmas, and why growing up doesn't change the feeling I get around this time of year. So, don't expect to see a template of how to write the perfect blog here, but hopefully my thoughts on Christmas may bring back some positive ones for you.

 

Something I always like to point out is why Xmas is celebrated at all. People do seem to lose sight of this, so I should remind people that Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, in a stable in Bethlehem, on December 25 over 2,000 years ago. It's easy to forget due to the way in which Christmas has become a basis for presents, staff parties and TV specials, but the fact is that Christmas is, more than anything, about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

 

I remember years ago, back when I went to Junior School, once it got to December you began counting down the weeks to the birth of Christ with the Advent Wreath. Three red (or white) candles, one lit each week, followed by the purple one right before you broke up. Each week, with each passing candle, you realised that Xmas was getting closer, and in a strange way, I anticipated the lighting of each candle. By the time you got to purple, it was only days away, so there was a sense of excitement when that final candle was lit. Well, to me, anyway. Hey, it's better than getting excited over the Xmas work-related drinking session that ends in chaos.

 

Although this isn't carried on in work environments, I try to always remember this by attending the Christmas Eve Mass. It's a good reminder of what Christmas is really about, and ensures that, despite the changes in your lifestyle, and indeed your life, you never forget the reason why we celebrate Xmas - and, really, why we're all here today.

 

Something else that gets me thinking about Christmas is when the music TV channels begin airing the Xmas tunes. This is a relatively new practice, but while I have heard Wizzard or Slade as early as October in some places, when it gets to mid-November and I start seeing music videos for Band Aid and Cliff Richard, that's when I think "Christmas is coming now". I enjoy most of the songs, and even the ones I don't, I still listen to. Something strange is how, literally overnight, I go from loving them to feeling like there's been a death; once it gets to Boxing Day, or at least the 27th or 28th of December, for some reason I can't listen to them then. But, from mid-October onwards, I try to listen to them as much as possible, because within a few weeks the CDs used by the TV channels will go back gathering dust in the drawer. Okay, I may overdo it at times, certain VH1 hosts don't have the strongest connection to Xmas, and by Christmas itself people are probably sick and tired of hearing them, but without them, a lot of the anticipation over Xmas would be lost.

 

That gets me onto the subject of people who complain about Christmas coming early. Whether it's decorations, songs or something else, there seems to be a common dislike of certain aspects of Christmas - at least, at a particular point in time. I worked in a Christmas store twice, and often heard comments in mid-October about "Christmas, this early?" and "It's a bit early to be playing Xmas songs, isn't it?" Many of these were said jokingly, but occasionally I did hear a few who seemed genuinely angry. I wouldn't like to be around them when something really terrible or frustrating happened. Actually, it was the end of November - in other words, on the countdown to Christmas - when someone moaned about the existence of the store because "It's not even December yet". Crikey, if the world lived by that phiosophy, Lent would only be three weeks long, the World Cup qualifiers would start ten days beforehand, and the X Factor would only last three months. For those who complain, especially when it is getting close to Xmas, I would suggest maybe trying to get a little more Festive, or at least a little more understanding, because there's a reason why Christmas is celebrated so far in advance: many people enjoy it.

 

Whether it's kids anticipating the presents, young people getting drunk, or adults meeting up with relatives, for most people Christmas is special for a reason. To me, I have found it interesting how my own, personal perspective of the big day has changed. When I was younger, I loved every present I received. As I got a little older, I wanted specific gifts, and rightly or wrongly, got a right cob-on if I never received them. Later on, I realised that money is actually a good present, and not just an excuse to not buy a present. Then, some time ago, I started realising that, at some point in life, you're meant to actually buy people presents, as opposed to just giving them (if you know what I mean). Now, at age 23, I actually get a sense of excitement about purchasing gifts, and often begin planning months in advance so that, when the time is right and the best price has been discovered, I begin stocking up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the second coming of Santa Claus (I do show some restraint), and I still receive gifts myself, but it's part of a natural evolution that at one point I wouldn't have considered, yet I now realise happens to everyone.

 

Speaking of Santa: regardless of whether you think of him as the guy off the cartoon similar in vein to The Snowman (I still enjoy watching them, by the way), the man at the Grotto in Lewis's (well, before it shut), or the uncle who dresses up as him on Xmas to be funny but ends up falling over and making a wally of himself, his existence adds a lot to Christmas. Okay, I know the truth (I wasn't prepared to hear it in a middle of an English lesson at age 8; I told people that I didn't believe in him, when really I did, and was left looking like I'd just bet £1,000 on Man Utd to win the Champion's League), but without Santa, Christmas would mean a lot less. As you grow up, maybe it doesn't matter, but when you're younger, Santa adds a lot of appeal to the event. When I think of Santa, I think, like everyone else, of the character drawn up by someone one day at Coca-Cola.

 

Oh, yes, Coca-Cola. It doesn''t matter whether you're three, 23 or 73: if you're watching TV and you see an advert that starts with "Holidays are coming, holidays are coming", you can't help but get excited. It was better years ago when it lasted longer and had a better ending (Santa whispering to the kid, rather than a white Coke bottle on a plain red background), but for some reason that one advert can make a lot of people excited. Seriously: it was on the other week, and within minutes my Facebook page was filled with comments about it. It was great, then, to see the truck itself in Liverpool not long ago. Okay, it wasn't snowing, Santa wasn't there, and THAT song wasn't playing, but it still felt good to see it.

 

On the subject of adverts: Christmas adverts are an interesting thing. In August or September, you may get a hamper advert (why do they never advertise for THIS year; by next December, you'll have forgotten about them). By October, possibly the odd couple of adverts for new products (such as CDs, or Comedy DVDs: I swear the entire Top 20 Chart in ASDA the other week was full of stand-up shows. Not that I'm complaining). But now, in December, virtually every ad is Christmas-related. Whether it's creating a feeling of excitement (Coca-Cola), using humour (the Irn-Bru one where the Snowman drops the person he's flying with to get a can of Irn-Bru made me laugh), or just something simple that captures the feeling of Christmas (most of them), although the adverts are, erm, advertising their products, to me they are succeeding more in promoting Christmas.

 

As for what else I enjoy: of course, there's TV and films. Most programmes have had Christmas specials or an Xmas theme (The Simpsons' first ever episode was a Christmas special), but the really good ones manage to not just base the story around Xmas, but make the specials themselves a staple of the Winter. Only Fools and Horses was great at it: I mentioned earlier that G.O.L.D has them on permanently, but during December, they are very enjoyable to watch on a nightly basis. Ironically, the best ones may have been shows that weren't related to Christmas. The one I prefer is The Jolly Boys Outing, which probably had more funny moments than three or four of the specials combined that will be on BBC1 this year. Other specials I enjoyed, or continue to enjoy, include The Royal Family (the 2008 and 2009 shows were hilarious) and Father Ted (which is on Channel 4 every year, mainly because it is really funny). To be honest, though, most shows seem funnier at Xmas, whether it's because of the Christmas theme, the normally longer episodes, or the general jolly feeling that you get when watching them on the day.

 

As for films: in recent years, I haven't had as much time as I would like to watch Christmas movies, but when I do, my own personal favourites are, unsurprisingly, the likes of Home Alone, erm, Home Alone 2, and Jingle All The Way. Sometimes, I wish I could write a Christmas film, because when you watch them, they capture the feeling of Christmas in a really magical way. Back in Senior School, an old teacher of mine did a film quiz, based on movies being screened over Xmas, wherein you had to guess the film from the drawing, and whoever got the most won something like £20. I never got all of them, and I never found out who won each year (actually, I never found out if anyone won), but it was something else that created an air of excitement around Christmas.

 

Strangely, I also get a bit of joy seeing the pre-programme channel Idents. You know, when it has a scene of a Christmas pudding or a tree and the BBC logo comes in; things like that are pleasing to see. The best ones were in the mid-1990s, but there are still some good ones today (like the Sky Sports snowmen). There's a website called TV Ark (http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/): if you have the time, and see some of the old ones, it really does bring back memories. Well, to me, anyway.

 

And, finally, there's the gifts. To youngsters, this is what Christmas is all about. The advent calendars, the music and the parties are all great; but the presents are what make Christmas Day itself a success or a failure. For me, personally, years ago I always had a "main" gift, usually a computer game or something, which was the thing I wanted most. When I was younger, I would get a lot of things in bulk; but, due to age and prices, this unsurprisingly would decrease over time. My favourite gifts were ones that I truly never expected; either I wanted them but assumed I wouldn't have them, or something I simply didn't expect. These were mainly big presents, like the Super Nintendo and a PC, but also more modest items like a Liverpool Away shirt. I also had a tradition wherein there were some "night" presents, so as to prevent boredom and tears once everything was opened by 11 am.

 

Of course, over time, you realise that some gifts aren't possible, and that no matter what you get, the main thing is that the person giving the present has made the effort. (Which reminds me of Bottom's Xmas show when the line "It's the thought that counts" is humourously responded to with "No, it's not, it's the size that counts!") And, when it's your turn, well to me anyway, the effort that is put into finding the right gift for the right person makes you realise how relatives must have felt giving to you years ago, and how disappointed they'd be if you told them the gifts were awful. Similarly, if I were to receive a similar response after buying a present, I would feel bad. So, over time, I have learned to appreciate gifts more. When you're young, it's hard to understand, but as you get older, you go around the life cycle, and once you're in that position, you realise why, whether it's a PS3 or a novelty tie, every present should be appreciated, as should the person giving it.

 

And so should Christmas. Some say they're glad when it's over, but there's no other time of the year like it. Not everyone will have an interest in the Premier League, or Coronation Street, or Britain's Got Talent, but everyone will have some sort of reason to anticipate and enjoy Christmas. And, as you can see, there's plenty of reasons why I enjoy Christmas - and I could have written a lot more (I didn't mention Advent Calendars much, or Selection Packs, or Carols, or Xmas dinner, or New Year celebrations, or . . . ). I may not be at the age now where I write my Lists in July (which I once did, by the way, many years ago), but I don't think you ever outgrow a feeling that Christmas is special.

 

So, the shops began selling the Xmas range in August. Christmas Temps began working in September. The tunes came on in October. The lights came on in November. Now, in December, as Christmas shopping reaches its annual peak, the TV Specials have started, and the annual parties are in full flow, there is only 12 days before someone can finally quote Slade and shout:

 

"It's Christmassssssssssssss!"

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from someone for whom Christmas will always be cause to celebrate.