I’ll stick with Noddy and the boys and their idealistic words

THE Top 40 is already being dominated by Christmas Songs, with Mariah Carey and Wham at number 2 and number 3 respectively as I write.

Now I’m generally in favour of British Christmas songs, especially when compared to their American counterparts, more of which anon. “Fairytale of New York” is a deserved classic, while Bob Geldof and Midge Ure deserve kudos for bringing so many artists together to record “Do They Know It’s

Christmas?” under the Band Aid label. Slade’s “Merry Christmas Everybody” merits its annual chart entry, as does John and Yoko’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over)”. Mind you Macca’s “Wonderful Christmas Time” is more of a Christmas turkey, being far inferior to seasonal works by lesser artists such as Jona Lewie, Greg Lake and Chris DeBurgh.

But while our favourites try to either tell a story or depict a tradition, those from across the pond can indulge in naivety for a Christmas which just doesn’t exist for most people.

Take for instance “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow”. I’ve a vision of a group of wealthy Americans isolated in a country mansion for a few weeks with enough food on hand to feed the proverbial army, and ample grounds to enjoy walks in the virgin white.

Reality though for those in New York, the largest city in the US, is likely to be life in an apartment, and a struggle to physically get about as they endure each year the kind of weather we get once in a generation.

So I’ll stick with Noddy and the boys and their idealistic words as the Covid-19 nightmare seems to be at long last coming to an end – “Look to the future now, it’s only just begun”.