GUILSBOROUGH GUARDIAN

2020 Christmas1 Edition

WELCOME TO THE GUILSBOROUGH GUARDIAN!

Welcome to the Christmas Edition of the Guilsborough Guardian. With Christmas around the corner and this peculiar year coming to an end, it’s time for a new issue. With puzzles, sports and films reviews, there is something here for everyone, and with the Guardian gaining new members, it will all be better than the last. We hope you enjoy and as always, your feedback and suggestions are always important to us so feel free to contact us. I’m sure most of you are excited for MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE Christmas, and the season of gift giving, but this year is most likely GUILSBOROUGH GUARDIAN going to be different to us all. Remember the most important thing is to wash our hands regularly and follow the Covid rules in place. Please don’t forget to kick back and relax too, as after this year, we are all going to need it. As always, we wish everyone the very best in the New Year and hope you have a wonderful Christmas break.

In this issue, different items associated with holidays are hidden thoughtout the issue. Can you find all 10 items? They are listed on page 26. Good luck! CONTENTS

News – Page 3 Politics guide – Page 5 Sports –Page 7 Dr Who Specials – Page 12 Jingle Jangle – Page 22 Scrooged – Page 23 Polls – Page 24 Some Inspiration – Page 25 Puzzles – Page 26

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NEWS BY ELLIS ASHER BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS STALL

According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson there is a “strong possibility of a no deal Brexit”. The PM has advised businesses to prepare to leave the EU come January 1st regardless of a deal. The government has claimed a no deal Brexit will leave the UK with an “Australia style” option where we have no trade deal with the EU but will be fully independent from it. Talks are scheduled to end on Sunday however there is the possibility of extending them past this. Regardless of the outcome of the talks, the UK looks to be bracing for change and uncertainty.

KETTERING SCHOOL ART TO BE MOVED TO HIGH STREET

As part of a £4 million campaign to revitalise Kettering’s high street, the locally known “Kettering mosaic” is going to be displayed on High Street. Originally created by Kenneth Budd, the mosaic was displayed on the wall of the Kettering grammar school until it was removed in 2007. Ever since it has been looking for a home in Kettering and according to it’s owners, Kettering civic society, it is to be displayed on the high street as a piece of local art and culture and as a part of the redevelopment of the area. This particular artwork is special to the area and even has a low budget documentary in the works about it.

E-SCOOTERS HIT NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

E-Scooters schemes are being launched all over the Northamptonshire area in a bid to lower carbon emissions. These e-scooters are able to rent around the area of Northampton Town and now the scheme has given 50 E-scooters for use in central Kettering. Highways England and Northampton council claimed the E-scooters had “30,000 rides last month” but acknowledge “There will be people who leave them irresponsibly” and claim they “have an incentive scheme to help with that.” The next thing will be e-bikes that will be launched on January 13 next year, NHS Workers will also be given discounts of 75% and the scooters and bikes are cleaned every day to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

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There are still sceptics; in Paris a similar e-scooter program was considered a failure as there were no parking areas and as such the city became seemingly littered with unused e-scooters. There have also been a significant number of accidents involving E-scooters, especially their use on the road in Northampton. Whether these scooters will be good for the environment or if they will do more harm than good remains to be seen, but for now, Northamptonshire seems to be taking a step into the future, or rather a scoot.

MAJOR EXPANSION PLANNED FOR DAVENTRY

Over a thousand homes have been awarded planning permission on Malabar Farm on the A425/Staverton Road south of Daventry. If completed this would be a major expansion to the area. According to the applicants the homes come with new shops, community areas and a community centre, and plenty of links to the town centre.

In a statement an agent for the applicants said, “The level of objection to this scheme has been incredibly low, which we consider in part is down to the inclusive approach we have taken to this application.”

There are however concerns as the builds will be located on the other side of the A425 from the rest of Daventry and many are worried that access will be limited.

SCHOOLS TO CLOSE EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS

The government has said that schools are to be allowed to close earlier, and that they have to be closed at least six days before Christmas eve so that teachers wouldn’t have to work with the NHS track and trace systems over the holidays. For most schools this means that instead of breaking up on the Friday 18th they will be breaking up on Thursday 17th. This follows a U-turn in policy as in November MP’s claimed they weren’t going to close early at Christmas. This, however, was made optional and Guilsborough will not be closing.

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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO POLITICS BY ELLIS ASHER

The Guilsborough Guardian politics section strives to be something that is simultaneously a valuable, relevant resource of valid information and also easy to understand for the average reader. Many people have strong opinions on how to make the world a better place but can see the world of politics as either boring, confusing or not for them. So, in this article I would like to explain the basics of politics to the best of my ability so that we can have more, fully developed ideas in the Guilsborough area. We will start with leanings, most people have heard of left and right wing leanings, it will likely help to picture it as a line at first, left and right wings are a spectrum, on which lies a set of values. The right wing will tend to favour tradition, capitalism and generally speaking tend to support free markets and more traditional values systems however as we will see later this isn’t always the case. The Left wing tends to favour change, social justice, equality and generally believe that the market (companies) requires restrictions to benefit the people. Seeing things as just Left and right however isn’t always an option, my favourite method of picturing political viewpoints is the political compass, where as well as the strait line from left to right there is also a vertical line, with the horizontal line representing economic policy leanings and the horizontal line representing leanings regarding the amount of government control. By adding another dimension we make room for more diverse political positions. As such I will be referring to it’s terms to define political leanings. Examples of this include Right Wing Libertarians, who believe that the government should have less power over people’s lives and also believe the government should loosen both taxes and restrictions on companies. There is plenty of common ground to be found with both Left wing libertarians who believe in social justice and equality but also believe that the government needs to have its power reduced and common ground can also be found with more authoritarian right wingers who also believe the market should be less restricted. It boils down to simply if people are in favour or against restrictions on companies (left and right) and if people value the individual or the collective (authoritarian and libertarian). This is an essential distinction else you could claim that both Stalin and Ghandi were alike or that The US is a ‘Far Right country'. Without this distinction between economic and social policy a political understanding can only go so far, for example someone can be very in favour of free markets and the individual and be considered ‘far right however these people would often be associated with the

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German National Socialist Party, of which they share no likeness and may be metaphorically further away from that ideology than some people who would consider themselves left wing. Right wing parties in the UK include The Conservative Party and UKIP, whilst the Left Wing parties include The Labour Party and The Green Party. The 3rd largest party in the UK is the Liberal Democrats, or just the LibDems, they can change their stance frequently so it is best to see where they stand on issues you feel are important to you. On election years, when each party competes to gain power the parties will often publish “party political broadcasts and publish a shiny new manifesto, all of these will be publicly available and are the most reliable tool to finding out who best suits your views. You should bear in mind that you don’t have to find a party and often you will not completely align with everything your chosen party says. This is generally a good indicator that you are a good independent thinker and you should keep doing what you are doing. Independent thinkers often go on to do good things as is evidenced by history. Terminology is a big thing in politics and often people will use very complex words as over-complicated ways of describing something simple. These are terms like “progressivism” which is just a belief that society progresses through change, like reforms. There are also terms that are confusing such as “liberal”, as it takes so many meanings that it can be hard to tell which is which. Whilst technically not left wing it is more often than not usually referring to a person who occupies both left wing and libertarian ideals, it used to mean someone who believes in individualism and free enterprise however it is coming to mean somebody who believes in individualism and progressive values. With so many terms for different groups in such a wide field, and one where there isn’t even consensus yet! It may seem daunting to enter the world of politics but if you have that feeling to make yourself heard. If you think that you can make a difference and if you think your ideas are something worth sharing then politics may just be something you can enjoy, from debates to writing, or just casual observation, politics may be the place for you. I hope that after reading this you better understand the basic building blocks that politics rests on, even if it is just to make casual dinner table conversation. The graph I used in this article is called “the political compass” and is a great tool for figuring out where you stand compared to other people. I would however like to add that politics is often seen as something divisive, to change this in future discussions please make sure you are using politics to better your own values, ideas and area rather than just for the sake of tribalism, by doing so you make the world a better place, bit by bit, and that is what politics is all about.

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LOOKING BACK ON 2020 BY DAN BALLISTON

As a turbulent calendar year of sport goes into its final month, it’s time to look back on the main moments that have occurred so far.

SUPER STOKES PROVES HIS WORTH

Only two weeks into 2020, Ben Stokes, recipient of the 2019 Sports Personality of the Year award, continued his brilliance as he dramatically handed England a vital cricketing win over South Africa, with an electric spell of bowling in which he took three crucial wickets to finish off the opposition. DOMINANT DJOKOVIC DEFENDS OPEN

Novak Djokovic defended his Australian Open title back in January and c claimed his 8th title of this tournament; becoming the first player in the t tournament’s history to win this prestigious award. CORONAVIRUS GOING FOR GUNNERS

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta became the first member of British elite sport to test positive for Coronavirus in March, leading to the postponement of their next fixture against Brighton. PANDEMIC POSTPONEMENTS

The Olympics, Paralympics, European Football Championships, I Wimbledon, all football, rugby, cricket and the French Open were either p postponed or suspended due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

BLADES BEWILDERED AS FOOTBALL RETURNS

After the quietest three months in recent sporting times, Aston Villa and Sheffield United played out the first British sporting match since the postponements in March. A rare failure in goal line technology kept the score at 0-0 and that somewhat unjust point for Villa proved to be the one point required to avoid relegation. RAIN RUINS CRICKETING RETURN

Just eight overs out of the expected ninety were bowled by the West Indies on England’s first test match since January, as rain wiped out seven hours of cricket – despite it being July!

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RUTHLESS REDS FINALLY VICTORIOUS

After a 30-year wait, Liverpool FC were finally crowned champions of England after dominating the league since August, losing just three games all season and winning the league by eighteen points. GREEN-LIGHT FOR GRASSROOTS

All grass root sports, except rugby, were given the go ahead to return in September; cricket was back for amateur teams in late July. RUGBY RETURNS AS CASES FALL

With COVID thwarted by mid-August, Rugby Union was finally given the green light to resume their un-finished season. Sale Sharks and Gloucester played out the first game. TENNIS TOUR JOINS THE RUGBY

On 14th August, the same day we saw Rugby Union return, the ATP Tennis Tour resumed in Washington. ANTICIPATED ARRIVAL OF PREMIER LEAGUE

Arsenal beat Fulham 3-0 on the opening day of the belated Premier League season on 12th September. All eyes were on how VAR had been revised after a controversial season of it prior to this one. CRICKET CLOSES AS AUTUMN DAWNS

England were narrowly beaten by Australia in the final international match of the summer for the home side. However, they enjoyed success on a test match level through their victories against both Pakistan and the West Indies, losing just one match out of six. SUPER SUNDAY REPLACED BY STAGGERING SUNDAY

A crazy Sunday afternoon in October saw Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford; West Ham United thrash, at the time league leaders, Leicester and the unbelievable result of the season: relegation favourites Aston Villa demolished league champions Liverpool with a staggering 7-2 score line. Goal-less striker, Ollie Watkins, aided the trouncing with a ‘perfect hattrick’ (left foot, right foot and a header)

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HIGH-FLYING ENGLAND DOMINATE UNION SCENE

England dominated Italy in Rome by winning 35-4 as they regained the Six Nations after Scotland and Ireland’s victories over Wales and France respectively. Triumphs over Georgia, Ireland and Wales meant that England are unbeaten since International rugby restarted and are top of the Autumn Nations Cup group.

FIERY FORMULA 1 TAKES CENTRE STAGE

Romain Grosjean survived a shocking crash in his racing car as he collided into the advertising boards at 137mph. He claimed he fought to get out ‘for his children’. MAGICAL MARINE TAKE ON SPURS

National Premier League Division One North West side, Marine FC, were drawn against the current League leaders (as of 5th December 2020) Tottenham Hotspur. The two clubs are eight leagues apart at this moment; the largest ever gap in the history of the Tournament. For Marine to ever play Spurs in a league match, it would take eight successive promotions! This match will be played in January.

LACK OF LEWIS IN SAKHIR

Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton’s staggering streak of 265 consecutive F1 starts came to an end in December, as the superstar racer sat out the final race in Sakhir due to a positive COVID-19 test in the early days of December. MAESTROS RETURN AND PAUL MAKES HEADLINES

A historical fight night occurred in Boxing as the legendary figures of the great Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr fought in an exhibition match that was happily agreed a draw. While it was great to see seasoned pros fight, YouTuber Jake Paul, stole the show on the undercard with a brutal knockout against Nate Robinson – proving the controversial Ohio born athlete isn’t just a ‘content creator’. FURIOUS FURY AS SPOTY IS ANNOUNCED

The yearly Sports Personality of the Year shortlist was announced earlier in December; the iconic awards evening will be held on Sunday 20th December. Heavyweight boxer, Tyson Fury, became the first ever nominee to request withdrawal from the list. He claimed, he was the people’s champion and had no need for verification or any awards. BBC have since kept him on the six-name shortlist which also includes: Lewis Hamilton, Kelly Doyle, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stuart Broad.

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THE SIX-NAME SHORTLIST CONSISTS OF:

Tyson Fury – Heavyweight boxer

Kelly Doyle – Jockey

Ronnie O’Sullivan – Snooker player

Stuart Broad – Cricketer

Lewis Hamilton – Formula 1 racer

Jordan Henderson – Footballer

STOKES IN SHADOW OF FLYING WELSHMAN

On the topic of Sports Personality, 2019 winner, Ben Stokes, was upstaged in England’s first series of their cricketing winter, as Welsh batsman, Dawid Malan, scored an unbeaten 99 in England’s confident pursuit of 191. England began their winter with a 3-0 series win over South Africa.

FANS RETURN AND LIONS BARE THEIR TEETH

The weekend of the 5th and 6th December saw 2000 fans return to the football stadiums which are based in tier 2 areas. Whilst it was fantastic to see fans back into grounds to support players and enjoy a Saturday afternoon watching their team, Millwall fans controversially booed the respectful symbol of the anti-Racism Movement which involves players beginning each game by ‘taking the knee’. The Lions ended up losing the match to Derby County 1-0. As we look back to December 2019, the prospect of a summer of Wimbledon, the European Championships and the Olympics all combined to forecast a wonderful year of sport. However, despite all of these events being postponed to the summer of 2021, we can still look back on what has been a fantastic year of sport and proof that sport continues to bring people together – even if it is at 2 metre distance!

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SPORTS INTERVIEW

MRS MANNS BY DAN BALLISTON

For the debut sporting teacher interview, Mrs Manns, the Year 12 form tutor and social sciences teacher has answered some questions about her sporting interests. Thank you to Mrs Manns for starting this feature off with some high quality and detailed answers!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT? My favourite sport to watch is cricket but my favourite sport to play is netball.

WHY DO YOU LIKE THIS SPORT? With cricket, I love the whole atmosphere of being at a live game. It is a very civilised sport although not if you are in the fancy dress stand- It then just gets a bit messy!! I prefer test cricket to Twenty20 cricket as it requires more long-term tactics and analysis of game play rather than just hitting it for 6 all the time although that is fun too. I went to a big bash game in Perth at the WACA once and that was fun - very atmospheric. An Australian guy next to me caught the ball in a KFC bucket and won a lot of cash!! I like netball because it is very understated - it is more competitive and aggressive than people think, and it is also fast paced which I like.

WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO THIS SPORT? I got into spectating cricket a lot in 2012 after I had travelled to Australia and watched a lot of cricket there - we visited the cricket grounds in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth although I had watched a bit before this. I got into playing netball in year 6 at primary school when there weren’t enough players for the first afterschool match and so I stood in for goal shooter after my teacher forced me into it! After doing well in that game and scoring a lot of goals, I played goal shooter in every school team for the next 7 years. I then played competitively in a local league.

WHICH TEAM DO YOU SUPPORT? I mostly watch international sport and don't really support or follow any local sport.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLAYER? My favourite cricket player on the England side is Jos Buttler - great confidence in him as a batsman and love watching him bat with Joe Root or Ben Stokes as they are fast between the wickets. Love Ben Stokes as well as he has proper grit as a batsman.

WHERE IS THE MOST EXCITING PLACE YOU HAVE WATCHED THIS SPORT? The WACA in Perth or Lords in London.

WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING MATCH YOU HAVE EVER WATCHED LIVE? When Broad took 8 - 15 in the ashes win in 2015.

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WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE STADIUM? WACA in Perth although it isn't used anymore. It was a very 'grass roots; ground which is nice to see - cricket as it should be.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THIS SPORT WHAT WOULD IT BE? The appreciation of the sport as most people dismiss it as boring.

HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED SPORT AND AT WHAT LEVEL? Yes, I have played for my school teams all the way through secondary and post 16 and played for the Coventry and Warwickshire league in division 2 but we did get promoted to division 1.

DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIALS

BY LUKE BOSWELL

In the wake of Doctor Who’s revival in 2005, showrunner Russell T Davies came up with the niche idea of writing a Doctor Who episode to be aired on Christmas day. This went on to become a staple, to some, of Christmas day television right up there with the Queen’s annual speech. Whilst this niche concept was scrapped in 2018’s Season 11 by new showrunner Chris Chibnal, these episodes are still available on BBC iPlayer and Netflix so, due to a dare by fellow Guardian writer Ellis, I will be rating all of these episodes! Due to being part of a larger series, I have implemented a rating system based on the following criteria: Christmassy-ness: How Christmas oriented is the ‘Christmas’ special. Individuality: Naturally, I don’t expect everyone to have watched all 12 Seasons of post-revival Doctor Who, so this determines how well the stories act on their own without relying on events in prior seasons. Overall: This will encompass the aforementioned points but also how good the episode is in general. With that being said;

“Time to get cracking Doctor.” – 11th Doctor [Matt Smith]

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THE CHRISTMAS INVASION

Airing 25th December 2005, The Christmas Invasion was the original, Christmas special of the revival and also the introduction to David Tenant’s 10th Doctor. Despite poorly aged VFX, the rest of the episode has aged really well and remains a witty, character driven story. The music by Murray Gold doesn’t miss a beat (as always) and the acting is fine overall with David Tennant and Camille Coduri standing out as The Doctor and Jackie Tyler, respectively. The plot revolves around aliens, called the Sycorax, invading the Earth whilst The Doctor is still post regeneration. As a standalone episode this works successfully as a new Doctor acts as a new stepping on point for viewers just tuning into the show after Christmas dinner therefore granting the episode a sense of individuality many other specials fail to accomplish. One major issue with the episode however is that for a Christmas special, the topic only acts as a background setting. You could easily shift the events of the episode to Halloween and nothing would really change for it. However, the episode does bring the show’s general ensemble together which isn’t extremely common thus granting points for Christmas values of family and relations.

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THE RUNAWAY BRIDE

The 2006 Doctor Who special, The Runaway Bride, revolved around Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) inexplicably appearing in The Doctor’s (David Tennant) TARDIS. David Tennant and Catherine Tate are spectacular in their roles with Tennant now fully integrated into his role and Catherine Tate providing her renowned comedic quirks. As a result, these two have great chemistry which keeps the audience engaged through the special: this and also Murray Gold’s (again) energetic musical prowess. Despite such positives however, this episode experiences the same pitfalls mentioned in The Christmas Invasion in that the VFX can be a bit of an eyesore and the themes and integration of Christmas once again serve as no more than a setting for The Doctor’s adventures. The episode also has the misfortune of The Doctor losing a companion in the prior episode hence resulting in the incorporation of The Doctor’s grief; thus, leaving those who aren’t overly familiar with the show in the dark. The Runaway Bride is still an extremely entertaining way to pass Christmas evening.

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VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED

2007’s Voyage of the Damned follows The Doctor as he attempts to save the passengers on a star ship replica of the HMS Titanic. More so than anything else, this special is able to support itself far better than most others in that this episode includes no series regulars (minus The Doctor) and events referenced are not only explained naturally but also tie into Christmas occurrences in the Whoniverse thus raising its Christmassy-ness and individuality. Once again David Tenant and Murray Gold do a spectacular job performing The Doctor and composing the music, respectively. Kylie Minogue also delivers a surprisingly genuine and well-rounded performance as Astrid. As far as VFX for Doctor Who goes – this episode probably contains some of the best pre-2010 VFX the show had to offer. Overall, this episode manages to balance everything that should be the forefront of a good Christmas special and shines as a result of it.

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THE NEXT DOCTOR

Airing Christmas day 2008, The Next Doctor was released in the wake of ratings juggernaut Season 4. The special follows The Doctor in Victorian London meeting a copycat Doctor. Right off the bat this special fails to justify its Christmas setting and, much like The Runaway Bride, simply uses it as a background. In fairness, this special probably has some of the better acting with stellar performances from David Tennant, David Morrissey and Velile Tshabalala. This special also manages to stand apart from the prior season too; the only ties to prior events is mentioned in the Cybermen’s presence in Victorian London. Murray Gold continues his 4-year streak of incredible soundtracks and the VFX, whilst not as good as Voyage of the Damned, is on the better end of VFX in

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DoctorWho’s run. Overall, The Next Doctor is fine but probably stands as the most average Christmas special of them all.

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END OF TIME PART 1

As the first part of showrunner Russell T. Davies’ two-part finale for his run, End of Time Part 1 aired 25th December 2009. Being a finale of sorts, this special acted as a tying up of loose ends; something the series had an over-abundance of. The plot mainly revolves around The Doctor trying to find his nemesis, The Master, before he can enact an evil plan threatening the Earth. From standing individually from the rest of the series, this special is the most reliant upon the audience having knowledge of series events thus alienating those who only tune in December 25th each year. On the subject of Christmas; much like the episode’s predecessor, it once again acts as nothing more than a background setting. However, I must give praise to Murray Gold (shocker) David Tennant and Bernard Cribbins. Whilst Tennant and Gold are always at their a-game, Cribbins absolutely shines as Wilfred Mott and he shares a chemistry with David Tenant that no other companion ever elicits thus creating a really genuine relationship of two kindred spirits. The VFX are quite possibly at their weakest since 2005 throughout this special unfortunately and as something to relax and watch at Christmas; being a Part 1 of 2 acts as a detriment towards the special also. Overall, this episode worked fine as a part of the overall series but as a Christmas Day special, the episode lacked extensively.

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL

As the first Christmas special written by new showrunner Steven Moffat, A Christmas Carol aired Christmas day 2010. The plot is more-or-less the same as the Charles Dickens novel of the same name; it is simply dropped into a Doctor Who environment. Despite blatant similarities to the likes of Scrooge, the use of time travel enables a greater emphasis on the Scrooge doppelganger’s past which led him to be the man he is. Of course, this is helped by the stellar performance of Michael Gambon as Kazran (Scrooge doppelganger) and also Matt Smith’s Doctor as he substitutes the different Christmas ghosts with his own guidance and charisma. The Doctor’s new companions Amy & Rory, Karen Gillan & Arthur Darvil respectively, are also good for the time they get which is mostly comic relief at the beginning of the special. What helps this special work so well is that the special does not rely on its prior series or any latter to clarify its plot points thus enabling a great individual viewing experience. Murray Gold once again slaps the music soundtrack out of the park and whilst the VFX are good for a TV budget, they could be better. Overall, this special is likely the most Christmassy special we’ll ever get on account of its plot and also one of the most fun for the whole family.

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THE DOCTOR, THE WIDOW AND THE WARDROBE

Airing 25th December 2011, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe follows the Doctor as he acts as a caretaker for the depressed Arwell family in 1941 England. Obviously, there are numerous Doctor hijinks which occur but… “Spoilers” – The Doctor [Matt Smith]. Despite minimal incorporation of The Doctor’s companions, this special kind of hinges on viewers understanding season events in order to resolve one of the emotional plot beats thus alienating casual viewers. Also, whilst I don’t mention plot much for the other specials, this special feels far more confused with what it is trying to be which makes viewing overwhelming. With that being said Murray Gold and Matt Smith absolutely knock it out of the park with music & acting respectively and although the rest of the cast serve their purpose, they are not overtly memorable. It is also worth noting that this special is substantially more Christmassy than several aforementioned specials with its themes of family, goodwill and also foregrounded atmosphere. It is also worth noting that the VFX are quite good in comparison to prior specials which is rather nice.

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Overall, this special is probably one of the weaker specials Doctor Who has given us with a confused narrative and partial reliance on prior seasonal events for its ending.

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THE SNOWMEN

Broadcasting Christmas Day 2012, The Snowmen interestingly released in the middle of the show’s 7th Season instead of the beginning / end of a season. The special revolves round a barmaid called Clara who begins to notice strange snow- beings and also a man called The Doctor. One reason this special aired in the midst of an actual season was because it was a key part in an ongoing mystery of Clara – “the impossible girl”. Despite this, the special manages to stand on its own with minimal external referencing: albeit a couple of off-hand moments with The Doctor. Speaking of whom, Matt Smith gives a great, more serious performance than usual which is pleasant to see. Jenna Louise-Coleman also manages to match Smith’s energy and provides superb chemistry. As for Murray Gold – fantastic as always! Whilst there is a Christmas setting (with shed loads of snow!), the Christmas setting was fairly underused; although the snow-villains were a pleasant touch. The VFX are also really convincing throughout the episode with very few moments seeming fake. Overall, this episode is probably one of the best episodes all around with very little wrong with it thus making for a quaint 60-minute relaxation on Christmas Day.

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TIME OF THE DOCTOR

Airing Christmas Day 2013, Time Of The Doctor would serve as Matt Smith’s departure as The Doctor – and all of his seasons’ plotlines / plot holes. The special revolves around a message being sent from a planet called Trenzalore from The Doctor’s people – the Time Lords. As well as this however, script writer Steven Moffat also wanted a clean slate going into a new season with a new Doctor and subsequently decided to resolve any plot threads left in this 1-hour episode – a feat which proved itself to result in a special more stuffed than a Christmas turkey. As far as Christmassy-ness the special had moments where we remembered it was Christmas but the special could have really happened anywhere / any when with nothing changing. With that being said Matt Smith gives what is probably his best performance here with Jenna Louise-Coleman complementing it nicely. The VFX here are surprisingly good, considering that most of the budget likely went into the cinema-scale Day Of The Doctor special the month prior to release. As for Murray Gold… do I have to say it? He was absolutely fantastic here. Overall, this special is a pleasant enough watch on Christmas day for casual viewers; albeit you may not know what’s happening due to its efforts to clean 3 seasons of slates…

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LAST CHRISTMAS

Airing 25th December 2014, Last Christmas was the first Christmas special of Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor. The plot follows The Doctor and his companion Clara saving North Pole researchers from an Inception-inspired monster – with the help of Santa Claus. Peter Capaldi manages to pass a fairly solid performance alongside Jenna- Louise Coleman however, with Capaldi still trying to find his footing after a shaky first season and Coleman initially planning on leaving this episode, their performances don’t feel like they were the best versions possible.Due to the original departure of Clara planned, the epsiode leaned substantially on prior season events as plot-points throughout the epsiode thus risking to alienate casual viewers.

Nick Frost as Santa () brings his usual comedic charm which he is renowed for – as does Murray Gold for his soundtrack (Lé Gasp). The inclusion of Santa manages to solely keep the special Christmas-based with several plot-points and wholesome moments resting on his character. It is also at this point that the VFX seem to improve to a film-like quality so hurray to that. Overall, whilst seeming to struggle

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THE HUSBANDS OF RIVER SONG

Airing 25th December 2015, The Husbands Of River Song follows The Doctor as he reunites with his wife River Song – without her recognising him. At this point, Peter Capaldi has established himself as the Doctor and plays his part very naturally alongside the ever-charismatic Alex Kingston as River Song. Whilst she has been a recuring character since 2008, Kingston has always managed to eminate fantastic chemistry with each Doctor she’s met with; Capaldi being no execption. Unfortunately, bar 10 seconds of the special, Christmas isn’t even attempted as being a part of the story – instead opting to tell a regular Doctor Who story on Christmas Day. Of course I can’t forget the obligatory praise Murray Gold deserves for his orchestral soundtack and also the VFX team who deliver seamless effects all the way throughout the special. Overall despite re-introducing a past character, the special covers this with the time travel hijinks whilst mainatining a solid pace and a wholesome story.

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THE RETURN OF DOCTOR MYSTERIO

Airing Christmas Day 2016, The Return Of Doctor Mysterio was the only episode of Doctor Who aired in 2016. It follows The Doctor investigating a research company whilst stumbling into a familiar face. Once again Peter Capaldi is great as The Doctor and we also get to see Matt Lucas’ Nardole from The Husbands Of River Song return

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as The Doctor’s new companion. Justin Chatwin also does a great job as the superhero ‘Ghost’ – a campy blend between Christopher Reeves’ Superman and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-man. That is what makes this special so great, it dissects superheroes and their ever growing presence in our culture; campy or serious. Murray Gold’s stellar soundtrack goes without saying alongside the decent VFX - albeit not as good as the special prior. This episode stands out almost entirely as being its own epsiode with only a couple of references to prior events which even then operate within the story enhancing The Doctor’s character. However, much like The Husbands Of River Song, this special has little to no resonance of Christmas which further questions its validity as a ‘Christmas special’. Overall desite its flimsy links to the Christmas season, this special is on the higher end of the spectrum for quality and still remains an enjoyable family viewing.

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TWICE UPON A TIME

Airing 25th December 2017, Twice Upon A Time not only marks the end of showrunner Steven Moffat’s tenure but also the last of the Doctor Who Christmas specials. This special follows The Doctor confronting The First Doctor who himself is confronting a similar predicament as he; death. Unfortunately a fair portion of this epsiode’s setup is based in prior season events hence alienating casual viewers to some extent. In what is perhaps his best performance yet, Peter Capaldi truly gives his all across this episode. David Bradley also does a sublime job in performing The First Doctor in the manner of the late William Hartnell – the original actor for The Doctor. The VFX maintain the higher standards set out prior to the special and deliver well. As for Murray Gold, this was his final epsiode as composer so not only did he reuse old music as a tribute to his 12 years with the show, he also does it flawlessly and emotionally. Moffat also finally remembered what a ‘Christmas’ special was and based his special around one of THE most historic Christmas days in history. Overall whilst possibly alienating those unfamiliar with the show’s humble beginnings and recent occurances, this episode remains watchable to anyone for its likeable cast, stellar writing and incredible soundtrack: not bad for Moffat’s departing love-letter to the series…

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OVERVIEW

Well after 2 months of reviweings and rewrites (Outside of studies obviously) here we are; I did it Ellis! For those of you who want a short summary, from worst to best; 13) End Of Time Part 1 12) The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe 11) Last Christmas 10) The Next Doctor 9) Time Of The Doctor 8) The Christmas Invasion 7) The Runaway Bride 6) The Return Of Doctor Mysterio 5) The Husbands Of River Song 4) Twice Upon A Time 3) The Snowmen 2) Voyage Of The Damned 1) A Christmas Carol

As a Doctor Who fan, I would switch this around but for those of you who likely aren’t hardcore fans, this is my recommendation and lastly; “Merry Christmas, Doctor” – Clara Oswald [Jenna Louise-Coleman]

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JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY BY GRACE TAYLOR

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, directed by David E. Talbert, is a Christmas musical released earlier this winter; it touches upon the classic Christmas themes of belief, new beginnings and family in a whimsical way. But will it be a new classic? The majority of the film is centred in a sweet, almost whacky, Victorian-style community, known as Cobbleton. Costumes by Michael Wilkinson encapsulate the Victorian era by incorporating hooped skirts, velvet waistcoats, as well as adding a steam-punk element to the film, which I found gave the film a real sense of fantasy and separation from our world, giving the film a sense of magic. Jingle Jangle follows Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker), known as “The greatest inventor of them all”, being robbed of his latest plans by his apprentice Gustafson. We visit back a few years later, after Jeronicus had given up on his inventor dream. Granddaughter Journey (played by Madalen Mills) makes it her mission to rekindle her Grandfather’s spirit. The storyline takes place alongside hip hop musical numbers, produced by multiple successful artists, including John Legend. T The film is sickly sweet, the musical numbers are v i very cheesy and there is a burning warmth to it, a as well as the set and costumes being ghdkfjghjdfhgjkdfjkghdfjhgjfhgjfhj extravagantly bold and colourful. However, I ggfffhkfkghfkjhkfjhkfjkhjfkhj think that is almost expected from a family ijfdkghfdjhgfhjghfjhgfhjgfhjghfjghfj Christmas film and therefore not a bad thing.

Although this Netflix Original is seemingly long at 2 hours 2 minutes, its fast paced, R’n’B style musicals and bright set and costume keep the film alive. Jingle Jangle is also very inclusive, with a predominantly black cast. It is definitely one to watch with the family.

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SCROOGED BY LAUREN BATES (Y12)

Scrooged is a brilliant comedic film starring Bill Murray which is loosely based on the novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (written in 1843). The film was released on 1st November 1988 and was directed by Richard Donner (who is well known for directing the Lethal Weapon film series) and written by Mitch Glazer & Michael O’Donoghue. Bill Murray plays Frank Cross - who in this rendition is the embodiment of Ebenezer Scrooge. In this modern version, Murray plays an avaricious TV president who is set on creating the most wildly extravagant live production of A Christmas Carol. On top of that, Frank is shown to be an ill-mannered boss who consistently mistreats his employees and fires them over the smallest things. He is basically the type of boss

every employee hopes they never have. Because of Frank’s horrible behaviour towards pretty much everyone, an old friend visits him from the grave and warns him that he will meet 3 spirits. These 3 spirits will give Frank valuable lessons that will hopefully teach Frank to improve himself and to be a better man - or just a better human being. And maybe, just maybe, he can fix his love life with ex-girlfriend Claire Phillips - a generous shelter worker from his past. Although this film is based on A Christmas Carol, there are new storylines within the plot and extra characters that keep the classic story exciting and keeps viewers guessing. This wonderfully funny and unique adaptation of A Christmas Carol is the perfect way to kick start your Christmas spirit and begin binge watching your favourite Christmas classics.

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CHRISTMAS POLLS RESPONSE BY SAM JOHNSON

The responses to the Christmas Polls are in!

Favourite Chocolate box: Heroes and Celebrations were so close together it is almost impossible to split them. School tends to reward with Celebrations, but this poll has clearly proven that they should reward with Celebrations and Heroes at the same time. The eternally underrated Roses were, once again, underrated (but I can take solace in knowing I don’t have to share mine!)

Christmas films / songs: Films that are trotted out each year such as The Great Escape and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are (rightly) not valued as Christmas films. Hallelujah received a surprising amount of yes votes, in spite of having absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. On the other hand, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Iron Man 3 got very few votes despite being set at Christmas.

Christmas song? Yes No

Iron Man 3 8.7% 91.3% Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 12.8% 87.2% Great Escape 8.5% 91.5%

Charlie and the Chocolate factory 21.0% 79.0% Alvin and the Chipmunks 14.2% 85.8% Do they know it’s Christmas 95.2% 4.8% Power of Love 17.2% 82.8% Hallelujah 36.9% 63.1%

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Pronunciation of the word scone: I promised I would be neutral but forget it. 127 of you are wrong.

We had more responses in the first two days than we did in all of term 1 which is really great to see! Look out for the next set of polls in January, where the true best flavour of popcorn will be decided.

WE ASKED A FEW PEOPLE: "What one sentence of advice would you say to your Secondary School self if you were given the chance?"

"Just be you"

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PUZZLES QUIZ

1) What is the minimum age you must be to buy a newspaper? 2) What is the more popular name for the beverage ‘milk punch’? 3) Which NBA player acquired their 1000th win on Christmas Day 2008? 4) What is Bing Crosby’s best-selling Christmas single? 5) Which Christmas film was nominated for best VFX at the 1994 Oscars? 6) On the Christmas Day football match of No Mans Land in 1914, which side won the match 3-2? 7) In which modern-day country was Saint Nicholas born? 8) What 1992 Christmas film did businessman and television personality Donald J. Trump cameo in? 9) On the 10th Day of Christmas, what was it that “my true love sent to me”? 10) Christmas Island is to the South-West of which country in the Oceania continent? 11) Three of Santa’s reindeer have names beginning with ‘D’; Dancer, Dasher and who else? 12) How many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol? 13) What is Santa Claus known as in Dutch? 14) What can you eat each day of the 12 days of Christmas to supposedly bring good luck?

ITEMS TO FIND

-CHRISTMAS TREE -PRESENT

-SANTA -COCA-COLA

-GINGERBREAD MAN -SNOWMAN

-REINDEER -NUTCRACKER

-JESUS -STAR

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WORDSEARCH

BRUNDESCALM!

Unscramble all 6 to reveal the Christmas songs! 1) LIG JENS LELB (6,5) 2) EH WITS MIHACSTR (5,9) 3) POST RACH YLAVET (4,3,7) 4) SATAN SULC ASIMGC NOITO WONT (5,5,2,6,2,4) 5) RAIE FLATYFON WE KOYR (9,2,3,4) 6) NIHET KLEB ATRIMD INEW (2,5,7)

Please email [email protected] for the answers

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Thank You For Reading

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