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Strictly's Joe McFadden and Katya Jones

Joe McFadden stops by with his Strictly dance partner Katya Jones and we learn how to measure mountains with Dr Peter Fretwell who was in charge of measuring Mt Hope in Antarctica.

Ahead of the Strictly Come Dancing grand final on Saturday, finalists Joe McFadden and Katya Jones pop into the studio. They share stories from Joe's journey so far and Katya even demonstrates the brilliant balance lift from their Argentine Tango with Vassos Alexander! On international mountain day we speak to Dr Peter Fretwell who was in charge of measuring Britain's new highest peak - Mount Hope in the Antarctic, inspiring a mountain Top Tenuous. We hear from Alison who enlisted Chris' help to remind her husband David to come home for his bag! We have more of your top Christmas tips and we hear where you are listening around the world with International Radio 2 Calling. Vassos speaks to British parasport athlete Kadeena Cox in the Sports Locker and Father Brian D'Arcy provides the daily Pause For Thought.

2 hours, 59 minutes

Music Played

  • Darlene Love

    All Alone On Christmas

    • Christmas Hits (Various Artists).
    • BMG.
  • Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie

    Lay Down For Free

    • (CD Single).
    • EastWest.
  • Bruce Springsteen

    Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

    • (Single).
    • CBS.
  • Anne-Marie

    Ciao Adios

    • (CD Single).
    • Asylum.
    • 001.
  • Andy Williams

    It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

    • Christmas Love Songs (Various Artist.
    • Arcade Records.
  • Michael Jackson

    Black Or White

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic.
  • Hanson

    Finally It’s Christmas

    • Finally It's Christmas.
    • S-Curve Records.
  • East 17

    Stay Another Day

    • East 17 - Steam.
    • London.
  • The Lightning Seeds

    Lucky You

    • Lightning Seeds - Jollification.
    • Epic.
  • Gene Autry

    Nine Little Reindeer

    • Here Comes Santa Claus.
    • 6.
  • Sigrid

    Strangers

    • (CD Single).
    • Island.
  • Greg Lake

    I Believe In Father Christmas

    • The Anthology, A Musical Journey.
    • BMG.
  • Love Unlimited

    It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It's Spring)

    • Barry White - The Collection.
    • Mercury.
  • Squeeze

    Another Nail In My Heart

    • Big Squeeze: The Very Best Of Squeeze.
    • Universal/A&M.
  • Harry Belafonte

    Jump In The Line

    • The Best Of.
    • Camden.
    • 16.
  • Paloma Faith

    Guilty

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
  • Toploader

    Dancing In The Moonlight

    • Onka's Big Moka - Toploader.
    • Sony Soho Square.
  • Rag’n’Bone Man

    Human

    • (CD Single).
    • Columbia.
    • 001.
  • The Crystals

    Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

  • Barry Ryan

    Eloise

    • Hits Of 1967 & 1968 (Various Artists.
    • Polydor.
  • Diana Ross

    Ain't No Mountain High Enough

    • Diana Ross & The Supremes - 40 Motown.
    • Polygram Tv.
  • P!nk

    Beautiful Trauma

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
  • The Waitresses

    Christmas Wrapping

    • NOW That's What I Call Christmas (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Eartha Kitt

    Santa Baby

    • The Best Christmas Album In The World.
    • Virgin.
  • Stereophonics

    What's All The Fuss About?

    • Scream Above The Sounds.
    • Parlophone.
  • The Shamen

    Move Any Mountain

    • Awesome 2 - Various Artists.
    • EMI.
  • The Feeling

    Feels Like Christmas

    • (CD Single).
    • Universal.
    • 1.

Pause for Thought

Pause for Thought

From Father Brian D’Arcy, a Catholic Passionist priest:

Last Tuesday I was on the brink of giving Christmas a miss this year. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it, that I had to give myself a good talking to.

Pressure can go either way – it can burst pipes or make diamonds and it’s up to me to choose. So I did. When you can’t change the direction of the wind, you have to adjust your sails.

In my mind I drifted back to childhood and remembered what my Parents taught me about Christmas, not so much in words but by what they did for us.

When I was a child we hadn’t any luxuries but I never went to bed hungry.

At Christmas, there were no expensive presents yet we had wonder-filled Christmas mornings pulling homemade wrapping from pullovers and socks my mother knitted for us.

The big open hearth fire in our kitchen crackled with ash logs my father cut from trees he had grown. We carried the turf sods home on a donkey and cart from a bog beside us.

The goose we ate grew fat on the fields at the back of our home; we watched with wide-eyed wonder when mother poured stout into the homemade Christmas pudding a month earlier.

We got up before 6 on Christmas morning and walked a mile along a dark country road to Mass in our church. That’s the most sacred memory I have of Christmas.

I don’t remember a single word the priest preached, but I do remember the singing, the joy, the good humour, and the peaceful atmosphere.

Christmas isn’t so much about getting gifts; it’s being grateful for what I have. It’s more about opening hearts than opening presents. It’s a feeling not a season. For me Christmas is a piece of childhood I carry in my heart forever.

God’s love is total and unconditional; that’s why He comes as a helpless, gurgling baby. And who could possibly say no to a baby?

Christmas means loving those close to us - the people who make us what we are.

Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?

Broadcast

  • Mon 11 Dec 2017 06:30

Farewell Chris Evans: The best bits from his last shows at Radio 2

After eight years of hosting the Breakfast Show, Chris Evans leaves Radio 2.

500 Words

´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 2's story-writing competition for kids.