Have a transformation of the restaurant space to make sure there's enough space in it says as comfortable as possible but also we're seeing a transformation of the shops as well Microsoft has already opened in Oxford Circus which is much more experience sure and we're also seeing market hall open on Friday which is going to be here it's biggest food hall which will also offer a huge amount of different food and beverage options as well more military personnel of enjoy after doing to help in parts of northern England in the East Midlands hit by flooding more than a 1000 acres of farmland in Lincolnshire has been submerged after a river burst its banks there the water is more than 2 meters deep in places and it's left Henry wards farmhouse looking like an island just horrendous really it's just starting out across a day which is. That you know the financial impacts of us all as farmers is going to be you know unprecedented really but the water isn't actually in the house but we can't get to and from the yards apart from of our boat Australian firefighters are continuing to battle heats bushfires sweeping across the country's east coast experts say a change in the weather is eased the threat slightly in New South Wales where around 50 homes were destroyed yesterday but officials say they're very concerned about conditions in Queensland which is experiencing high temperatures strong winds and dry lightning now the radio t.v. Presenter Rylan Clark nearly is nearing the end of a 24 hour car ride to raise money for children needs the fund raising attend follows a 24 hour dance of town done by test tailing Claudia Winkleman for the charity last year he's had several surprise guests singing with him including our very own finesse the felts and he says it's been a great if exhausting experience at the table focal quote is here and any point where they thought Hang on you're setting yourself too far I've been dosed with. The law very well looked after not tunnel everyone enough to giving up their tons of come down here to see me through this and more importantly all of the listeners and the viewers of the red buttons. For all of your donations the money is to skyrocket in and just makes all of this work well let's get London's weather now his cake another cold crisp morning across London some high clouds or some hazy sunny spells but it stays dry and bright for much of the day there's less of a breeze than we've had recently but still the temperature is colder Licky in a maximum of just 9 Celsius heavy rain on the way or the night as well in the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain damage from midnight homewards now the b.b.c. Radio London travel is Rob. No change for the m 25 junction 21 a roundabout chase in the North Pole but will vote roundabout still closed off because of the launch diesel suppose there's no access to or from the m 25 clockwise just looking at the South Circular it's partly blocked in West Dulux need to crop state road because of a collision thanks to Mike You tweeted us with a tip off on that last in Surbiton we've still got a burst water main closing Lambert's vote that's also flooded one of the lines lots of cancellations for Southwest and they're way on the cheap to break minor delays southbound in the daylong as mine until Is that actually back to good service now travel at $930.00. On a digital radio $94.00 f.m. And on b.b.c. Sounds this is love and this is b.b.c. Radio London Vanessa Feltz. Chris. Can't wait to see the face. Trial for the response. To. This song I've always loved it but is that you are you driving him for Christmas do you sing along to that song because you think yeah that long. Well drive home for Christmas maybe you look forward to it all year round and you just think oh yeah Christmas that drive home family the tradition the Queen's speech the turkey in the chipper losses all those Raese faced children smiling up at me all those carol singers a snowman are going to be lovely well maybe think oh that long drive home for Christmas and all the difficulties that come with it the people in the family that drive you absolutely to distraction and the cost of it and the length of it and old the family conflicts that rise to the surface and of course you're stuck there with your other half and if you don't much like your other half it can be a right strain maybe you think oh I'm not going to have a Christmas I'm not having a family Christmas that apparently calling the Sun newspaper is hairy and Meghan's decision this year and not going to be joining the queen and Prince Philip at sounding him they are going to do that own thing so all I'm really asking you today is this what are your plans for Christmas during and tell me 108-073-1200 extension 0 Do they include family today in fact center around family it's all about reuniting with the family enjoying family company a family seasonal affair is it religious for you Christmas the most religious and moving moment of your year spiritual thing and of course you want to spend in the bosom of your family you come from an entirely different culture and you go through the motions of Christmas because you live right here in London but you don't feel it spiritually but you enjoy it anyway you like the customs the traditions even if they're relatively nearly adopted in your family and of course you said them with your family or are you one of those intrepid folk leave the family fall behind you get on a plane a boss a coach get in the car you drive as far away from your family as you possibly can and you do your very own thing at Christmas and if you've been doing that for years in years let me ask you this if you were told by your children your adult children or your grandchildren sisters and brothers your mom and dad that she were not going to be deaf a Christmas issue. We're going on a cruise we're going to go by Would you feel terribly hurt and very upset would you feel something fundamentally important to your life had shifted in change would you be very sad or did you start going away at Christmas where maybe as see what can said before the news you know beloved parent passed away and you thought well I'm not just sitting at home in a normal old table looking at that empty chair let's go away instead of going away I'm going to leave this behind me what is the story out there what only you during Christmas 080-731-2000 is the number and we'd love to know you have to give your real name if you're shy about your Christmas range mints But why have you decided to do as you have done let's start with a mass in Brighton how Mom how are you how was that day you went on last week. Good to. See him that no good. At all I'd say it's us come on finance he did Joe Perry call me Is it Christmas is one day of the year is if you're family is this functional Yes which I'm happy to say I'm on the radio my he asked out yeah I've done it I've been home for the last 3 years last Christmas I was in Brighton on my lovely pace but I went back to the ne here yeah I took Petrie's advice yesterday morning I saw a social worker through my doctor yesterday the social worker asked my permission to speak to my mother I'm 41 my mother's 77 yes as she said on the phone loud and clear to the Says she work all messed is a naughty boy he plays host and called he swears he's rude even made me very briefly your Oprah why I was polite here I am clueless on the radio and I know a lot of drive past and so I don't need a sales lead to sell somebody who lie I've been away most I thinking about this conversation with the session work this is my mother it's not a stranger to hack Annika home and play happy families you know their answer is No I know they get on a plane to land there are 2 or b. In Bright's and they are my and I come back to face and such a grand people have been tending everything's happy and I would advise any lovely listener it got one life enjoy and. Play up to the always one day of the year that's all it is 25th December happens every year all the old all our lives and I just couldn't have been s.r.m. In my life you're asking as one last question my darling so your mom as we've just had any people about how do you bring me before you frequently do refer to the seas fiercely critical of you see you know that she sees he does treat you to sounds to me anyways an avalanche of crystals in a metal box on a rock say so but if I were to speak to your mother instead of you on the phone and if a scene with him know that you're not coming home from. Christmas do you think she'd be sad and disappointed or do you think she'd be angry or do you think she'd be relieved she finds you very difficult to tolerate just as you find her difficult Oh no she's sad because my father is not going I stay with his wife in Brighton and my sister's guy however there has been say his brother in France you know there's just desperate she's got no friends there's just so by driving everybody away she doesn't get say she doesn't understand they shouldn't realise they could use every adjective like you know like yourself Iranians had it in Iraq I think play a very simple woman. Definitely you know it's true everybody had a mother like you. And I understand but now I've been a see you just I just think you know amazing moment but you know a year and patch mother take it on the radio they pay for it and I just thing you know and that's enough you know she makes me sad yeah makes me anxious about the bailout and when I think I mean I think you're very brave and I think a very courageous and I'm and from my perspective I would champion you all the way I don't think I have to be neutral about this to me I think strikes me as if you are doing an important thing for yourself which is exempting yourself from an atmosphere an environment where you know you're going to be abused and you know you're going to feel terrible and you know it's going to be desperately insincere I don't know there whether other people listening with think she's an old lady should be left on the road you know you should suck it up one day and you should just go there and go through the motions I don't know we'll see what how people respond but not always the very best to you in ways lots of laughter and good luck to you mass in Brighton his mother is really very critical of him indeed I mean that's an understatement from what he's told us on the radio of the is and he's not going to take it this year he's he's preserving himself from it and I wonder whether you think that is the right thing to do it's a brave stand to take and you know his mother he says she no she should know what she's done she's driven everybody away by Have behavior and sometimes people have to take the consequences and maybe think that Christmas time things of comfort and joy forgiveness you know that's the day when you can't stand your parents. You sit there pretending you can you pretend you like the jumper that you're on this is for you you pretend with the bath salts you pretend you're really in the Queen's speech that's what people do a Christmas what do you think about it let's talk to Dr Allison she's from Kingston University and Lucky her congratulation she's going to be spending Christmas with her brand new grandson. Hi good morning good morning so Christmas you know a season of celebration and decking the with holy but also tremendously pressured for many many people isn't it. Yes I think this is actually a source of immense stress or lots of people and I think often the reason is that we look back and we see this sort of weight issue dissonance in the way the with and and therefore that's why it has to be done and in a new people that come along have to stitch in but I think it's really prioritizing sort of being together but it doesn't have to be in the way it's been done before and that need to distance can be close in and also perhaps rest time together that might give an example of what you mean by new traditions and what you mean by you know it doesn't have to be done the way it's been done before because some people might hear that in the was May just wash over that manages the wall what does she mean by that exactly but we've got there is new things that are happening this year Firstly our son and his wife coming over they live in Mexico. Venezuela and they have a baby that is their baby and child so I mean some are delusional his Catholic Christmas Eve It's a big disaster not Christmas Day So that's going to need to be. And then also our 3rd child is bringing his girlfriends for the 1st time and they were just talking about it last night actually Samuel having a meal. They open presents after breakfast and we've always done them after lunch. So that sort of make it will last a bit longer in a negotiation is needed and I think it's important that you don't want. Role for much of hedge of money anybody coming to your house has to fit in and that actually you compromise in dating maybe you know incorporate different traditions we haven't decided what we're going to do yet but it's up to think it's a sion and I mean obviously for some children live in Mexico you don't see a great deal of them so Christmas must be particularly special specially with a new grandson on the way had they said to us Harry and Meghan have done and they haven't you people want to you know actually you know something it's a long journey with the baby it's a bit of a bit of a mission and frankly we think Mexico will go somewhere little bit more convenient to Oz sorry by Would you have felt hurt and upset by this. Well as you say I just to see whether I mean it is a long way but thank you with modern social media my daughter in law has created every modern baby seems to have an Instagram account and I do shallow has created image from accounts and there are pictures of our little grandson every day using something and so I don't fail asters touch with him actually we do Skype and we get a coach's saying we could have my Skype but it isn't the case that the process focused on that day but I think you know I was very aware that them travelling all this way is you know it's an imposition on them but if they had decided to stay then I would have understood because you know it is a long way with with the baby you know I imagine he's just starting to crawl at the moment 5 by Christmas that'll make you know a child out of the plane really quite quite challenging but I think you know if they had decided not to come I would have made a fuss I would have understood and it's probably just about a long conversation and had they not come which had been just you and your other half together and quite a small turkey awards do you have other family members to join you really feel like you know we want to be just the 2 of you would that feel a bit worn and a bit a bit sort of depleted in a bit sort of not not know really 'd what Christmas is meant whatever mentees to baby what I think that's that's where we're going to. That's the way to the expectation initially if you're saying it's not what Christmas is meant to be what you're meaning is it isn't what we've had in the past but I think Christmas is best enjoyed in the presence rather than comparing was what happened in the car so maybe you know if I've had a long time that I'd like to go and have Christmas on the beach somewhere I mean on the beaches page to go and cook a barbecue or something and say we do have quite a big family say we have 4 children I rate the probably would have been others around but I think if everybody I'm sure it will happen one of the day said everybody goes to another half and I think I've just got other things that we might do that day like walking over and help a crisis or Christmas or something and I think I think you have to define each Christmas by who's available and the stage of life you're at not looking back and thinking I was better in the past. And and and so people whose feelings have been hurt or whose ino emotions are a bit ruffled or who just think wait a minute you know we're mom and dad or you know we're grandparents so I'm used brother and sister you know what do you mean you do want to spend Christmas with us is the biggest deceit can give us we feel you know we feel we feel upset and resentful and we feel rejected and dejected and and we see much of you anyway and this is the one big day of the year where we all get together and you know you're really not going to be there this is horrible of you this and actually we're upset and this is where the fathers and often get on the phone I know this is a stereotype to get on the phone and say you know your mother is in tears in the kitchen you know your mommy and she won't tell you but she's heartbroken you happen you do this there's all of that and you've got even more tension Yeah but the situation you're describing it's a big confrontation when there's been no is saying no conversation leading up to it in the case of kids partners they can spend it with both parents unless you have a maid you have to have a huge house and can accommodate everybody but some you know that turns out to be taken. In the best way is not to have that big confrontation but actually work for it in stages and say well look you know we came here last year so probably we're going to have to go somewhere else this year and a as a result of it just define Christmas by what's happening now not what's happened in the past well it's easy to say but difficult to do and what about people who find themselves in a new family configuration so they nearly divorce then you leave the revived or you know they're meant to sort of somehow sit there looking at their ex with their ex's new girlfriend or their mom and dad have just got married or hooked up with someone and suddenly they're in a completely alien family that one of the people they've never even met before and they're meant to pretend situation in the you know Christmas can require a great deal of sort of heroic. Baron's from people. Yes I mean let's see that license about change isn't it nothing stays the same and constant. We have to get used to a new situation. And I think it's going to be that painful Justin if you're going to be sitting there with your ex and you really don't want the day maybe don't go so but you know Modern Family is a quite good at redefining themselves are talking to somebody just yesterday who just got married to somebody has a 4 and he's spending Christmas with her former in-laws Salem and the relationship right down. They still love their daughter in law and it's a very unusual great Somehow it seems to work because they have you know a love in common for each other well it's wild kind mistakes dado to badness don't say that's what a bitter love is all you need thank you very much indeed for joining us on the program Dr Allison Bathurst I'm taking a very calm equable view of the children the coming with the grandson from Mexico if they were coming well they weren't coming that would be fine everything would be fine piece easy to say that specially on the radio but in real life in real terms Paul I would your feelings be hurt if your family didn't come home for Christmas and join you gosh you'd feel awful if you were excluded or ignored maybe you always go somewhere and they've shut up shop this year then actually open the Christmas Day They are going away themselves or they're deciding just to hunker down with their own little nuclear family and they haven't invited you or maybe you are excluded because of a bereavement or a divorce or breakup and suddenly you're not in that familiar Christmas environment that used to be and maybe you think that the weight of expectation at Christmas is Tilley ridiculous this expectation of perfection what you can be wearing and which path you will be using and where would you be eating and what will the table decorations be like you just think oh my gosh this is too much for man or beast it's never as good as you think it's going to be or maybe it is for you your family really does have a Merry Christmas it's merry It's jolly you like each other you even love each other you get on well you look forward to it what is the secret of a successful family Christmas do please give us a call. All about this is a very simple question I'm asking today I'm asking are you going home for Christmas and if so I mean that literally and also metaphorically are you spending Christmas with your family and if so how do you want that one out how do you make it go smoothly and if you're not maybe because you don't have any family or maybe it's because you form an out with them or maybe it's because you're getting on a plane and going somewhere and you don't care less if you're in the least bit guilty give us a call you will not be judged but which is interested to know what you're going to be doing this Christmas the number is 080-731-2000 is a free phone number one cause you've been to ring me so you won't have to deduct the cost from the Christmas presents that you are buying 087312000 is the number and we'd love to know how you can be spending Christmas is it with the family will be straight back with you after this trial. This is one of the great thing about presenting this fabulous radio program on this incredible station is that you can use about how long should be so what a lot of my callers say is can almost squares as exclusive school as can I open a more open to be more friendly more theater more music more shows along didn't need to get bigger more people can get housed more people can get jobs or more people listen to the show that's is a lot and don't just needs to keep going b.b.c. Radio. You want a Christmas reality check you know all those lovely adverts with all the tinsel and all the children in the roaring fire in the gorgeous tacky Listen to this it is from James hearing says he's in Kingston he says one of the NASA Please give a mention to all of us that will be alone this Christmas because there is simply no relatives left and Simon says I've just left my wife I've got no kids mom is old and going to the day center for Christmas so I'm going with my mates ex-girlfriend to her mom's most bizarre and j.c. Says good for. That man who is not going to spend Christmas with his mother because his mother I mean I think quite quite simply isn't nice to him so nice to him to make him feel awful she criticizes him and he says it's a toxic relationship it's too much for him to stand so he's not going to spend Christmas with his mom and j.t. Says Good for Matt I'm with him on that now the program was something that you cover in depth thank you very much indeed for that I really appreciate it let's talk to Esther in Boerum with Esther high calorie Finisterre said the happy Christmas spent in the bosom of your family not for you. For the last 20 years are run away go on applying going somewhere hot and are quite annoyed when I go somewhere I always go to the Gambia and then my family Merry Christmas to me I'm like I've come here away from all that sure about this year I'm going on a cruise salute a love in a y. I've got 4 children who growing up yes and soon as they grew up and stop believing in Father Christmas I mean I still read into maybe box and I took away with all the sure of it I was never brought up to celebrate Christmas. So I just I mean my ex-husband used to sort of like the turkey and how Come on let's all be happy and for goodness sake why are you talking to a prophet you can't stand why you think that your parish it's a sure well I reckon I will get a true name up on the word fraud and say gee why is it you should rob but now I can see what you're saying you just felt the whole thing was fake Did you inform me sorry I'm a my mom passed away love sweet so I'm not really that thank you Rob I know people like what you can do Christmas morning to spend Christmas with anyway art comes back from my holidays and say I should go go why really you know Chris she never brought me up to celebrate Christmas and take part in this big fight sure all but I mean I have grandchildren now and I'm going to write to the Father Christmas will bring you this if they want you know their kids they want to believe in the magic of it but as soon as they and I know him and he goes to why the money comes back with probably something not from a whole country yet sternness but it does. Anything Christmas-Y. We all pretended in getting people presents they don't own argument but some people will say as to you're so lucky and it says on my screen you've got 9 grandchildren and here I will say you know they did seeing their little rosy faces and the excitement in reading them the night before Christmas and being woken up in the crack of dawn when they come in but I still Kings and I knew no more of that stuff you know how how could you possibly take a self awareness cruise a missile. They say because it's not part of you know I think when I see I have fun with it I'm not going to pretend on this one day a lot the noise about my grandchildren or to my children like that part as you might look at home with all their might imply a relative you don't know if you know I work really hard I'm going away for 2 weeks come back and I'll see their faces not bring them some bait when I have got a whole heap of presents to open and I just kept going to one side and so I did the book you know how I don't know if you do now but I have seen sometimes when I've been on holiday somewhere or other and you see a couple getting married and then yeah well that's the way I see it only I'm only me I can't anyone else see the couple on their own in the you know some registrar from a foreign country conducting the here and 2 of the way to being the the witness and I can't help feeling oh gosh that's a sad lonely they're so isolated now maybe they're thinking off you that's got shot of all of them you know we're on our way blissfully in love how wonderful but I would think all know without your family without your friends you know how lonely but but I wonder Christmas so if it's Christmas on a cruise with a whole load of strangers when you've actually got a perfectly buoyant fizzing family back home whether that's a bit you know celebration or is Mrs dreams not really not really I mean my dear I mean I get divorced and if I was married to get it be on the beach like Ron I really just you know the Hoff and no one else yeah yeah because it's just too I mean unfortunately it was my mom seeing all this week and I didn't even really my mom was curious anyway quick quick and then I had people saying why wasn't I invited so it's not partaken you know their celebration make your own and it's just it's just me I wouldn't go celebrate Christmas it has got I mean in for me and then when I got married and I was not part of the poor man he steps to try to make it all have to not be like me take the tree down now home folks think I was all for are you are you are sort of hard knocks kind of a personal you somebody without that sort of sentimental Gene the kind of you know the. The woman fluffy pajamas comp link smiling that kind you have. To have that are. Not really I mean I love my grandchildren obviously yes and when I say you know I've got time with them it's not a monk story because I'm told to do it because it's Christmas yeah yeah I can go and do things because it's Christmas and it's all commercialized accounts time that I'll buy them something they want when they want if they need it I'll see them when I know when I want to see them not just because it's quick. To be nice to take it out like someone if they really are trying to say yes I mean are you saying suit yourself when you're doing this on your own terms which is basically no turning it is all. That I don't know whether to admire it all want to feel that I want to want to pipe little thing I've also did out for you people when I come back that's going to be 20 maybe 20 years and my youngest is 28 now yes so since you stopped flights leaving for the Christmas Don't go away it's a family have a great time and when we come back he's going to wish I wish I could have done that or you can just do it just. When he put it that way when when my kids were little we don't go away as a family for Christmas somewhere whole and then be in a nice place like Lance wrote in a nice place have a lovely Christmas mail and we'd be you know we'd have time with the family no one would be stressed we would have people where we didn't really like we had to pretend to like you know I can't pretend like people are like couldn't just because they were relatively thought in manner Thanks for not doing it. You know who you all the lesson about that you're very clear about your thought yes I'm feeling it was very I mean I think I was some people think Oh absolutely admirable there's not a hypocritical time in your body if you don't think now I know I'm. Not I have a happy Christmas my darling and I'm very very sorry for your loss and wish you a long life I'm very sorry extreme poor great Khulna a very fast a. Knows what she wants and doesn't want as I want to spend Christmas with people that she doesn't like she doesn't want to buy presents just because it's that time of the year she goes away for Christmas and that's it and that's her and she's happy doing 80871000 when you had a speedy thing yes me too or did you saying I wish I only wish I could do it she does you'd love to do what she does but you'd never dare over 871-2000 if you were to hearing from you and we will be straight back with you after the news headlines . With the headlines at $930.00 I'm Jason Rozen Labour's promising to spend $155000000000.00 pounds a year on the n.h.s. By 2024 that's $6000000000.00 a year more than outlined in tourism A's pledge of last year new hospitals and improved mental health services are among the plant's former Conservative minister David Gork is going to stand as an independent in next month's general election he says a conservative majority would be bad for the country because it would lead to a very hard Breck states later Boris Johnson will promise a Tory government would make sure the u.k. Leaves the e.u. Because the country can't afford to squander more time 100 Army personnel have been deployed to help with the flood recovery efforts in South Yorkshire around 500 homes in Doncaster been flooded labor says the government's response is too little too late and the need for an Oxford Circus a revamp of Cavendish Square and a total transformation of Marble Arch is being promised as part of a $3000000000.00 pound restoration of Britain's most famous shopping area the aims to make Oxford Street a destination for experiences and services not just shopping London's weather largely bright and clear day with plenty of sunshine during the afternoon like winds throughout the day and temperatures there are only getting up to 9 Celsius which is 48 in far right now with the b.b.c. Radio London travel his Robert. Just look at the South Circular Jason is partly blocked in Westerly Truxton for it because of a collision the place of directing traffic past the scene was. Stator bracket words just above the m 25 c junction 21 a roundabout of the north road still closed off because of a large diesel spill so there's no access to water from the m 25 clockwise and in Surbiton Lambert's road still closed off it's been flooded because of a burst water main that's also flooded the Vale way line lots of cancellations for Southwestern Railway this morning on the chin the Bakerloo Line has minor delays northbound Vesta trains and ships on the whole running close to timetable any updates you can give us a call 807312000 or you can tweet at b.b.c. Traveller there's more trouble just after 10. Radio 94.9 f.m. Band on b.b.c. Sounds this is love and this is b.b.c. Radio London Dr Besser shouts. And she says I love Christmas it's a rare opportunity to get all 4 kids together 9 to 21 years along with grandma and great aunt always my home always my mother thankfully mother in law always wants to be with her daughters children in the States so I get it all my way I love providing a gorgeous Christmas I pull out all the stops and it's all disgustingly decadent decadent Christmas Wow Goodness me and this is I'd love to go home for Christmas but I'm not allowed annual leave my office is closed on Christmas Eve but I have to take it as holiday then I have to come in on Friday the 27th and on New Year's Eve my managers on holiday from the 22nd of December until the 6th of January I appreciate that lots of people have to work at this time of year but all of my supplies will be closed so they'll be nothing for me to do this is just inforced presenteeism and is the 1st time in the 26 years that I've lived in London that I can't go to visit my family in Scotland thank goodness one of my sisters will also be in London they say I'm very sorry for you I don't know your name because that's anonymous but stories are here that seems like a big shame Let's go to Louise in can't Hi Louise good morning good morning to tell me about spending Christmas with the fam. He does it matter. For me I'm like my family so I've been a conviction that you have to say everybody right and then you have to I mean every year we've done for a full days and Dr Haidt right there and not really enjoyed it but it's a tradition for my family across the boat and my partners that we've decided not to inhale already what are you going to do then instead Well we've given the times how do they go from now on until about wanting to obey the us but want. Everyone can go without any Often in a city that maybe the whole family just kind of Christmas in the car whizzing about from one family home to another we study but it's as if the Trust takes money for us even sitting when you're in the car going from house to house on Christmas Day So be my mommy and my mother in law and the in-laws then back down to my family my aunt and uncles and my cousin. And so yeah do you want to different Christmas meal every different house throughout the day how does that work. With they was one year we did have to say it's a Christmas thing here but we try to take one of 8 we have all turned it's Christmas in as a different houses why have you decided to dig your heels in this year off too lazy or is it doing the same thing because money Ok said I want to go out Christmas open the stuff how old is she. Really she just had enough of it and you thought you're actually you're speaking a great deal of common sense. And I want your I let you know we saw the way was this going to give everyone a client. And then say so does this mean now your chief cook and bottle washer you've got to provide them with the food rather than driving around eating it and pays Yeah and I'm actually really excited because I. Really tell you to do it you're going to do tacky. No I little and once gammon side was full of variety as mates. Hey Ryan you're excited with that sort of existence and yet a one place you can wear your pajamas for the whole day if you want to do that to you Louise nice to hear from me Louise is going to continue to mention new Christmas tradition in her family that is on the line in Camden Town is a fast time caller Welcome to the set in morning hello morning than a morning have you seen the front page of the song Harry knows how to Queen won't spend Christmas at Sandringham you could be on the front page of The Sun You're doing a similar thing. Here not to speak to. We share our last year basically I live in the Midlands and my folks live in the southwest and I do love my bed and I think about my own comforts so yeah it was a 175 miles Christmas Day morning and then a 175 miles back Boxing Day morning and it was just so much hassle I'm not a lot to give and I don't like mean that the lady that was on before the news of the Estelle was yes she was speaking yeah I mean I have a lot 2 peas in a pod. I can't stand all 'd the why buy me a present I don't particularly want to buy you a present Why buy me a present my mother what you want for Christmas what you want Christmas more job Christmas I don't care whatever you know it isn't anything that you would like to have no president basically calling in the well that you would like you know some peace and quiet I tell you what somebody bought me a few years ago. A television because they come around to my house and my television was about 4 or 5 years old and it was a bit smaller so I thought they'd go out and buy me a television on this handwriting and robust very come out and I'm broke within 6 months why buy me a television I don't want I'm quite happy with my own television if I wanted a new television I can go and afford one and it's like these presidencies the shops are getting people to spend money when people can afford it people running up credit culpa. And it's just it just seems like a huge amount of hustle and I just know of no interest there if you know what I what are you going to be hearing on the day when I'm going to be staying home I think I've got a couple of friends nearby which are walkable So I think we'll be around each other's houses and. That'll be the so Christmas and then please myself in eating are you safe I want to spend you know I came up with jihad on the web which I was but it only took 3 o'clock at least I can do it without being dictated to that you know you'll be having dinner at this time you'll be in this time you way too in this you can't drink because you're driving the following morning and it's so like it's imposed it's imposed I think stands for Esther was saying I could say whatever that his queer little boy is this is go on asked one yeah Will the family feel when you say I'm not coming. My mama say well you know on your own Are you and I also know while. There are friends going to be around so I'm going to be on my own no member yeah I'll be on my own me in the end if you like or 'd or no I you know my parents have got other family down in the southwest out there and Ok it's not as if they don't they're going to be on their own and I'm going to be on their own it's just are not going to be there and you know this plan even the time for me to go down the noise was a white Christmas time when I don't particularly enjoy it and maybe. Sometimes I think that I'm maybe bringing the atmosphere down because you can quite clearly say I'm not to take us on the table here is my 2nd question Ok Why is it such a big deal that for one day in the year you don't get to say when you're having dinner and you don't get to say which chat you're going to sit in and you don't get to say I mean why do you have to be in charge of everything every single day the and why can't it be for one day of the year you go with it and instead of his you just said bringing the the atmosphere down by looking glum unfallen I'm fed up and showing it. Can you put a brave face on polar crack where a silly hat you know read to chip in order and just look jolly for one day then one day and now you know I was trolley and it doesn't worry me and I don't think the lady before the news if it were you know I because we just don't like that we don't like things that go to it to die and and it's not selfishness it's small you know. It's so full of if you like it's actually. Looking after yourself instead of trying to please other people that's all because it's sometimes when you try to please other people it makes you darlin it makes you press on a really depressing John Christmas don't know why I just don't like the launch everything around I think that it's been too commercialized and and people are trying to make a quick book out of it. And that's basically yeah the stuff makes me know you are higher than you know very little or no this if everybody is saying how they feel and you feel like that but but I think some things are yes it's been commercialized but that doesn't mean you have to get into that you can in a make home a key present you cannot give any president you know you don't have to spend money on it if you don't feel like it it's an optional thing never those who enjoy it those who make money out of it and those who like spending money on it but those few who don't account of what it has not compulsory I mean I you know I don't know maybe you're just I'm you were you would have been easy to screw to buy humbug it seems that you must be a little bit in nice to you thank you so much it's going to barrel in Grange Pa God barrel morning oh groaning the best what you think of on call if you don't like it don't want to have well do with it that stuff I find this move very very sad very sad indeed I had 4 children and I now have a very large family 13 grandchildren that never great credit to be a lucky thing. And we have always been very fair family we always get sick of it we're too many of us get together in one house now I take things that I love it and we will get all really well we we don't have. Hellish you know we make a. Guy And we really enjoy of we are a lot we are very very you know to fall away. For a 5th a special I'd like to know how you've managed it Beryl because you know loads of people would love to be you quite honestly they'd love to be able to phone up and say on the radio sincerely we are united family we enjoy each other's company we get home well we don't even turn the t.v. On we play games with with so many of us now we can't even see one house we literally look forward to it I mean that's the kind of a everybody would love to be able to say some of it must be due to you in the way they raised your family how have you managed to bring all these different individuals into the wild and reach a stage where you've managed to make sure that everybody gets along with everybody else because they have to be a little niggles and I don't know self Occasionally yeah sometimes we have holidays together but to many of us ago I thought how the grandchildren have been a couple of the great you know children and I think there's an all time at the time on how I would say we are very very and cannot feel very very fortunate find it very sad that some of the people and I think the real meaning of Christmas which I think is it is very commercial. If a race. Of people. Anybody or don't get Sonal do you do you does does does the Christian message play any publishing if you does anybody go to church or anything like I doubt it does yes I guess we care to have it out there. But I think. They favor hope what about when they say it's just a sure Rod a charade to have a bit of that that's all it is it's you know it's a fake and it's full. It is it doesn't mean anything else that the people. Could see but it's a very very important very important check. So when you when you hear that Harry and Meghan are going to spend Christmas with the queen it sounding him do you think that subsetting for that for the queen and does this shame i do i do i actually are hopeful for a day I could have painted. Them a spare thing for me if I was here always so want to do things a bit different they have a right. Tell me about tell me about the children and the grandchildren and the great grandchildren how do you how do you feel about the great grandchild Tell me about having enough love in your heart to love every single one and how many of you go into grandchildren and great great great grandchildren really never quite. Another one of mine I love. Very lovely today as well I mean they're lovely they are the whole way is it amazing how you find there's enough love because you think you might have used to do all up on your own children then the grandchildren common you or you feel be you know that you know I do know yes because I do but I but but I people say well how how do you feel about how I feel I think I feel exactly the same as I do about my own children I mean like I don't love the more because I couldn't love anyone mall by love them as much as equally just the same as I do my children I think you know you're doing you have more time for them. To look after. You have gotten to stay with us I still love. You have all turned field grandchildren you know it's not the talking to parent it really is I'm so glad you called Thank you very much indeed that's barreling Grange Park lose children lose ground when they all get on well they love Christmas they do believe in the Christian message at the heart of it they do have a good time with each other they like each other so well I'm like cool is my my my Would you cool my cynical cool is all my invested cool is all my cool is maybe they're just real images telling it like it is for them in their lives you know everybody comes from a different perspective on this so that's why it's so nice and interesting to hear what people have to say and some people think of Christmases fulsome and. Commercialized and just a horribly pressured dumb pleasant time of year that has to be endured or ignored and some people really do look forward and do seem as if they have or the kind of ideal family that you read about and see on the telly but never really believed to exist and they do exist so I don't know what we've been talking about this morning is driving home for Christmas effectively will you be doing it would be spending Christmas with your family would you feel very upset indeed if your family says well actually we're not going to be around for Christmas with you this year would you feel you know rejected in dejected and upset and sidelined him you know very full on what you say when you know things change and one of the. Guest babba stopped from London university she said you have to really focus on Christmas this year not trying to do what Dickens did with Ebeneezer Scrooge and think about the ghost of Christmas past but think about how life is now and how you want to spend this year old when comparing your Christmas with all the Christmases that you enjoyed in days of yore so interesting to know what you're doing this Christmas whether you're going to be at home or away with you going to be with family with a like my cynical listeners you can't stand the whole thing and you think it's something you just have to jump through hoops and you don't enjoy any of them and you don't want to buy a present for anyone else and you don't want to present yourself you just don't want the whole thing or whether for you it's a time of year that you look forward to made with the sort of child like you know anticipation this says we have the same issue in our family my husband's brother had a baby 4 months they've decided to spend it with his wife's family my in-laws own tapi because they'll miss their grandsons 1st Christmas this is typical of their behavior they've missed other family events for a few years and everything centers around what they want generation x. Only care about what happens in that tiny bubble as long as we go over there Facebook posts and Instagram photos they are happy we all have to do things we don't like social interaction both good and bad is part and parcel of life so what we'll do now is we would. Take a trail then we'll find out what it's doing on his day today and the number is 080-731-2000 very simple question What do you and it do this Christmas. This is Monday we're seeing all sorts of some of the planet's most impressive tattoos all over the loads of towns this is London so Ruskin park yes biscuit Ok Where exactly is this is London the most famous subprocess in the world and everybody's been talking about how the road to this is long grown ups when young people said to me weren't you from from I say I'm from b.b.c. Radio one day I reside in a. Bit early lots of people say Christmas who It's a difficult and very pressured enough setting and expensive and you know saying that just opting out and they're not going to be seeing family this Christmas green cheese. That's for the Army a mega look Harry's know how to Queen Grinch Yes they're not going to join the queen sounding and I love Christmas I'm all not religious I don't have any religious element of it without that you know each to their own absolutely of it's Christmas or Hanukkah or you know whatever it might be and this is the same time this is a Hanukkah volunteers I know but I just think the idea of having a couple of days here is really only to my you know because we were kids in the mines as a bomber and got 2 days off I guess Mr Brooks Yeah but I really look forward to that and I look forward I mean I see my family quite low anyway but a lot of foods are they will come back and Alice who come back more to come I'm from university and and I feel be there and usually I see my brother in there on Boxing Day and they'll come over and we just have these kind of routines and and I'm quite opposed to a lot more beatings I like having my thing and I'll cook the Christmas lunch and I'll be drunk by the time it's sort of the. Sauna probably play a game or 2 afterwards alive we'll never get to the end of it you'll never get when I guess that's really not the point did you ever have you see I mean we were Belize team I mean whatever it is we just thought normal doing. And he went off somewhere else for Christmas let him get on with it I remember kind of the last couple years where I was when I was a universe in so living a. Little bit fractured more of a Barry had moved to America my brother Reggie had lots of things I think you know people would say no don't do Chang But then it kind of so down again to my mom used to come to us every Christmas and then says she became the kind of folk commit but I now my house yet it did good and she would sit there and call and people would come and say oh and that was a lovely Yeah and that's what I'm hoping in my dhoti that that one of my kids will take a little you get that little basis exactly and I really do like it and yes it costs too much money and and to be honest I don't I'm very lucky in that I don't do most of the work apart from cooking dinner which is my job my wife does with the cards all the all doing since President by now she's great as I think he said he's fantastic so I get to just get the good pizza I think if you could they did in that town yeah that therefore I do that that does cause a big contribution isn't it I love watching you know corny films in and one of the great things about Christmas season you can watch half the film because you've seen them so many times anyway so it doesn't matter if you start off way for really see the endo you only see the 1st bit so I love all of that I like the kind of rituals around it and the repetition of it and and everyone's getting you know out of my mike Spike always comes in his Christmas Day with us as well because he because he's a poll last lonely so. I don't see my would necessarily describe him as that though it's so and so it's I don't know I really really enjoy it but I'm very lucky I've got a family seem to want to come and spend it with us essentially and I've got you know just about enough money to be able to pay for it must be really tough if you haven't got those things I think I'm very very lucky you know that my family around me and we can afford some some crackers to pull I think there's been a thing going up in a Jewish family at Christmas because you know Mike my grandparents you relatively observant he would get if you were Jewish festivals and there was you know. This is a you have been out in the old days you know and the sad. Both and then there was this Christmas you know there was some of us have a sale and I would show it was Christmas and I was Christmas all the grandparents sherry or anything like that well we were really loud because that would have been the yet to be known Jewish yet but we were allowed a very small one in our bedroom so that's what's needed now officially is a Hanukkah bush you know and so it's a bit like that and so I'd say they're all the grab doesn't grab us with their Christmas got so and you know having got absolutely eating turkey we had absolutely the traditional Christmas meal last baseball at the chip a lot which wasn't because of the demand that but we had everything else I mean is effectively we had as of Jewish yabber taste of Christmas we thought early in July and to be on his mark Christmas didn't have very much religion in it I think and anybody that was an atheist and so you know but it was it was a communal celebration and that's what it for me that's what it's about Christmas is about and if you're on your own and you're lonely and all that I must be off yeah but if you have got people to be communal with whether your family or your friends or whoever your neighbors whoever it might be it's about celebrating community here right what's coming up and yes I wrote Notes and Queries and I think we've got a couple good ones but not everyone for most of you and he would like to ask we're going to talk to Emily Chappel just want to buy rice of 4000 kilometers she sought and created basically around the world in one we've got an exhibition at the Science Museum on science and all we've got the story of madness the group not the condition and we've got a really great just seeing it coming in Judy Jackson she's been on the show twice before she's a fantastic vocalist and she's taken part in the one and just festival and she's coming and then I went on the lovely and if anyone gets a chance what was the ice skating rink at Somerset how I go every year maybe they go No no it was last night and they are. So nice isn't it I'm I did not see skate to tell that no I don't know watching other people doing it right huge if we see. Really enjoyed it even noid me now so as my wife said to me last night why haven't we been invited to the ice skate. The 1st year we have to go home which we live here I have gone have on your flight Hello I'm sorry I'm going to come to the gym and it was really lucky for everybody gets a child really like so pretty darn it right just so pretty really really perfect environment that Robert thank you very much indeed that's it for me in Greenford I from a morning hello Vanessa while you're not Christmas in your family and whether it matters if you spend it with the family oh no I mean it's lovely with family with them from a big family mom has 5 children 13 grandchildren and we tend to discuss from about some we live in Nigeria and in England so from about September October we tend to discuss which country are we spending it in and whose place I know see the moms mine or my sister's Yeah but a couple and we do enjoy each other's company actually is good fun some of us go to church some don't we only buy presents for the children. Not for you know the grown ups and a couple of years ago everyone was sort of being indecisive so mom just said look I'm spending Christmas in London and I want to eat at a hotel really I'm selling that without a shot to the system didn't hurt as I say I don't like I don't know 1st actually 1st of ever and I'm of your vintage started 1st time ever I did that was fantastic so we went out Mom 4 of us mom my teenage daughter and I because I'd recently lost my husband on and my brother one of my brothers who is single Yeah and 4 of us just went but there's a lovely hotel nice drive out to Windsor Oh yeah really lovely it was soo nice not booking no sweating over a whole stick move I really had so it felt it felt warm and welcoming and comfortable you didn't feel overly for a moment where you know there was a really lovely festive atmosphere Yes a lot of families that large group some couples it was lovely was a good mix we did a really nice and feel good so it's yes we're doing it this year actually was a very expensive fairly expensive I mean more than a restaurant on a normal day but you'd expect that that was a 4 course meal that was lovely if my daughter enjoy. It's a you know teenagers difficult to please but yes the kind of thing where you get very dressed up and everybody's there yesterday in there oh yes yes yes yes so we and then we did the family thing later sort of when you yeah. We did it take our family to a few friends for New Year but just on Christmas Day It was lovely no cooking initially get up you know it was lovely and so what you would recommend it I would now and then so if you know gold lovely festive love. And without actively advertising the place where do what they call I don't know 040 x. I mention the hotel on and yeah I know Ok So McDonald hotel in Windsor and what made you choose what how come you even knew about it or even chose that my girl I just googled we just went through with mom you know one day and her friends just such and such you know we like to look at that we don't like the look of that child friendly because I'd also as an 11 I would just like a not too far from home when you know the west side of town and yes we just said Ok take a chance on this we got good reviews yes and we loved it well that's really really nice bringing in do you know for me thank you for calling in actually that made it good way of solving things at a hotel everybody has to behave a bit better at least you hope they would in a hotel slightly more full movie and not quite is I suppose not quite you know to home say you are good you put your best face on maybe this says it's from early morning the message this year will be together with Mom 2nd one without Dad but it's going to be lovely anyway will be largely gift for you like we were last year that was a massive pressure removed from the day we don't go crazy we make a lot of decorations and small gifts for others like things for that tree when one of Michael's will probably be with a partner's family but I guess we'll just have to suck that up when all the children are gone I'll spend the day watching films with a box of roses and a bottle of 1st 2nd is just a day I can't get emotional about it says lovely Allie Ani in a sling to now this is an idea for loads of people if you you know maybe going to be alone this year you might want to take a leaf from all of these book on. He says I'm going to work for Christ is the homeless charity on Christmas Day and Boxing Day If you don't enjoy Christmas then do something to make others happy on the day who don't have a choice to enjoy Christmas I've done it for several years and I really have found it extremely rewarding and you know you may think well you'd be shy to do it or it would feel with him funny but as he would say it's very very friendly when they do that it really is quite a grey atmosphere and people enjoy it very much as make friends and really it can be a very social way of spending the day doing something good and then this is from Christian sorry who says How sad that Harry and Meghan have taken this stance we all sometimes would like to please ourselves there are other days that they could have their day together the queen this wonderful woman who knows how long she'll be here Man up Harry your royal Sometimes you have to behave like one and show some respect for your grandmother that is from Chris in salary say thank you very much indeed everybody joined in the program today hope you enjoyed it thanks so much the team had Gemma producing raising Claire answering the phones an owner driving the desk I hope you have a fantastic day will be coming out with a great show and I'll see you tomorrow morning. Indeed coming up in the next 3 and a half hours here on the rubber own show we're going to be joined by Emily Chappell who's just cycled 4000 miles we're going to hear about an exhibition at the Science Museum Russell Clarke will talk of the origins of madness the group that is and we've got live music from the brilliant Judy Jackson coming up she's fantastic Oh and we need some queries if you've got any mysteries that need solving contact us here on the river Ellen's show coming up after the murders and headlines on b.b.c. Radio London my digital radio 95.9 f.m. And the b.b.c. Sound. Is no longer. B.b.c. Radio. London's knees at 10 I'm Jason Ross of Boris Johnson will use his 1st major speech of the election campaign today to promise to end what he's calling brick sick ground toggery Meanwhile Labor is saying they'll spend more on the n.h.s. They say they'll use the money to cut waiting times and boost mental health services if they win our health correspondent Nick Tribbles been looking at the figures last year the government set out a 5 year funding plan and they said by 2023 the n.h.s. Budget in England would be $20000000000.00 pounds higher than it was last year and that's after inflation labor are saying we're $26000000000.00 pounds higher now Labor promised brings the n.h.s. Funding create is in line with what the n.h.s. Has traditionally got through out its history to keep pace with the pressures of the ageing population or the Liberal Democrats are announcing plans to tackle knife crime and gang violence by treating them as a public health issue they're promising to invest 500000000 pounds a year in youth services Christine John Dean is the Lib Dems Home Affairs spokesperson we've seen how this can be done it was done in Glasgow violent crime was hard and the number of admissions to x. That marriage unsee failed by 62 percent the numbers of admissions with naif went No that's what we need across the country to protect a young people. More military personnel have been drafted in to help flood hit parts of the East Midlands and northern England the government has come under pressure from labor and the Liberal Democrats to offer more support to community suffering in the floods Oxford Street will receive nearly 3000000000 pounds of investment over the next 3 years the plan aims to make it a destination for experiences and services not to shopping Cavendish Square will be revamped Oxford Circus will get a brand new pizza and the area around Marble Arch will also be transformed Ryan Clark male is nearing the end of a 24 hour car ride challenge to raise money for b.b.c. Children eat he's had several surprise guest singing with him including our very own Vanessa Feltz and he says it's been great but exhausting but a table focal coaches here and any point where they thought Hang on you're setting yourself too far I've been dosed with the new Kahaani lemon law very well it's off the nocturnal buying everyone enough of giving up their time to come down here to see me through this and more in Bowl and later all of the listeners and the view. To Tilly blah of these coming in head of collections and principal cure rates are at the science museum and she's going to tell us about the art of innovation.