Christmas Links #1

Nottinghamshire Christmas pudding: Everything you need to know:
"LIKE Brussels sprouts, you either love them or loathe them. After shifting a ton of turkey and roast potatoes, a hefty Christmas pudding is either obligatory fare on December 25 – or the very last thing you want to tackle. No surprises about which camp Libby Clark and daughter Sarah Radford are in. The foodies are so keen on the family recipe that they will be sharing it with strangers next weekend... and Nottingham Post readers today."

Exotic foreign fare sidelines traditional Christmas puds:
"It’s arrivederci the traditional Christmas pudding; salve panettone. The steamed pud, based on a recipe that has changed little since Victorian times, has gone stale. Fewer of us, it seems, are prepared to end Christmas lunch with a stodgy, fruit-filled, flame-burnt, brandy-sodden dessert. British consumers are opting for more exotic sponge puddings or foreign alternatives."

BFBS to launch Christmas music radio station:
"BFBS Music Manager, Frank McCarthy, said: “Think of the ‘Totally Best Of’ Christmas mix of music that sets the perfect festive scene, wherever you are listening. BFBS Christmas does that and more in one huge free present from us to you."

DVDs and Blu-rays for your letter to Santa from Observations on film art:
"One occasional feature of our blog has been to point out new releases on DVD and Blu-ray, especially of titles that haven’t gotten much publicity. Some of these are easily available at major sources like Amazon, while others have to be ordered directly from their publishers, often abroad. But if you have a multi-standard player, don’t hold back. Ordering from abroad isn’t as intimidating as it might seem. Many sites have English-language sales pages."

Nick Frost: How the real Santa was ‘a joy’ to work with…
"Nick Frost discusses how the real Santa Claus helped him on the set of Doctor Who."