A great Christmas

Twenty-five years ago, Irishman Bob Geldof called together the top British and Irish acts of the 1980s to form Band Aid and record "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The song became the greatest Christmas hit of all time, raising millions of pounds for famine-stricken Ethiopia. It has spawned generations of cover versions for many good causes.

However wonderful the outcome, the recording session itself did not go smoothly. Massive egos of stars were involved. Alcohol flowed. Harmonies didn't work out as planned. Boy George behaved like a diva, arriving late and treating George Michael with contempt. Though the undertaking was meant to be an act of love, it was full of bickering and complications. In fact, it was a little like a big Christmas reunion gone horribly wrong and seen through the wrong end of a telescope.

Christmas is a holiday from which we sometimes expect just a bit too much. That puts a definite strain on everybody. Now, imagine Bob Geldof and Boy George meeting for a pint at the Pop Star Arms to escape the family and joke about their Christmas disasters. Listen in and brush up your essential Christmas vocabulary down at the pub.

Anne Hodgson