16 January 2022

This year, there are not one but two Great Christmas Cracker Dashes on The Sound of Sunday.

In the absence of being able to go round the wards to do this long running event, for the second year running, we turned to local care homes to get residents and staff involved.  During the Sound of Sunday Big Christmas Show on 12 December, it was Cherry Blossom Manor who pulled the crackers and told the jokes and on 19 December it will be the staff and residents of Ashcombe House in Basingstoke.

The home runs lots of different activities for its residents and the Activities Co-ordinator Michelle Martin was keen to get involved.

Hear their cracker jokes and song choices on HRB on Sunday 19 December from 4pm.

In the absence of The Great Christmas Cracker Dash around the wards and our panto guests for the Christmas show in 2020, we put together a compilation of both of these from the Christmas shows of the past.  The show went out on Christmas Day 2020.

Part 1

Part 2

The traditional start of Christmas on HRB is back on 12 December.

The Sound of Sunday Big Christmas Show has been on air each year since the 1990s, evolving and gradually getting bigger, and this year is no exception.

Joining in the show this year will be the cast of the panto at the Corn Exchange in Newbury – Cinderella, and Joe McFadden from the Anvil’s panto – Beauty and the Beast.

Richard Smith and Vernon Pearce will both be talking about their respective HRB shows over Christmas, and there will be the return of the Great Christmas Cracker Dash with the residents of Cherry Blossom Manor care home in Basingstoke.

Radio and TV presenter Mike Read will also be doing something very special, which you can hear more about in a special programme just before the main show at 12.30.

And all the way from Australia, writer and broadcaster Tim Stackpool will be sending a Christmas message from down under.

The Sound of Sunday Big Christmas Show live from 1 on HRB.

The Sound of Sunday Big Christmas Show is back for 2021.

Our biggest show of the year, once again broadcasting remotely, is also once again sounding slightly different to how it has been done in the past, with going round the wards still not possible.

But panto is back which means the cast of Cinderella at The Corn Exchange in Newbury will be joining us as well as Joe McFadden from Beauty and the Beast at The Anvil.

There will also be the announcement of the winner of the staff competition to win a family ticket to see Beauty and the Beast.

Richard Smith will join us to talk about The Big Broadcast and Vernon Pearce will look forward to Christmas in Spain.

Plus, The Great Christmas Cracker Dash is back, working with two local care homes again this year.  First up will be the staff and residents of Cherry Blossom Manor in Bramley pulling crackers, telling the jokes and choosing the songs, and then a week later it will be the turn of Ashcombe House in Basingstoke.

Plenty of other opportunity to get involved in the show too with Music on Demand and the Tell Me When Brain Teaser.

It’s live for four hours Sunday 12 December 1pm.

25 Years of Anvil Christmas Pantos

The special show we produced in 2019 featuring some of our many panto guests over the years and celebrating 25 years of pantos at The Anvil in Basingstoke.

PA Media

Bob Lowe was the inspiration behind Silverline, the helpline set up for older people to get help and advice or just have a friendly chat.  He inspired Esther Rantzen to set up the charity and spent much of the last decade promoting it and being recognised for his work too.

Bob appeared on the show a number of times talking about his work and on the most recent occasion we played the recording of his poem “Forever Two” which remembers his wife who died with Alzheimer’s and left him feeling lonely.

Bob sadly passed away last week at the age of 99, a short time before his 100th birthday.  He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

We will remember Bob on the show this weekend.  In the meantime we put “Forever Two” online as a video.

Superman 1940s Style Story of the Century Part 12