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Listen to this extremely eccentric London Christmas advent podcast

Listen to this extremely eccentric London Christmas advent podcast

As Southern Rail passengers can attest, it’s better to travel hopefully than arrive, and the same is true of Christmas. Advent is like a month-long chart countdown, only, instead of Autotune and various members of Migos, it features festivity, little doors and the occasional sweetie. Older-schoolers might even light candles on the advent crown, put up a wreath and start thinking about the old Christmas tree.

Now there’s another advent tradition in the making: the festive podcast. Specifically, ‘The Ghosts of Christmas Presents’, a 24-episode festive tale, with a new ten-minute instalment uploaded every day from December 1 until Christmas Eve. This is the fourth year of the London-set podcast. The 2021 outing follows previous iterations in not exactly sticking that closely to seasonal traditions – ‘The Snowman’ it ain’t.

This year, it tells the story of Benedict Nail, a solitary middle-aged bloke looking forward to spending Christmas Eve alone during the lockdown winter of 2020. Then he’s cursed by a miniature wooden witch and shrunk to an inch high. Trying to navigate his living room, he encounters the ghosts of past Londoners – from a Roman legionary and a Medieval nun to a Victorian labourer and a mid-century corporate manager – who haunt the objects in his house.

Created by writer Tobias Sturt and voice actor Jon Millington, it sounds like an intriguing take on the Dickensian idea that Christmas is a time for the spirits of London to visit us and reveal their secrets. Also, who doesn’t enjoy a Yuletide tingle up the spine?

‘The Ghosts of Christmas Presents’, daily until Dec 24.

Find a cosy pub with an open fire.

Find the season’s comfiest comfort food.


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