UK TV programmes to watch this week : 26/12/2015

Sherlock - 01-01-2016 - YouView appGareth Malone’s Great Choir Reunion (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 29th December 2015)

To mark the 10th anniversary of The Choir, Gareth Malone tracks down members from all his choirs for one huge reunion party. The centrepiece will be his Choir of Choirs, made up of his most talented singers from across the decade. But he has got just four short weeks – can he bring them all together and pull off a performance worthy of a decade’s work getting the nation singing? In the first of two episodes, Gareth tracks down ex-pupils from the first two choirs he created at Northolt High School and Lancaster Boys School. He discovers how being part of the choir changed their lives, and how they have gone on to successful careers, many in music. When he gets a group of them together to start rehearsing for the big reunion, they immediately feel the old bonds of camaraderie, and Gareth can’t resist suggesting an impromptu performance for friends and family.

David Beckham: For the Love of the Game (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:30pm | Tuesday 29th December 2015)

David Beckham sets himself the challenge of a lifetime: playing a football match on all seven continents of the globe and getting back in time for his own star-studded Unicef fundraising match at Old Trafford. On the journey, David discovers what football means to the many different people he meets and plays with, as well as some of the universal truths about the game itself, like its unique ability to inspire and unite people across the world. David plays with tribes in Papua New Guinea, children from an earthquake-damaged school in Nepal and refugees from neighboring African countries at a refugee camp in Djibouti. He flies on to Argentina, where he plays a community youth team in Buenos Aires, then to Antarctica to play with an international team of scientists, then to the USA to play the University of Miami women’s soccer team, before finally flying on to Old Trafford in Manchester for the Unicef fundraiser match.

What Britain Bought in 2015 (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Wednesday 30th December 2015)

What Britain Bought in 2015 is an eye-opening and intriguing look back at how we shopped in 2015 and what the £6 billion-a-week shopping habit says about the nation. Mary Portas discovers the must-haves, can’t-resists, and why-did-we-ever purchases of 2015, meeting the high street buyers, trend forecasters and retail gurus who spotted their potential – but who also reveal the products that took them by surprise. With exclusive inside information from some of the nation’s biggest retailers – including M&S, Lakeland, Waitrose, Superdrug, JD Sports and John Lewis – Mary lifts the lid on a year of British spending. If you haven’t purchased a spiralizer, colouring book for adults, coconut oil, dyed your hair pastel, grown a beard sporting athleisure wear, or 70s-style clothing, before sipping from a magnum of Prosecco – where have you been?

Gareth Malone’s Great Choir Reunion (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Thursday 31st December 2015)

To mark the 10th anniversary of The Choir, Gareth Malone tracks down members from all his choirs for one huge reunion party. The centrepiece will be his Choir of Choirs, made up of his most talented singers from across the decade. But he has got just four short weeks – can he bring them all together and pull off a performance worthy of a decade’s work getting the nation singing? In the second half, Gareth continues to spread the word of his reunion to the remainder of his choirs and tracks down some of the best singers from South Oxhey Community Choir, the Military Wives and the nine workplace choirs he formed for his choral contest Sing While You Work. Frenzied rehearsals and preparations for the reunion culminate in a hugely emotional and joyous reunion party with choir members from across the country coming together to celebrate ten years of The Choir.

Sherlock (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:35pm | Friday 1st January 2016)

Special of the crime drama which sees Sherlock Holmes and John Watson transplanted to Victorian London. Thomas Ricoletti is a little surprised to see his wife dressed in her old wedding gown, since just a few hours before, she took her own life. Mrs Ricoletti’s ghost now appears to be prowling the streets with an unslakeable thirst for revenge. From fog-shrouded Limehouse to the bowels of a ruined church, Holmes, Watson and their friends must use all their cunning to combat an enemy seemingly from beyond the grave.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Driving : Castle Bytham to Killearn filmed in real-time

Driving all the way from Castle Bytham in Lincolnshire, to Killearn in Scotland! A drive of just over 320 miles!

The route starts in Castle Bytham, then the A1, A66, M6, A74(M), some back roads, Glasgow and to Killearn in Scotland.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 19/12/2015

Doctor Who - 25-12-2015 - YouView appThe Muppets (BBC 1/HD | 1:55pm to 3:30pm | Saturday 19th December 2015)

When an oil magnate discovers that there is a reservoir of oil just below the Muppet theatre, the puppets must combine forces with two of their biggest fans and put on an unforgettable display to raise the ten million dollars they need to keep the building in one piece. In the last few years, the gang has gone in separate directions and tracking all of them down proves quite a challenge.

Sports Personality of the Year 2015 (BBC 1/HD | 6:50pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 20th December 2015)

Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan host BBC Sports Personality of the Year, live from the SSE Arena, Belfast. It’s been another incredible 12 months of sporting excellence and this world famous show – now in its 62nd year – again recognises some of the standout achievers. Stars from the sporting world are among the 7,500 crowd in Northern Ireland’s capital city and, as ever, there is a full review of the sporting year.

Reggie Yates’ Extreme UK (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 21st December 2015)

Being a British guy in 2015 is not easy, and in this series Reggie Yates travels to the extreme edge of modern British masculinity, to discover that 21st-century pressures are changing the way we live, the way we love, and even the way we look. Reggie investigates the extreme ways in which male body culture is impacting on young British guys – from extreme exercise to invasive plastic surgery and even steroid abuse. As Reggie embarks on his own challenge to get into shape he asks what it’s all for and follows the story from a private hospital in Istanbul to a lock-up in the Midlands and beyond.

Christmas Shopping Fever: John Lewis and the Retail Race (BBC 2/HD | 9:30pm to 10:30pm | Wednesday 23rd December 2015)

Cherry Healey goes behind the scenes of one of the nation’s biggest stores to find out how it survives the pressure cooker of Christmas. Since more than 50 per cent of many retailers’ annual profits are made in the last quarter of the year, for John Lewis and its competitors, Christmas has become a year-long, full-scale military campaign. Charting the relentless countdown to Christmas 2015 – from the midsummer Christmas press launch, to the honing of the ad, to the discounting frenzy of Black Friday – Cherry sees the John Lewis team tackling the multitude of challenges presented by our changing shopping habits. In the run-in to this Christmas, they have to contend with customer complaints, website woes and unpredictable buying behaviour. Cherry discovers how John Lewis is now catering for a new breed of savvy online shoppers. The competition used to be rivals on the high street, like Debenhams and M&S, but now the retailer has to contend with a host of online rivals too.

The Snowman and the Snowdog (Channel 4/HD | 5:25pm 6:00pm | Thursday 24th December 2015)

A charming animated sequel to Raymond Briggs’s classic The Snowman. When a young boy, Billy, and his mother move house, he discovers a box hidden under the floorboards of his bedroom. In the box, he finds a hat, scarf, some lumps of coal and a shrivelled tangerine – it’s a snowman-making kit! When it begins to snow the child builds a Snowman and, with some spare snow, a Snowdog. That night, at the stroke of midnight, the Snowman and the Snowdog magically come to life! Billy awakes and joins them on an amazing adventure, flying over London and onwards to the North Pole, where they join Snowmen and Snowwomen from around the world.

Brave (BBC 1/HD | 3:10pm to 4:35pm | Friday 25th December 2015)

Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

Doctor Who (BBC 1/HD | 5:15pm to 6:15pm | Friday 25th December 2015)

It is Christmas Day on a remote human colony, and the Doctor is hiding from Christmas carols and comedy antlers. But when a crashed spaceship calls upon the Doctor for help, he finds himself recruited into River Song’s squad and hurled into a fast and frantic chase across the galaxy. King Hydroflax is furious, and his giant robot bodyguard is out of control and coming for them all. Will Nardole survive? And when will River Song work out who the Doctor is? All will be revealed on a starliner full of galactic supervillains and a destination the Doctor has been avoiding for a very long time.

Call the Midwife (BBC 1/HD | 7:30pm to 8:45pm | Friday 25th December 2015)

Festive cheer is in plentiful supply as Poplar readies itself for Christmas. An unexpected surprise for a grieving mother helps bring the Christmas magic home, while Nonnatus is rocked to the core when one of its own goes missing.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Yet another December wetsuit cycle!

Yet another December wetsuited cycle! Think I’ve been wearing a wetsuit, for every cycle so far this month! Not due to it raining, just since it’s great fun wearing it! It’s very warm indeed for December was around 14C today! Just need to make sure, I drink a lot of water. So I don’t over heat!

Cycling gear
Zone3 Evolution Swim-Run Wetsuit
Zone3 Evolution Swim-Run Wetsuit
Zone3 Evolution Swim-Run Wetsuit

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 12/12/2015

Our Guy in Latvia- 06-14-2015 - YouView appCountryfile (BBC 1/HD | 6:20pm to 7:20pm | Sunday 13th December 2015)

Ellie Harrison and Matt Baker are in the Peaks in Derbyshire, looking at how the geology there gives rise to two distinct landforms – the Dark Peak and the White Peak. Matt is in the White Peak discovering that the limestone that characterises the region is the remnant of an ancient tropical reef. Ellie is in the Dark Peak, where it’s gritstone that marks out the landscape. She takes a walk with an artist who maps the land and creates three-dimensional maps in metal. Ellie then ventures further north to catch a glimpse of England’s last remaining population of mountain hares. Sean Fletcher is at Haddon Hall helping with some of the restoration of this famous building. Adam Henson recounts the story of the tractor, from its origins in the age of steam to the hi-tech GPS-guided self-driving tractors of today. Tom Heap finds out that not everyone is pleased to see the return of wild boars to the Forest of Dean.

The Adventure Show (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 13th December 2015)

This month’s Adventure Show comes from the 3 Pistes – the UK’s highest sportive, with over 100 miles of road biking that includes more than 2,000 metres of climbing. Riders are taken through three of Scotland’s most iconic ski resorts, starting with the punishing ascents of Glenshee and the Lecht before finishing at Cairngorm Mountain. Also on this month’s Adventure Show, there is an exclusive report from Nepal which reveals that five months after the earthquakes that devastated much of the country, no outside aid has reached the mountain communities in the Everest National Park.

The Mountain (BBC 1 Scotland/HD & BBC iPlayer only | 7:30pm to 8:00pm | Monday 14th December 2015)

Series charting life around Cairngorm. As the summer comes to a close with a big splash, the mountain gets its new ski tow installed in the nick of time, and Polly and Ross count the cost of a busy summer.

Our Guy in Latvia (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 14th December 2015)

Guy Martin, best known as the daredevil petrol-head with a passion for speed and death-defying adventures, takes a rare week off work to make a personal journey to the Baltics to uncover the truth about his Latvian grandfather, Walter Kidals, who died nine years ago. The details of Walter’s life have always been unclear, so Guy decides to find out what really happened, and uncovers an extraordinary life involving prisoner of war camps, daring escapes, and the constant threat of death and deportation.

Reggie Yates’ Extreme UK (BBC 3/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 14th December 2015)

Being a British guy in 2015 is not easy, and in this series Reggie Yates travels to the extreme edge of modern British masculinity to discover that 21st-century pressures are changing the way we live, the way we love and even the way we look. In the second film, Reggie meets the angry young British men who think feminism has gone too far – and some of the women who have felt their wrath on an internet tailor-made for anti-feminism and trolls. He meets young guys espousing men’s rights at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park and the underground movement of male separatists of MGTOW (or Men Going Their Own Way). Reggie also encounters infamous self-styled pick-up artist Roosh V, who dishes out advice on how to have more sex with women – but doesn’t seem to like them very much.

TFI Friday (Channel 4/HD | 7:30pm to 9:00pm | Friday 18th December 2015)

Chris Evans is joined by Norfolk icon and national treasure Alan Partridge to co-host this special Christmas comedy show. A stellar line-up of guests includes James Corden, Jack Whitehall and Lee Mack. Plus music from Sir Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Lianne La Havas and Elle King.
(High Definition, Subtitles, 3 Star)

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Netflix now on Freesat Freetime

So happy that I can now use Netflix with my Freesat Freetime box! Great to see that Freesat have been working very hard, to bring new services and channels this month! In the last week, they have added Yesterday, Drama and Really. And now Netflix!

I have no idea why people pay $ky, so much a month. When can get so much for free!

Humax HDR-1000S/1TB running, Firmware V 2.02.46
Freesat Freetime, on demand. Before the update.
Netflix on Freesat Freetime
Freesat Freetime, on demand. After the update. Netflix has been added.
Netflix on Freesat Freetime
Netflix loading…
Freesat Freetime home menu, On Demand
Freesat Freetime home menu, On Demand