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BAND AID'S 'DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS' IS VOTED ALL TIME CLASSIC CHRISTMAS SONG WHEN it comes to Christmas songs you just can't beat the classics, according to a new poll by the North West's no.1 commercial radio station.
The survey, commissioned by 105.4 Century FM, asked 2000 listeners to name their favourite Christmas tunes of all time, and nostalgia won hands down with Band Aid's 'Do They Know it's Christmas' - which made it to number one in 1984 and re-released a year later to make number three - topping the list.
Noticeable by their absence were recent Christmas chart toppers like the spice Girls' '2 Become 1' or East 17's 'Stay Another Day'. In fact, the most recent track to make it into the listeners' top ten was released almost ten years ago in 1994.
Only 20% of the top ten classics Christmas songs actually hit the number one spot in the year when they were released. And poor old grannies' favourite, Sir Cliff Richard - who has held three Christmas number ones over the decades including Mistletoe and Wine (1988) and Saviours Day (1990) - didn't manage one entry into the ultimate chart!
Coming in second place in the 105.4 Century FM top 10 list is Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues with 'Fairytale of New York'. Surprisingly, despite being a Christmas favourite for 16 years it only made it to number two spot on its release in 1987.
Eighties pop sensation Wham confidently takes the number three position in the festive chart with 'Last Christmas'. Wham will be pleased to know that they finally beat off Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who kept them off the Christmas number one spot in 1984 with 'The Power of Love' (fourth in the 105.4 Century FM poll).
Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody', which was recently banned by Manchester airport from its Christmas play-list, comes number six in the all-time Christmas list. The song, which has made four entries into the charts over the years, only made the number one slot on its original entry at Christmas 1973.
And coming In at number 10 on the list is John Lennon's Happy Xmas (War is Over), which made three entries into the UK charts, peaking at number two in 1980.
Mike Walsh, Head of music for the Century FM network, commented:-
"Nostalgia wins by a mile at Christmas. Obviously there have been some fantastic Christmas songs released over the past few years, but it seems music fans can't resist turning back the clock during the festive season.
People like songs that put them in the Christmas spirit so they like to listen to tracks that remind them of great Christmas parties. Who knows, maybe that means in 20 years at Christmas, we'll all be reminiscing about the daft novelty songs that have appeared in the Christmas Charts in recent years."
The complete 105.4 Century FM listeners' Top Ten are:-
1. Band Aid - Do They Know it's Christmas (no.1 at Christmas 1984)
2. Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues - Fairytale of New York (no.2 Christmas 1987)
3. Wham! - Last Christmas (no.2 Christmas 1984)
4. Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power of Love (no.6 Christmas 1984)
5. Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (no.1 Christmas 1973)
6. Elton John - Step into Christmas (no.25 Christmas 1973)
7. Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime (no.7 Christmas 1979)
8. Chris Rea - Driving Home for Christmas (no.48 Christmas 1988)
9. Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas (no.2 Christmas 1994)
10. John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War is Over) (no.5 Christmas 1972)
This Christmas, 105.4 Century FM will be playing all the UK's favourite songs from the 80's, 90's and now! With special programming between Christmas and New Year - a countdown of 100 of the North West's favourite songs as voted by 105.4 Century FM listeners.
105.4 Century FM is the North West's No 1 for 80's 90's and now! Radio you just6 have to sing along to.
Here at Southport Reporter, we want to know what your top 10 are, so drop us a
email and let us know.... Jingle Bells is band though..... Sorry it is just played to often.... DO NOT
MISS… LATE BAR, featuring 2 bands, Rubber soul and top of the bill, The Beat Beatles ,show starts at 8 pm, on Sat the 20th Dec 03 at the Comrades club in Ormskirk, tickets are £10 each. 
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The Interactive Coastal Zone 2003
Photographs by Patrick Trollope
THE Department of Natural Geographical and Applied Sciences at Edge Hill University College and Liverpool Hope University College students on Friday the 12 December presented their finings on The Changing Nature Of Human and Physical Environments in the UK Coastal Zone. We were kindly invited to go along and take a look at the findings the students had obtained. Locations varied, but most of them studied Sefton coastline and came up with fascinating information about the environmental changes that have been going on. Some of the groups went on to make predictions on future changes along the coastlines and the effects the changes will have on the environment that we take for granted. 
The aims are the conference was to develop linkages with local and national external agencies within the context of independent research. It also was aimed at introducing year 3 students to conference preparation and presentation in the world of employment. That was done by having a variety of bodies that facilitating their investigations and findings, being present at the event. The bodies included national agencies like English Nature and local ones like Sefton Ranger Services. To add to this local and national guests gave talks to students and quizzed them on the findings the students had produced. 
If you want to see the information the students produced, you can log on to:-
http://hopelive.hope.ac.uk/coast.
All of us at Mersey Reporter and Southport Reporter wish the students the best of luck to all the students in the
finalizing of their studies. It was a fascinating day, well done and we encourage our readers to log on to the website. Virgin Trains travel during Christmas and New Year VIRGIN Trains will be running services to all destinations during the Christmas and New Year holiday from December 24 until January 1 2004, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when no trains will run.
Saver tickets and Virgin Weekend Upgrade for First and Club Class will be available on all West Coast and CrossCountry services during the holiday period and complimentary seat reservations may be made when buying train tickets.
Essential engineering work between Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe, Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport, Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton and in other parts of the country will necessitate diversions, replacement coach services and in some cases increased journey times. Customers are advised to check travel details in advance by 'phoning the National Rail Enquiry Service on 08457 48 49 50, or by visiting its website at
www.nationalrail.co.uk Normal services will operate during the run-up to the Christmas holiday, but certain West Coast services leaving London Euston for Glasgow, Manchester, Holyhead and Carlisle/Preston from Friday 19 until Wedesday 24 December inclusive will be restricted to passengers holding seat reservations. EMAIL
US YOUR NEWS & VIEWS TODAY
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