Aiming to be Christmas No.1

I would love to know who is behind the song - does anyone know?

Casdon

Mt61

Nice family of singers, have you heard their songs about the labour government? 🤣

Yes. This song is completely non political though, it’s beautifully sung, and profits are for Save the Children.

AGE U.K. is just as important as a charity organisation as Save the Children.

Donating to one does not prevent anyone donating to the other…

I really like the Marsh family, MissA. Starting under Covid they rapidly became very popular and were both funny and comforting and sometimes challenging. They do a lot of fundraising for charity. Maybe its a marmite thing.

LizzieDrip

I would love to know who is behind the song - does anyone know?

Lyrics are by Chris Middleton and it is performed by Dean Ager under the pseudonym Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers

Yes Wyllow3

I'm just a misery guts, I know, but I'm sure they to, have carved themselves a nice comfy life out of their songs or whatever else they do .

GrannyGravy13

Casdon

Mt61

Nice family of singers, have you heard their songs about the labour government? 🤣

Yes. This song is completely non political though, it’s beautifully sung, and profits are for Save the Children.

AGE U.K. is just as important as a charity organisation as Save the Children.

Donating to one does not prevent anyone donating to the other…

The song is better though, that is the point I was making.

Thanks GG.

But it's not just about a donation to Help the Aged it it? It was never originally intended as a fund raising song, it was written a while ago as political satire (yes have checked sources).

So we are now being invited to buy it as an anti government protest song. I might be old fashioned, but I'd hate this and future Christmases to be dominated by warring political hatreds.

MissAdventure

Yes Wyllow3

I'm just a misery guts, I know, but I'm sure they to, have carved themselves a nice comfy life out of their songs or whatever else they do .

You are witty and amusing not a misery guts! Both the Marsh parents have professional jobs.

I forget mums work, (social work?) but Dad is a teacher. I dont think when they started it was any more than a sort of covid hobby but they've been popular enough to turn into a family band which isnt unsusal in the entertainment world.

No, it's not unusual at all, but I don't like entertainers.

They're just too... too... well, entertaining!

Wyllow3

But it's not just about a donation to Help the Aged it it? It was never originally intended as a fund raising song, it was written a while ago as political satire (yes have checked sources).

So we are now being invited to buy it as an anti government protest song. I might be old fashioned, but I'd hate this and future Christmases to be dominated by warring political hatreds.

Agree
The majority of pensioners don't need the WFP. Harping on about empathy hides that.
This not very clever song turns Christmas into Crassmas.

Mt61

Just lost my dad to Alzheimer’s & Raynaud’s disease, just before he passed, him & mum were sat with a blanket & hot water bottles too scared to put the heating on for long. Flip side of the coin- my niece live near to hotel that houses migrants- she said that most of their windows were opened, probably stifling hot. Now my dad is dead money is even tighter but because she she slightly over the threshold she can’t claim PC. Makes my blood boil. Not only that she’s eating cold food because it cost too much to put the oven on 😩this government do not care as long as they are getting their heating allowance for their second homes- why don’t they live in a shared hostel if they need somewhere to stay whilst working in the city- would make more sense!

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, hope your Mum is spending Christmas with you or another of the family.

Could you buy her an airfryer for Christmas? I don't know how much they are, but I've heard they're economical to run.

Slow cookers are cheap to run but not so versatile.

keepingquiet

Just to come back in after some judgemental posts here.

There is no reason anyone should freeze to death. Pension credit has been available for years but a lot of pernsioners didn't know or didn't claim it. This meant there was a massive fund of unclaimed money in the coffers.
Now many pensioners are better off than they were and can afford to heat their homes, if they choose to do so.

I am not an 'alright Jack' at all. I frequently go into other people's homes which are cold, because for some reason they prefer it that way.

I have serious chest disease which means I will get ill if I get cold. I suppose it is a matter of choice in the end. No one can force you to heat your home.

Recently I was told of a conversation on board a cruise ship. The people were bragging about where and when they had been on several cruises that year but were up in arms that they weren't getting their winter fuel allowance.

It depends on your priorities I suppose. I can't afford cruises but I heat my home because I care about my health.

That argument is baseless. It's spurious and I don't know why posters keep using it.

The people who go on cruises can afford to heat their homes and won't be complaining that the can't.

Those in a position to claim Pension Credit will get the WFA - if they claim, but some may not know they can and need help to do so.

It's the ones just above the limit who may and probably are struggling.

theworriedwell

GrannyGravy13

For balance if it was the Conservatives who had withdrawn the WFA, and this song parodied them I would also be supportive of it.

Are those who are against the song and therefore must be against it raising money for AGE U.K. also against the re-release of the Band Aid fortieth anniversary release of Do They Know it’s Christmas?

Are you against any fund raising song/event, or just those which point out the failings of the Labour Government?

The Marsh family were rather prevalent with their tunes against the Conservatives, which were applauded here on GN.

Well there is a lot of publicity against the Band Aid record, white saviours patronising Africans. Well I don't want to be a patronised pensioner. Raise money for the poor but the idea that all pensioners need charity is ridiculous and insulting.

Raise money for the poor but the idea that all pensioners need charity is ridiculous and insulting.

No-one is saying that.
Another spurious argument.

As for charity - do you consider any Government benefit to be charity then?
Perhaps you're in a position to refuse to accept your State Pension which is classed as a benefit but most aren't.

Really, I despair!!

Yes it's been that since the beginning. and from the beginning in GN the point has been made, "the real problem is that the cut off point is too low".

LizzieDrip

I would love to know who is behind the song - does anyone know?

I haven't heard it yet, must listen out!

It'll be another ear worm, no doubt.

There are always people at the cut off point where benefits are involved.
Do we need to raise money for those people, too?

I've seen scant regard on here for others facing struggles, moneywise.
Lazy, thick... I'm sure you've seen them too.

People who would rather children go without than agree that they are in need of support.

Allira

keepingquiet

Just to come back in after some judgemental posts here.

There is no reason anyone should freeze to death. Pension credit has been available for years but a lot of pernsioners didn't know or didn't claim it. This meant there was a massive fund of unclaimed money in the coffers.
Now many pensioners are better off than they were and can afford to heat their homes, if they choose to do so.

I am not an 'alright Jack' at all. I frequently go into other people's homes which are cold, because for some reason they prefer it that way.

I have serious chest disease which means I will get ill if I get cold. I suppose it is a matter of choice in the end. No one can force you to heat your home.

Recently I was told of a conversation on board a cruise ship. The people were bragging about where and when they had been on several cruises that year but were up in arms that they weren't getting their winter fuel allowance.

It depends on your priorities I suppose. I can't afford cruises but I heat my home because I care about my health.

That argument is baseless. It's spurious and I don't know why posters keep using it.

The people who go on cruises can afford to heat their homes and won't be complaining that the can't.

Those in a position to claim Pension Credit will get the WFA - if they claim, but some may not know they can and need help to do so.

It's the ones just above the limit who may and probably are struggling.

You clearly haven't read keepingquiet's first post, in which she says:

I am just above the pension credit threshold (not by much!) and can still afford to heat my home more cheaply that I did last winter... I really don't know what the fuss is about.

(that was a response to "It's the ones just above the limit who may and probably are struggling.")

So we are now being invited to buy it as an anti government protest song. I might be old fashioned, but I'd hate this and future Christmases to be dominated by warring political hatreds

Agreed Wyllow👏👏👏

I don’t ‘begrudge’ AGE UK receiving donations, but I’m disappointed that they’re willing to be associated with such overtly political anti-government propaganda at Christmas.

I don’t think you’re ‘old fashioned’ Wyllow. I don’t want Christmas charity to be ‘soiled’ by politically motivated rhetoric - of any colour!

MaizieD

Allira

keepingquiet

Just to come back in after some judgemental posts here.

There is no reason anyone should freeze to death. Pension credit has been available for years but a lot of pernsioners didn't know or didn't claim it. This meant there was a massive fund of unclaimed money in the coffers.
Now many pensioners are better off than they were and can afford to heat their homes, if they choose to do so.

I am not an 'alright Jack' at all. I frequently go into other people's homes which are cold, because for some reason they prefer it that way.

I have serious chest disease which means I will get ill if I get cold. I suppose it is a matter of choice in the end. No one can force you to heat your home.

Recently I was told of a conversation on board a cruise ship. The people were bragging about where and when they had been on several cruises that year but were up in arms that they weren't getting their winter fuel allowance.

It depends on your priorities I suppose. I can't afford cruises but I heat my home because I care about my health.

That argument is baseless. It's spurious and I don't know why posters keep using it.

The people who go on cruises can afford to heat their homes and won't be complaining that the can't.

Those in a position to claim Pension Credit will get the WFA - if they claim, but some may not know they can and need help to do so.

It's the ones just above the limit who may and probably are struggling.

You clearly haven't read keepingquiet's first post, in which she says:

^I am just above the pension credit threshold (not by much!) and can still afford to heat my home more cheaply that I did last winter... I really don't know what the fuss is about.^

Yes, I did, and perhaps I should have included keepingquiet in my earlier answer to growstuff.

Some people's income might be just above the threshold but their outgoings may leave them little for energy bills and even food.

Of course not every pensioner needs the WFA, no-one is saying that at all but as we don't know keepingquiet's circumstances, we have no reference point for comparison with another pensioner who may be struggling.

It did occur that Age UK was in a very tough situation because of this.

Wyllow3

It did occur that Age UK was in a very tough situation because of this.

They didn’t have to be recipients of the money…

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3

It did occur that Age UK was in a very tough situation because of this.

They didn’t have to be recipients of the money…

Didn't the last government pass some laws about the involvement of charities in politics?

Would it be actually illegal for Age UK to accept the money?

I know that charities should not engage in political debate or campaigning.

🤔 I don't know - would accepting profits from a politically-motivated protest song be counted as that or not?