December 2005 120th Issue

Hua Hin Events

A good day of work starts at the Hua Hin Marriott Resort and Spa by some early exercise on the beach led by the GM.

Congratulations to proud parents Gary, Mrs Gary and baby. Pictured at Billy's Bar

Good fishing in Sam Roi Yot, these two King Mackerel where caught by gary 10 km in front of his house.

Happy birthday to Lek, Observer Construction's draughtsman.

Happy Hibs fan Ian celebrates Loy Kratong with Lek and friends in Lazy Daze

Happy birthday to Khun Mae Rotjana

Noi's Birthday at Sabai Bar

Some of the ‘ghoulies' from the Somtawin Halloween party! (and a witch too!)

Obituaries

DEREK BAKER

It is with great regret that we announce the passing of Derek Baker, a well known and very popular Englishman who had lived in Australia for a number of years. Derek was a frequent visitor to Billy's Bar, he will be missed by Kare, Eek and his many friends.

GORDON BROWN

We were all deeply saddened by the untimely passing of our friend Gordon, known by many as Tim. Gordon was born on December 15th, 1957. Died October 28th, 2005. He came from Falkirk in Scotland. Before he moved to Thailand he worked as a Betting Shop manager for the William Hill chain amongst others. Gordon had been living in Thailand for about 4 or 5 years. He worked for some time as an English teacher in a school in Bang Saphan. A small service was held in Hua Hin Temple on November 12th. He will be missed by all that knew him.

James Blake Montgomery

James Blake Montgomery 30/11/30-28/10/05 We regret to announce the death of Jim Montgomery, a long time resident of Hua Hin. Jim died at his home in Chomsin Road on Friday afternoon, 28th of October. Jim came from Houston, Texas and after a few years in United States Air Forces, found employment with one of the major oil companies, who sent him to work in the jungles of the Indonesian island of Natuna. Every 4 weeks he was flown to Singapore for two-week field break which he initially spent with friends in Bangkok but later transferred his affections to Hua Hin where he eventually settled upon his retirement. From it's inception in 1992, Jim provided the quick crossword for the “Observer”. Jim's sister, Sandra and daughter, Ruth flew in from the United States to join several of his Thai and expatriate friends for the funeral and cremation ceremonies at Wat Lanton in Khao Takiab. R.I.P.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great was born on 5th December, 1927 to Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkhla and was their third and youngest child and grandson in direct line of the celebrated King Chulalongkorn or Rama V of the present Royal House of Chakri of Bangkok. After a period of primary schooling in Bangkok, he went with his Family to Switzerland where he received his secondary as well as university education. His Majesty is the ninth King of the Chakri Dynasty and the longest-reigning monarch in the history of Thailand.

His Majesty met and became engaged on the 19th July 1949 to Mom Rajawongse Sirikit, daughter of His Highness Prince Chandaburi Suranath (Mom Chao Nakkhatra Mangala Kitiyakara) and Mom Luang Bua Kitiyakara (nee Mom Luang Bua Snidwongse). His Highness Prince Chandaburi Suranath was the third son of His Royal Highness Prince Chandaburi Narunath and Her Serene Highness Princess Absarasman Kitiyakara. Their Majesties were married by Her Majesty Queen Sawang Vadhana, the paternal grandmother of His Majesty, at Sra Pathum Palace in Bangkok on the 28th April 1950 and Their Majesties have four children.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej acceded to the Throne as Rama the IX of Thailand on the 9th June 1946, when he was only 18 years of age. Thailand had become a Constitutional Monarchy since 1932 but the then King Prajadhipok reigned only for a few more years and King Ananda Mahidol, the present King's Elder Brother, who succeeded to the Throne at a very tender age, spent his Life mostly at study abroad before he met his unfortunate demise at the age of 20. The task, therefore, fell upon King Bhumibol Adulyadej to be the first really reigning Monarch under the Constitutional System and thus to give a new and contemporary meaning to the Thai Throne. With a perceptive as well as imaginative mind and an inborn sense of intense dedication, His Majesty has set himself with relish from the beginning of his Reign to analyze and find the true circumstances of the task at hand in order to devise the best approach and then try to accomplish the task in the best possible manner. His sense of involvement, be it in small or significant duties, is always so total that he would never feel relieved until each duty is carried out to his complete satisfaction.

His Majesty the King is well recognised as the heart and soul of the Thai nation. He is held in high esteem not only by his own subjects, but His Majesty also commands enormous respect from people in all parts of the world.

Everywhere he goes people turn up to greet him in hundreds of thousands. The manner in which His Majesty conducts himself, giving his whole heart and attention to the people, immediately linked the living symbol of the nation to the people in a bond of mutual understanding and personal affection.

The main concern of His Majesty is for the uplifting of the general well being of the people. Evidence of this can be drawn from His Majesty the King's ceaseless efforts to visit his subjects in the rural areas. The aim of His Majesty's visits is to learn at first hand about the needs of his subjects.

To obtain such information, His Majesty has to travel many thousands of kilometres throughout the kingdom and, whenever possible, suggests ways to overcome the difficulties. These visits have led to the establishment of over 1,000 Royal and Royally initiated projects. They are implemented by the relevant agencies of the government after having been given advice and assistance by His Majesty.

His Majesty is the first member of the Royal Family to be granted a patent for an invention. The registered patent is for one of His Majesty's “Chai Pattana Machines”- the Chai Pattana Aerator Model RX 2. The patent rights call it an “apparatus for water treatment”, which is used for agricultural and industrial purposes and can be seen operating in many polluted waterways.

Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand and His Majesty constantly shows himself to be a convinced and dedicated disciple of the Lord Buddha. To follow the tradition of young Buddhist men to go into the monastery for a period of time, His Majesty entered the Buddhist monk hood at Wat Bovornnives on 22nd October 1956. The Constitution of Thailand, however, does not prescribe the King to be only the Defender of the Buddhist Faith, but also to be the upholder of all Religions. He gives equal attention to the protection of all forms of worship and also to the problems of other religious communities in Thailand.

The meaning of his name is “Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power”. At the Coronation Ceremony on 5th May, 1950, His Majesty the King pronounced the traditional Oath of Accession which stated: “We will reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people”. His Majesty's actions since then have thoroughly reflected those words and have always been directed towards increasing the welfare and prosperity of the Thai nation.

On his birthday, which is observed as a National Holiday, all his subjects rejoice in demonstrating once more their affection and loyalty to him. Religious rites are held, houses and buildings are decorated with flags, lights and his portraits. The whole nation prays to the Holy Triple Gem and all the sacred things in the universe to bless His Majesty with good health and happiness and the strength to carry on his onerous task.

PILLAR OF STABILITY. “In any country, there are some people who are good, and others who are not so good. It is impossible to make everyone good. The task of bringing peace and happiness to the country is not about making everyone good. But it is about promoting good people, enabling them to govern the country, and about preventing people who are not so good from obtaining positions of power.” His Majesty made that pronouncement in 1969, and it echoed the historic oath he had made earlier at his coronation in 1950.

While His Majesty's thoughts are essential to his prestige, what he has done for his people over the past 50 plus years may better explain the devotion he enjoys. His Majesty's best-known acts are the interventions of 14th October 1973, and 20th May 1992, which saved the country from disaster. It was in May 1992 that His Majesty intervened by appealing to the rivals -- Chamlong Srimuang, leader of the pro-democracy demonstrators, and Prime Minister Suchinda Kraprayoon--to “turn towards each other” in an audience at Chitralada Palace that was televised nationwide.

Most of His Majesty's efforts to improve the lives of his people have focused on remote areas of the country, most in need of assistance. And for over 50 years, His Majesty has tirelessly travelled to these areas. His Majesty's 22-day trip to the Northeast in 1955, the first by a Thai monarch to that part of the country, and during which he was accompanied by Her Majesty The Queen, was particularly successful. Since then, His Majesty has travelled to all 76 provinces in the country, dispensing essential help in food and medicine, as well as advice on people's livelihoods. These visits also came at a time of communist insurgency and His Majesty demonstrated his belief that saving ordinary people from poverty and injustice was the best way to defeat the insurgents.

It has often been said that, apart from the normal economic and security requirements, the independence and integrity of Thailand are assured by three unifying factors: its people's freedom-loving spirit, the Buddhist Religion and the Thai Throne. Indeed, the three factors were already there together at the first founding of the first integrated Thai nation with its capital at Sukhothai more than seven centuries ago and have successfully survived the test of time just as Thailand itself has also survived as a united and independent country throughout its long history up to the present day, while countries all around in Southeast Asia at certain periods have disintegrated or fallen victim to colonialist powers. For that reason, no Thai would now deny that as these unique and sacred institutions survive and flourish, so the Thai nation will also survive and flourish. Without either one of them, no one could foresee what Thailand would be like.

His Majesty the King has devised, assisted and pushed through hundreds, if not thousands, of projects aimed specifically at helping the ordinary Thai people. He has spoken out when necessary to ensure the stability and safety of the nation, and has intervened to ensure that various governments have not started going down the wrong path. His Majesty has displayed by his actions a great love of the country and it's people, and every year the Thai people display their gratitude, admiration, respect and love in return, which comes to grand fruition on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King's birthday. Visitors to Thailand, and in particular Hua Hin, will probably never have witnessed such a huge outpouring of affection for a Head of State, but have no doubt that it is entirely warranted and deserved by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great.

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

Princess Ubolratana is greeted upon arrival at the 6th Commencement Ceremony of

Stamford International University, Cha Am, by University administrators and Mr. Prasert Wonglawan, representative of the graduating class.

Princess Ubolratana with Stamford International University founder Mr. Pongpan Sampawakoop (extreme right), University Council members and administrators.

Princess Ubolratana recieves two scolarships from University founder Mr. Pongpan

Sampawakoop, for students in her ‘To be Number One' project.

HHDRC Neuter Release

Over two days, at the end of October 2005, Hua Hin Dog Rescue Centre (HHDRC) held a neutering clinic. This was our first ever and part of a Thailand-wide initiative organised by Soi Dog Rescue in Bangkok and teams of mainly Danish vets. We aimed to neuter 60 dogs, but managed 42 – 27 females and 15 males. These dogs came from two temples; Wat Na-Hoey in Pranburi and Wat Khao Takiab (Monkey Mountain), from Evason Hotel and from the Bon Kai/Khao Pitak area where the dog centre is currently situated. Despite putting out an appeal asking people to let us know of dogs in their areas needing neutering, only one person did. All dogs were located and brought in by HHDRC team members.

For the HHDRC members, particularly poor Lena, who had volunteered to let us hold the clinic at her home, it was an exhausting four days, involving bringing in cages, bringing in dogs, treating them for parasites, admin work, caring for the dogs, moving them around for their comfort and the vets' convenience, helping with the smooth running of the neutering clinic, going for supplies, cleaning cages and instruments. transporting dogs back and starting all over again with the next lot. I am extremely proud of all of our team that helped out. They were all wonderful and it couldn't have been done without them. So, a huge thank-you to Maureen (the other manager) for working alongside me for the full four days, even after everyone else had finished, to Lena for her magnificent work, which for two days meant tending dogs in her house after the rest of us had gone home and very little sleep, and to Verity and Josette, who both worked very hard over the time, particularly in catching dogs and bringing them in. Thank you, ladies, I am so grateful to all of you and proud of the way we all worked as a team to get this done.

We did some maths to try and work out how many unwanted pups we had prevented from being born, over the next two years. The following statistics are based on:

• Females only (it's difficult to calculate how many pups males would have fathered)

• Females having two litters of 6 puppies a year, half of which would be female.

• Females reaching sexual maturity and having their first litter by the age of 1 year, and subsequently having two litters per year.

At that rate, our 27 neutered females would have had 648 pups in the first year, 324 of which would have been female. They would then have gone on to have their own litters, which would have gone on to have pups of their own.

Within 2-3 years and 3 generations, it is possible that we have prevented 29,808 unwanted dogs being born. If you consider a dog's breeding life is about 8 years, and all of these dogs and their pups, and their pups...etc would breed for that long, it's a truly frightening prospect.

Having witnessed the stray problem in Hua Hin, HHDRC estimate there to be upward of 100,000 stray or partially owned dogs in Hua Hin. Removing the dogs from the street creates a temporary respite – new dogs will move into the vacated territory very quickly. There is also no facility in Hua Hin that could cope with the vast numbers of stray dogs that exist.

We agree that street dogs can be a nuisance to the community, they can be unsightly, noisy, and sometimes dangerous, but we do not feel that killing or removing the dogs serves any purpose for the dogs or the community. Whereas aggressive dogs should be removed, most dogs can co-exist very well with the community, if they are neutered and vaccinated, and the community is educated about the need for these steps. The World Health Organisation advocates sterilisation as the only effective method of population control. We at HHDRC believe that there should be a neuter and release programme in Hua Hin, perhaps run by the Government, but aided, financially and practically by all caring individuals and societies in the area.

All owners should be encouraged to neuter their dogs. They should be told of the health benefits to the dogs and to the community as a whole. Perhaps they could be offered a small incentive to have their dog neutered. An education campaign in schools and the media could have huge benefits.

Strays could be rounded up, neutered and vaccinated against rabies, parasites and diseases such as parvovirus and distemper. After a week's recovery, they could be released back to their community. The cost for this would initially be large, but would gradually get less, as fewer pups would be born. If this programme could be initiated, not only would the number of strays be reduced, but also the health and appearance of existing dogs would be greatly enhanced and Hua Hin would show itself to be a forward thinking and caring society.

DIRE TIMES FOR HHDRC

Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center (HHDRC) has had some trying times over the last couple of months. We still do not have land for a new centre, the last offer having fallen through. There are still one or two options in the pipeline (thanks largely to our volunteer Lena, her husband Chai, Cee and Gee of Time Optic and Mr Bernd Schneider of the Sofitel, who have all been wonderful and given up a lot of their personal free time to help us and support us – thank you), but nothing will be moving for a few months yet.

Many promises and pledges have fallen through. Despite having completed a sponsored walk with children from Shrewsbury School in Bangkok and some of our dogs and having had a wonderful day, we didn't receive the promised sponsorship money. The reason? They had been informed (by an intermediary, with whom we have since cut all contact and dealings, as he gave patently misleading information) that we would use the money to buy land, and when they found out we would be using it to build a center on rented or donated land, the money was withdrawn. Also, a well known Hua Hin based property company promised us that they would build our new centre for free, if we bought land. They also said they could find us very cheap land, on which to build. When we accepted these fantastic offers, they refused to answer or return calls and messages, were “out of the office” when we arrived for a meeting and generally avoided us, until we gave up chasing them. Very classy behaviour.

So, we are in a very difficult situation now. We have 112 dogs and puppies. 49 are in the centre itself, 39 in Dawn's home and the other 24 in Maureen's home. Both homes are small, 2 bedroom bungalows with, thankfully, fair sized gardens. Money gathered for the relocation is being used to feed and provide medical care for the dogs we have, as donations are not forthcoming. At the time of writing (mid November), we have 48 baht in our day-to-day fund and 100,000 baht in our relocation fund. That is down from more than double that in late July – and we haven't moved. By the time we do, there will be nothing left. Another of our long-term residents, a dog named “Beau” died today, another victim of poisoning by our neighbours. We are all extremely upset at another needless, painful death.

For the foreseeable future, we shall NOT be taking in any more dogs. We do not have the funds, the manpower or the space for any more. Please do not report dogs to us, as there is nothing we can do to help at this time. We are unbelievably frustrated and disappointed at having come to this, but circumstances are beyond our control. If circumstances change – financially, through adoptions or through moving to a new centre, we will inform the Observer. Thank you.

HHDRC would like to extend a special thanks to Evason Hotel, who very kindly gave our vets free accommodation, dinner & breakfast for 2 nights in their beautiful resort. The vets couldn't believe their luck after staying in very “varied” accommodation throughout their working trip through Thailand. We're very grateful to Evason for their generosity.

Collage of cultures

Webster Thailand Student Council (WTSC) presents the 3rd annual Collage of Cultures. It will be held at Hilton Resort and Spa, Hua Hin on Saturday, December 10, 2005 from 6 to 10 pm. The subsidised admission fee for the event will also include a buffet dinner at the Hilton.

Collage of Cultures is a fashion show featuring traditional and innovative wear, musical performances as well as cultural dances. Webster University Thailand is an American University, where students from all over the world come to study. This event will showcase the unity among diversity between different nations.

We cordially invite everyone to come and enjoy the evening.

For tickets and more information, please contact:

Kuldip Kumar Garhwal, Treasurer, Webster Thailand Student Council.

Mobile: 01-008 1112

E-mail: wtsc@webster.ac.th

The inside scoop

Gelato Comes to Hua-Hin. Anyone who has ever eaten Italian gelato knows that ice cream and gelato are not the same. Ice cream, made with cream is high in fat, which makes it creamy but masks flavor. Gelato, made with milk, is softer, has up to 65% less fat and is more intensely flavored. Although freezing should diminish flavors, somehow gelato winds up tasting more intense than the fruit or natural flavors from which it is made.

Dream Cones (www.dreamcones.com), a new company located right on Petkhasame Road south of the overpass makes 65 flavors of 100% all-natural gelato and sorbets. It is sold in Bangkok as well as many Hua-Hin hotels and restaurants and at their kiosk in the Jed Pee Nong Hotel (next to Burger King).

Dream Cones gelato is the dream-come-true of Michael Greenwald, a retired American healthcare provider and his Thai wife, Amornrat (Apple) Chatkul. “I was working on the poliomyelitis project for W.H.O. in the mountains of Turkey and it was freezing cold. I decided to get warm by going to Samui for Christmas. Apple owned a restaurant there. I never went back.” They have been married two years.

“Apple is the Big Boss”, Michael says. “She is an excellent business woman with a university degree in marketing and extensive computer skills. She runs the company. I do the advertising, research and development. I'm the Little Boss.”

In addition to studying medicine, Michael studied cooking in Paris and gelato making in Rome. His cookbook “The Cruising Chef” is now in 13th edition. He is also a pilot, a Captain in the U.S. Merchant Marine and sailboat sailor who has soloed both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He has also written books about the sea.

Dream Cones is among the fastest-growing franchise operations in Thailand, with 30 employees, opening a new franchise kiosk almost every week, an amazing feat since they started manufacturing just seven months ago. “There is no franchise fee and that is an incentive, but people want to franchise because they think our products are the best,” says Apple.

There aren't many gelato manufacturers in Thailand because the machinery is expensive and production is quite technical. Ingredients are numerous and many are imported. “We use nuts from Turkey, blueberries from America, apples and kiwis from New Zealand, raspberries from France, aromas and essences from Italy, chocolate from Belgium and vanilla from Madagascar. The airlines love us,” Michael said.

In addition, “Old fashioned” ice cream was frozen in a tub filled with ice and salt. Served fresh from the tub it was absolutely delicious but it became hard as a brick in the freezer and when frozen did not taste as good.

Modern gelato is made in a machine which traps a little air in the mixture and this keeps it soft. In addition to the “old fashioned” ingredients, the mixture includes stabilizers and emulsifiers, aromas, natural colors, and flavor concentrates plus of course either fruit or flavoring. All of these ingredients must be added in precise amounts. The formula for each flavor is different. Despite the technology, Dream Cones gelato is made one tub at a time supervised by a master chef, entitling it to the term “homemade.” Is it any good? Grab a spoon and see for yourself!

Christmas the silly season of music

It appears to be a peculiarly British phenomenon, but for many years now the approach of the festive season has prompted normally sane, sensible musicians to record a song about Christmas, and for the equally sane, sensible public to buy it in droves sending it to the top of the charts. Of course artists from other nations do record such songs too, but there is not the same fascination or volume of releases as there is in the UK. It must be the same quirk of the British psyche that spawns so many awful ‘novelty' records as well, many of which are also released around Christmas time. In fact, if you examine some of the best-known Christmas hits, it can often be a very unwise career move. Beware having a chart topper during the festive season: side effects can include falling sales, drug problems and even, in some cases, death.

1. BING CROSBY: WHITE CHRISTMAS

The Groaner's version of Irving Berlin's song became the second biggest-selling single of all time worldwide (behind Elton's 1997 Candle in the Wind) but cursed Crosby's career. Originally number one in 1942, the standard re-charted in all but two of the next 10 years and pigeonholed the crooner as completely Christmas crackers. Attempting to repeat the success, he recorded no less than 44 Yuletide favourites before 1966. However, Crosby's biggest mistake was to risk the curse of duetting with David Bowie: his last festive single was the pair's 1977 trawl through Little Drummer Boy. Crosby was dead within a month, and is singing in the spirit world with fellow Bowie musical partners Freddie Mercury and Marc Bolan. Bing Crosby's White Christmas spent a total of 86 weeks on the US singles chart up to 1962. A “Christmas Singles Chart” was introduced in the US in 1963, otherwise it would have logged up many more chart weeks.

2. THE SINGING NUN: DOMINIQUE

Proof that the Christmas curse doesn't respect holy orders. In December 1963 a Christmassy song written by Belgian Dominican nun Jeanine Decker for her Mother Superior reached number one in America, and number 7 in the UK. However, despite the royalties being donated to the sisterhood, the other nuns found it as difficult to cope with her fame. Decker quit the order and, becoming something of a rebel, recording songs praising birth control, embraced her lesbian sexuality and was pursued by the Belgian government over unpaid taxes relating to Dominique. One of pop's oddest and most tragic figures, she encountered drug problems and died in 1985 in a suicide pact.

3. JOHN LENNON: HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER)

In September 1971, the former Beatle's Imagine album was number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic. However, inexplicably and ominously, just three months later this fine Christmas single failed miserably in the US. It reached the UK top five a year later, but the curse began its work. Lennon spent the next three years fighting the US immigration authorities, indulged in self-destructive drink and drug binges and temporarily split from Yoko Ono. In 1980, just as the limp Double Fantasy album resumed what had become a dormant music career, the ex-pat Scouser was gunned down by Mark Chapman. War, meanwhile, is doing very well.

4. SLADE: MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY

This million-selling stomper could be the all-time festive favourite, but Slade paid the price with their career. Noddy and the boys had scored number ones with five of their previous seven singles, but December 1973's Merry Christmas Everybody was the last time they topped the charts. From being everybody's favourite glam yobs, they were suddenly seen as a band you only got out with the mince pies. A floundering career was briefly resuscitated by Christmas hits My Oh My (1982) and All Join Hands (1984). However, revellers usually preferred to snap up Merry Xmas Everybody, which re-charted every Christmas between 1981 and 1986 and in 1998. Meanwhile, Noddy has been doomed to a lifetime of having bystanders shout “It's Chrriiiiisss-masss!” at him, in July.

5. WIZZARD: I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY

Wizzard's 1973 hit remains a Christmas favourite, but Roy Wood could be forgiven for throwing his tree in the dustbin and wishing Christmas never came at all. In 1973, the former Move/ELO man's make-up and gorilla costume-wearing band were celebrated as glam stompers Angel Fingers and See My Baby Jive both topped the charts. Alas, immediately following this Christmas cracker, Wood was struck by ulcers and managerial difficulties, and the hits immediately dried up, forcing Wizzard to call it a day in 1975. Still, Santa's no Scrooge and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday charted again in 1981 and 1986, so the bearded creator re-recorded the song with his Big Band in 1995. It stiffed at number 53.

6. BONEY M: MARY'S BOY CHILD

Acts who should know better tend to record Christmas singles either as an attempt to milk more from their career, or because success (and Christmas spirit) has made them very silly. In 1978, Boney M had a stream of disco-era smashes - then someone decided that the punk-disco era could really do with a cod-reggae cover of Harry Belafonte's 1957 religious ballad. Mary's Boy Child duly reached number one but a line of cheese and ghastliness had been crossed and the band never had as big a hit again. As their career slowly melted away, the group played the Christmas card again and again with 1981's Christmas Album, 1986's 20 Greatest Christmas Songs of the World and Happy Christmas in 1991. In 1992, they even tried to flog The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World. The world didn't buy it.

7. BAND AID: DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?

The famine relief song by Midge Ure and Bob Geldof - initially a hit in 1984 - has often been said to have “saved the world”. However, it did nothing for its creators' musical careers. When Band Aid transformed Geldof into Saint Bob, people forgot that he also had a day job in the Boomtown Rats, who soon split up. Equally, Ure's Ultravox suddenly disintegrated after years of success. More recently, controversy has surrounded whether Band Aid money ever reached intended areas, while one relief agency has suggested lyrics like “There won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time” offer a misleading picture of the continent. Still, this year's stars nobly re-recorded the song for Africa again, cursing the rest of us with hearing the thing once more. See more about the history of the song further on in the article.

8. RUN DMC: CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS

Run DMC were the first rap act to reach a worldwide audience, scoring hits throughout the mid-1980s with the likes of My Adidas, It's Tricky and the Aerosmith-assisted Walk This Way. The trio carefully cultivated a street-tough image involving medallions, trainers and leather, so generations of well ‘ard rap fans were somewhat taken aback when the trio's 1987 Christmas single saw them confessing to gathering “around the Yule log, beneath the mistletoe as we drink egg nog”. Christmas in Hollis stalled at 36 and fans made Run DMC as welcome as pesky carol singers at the door. Run DMC didn't score another major hit for 11 years (Jason Nevins' 1998 remix of It's Like That). However, the ghost of Christmas past is not thought to have been involved when the band's Jam Master Jay was shot dead in October 2002.

9. MICHAEL JACKSON: EARTH SONG

This 1995 Christmas single probably defines the moment when the world stopped believing in Michael Jackson. The single's ghastliness didn't stop it going straight to the top, but the damage was done when Wacko Jacko performed the song at the Brits dressed as the Messiah, surrounded by adoring children. Out of the appalled audience leapt Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, whose act of bottom wiggling in front of Jackson crystallised what an absurd, out- of-touch figure the American had become. Jackson has subsequently been hit by disaster after disaster from tumbling record sales, a nose apparently modelled on a melting snowman's to charges relating to child abuse.

10. THE DARKNESS: CHRISTMAS TIME (DON'T LET THE BELLS END)

In 2003 the Darkness were the nation's favourite ironic, not-quite-novelty retro rock act. Alas, their decision to further plunder those crazy 1970s glam-rock days by releasing a specifically Christmassy rock single backfired spectacularly. Overnight, any semblance of “cool” was blown away by a load of children's choirs and festively bad puns. Subsequently, the clearly cursed rockers have suffered an annus horribilis. A creative block led Justin Hawkins to describe their own new songs as “turgid rubbish” and a series of disasters saw everything from a spat with Bono to Hawkins putting his guitar-plucking hand through a plate glass window. According to a spokesperson, the band have “no plans” to release a Christmas single this year, or ever again.

The following chart is the nearest approximation that can be made for the best selling Christmas singles of all time in the UK, and it is almost impossible to do a worldwide chart, but many of these songs below were not released anywhere else. Detailed sales figures have long since ceased to exist (if they ever did) for many of the older titles in this chart. Where unavailable, we have estimated figures. The top 7 are million-sellers. The Top 14 sold half a million+. By the time we get to no. 30 sales figures are around the 200,000 mark and tracks in the region of no. 40 have sales of approx 100,000. You should be aware that titles at the lower end of this Top 50 are probably almost ‘too close to call.'

It is tough to decide which tracks should be included. Some are obvious. Others are borderline. Being a ‘Christmassy' single isn't enough; there has to be an explicit reference to a clear aspect of Christmas / New Year etc in the title or lyric. The line lies somewhere between “Walking In The Air” (included) and Frankie Goes To Hollywood's “Power Of Love” (not included). A good indicator is whether or not the track would sound inappropriate when played outside the festive season. Special mention should go to Cliff Richard who has an impressive 4 songs in the chart, and 2 in the top 10!

Chart last updated: 2nd Jan 2005 All-Time Biggest Hits about Christmas and The Festive Season.

1 Band Aid. Do They Know It's Christmas? 1984/1985

2 Boney M. Mary's Boy Child 1978

3 Wham! Last Christmas 1984/1985

4 Harry Belafonte. Mary's Boy Child 1957

5 Band Aid 20. Do They Know It's Christmas? 2004

6 Slade. Merry Xmas Everybody 1973/1981/1983/1998

7 Bing Crosby. White Christmas 1942/1977/1998

8 Cliff Richard. The Millennium Prayer 1999

9 Johnny Mathis. When A Child Is Born 1976

10 Cliff Richard. Mistletoe And Wine 1988

11 Jona Lewie. Stop The Cavalry 1980

12 John Lennon / Yoko Ono. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) 1972/1980/1981/2003

13 Mud. Lonely This Christmas 1974

14 Shakin' Stevens. Merry Christmas Everyone 1985

15 Paul McCartney. Pipes of Peace 1983

16 Band Aid II. Do They Know It's Christmas? 1989

17 Mariah Carey. All I Want For Christmas Is You 1994

18 Wizzard. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 1973/1984

19 Greg Lake. I Believe In Father Christmas 1975

20 Wombles. Wombling Merry Christmas 1974

21 Shakin' Stevens. Blue Christmas (Shakin' Stevens EP) 1982

22 The Darkness. Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) 2003

23 David Bowie & Bing Crosby. Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy 1982

24 Cliff Richard. Saviour's Day 1990

25 Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl. Fairytale of New York 1987/1991

26 David Essex. A Winter's Tale 1982

27 Dickie Valentine. Christmas Alphabet 1955

28 Dina Carroll. The Perfect Year 1993

29 Dana. It's Gonna Be A Cold Cold Christmas 1975

30 Paul McCartney. Wonderful Christmas Time 1979

31 Gary Glitter. Another Rock And Roll Christmas 1984

32 Kim Wilde & Mel Smith. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree 1987

33 Mr Hankey. Mr Hankey The Christmas Poo 1999

34 Nina & Frederick. Little Donkey 1960

35 Cliff Richard. Little Town 1982

36 David Whitfield. Santo Natale (Merry Christmas) 1954

37 Aled Jones. Walking In The Air 1985

38 Adam Faith. Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop) 1960

39 Childliners. The Gift Of Christmas 1995

40 Bo Selecta. Proper Crimbo 2003

41 Snap! Mary Had A Little Boy 1990

42 The Idols. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 2003

43 Engelbert Humperdinck. Winter World Of Love 1969

44 Bon Jovi. Please Come Home For Christmas 1994

45 Tweenies. I Believe In Christmas 2001

46 S Club Juniors. Puppy Love / Sleigh Ride 2002

47 Beverley Sisters. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 1953

48 Mike Oldfield. In Dulce Jubilo 1975

49 Brenda Lee. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree 1962

50 Chris Hill. Bionic Santa 1976

51 Paul Nicholas. Grandma's Party 1976

A couple of songs in the above chart appear twice by different artists, but only one appears three times, namely “Do They Know It's Christmas?” at numbers 1, 5 and 16, and it truly can be called a phenomenon 21 years after it was first recorded and released.

The Band Aid Phenomenon

“Do They Know It's Christmas?” was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 specifically to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and Trevor Horn, and recorded by Band Aid in 1984.

In late 1984, a BBC report by Michael Buerk was aired highlighting the famine that had hit the people of Ethiopia. Irish singer, Bob Geldof had seen the report and was moved so much that he decided that a pop record should be used to further increase awareness of the famine and to raise money. Aware that he could do little on his own, he called Midge Ure from Ultravox and together they quickly co-wrote the song, “Do They Know It's Christmas?”

Geldof kept a November appointment with BBC Radio 1 DJ Richard Skinner to appear on his show, but instead of discussing his new album (the original reason for his booking), he used his airtime to publicise the idea for the charity single, so by the time the musicians were recruited there was intense media interest in the subject.

Using powers of persuasion which have since become a major part of the Geldof legend, he put together a group (Band Aid), consisting of leading British rock and pop musicians, all of whom were at the very top of the industry.

THE RECORDING SESSION

The recording studio gave Band Aid 24 hours free to record and mix the record on November 25, 1984. The recording took place between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and was filmed to release as the song's music video. The first track to be put down was drums by Phil Collins including the memorable opening ‘African Drum' beat. Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet was the first to record his vocal while a section sung by Status Quo was deemed unusable and replaced with the Paul Weller/Sting/Glen Gregory section. Paul Young has admitted since in a documentary that he knew his opening lines were written for David Bowie, who was not able to make the recording but made a contribution to the B-side. Boy George arrived last at 6pm after Geldof woke him up by phone to have him flown over from New York on Concorde to record his solo part.

PARTICIPANTS

The original Band Aid ensemble consisted of (in sleeve order):

Adam Clayton (U2)

Phil Collins (former member of Genesis)

Sir Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats)

Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet)

Chris Cross (Ultravox)

John Taylor (Duran Duran)

Paul Young

Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet)

Glen Gregory (Heaven 17)

Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran)

Simon Crowe (Boomtown Rats)

Marilyn

Keren Woodward (Bananarama)

Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet)

Jody Watley (Shalamar)

Bono (U2)

Paul Weller (The Style Council & The Jam)

James Taylor

George Michael (Former member of Wham!)

Midge Ure (Ultravox)

Martyn Ware (Heaven 17)

John Keeble (Spandau Ballet)

Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet)

Roger Taylor (Duran Duran)

Sarah Dallin (Bananarama)

Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama)

Pete Briquette (Boomtown Rats)

Francis Rossi (Status Quo)

Robert ‘Kool' Bell (Kool & The Gang)

Dennis J. T. Thomas (Kool & The Gang)

Andy Taylor (Duran Duran)

Jon Moss (Culture Club)

Sting (Former member of The Police)

Rick Parfitt (Status Quo)

Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran)

Johnny Fingers (Boomtown Rats)

David Bowie

Boy George (Culture Club)

Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)

Paul McCartney (Former member of The Beatles)

Stuart Adamson (Big Country)

Bruce Watson (Big Country)

Tony Butler (Big Country)

Mark Brzezicki (Big Country)

Cover art for the original “Do They Know It's Christmas?” release – artist Peter Blake

STYLE AND CONTENT

According to its co-authors, the lyrics were largely written by Bob Geldof while Midge Ure is responsible for the melody and vocal arrangement. The song comprises two parts: a verse and bridge which allow individual singers to perform different lines; and a chorus in the form of two repeated phrases by ensemble. The chorus was added by Midge Ure shortly before the recording session and is similar in style to many of his Ultravox songs e.g. ‘Hymn'. It is also the most effective hook in the song.

LYRICS

The first line of the recording is sung by Paul Young on the 1984 version, Kylie Minogue on the 1989 version, and Chris Martin on the 2004 version. The line was originally written for David Bowie who finally sang it at the Live Aid concert. See the Band Aid article for the full list of contributors.

Another lyric which appears to have been tailored to the singers performing in 1984 is “The bitter sting of tears” performed by Sting.

The most controversial and, many would say, powerful, line in the song is: Tonight thank God it's them instead of you. Bono was unhappy with this line and tried to change it at first, due to the possible interpretation that the singer is thanking God for inflicting misery on other people rather than on them. Later, he admitted that it is a painful truth that, while we can feel sympathy and guilt about the plight of others, we're still not prepared to take their place.

The lyrics are unashamedly biased towards a western audience and present at best a simplified and stereotypical description of the situation in Africa. Lines such as “Where nothing ever grows” are particularly naive given that the area in Ethiopia where the famine took place is normally fertile and not a desert at all. The sole purpose of the song was, as Geldof admits, to use the power of celebrity to raise as much money as possible as quickly as possible. It had to be sufficiently well written to avoid putting off the pop stars from taking part.

PUBLIC RELEASE

The following morning Geldof appeared on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show to promote the record and promised that every penny would go to the cause. This led to a standoff with the British Government which refused to waive the VAT (tax) on the sales of the single. Geldof made the headlines by publicly standing up to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and, sensing the strength of public feeling, the government backed down and donated the tax back to the charity.

The single was released on December 15, 1984, and went straight to number 1 in the UK pop charts outselling all the other records in the chart put together. It became the fastest selling single of all time in the UK, selling a million in the first week alone. It stayed at Number 1 for 5 weeks selling over 3 million copies.

The single was released just before Christmas with the aim of raising money for the relief of the famine. Geldof's somewhat cautious hope was for 70,000 pounds. Ultimately, however, the song raised many millions of pounds and became the biggest-selling single in UK chart history. (It has since been passed by Elton John's tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, but it is likely to keep selling in different versions for many years to come.)

Band Aid II was the second version of the song, released in 1989, and featured a totally different group of artists, with only Bananarama remaining from the original version, the others being Big Fun, Bros, Cathy Dennis, D Mob, Jason Donovan, Kevin Godley, Glen Goldsmith, Kylie Minogue, the Pasadenas, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Jimmy Sommerville, Sonia, Lisa Stansfield, Technotronic and Wet Wet Wet.

Band Aid 20 recorded a new version of the song in November 2004 for the twentieth anniversary of the original recording. The artists involved this time was a small mixture of the original band with many of the chart stars of the present, as follows; Danny Goffey (Supergrass), Thom Yorke) and Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), Sir Paul McCartney, Francis Healy (Travis), Justin Hawkins and Dan Hawkins (The Darkness), Bono (U2), Daniel Bedingfield, Natasha Bedingfield, Vishal Das, Busted, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Dido, Dizzee Rascal, Ms Dynamite, Skye Edwards (Morcheeba), Estelle, Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy), Jamelia, Keane, Beverley Knight, Lemar, Shaznay Lewis (formerly of All Saints), Katie Melua, Roisin Murphy (Moloko), Feeder, Snow Patrol, Rachel Stevens, Joss Stone, Sugababes, The Thrills, Turin Brakes, Robbie Williams, Will Young.

Asian news and current affairs

Diabetes Asias ticking time bomb

One could be forgiven for thinking communicable illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS and the newly feared bird flu, are the major disease threats for Asia in the next and coming decades.

After all, an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting has been called to focus on bird flu, scientists are fretting over a bird flu vaccine and Asian bird flu casualties are being cited as early signs of a potential pandemic. Every year we hear the increased Asian death forecasts for HIV/AIDS, as the disease continues its relentless march of devastation in the region.

It would be foolish in any way to discount the potential impact of these diseases. But a much greater health concern looms on the horizon and risks being overlooked. It is diabetes and it is far more certain than bird flu to prematurely claim millions of lives. Similarly, diabetes-related deaths in Asia over the next few decades will dwarf those caused by HIV/AIDS.

Sound like a stretch?

Not according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has just released a report claiming chronic diseases, dominated by diabetes, now cause twice the number of deaths than infectious diseases (including HIV), maternal/perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies combined.

The report, Preventing Chronic Diseases: A Vital Investment, claims that this trend will continue. In the next decade, the number of global lives claimed by diabetes is set to grow by a quarter, driven by rising obesity and inactivity. It could cause the first life-expectancy reduction in more than 200 years. And nowhere is the problem more serious than in Asia.

In Asia there are now 90 million people with diabetes. Asia is home to four of the world's five largest diabetic populations - India, 33 million people with diabetes; China, 23 million; Pakistan, 9 million; and Japan, 7 million. The United States is also in the top five with an estimated 18 million suffering from the disease.

Globally the WHO estimates the global diabetes population will grow to more than 200 million in 2010 and 330 million in 2025. The burden in Asia will increase - in less than a decade 60% of all diabetes cases globally will be owned by Asia.

Asia should be in a state of panic. While diabetes can be treated, with limited access to treatments a majority of people affected will die prematurely. Even with treatments diabetes kills people prematurely, as well as robs them of their quality of life, and puts significant strain on resources.

There is a common misconception that diabetes is not lethal, with deaths often attributed to complications rather than the disease itself. But diabetes puts people at risk of many diseases and premature death, as it causes damage to many body tissues and progresses to strokes, heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, susceptibility to serious infections and amputations due to loss of circulation.

Diabetes has crept up on Asia with progressive Westernization or “Coca-Colanization” of its countries, which has seen the adoption of fatty-food diets and sedentary lifestyles. Disturbingly, the non-insulin dependant variety of diabetes (type 2), with typical onset in late adulthood in most parts of the world, is surfacing in children in Asia.

With scarce health resources Asia is ill-prepared to tackle diabetes effectively, and is likely to be distracted by more immediate threats such as bird flu, which countries outside the region are asking Asia to address. There is also a lack of recognition of the problem with many governments, and public health planners in Asia remain largely unaware of the future potential for increases in obesity and diabetes and its serious complications.

Unless this situation is rectified, there will be a huge economic burden on Asia - both from direct health-care costs plus indirect costs from a decline in workplace productivity. In addition there will be losses from premature morbidity and mortality.

Diabetes could cripple the budgets of Asian nations, particularly in developing nations. Diabetes is expected to cost the larger Asian economies up to $500 billion each in the next decade due to lost productivity and premature deaths.

At the 6th International Diabetes Federation Conference for Asia in Bangkok last week I predicted when the history of this century is written it will be diabetes, not bird flu or HIV/AIDS, that will have had the most devastating impact on the Asia Pacific.

There is no doubt that if bird flu is serious enough to warrant an APEC meeting later this year, a similar meeting on diabetes is long overdue. Diabetes has to be addressed in a significant way in Asia. It is not the bird flu or HIV/AIDS. But it is the killer disease that we are not prepared for, with the potential to claim millions of lives.

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