The Christmas Number 1 in the UK... always used to be a big "wait and see" with record sales being counted and verified.  Then came digital downloads and the X-Factor and it all became boringly predictable.  Gone are the days of Bob the Builder's version of "Mambo No 5" (a little bit of tiling in the roof...) or Cliff Richard massacring a carol, or some one hit wonder, or a charity single (Do They KNow it's Christmas in its first incarnation) or even (and this remains my all time favourite) Slade with "Here it is Merry Christmas".

This year there is a bit of a political edge to the push to get Gareth Malone's latest choir project to No 1.  A choir of NHS employees from Lewisham (London) and a pointed message to GM Government to stop privatising/dismantling NHS England... and let's not delude ourselves that all is rosy in NHS Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, the impact of cost controls may just be manifest in other ways.

The NHS is truly remarkable... and I, along with many members of my family living and dead, owe a huge debt of gratitude (mostly to NHS England but in my case to NHS Scotland) for free at the point of delivery healthcare.  From the presumed still-born premature baby delivered in a London hospital at the end of 1962, I have come a long way... had there been no NHS I wouldn't be here to tell my story.

If I had my way, I'd increase taxes for those who can afford it to help protect the NHS - but I reckon that is a pipe-dream, since no major party seems willing so to do.  But what I can do, and have done is download the single and up load the selfie... and if you wish to, wherever you may be, so can you.

Go here to download the single... please!