I don't normally listen very closely to the broadcast church service on Radio 4 on Sunday morning, but today's was interesting as well as tuneful. Coming from Durham, it examined the origins and traditions of carols.

Interestingly, they used to be secular songs connected with celebrations of the winter solstice, and were not allowed in church because of their pagan associations. It wasn't till the 14th Century that Franciscan friars introduced Christian carols.

Another interesting fact: While Shepherds Watched was originally set to the tune called Cranbrook - which is better known as the tune for On Ilkley Moor bah't 'at. Listening to this was a bit like a serious version of "One Song to the Tune of Another" from I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue!

You can listen again for a week here - including Cranbrook and a lovely Mediaeval hymn Angelus ad virginem.

In past years, I have got unnecessarily exercised about the barrage of furniture sale and holiday adverts on TV that bully us from Boxing Day onwards. I thought that was bad enough.

But today - I've hit a new low. I just received an email from the BT Shop entitled "Huge January Sale Now On! Grab a deal whilst stocks last".

"Dear Lois,

Christmas is a time for giving and it's no exception at the BT Shop because we're giving you the bargains! That's right, our huge January SALE starts right now! So get clicking for rich pickings in the BT Shop January Sale!"

Is it just me, or are they just a bit premature with this?

And a merry January Sale season to you all. Hmph.

'Tis the season to install flashplayer, ready to view the electronic greetings cards from clients and service providers.

Today I had 2 such missives. The first from the Design Council, a relatively tasteful and mercifully almost silent eco-plea, to save trees by sending virtual cards.

Happy Christmas Trees

The second (how apt: number two!) was from Business Link Southwest, who tell me that they "commissioned a South West based creative to design a holiday animation to celebrate the season". I hope they didn't pay him/her more than sixpence for this over-long, noisy festival of tat and cheesiness - or perhaps it was really the office boy wot did it. My son knocked out this sort of thing when he was about 10.

Santa's Workshop - then and now

It starts with an outright lie "(best watched with sound...)" - unless they forgot to put "turned off" at the end.

If you actually get as far as 'Now' - have you any idea what the bastard child of a JCB and an industrial robot is supposed to be doing behind the conveyor belt? Watching a tennis match perhaps...

Have you noticed how stuttery many digital tapes are these days? In the bad old days of analogue recordings, you got other problems of course, but not what I call the Max Headroom effect.

Does this happen on digital TV? As a diehard analogue viewer, it might be my aging technology: I am sure they are pinching some of the signal to try out digital transmissions ready for 2009, as it's often very thin and we have letters missing from Ceefax, even though we are in clear line of sight to the local transmitter at Stockland Hill and used to be able to pick up a good picture using a bent coathanger. No longer though.

Perhaps the tagline for another story - 'digital gremlins ate my hamstersignal'

Meet Max Headroom - and note the site's nifty icon. Neat! Or watch him interviewed by Terry Wogan on YouTube.

... And the transmitter even has its own web page - I'll get me anorak!