Advent Calendar 2022 Day 2: The Big Breakfast, 1997

Lock-Keepers' Cottages had a good run of festive felicitations right from the start in 1992 and we join them halfway through what's regarded as its second golden age - well, let us be the judge of that - the Johnny and Denise years. In what we suspect may not entirely be a live show Mark Owen and "Anthony" Mortimer - yeah, that didn't last long - form a partnership of boy band escapees aiming to go serious, the Spice Girls take their turns with Zig & Zag on the literal eve of the release of Spice World: The Movie, Ewan McGregor is not on the bed but on an adjoining hotel sofa to Vanessa Feltz, Phil Gayle makes his debut in the house, Melanie Sykes is reminded that she from the North of England and the big ending is given over to the Chicken Shed Theatre Company, whose Diana memorial single I Am In Love With The World was widely tipped as that year's obvious emotional runaway Christmas number one right up until it peaked at number 15. (Would probably have comfortably managed it now, mind)

LEFTOVERS: we've been down Old Ford Lock way before, on Christmas Eve 1993 with that avatar of festive goodwill, Simon Bates.