Royal Mail reveals special video stamps for Christmas 2022

Royal Mail is celebrating Christmas 2022 with a series of six special barcoded stamps, exclusively illustrated by award-winning artist, Katie Ponder.

The six designs reflect Kent-based Katie’s unique style, providing a fresh and contemporary feel to the classic Nativity story.

The illustrations this year focus on key moments in the traditional Christmas story such as the journey to Bethlehem and the Magi being guided by the Christmas star.

Rather poignantly this year’s stamps will be the last ever Christmas stamps to feature the silhouette of the Late Queen Elizabeth.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: We are encouraging our  customers to post their festive greetings early and order their online gifts and shopping well in advance, to help our posties to deliver the bumper festive mailbag.

The stamps are on sale from today (3 November) and will be available at www.royalmail.com/christmas2022, by phone on 03457 641 641 and the 7,000 Post Offices all over the UK

Royal Mail also worked with The Revd Lucy Winkett, who is the Rector of St James's Church, Piccadilly on this year's stamp issue.

David Gold, Director of External Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Our Christmas stamp issue is always very eagerly anticipated, and it's one we particularly look forward to. We believe the charming style of these designs sets the perfect tone for the festive season.”

The barcodes on this year’s Christmas stamps allow customers to watch a seasonal, themed video created exclusively for Royal Mail by the award winning Aardman studio. The video features Shaun the Sheep and his friends sending some festive cheer to Bitzer, the Farmer’s dog.

To choose and view the video, both sender and recipient can download the Royal Mail App. The sender can select the Christmas video for the recipient to watch just by scanning the stamp barcode, thus giving that someone special something extra to smile about this Christmas.

Catan Trade, Build, Settle

Klaus Teuber's Catan, Trade, Build, Settle is probably unlike any other game that you have ever seen or played. Ever.

Otherwise known as The Settlers of Catan, this game has garnered so many different awards that it's not always easy to keep track of them. From Game of the Year to Game of the Century, entered into the Hall of Fame and with a variety of awards from countries all over the world, including the USA.

It's an ideal Christmas gift because it's been hailed worldwide as the "Perfect Social Game."

So, what happens in Catan Trade, Build, Settle? Explorers with a thirst for adventure have the task of attempting to explore the island of Catan.

Catan is rich in resources but is totally devoid of any inhabitants, so is ripe for the plucking and for settling and for exploitation.

There are rich agricultural areas, harbours, a desert area and hills, wooded areas and mountains. An intriguing and deliberately engineered feature of the game is that the random mix creates an entirely different board with almost every game. Which means that no two games will ever be exactly the same!

What's the game play? You must steer your own team of settlers onward to victory. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But no! Your settlers will require a certain degree of cunning and they'll need to be smart traders, too. 

Work out which resource combinations will work out for the best, depending on several factors. Grain, lumber. wool, ore deposits, etc, etc. Use your resources to purchase highly useful development cards, have your settlers build settlements, roads and, eventually, cities,

You can acquire resources through trade, the use of cards or even the throw of a lucky dice! Even if it's not your turn? Wow!

However, you need to be aware that other settlers might be trying to do you down by employing their own cunning strategies. And do be aware of the larcenous fiend who has his eyes on some of your stuff!

It's said that the average game player can learn to play Catan in about a quarter of an hour, and that each campaign should take about an hour, perhaps a little longer. It's designed for 3 to 4 players.

It comes complete with a rule book and almanac.

It's suggested that you can learn to play the game at www.catan.com where you will find, amongst other highly useful things, the Catan Explainer App.

You will find Catan Trade, Build, Settle on same at Amazon, in specialist game retailers all over the country at about the £30 mark.

It will make a fantastic Christmas gift for the gamers in your life. 

https://www.asmodee.co.uk/

Ticket to Ride San Francisco

Ticket to Ride San Francisco is a fantastic game from Days of Wonder.

How good is the game? Their proud claim is that you will be able to learn the game within three minutes but that you will then have hours of fun playing it!

And that's absolutely 100% true! I wondered how I, as an individual, would feel about this game because I have had the privilege of visiting San Francisco on several occasions.

And this game actually blew me away! You get a board map of the city's transportation network, 80 cable cars (there are 20 in each colour) 21 tourist tokens, 44 transportation cards 24 destination cards 4 scoring markers and the all important rules sheet telling you how to play the game.

It's a rapid play game as you race against your fellow players whilst seeing who of you can visit the most iconic tourist sites in the city on the bay.

From the cable cars to the Golden Gate Bridge, from Alcatraz to Pier 39, from the Embarcadero to the Mission District, from Pier 39 to Height-Astbury and  everywhere else in between, everyone will have a fantastic touristy time as you race each other to see who can get to their destination first! But be careful to collect souvenirs on the way round the specially designed game board, as you'll need these to win.

Did this game take me back to my visits to San Francisco? In a way, yes. However this time my visit was purely fun and didn't involve any power point presentations in a boring conference venue!

Ticket to Ride San Francisco will make an absolutely perfect Christmas present for anyone ages from 8 and above and is designed for 2 to 4 players.

It's a game from Alan R. Moon and is published by Days of Wonder. And they even have forums for players, too! https://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/san-francisco.

It's available from toy shops and will cost you £21.77.

https://www.asmodee.co.uk/

That's Books and Entertainment: Get more music from Amazon Prime

That's Books and Entertainment: Get more music from Amazon Prime: Amazon Prime members will enjoy an increase from 2 million on-demand to 100 million songs in shuffle mode, ad-free, and at no additional cos...

Matthew West Invites You to 'Come Home for Christmas' - New Song Out Now

Matthew West invites you to "Come Home for Christmas," with his enchanting new holiday tune, which is out now across all digital streaming platforms. 

Kicking off the most wonderful time of the year with a dazzling announcement, West has partnered with Candace Cameron Bure, Bill Abbott and Great American Family to highlight the endearing carol on their Great American Family channel all holiday season. Fans can hear "Come Home for Christmas" for eight weeks during Great American Christmas celebrating their holiday films.

And you can listen to "Come Home for Christmas" here https://matthewwest.lnk.to/ComeHomeforChristmasPR

"I am really thrilled to be partnering with the Great American Family network this holiday season," said Matthew. "I love Christmas music so much, and each year I find myself sitting down at the piano penning a new Christmas tune inspired by my love of this most wonderful time of the year. 'Come Home for Christmas' is not just a song, it's an invitation for every heart to return to the wonder, the peace, the love, and the hope that this holiday season offers to every heart. I hope when people tune in to watch their favorite holiday films on the network that this song will serve as a musical reminder of what Christmas is all about."

"Matthew is one of my favourite storytellers through music of all time," said Bure. "The originality and authenticity of his Christmas songs can be felt within his lyrics and melodies. I'm incredibly thrilled that he is a part of Great American Family, and that our audience can experience such moving music that's really unlike any other."

"Original music plays an essential role in creating a cosy, memorable Christmas experience and is a key differentiator for Great American Family in the holiday movie space," said Abbott, who is President and CEO of Great American Media.

"Matthew's inspirational 'Come Home for Christmas' perfectly embodies our 'Welcome Home to Great American Christmas' theme and the song is sure to resonate with our audience this holiday season."

West was recently nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Inspirational Artist - voting open here. The NSAI Songwriter-Artist of the Year also announced his upcoming double album MY STORY YOUR GLORY set for release February 17, 2023. 

The five-time Grammy® nominee has had a monumental year: "Me On Your Mind" spent 6 weeks atop the Mediabase Christian Airplay chart and the Billboard Christian Airplay Chart for 5 weeks. His fifth consecutive chart-topper marked West's 25th number one song combined as an artist and songwriter - now at 27. 

His sixth book "The God Who Stays" is out now. He is set to hit the road for the AN EVENING AT THE STORY HOUSE WITH MATTHEW WEST tour kicking off November 3 then will return to Franklin, TN for his Come Home for Christmas weekend December 2-4.

Candid Communications Launches New Book 'Your Santa Agent Invitation' to Help Parents Navigate the 'Santa' Conversation

New children's Christmas picture book "Your Santa Agent Invitation" is a parent's guide to explaining Santa to children in a positive and enjoyable way, letting them know they have a special role to play in keeping the magic of Christmas alive.

Written in a gentle and easy rhyming style, this book is a delightful way to navigate one of the most difficult and potentially awkward parent/child conversations, enabling an honest discussion with warmth and cheer.

By covering the history of Saint Nick and inviting your child to become a "Santa Agent," this book transforms a time of potential loss into an opportunity for creating a wonderful gain. It shows children knowing the true identity of Santa is, actually, a cause for celebration. 

Written by writer and journalist Alex Lalak, and marketing executive, author and mother Louise Cummins, this children's book offers both children and grown-ups a new way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

"My passion for storytelling was sparked during my childhood by reading the fairy books of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Cicely Mary Barker. As a great believer in the magic and joy of Christmas, I was thrilled to co-write this book," Ms. Lalak said.

"As a mother, I'm inspired to keep the magic of Christmas alive. I hope this book will delight children around the world, and help other parents navigate the conversation with love and care," Ms. Cummins said.

Described by Reader's Favourite as an "uplifting" and "positive" story, "Your Santa Agent Invitation" will be available to purchase online via Amazon and other leading online bookstores.

"This uplifting story presents a positive way for parents and families to be honest with their children while keeping the Christmas joy and spirit alive and well," Melinda Facal from Reader's Favourite said.

ISBN: 978-0648465539

https://yoursantaagentinvitation.com

https://www.instagram.com/yoursantaagentinvitation

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086344899783 

Alex Lalak is an Australian writer and journalist currently based in southern France. She writes for a range of publications, including Escape and The Australian. Her passion for storytelling was sparked in childhood by reading the fairy books of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Cicely Mary Barker. As a great believer in the magic and joy of Christmas, she was thrilled to co-write this book that offers both children and grown-ups a new way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

Louise Cummins is an Australian marketing executive, author and mother. Her first children's book "A Different Kind of Brilliant" was made into a short film that featured at film festivals in the U.S. and Australia. Her desire to help keep the magic of Christmas alive inspired her to co-write this book, which she hopes will delight children around the world.

Portable North Pole Brings the Magic of Christmas to you and your children

The Portable North Pole (PNP) website and mobile apps bring the magic of Christmas direct to almost any device with four new free, limited-time trial videos and over 90 personalised videos and calls across Premium packages. 

Parents can watch their children’s faces light up with one-of-a-kind messages from Santa, and record their child’s priceless reaction to their message from Santa using the Reaction Recorder.

Celebrating its 15th season, Portable North Pole has generated millions of cinematic personalised messages from Santa in a beloved Christmas tradition that has grown in popularity around the world. 

Users can tailor messages to include the recipient’s photo, correct name pronunciation, age and Christmas wish, select if they’ve been naughty or nice, and more. 

Parents can help improve or congratulate good behaviour, schedule an incoming call from Santa, experience interactive videos, and take advantage of adding a live call in select 2022 Premium videos!

“We are delighted to head into our 15th season of delivering exciting messages from Santa through the PNP website and mobile app, with new partnerships and features, including the all-new Interactive Gift Tag for an extra-special gift-giving experience,” said Alexandre Bérard, CEO of UGroupMedia Inc., the creators of Portable North Pole.

The new features for the 2022 Christmas season will include:

● 4 new FREE trial experience videos and 18 new Premium video and call scenarios: Discover new Christmas videos for kids and grown-ups, including a birthday celebration video and a special World Cup video message for a highly cinematic experience.

● Live call during video: In select 2022 Premium videos, you can choose to receive a live call from Santa during your video!

● Personalised and Interactive Gift Tag: Place a printable gift tag on a present on Christmas Eve, scan the QR code, and reveal a personalised video of Santa delivering their gift in your living room!

● Added Premium features: Within Magic Pass packages, users can take advantage of:

- Access to all Premium messages: Including video messages, calls, and video calls!

- Interactive videos: Choose your own path in select Premium videos for a unique Christmas adventure!

- Reaction Recorder: Parents can record their child’s reaction as they experience their customised message from Santa!

- Multi-recipient videos: Santa can recite up to four names in several video message options, allowing the whole family to experience the magic together.

- 1080 HD downloads

In addition, Portable North Pole has partnered with more than 48 leading children hospitals around the world to donate up to 5% of online sales through its Portable North Pole Children's Hospital Program. Partner hospitals include Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (USA), Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (UK), SickKids (Canada).

Known as the Number One Santa App in the Apple App Store and Google Play, Portable North Pole has over 11 million downloads around the globe and over 237 million personalised video views. Discover the magic by visiting www.portablenorthpole.com.