Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Most Shocking Christmas TV Moments: Channel 5
Boxing Day: 10.30pm/New Year’s Eve: 11.55pm
A merry romp through the most inappropriate, outrageous and appallingly atrocious Christmas television turkeys of all time. These are the kind of disastrous, ill-conceived and downright cringe-inducing moments that it’s a wonder ever made it to air. Among contributors ready to dissect the disasters – many of which they were involved in themselves – are Eamonn Holmes, Toyah Willcox, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Anne Diamond, Steve Punt and Mike Read.

Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976: Yesterday: Christmas Day: 1.55am
Top Of The Pops: The Story of 1976: Yesterday: Wednesday 30th December: 1am
Documentary examining how the BBC’s flagship pop show reflected changes in British music and culture during 1976. As the popularity of glam rock faded, no dominant musical scene emerged to replace it, leading to chart success for bands including Abba, Showaddywaddy, the Brotherhood of Man and the Wurzels – while outside the mainstream, punk rock was rapidly growing in popularity. Contributions by Tony Blackburn, Paul Morley, Toyah Willcox, David Hamilton and Dave Haslam.

A Very Vintage Christmas, with Toyah and Roy Wood, airs tonight on Vintage TV.

A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV
Wednesday 16th December: 11pm
Snuggling up by the fireside with Toyah Willcox and Roy Wood for some Christmas chat and festive songs are pop rock act The Feeling and Imagination’s Leee John. (Part 2)

Another airing, on the penultimate day of 2015, for Neil McCormick’s Needle Time with Toyah on Vintage TV.

Neil McCormick’s Needle Time: Vintage TV: Wednesday 30th December: 5am
Toyah Willcox. Prolific artist and actor, who enjoyed hits with ‘It’s a Mystery’, ‘Thunder in the Mountains’ and ‘I Want to be Free’, shares the story behind her remarkable career – Running Time: 60 minutes. Vintage TV is available on Sky 369, Freeview 242, Virgin 343 and Freesat 505.

Almost every Christmas Eve since December 2000 Dreamscape has posted a website Christmas “card”. It’s usually the final update/post of the year, and a thanks to everyone who has taken the time to visit the site over the past 12 months. Here is a look back at just a few…

Toyah in Wonderland #1 has now been added as an intro image to The Official Toyah Willcox Website. Such an amazing shot! (Photo © Gary Clutterbuck/Toyah Willcox)

Another stocking filler courtesy of toyahwillcox.com – Download the booklet for the digital issue of Toyah’s 1991 album, Ophelia’s Shadow – It’s the album’s 25th Anniversary in 2016 too!

Christmas gets well and truly under way this morning… Toyah’s Vintage Christmas airs on Vintage TV at 10am – Snuggle down by the fire with the family as punk princess, Toyah Willcox, introduces some of the finest Christmas videos of the 20th Century, sprinkled with a generous handful of fun festive facts – Click below to view more screen caps and here to visit the Vintage TV website.

More airings for Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo on Vintage TV.

Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Thursday 17th December: 11.30am
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Monday 21st December: 5pm
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Tuesday 22nd December: 11.30pm
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Boxing Day: 7pm
Cosy up with family and friends as Toyah Willcox brings you 30 of the finest Christmas songs and a sprinkling of festive stories, surrounded by an extraordinary variety of creatures great and small.

Christmas 1983, Toyah was promoting ‘The Vow’, the final single for Safari Records, the ‘Love Is The Law’ album, and travelling the UK on the ‘Rebel Run’ Tour. Toyah, and the band, appeared on numerous TV shows in the UK and Europe through November and December, being interviewed as well as performing ‘The Vow’ and ‘Rebel Run’.

The TV shows included; Pebble Mill, Did You See?, Pop Watch, Saturday Superstore, Breakfast Time, Razzmatazz, The Saturday Show, Harty, Crackerjack and Judgendbund. Other shows included in ‘The Vow’ promotion were; TVAM: Good Morning Britain and 60 Minutes. 

The first “Toyah in Wonderland” stocking filler for Christmas 2015 has been revealed by toyahwillcox.com – Toyah as the Queen of Hearts.

Toyahwillcox.com is proud to premiere a brand new photography series as 2015 draws to a close. Take a trip to Wonderland this Christmas holiday.

Toyah was photographed earlier in the year by Gary Clutterbuck as the Queen of Hearts. The first results of this is seen in this festive stocking filler surprise, of which there will be more in the coming days at The Official Toyah Willcox Website.

• Continue reading at The Official Toyah Willcox Website.

Christmas Eve 2012, Toyah guested on Marlow FM’s “Musical Milestones” on The Eclectic Light Show. She discussed her life and career and chose six songs along the way.

As this aired on Christmas Eve and the station didn’t have a Listen Again function I recorded it and uploaded to Dreamscape a low quality mp3 of the 30-minute special. Click below to listen/download.

The 100 Greatest Musicals: More4:
Christmas Eve: 4.10pm
Part One, 100 – 51. Denise Van Outen presents the first in a two-part rundown of the 100 best musicals as voted for by viewers, featuring 42nd Street, 8 Mile and The Sound of Music. The first show counts down from 100 to 51 and features memorable clips from film, stage and TV, interspersed with interviews given by performers, directors, writers and choreographers. Also airing on More4 +1 and HD.

The 100 Greatest Musicals: More4: Christmas Day: 1.55pm
Part Two, 50 – 1. Denise Van Outen concludes the rundown of viewers’ favourite musicals, counting down from 50 to number one. Including memorable clips from film, stage and TV productions, plus contributions by celebrity fans, Hollywood movers and shakers, critics and journalists. Also airing on More4 +1 and HD.

Visit toyahwillcox.com this weekend for Toyah’s Stocking Fillers…

Christmas 2010, and The Hazel O’Connor Collective, which included Toyah as one of the main vocalists, released the lovely Re-Joyce (In The Bleak Midwinter). Proceeds from the single went to Myton Hospice in Coventry where Hazel’s mum, Joyce, received care and treatment for cancer.

The track was also released on CD, and alongside the main single mix, some special solo versions were also released digitally, including Toyah’s. Re-Joyce reached the Top 10 of the Amazon UK Music/Singles chart.

This year’s first Christmas themed TV programme featuring Toyah, a festive edition of Ready Steady Cook, originally from Boxing Day 2008, airs this afternoon on Food Network (Sky: Ch248, Freeview: Ch41, Virgin: Ch291, Freesat: Ch149). Then all of Toyah’s Vintage TV Christmas specials follow over the next few weeks…

Ready Steady Cook: Food Network:
Thursday 10th December: 5pm
Toyah Willcox and Shauna Lowry. Singer Toyah Willcox and TV presenter Shauna Lowry battle it out to see who’ll be Christmas number one in the kitchen as Ainsley Harriott hosts another 20-minute cooking challenge. Also airing on Food Network +1.

A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Sunday 13th December: 10am
A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Wednesday 16th December: 11pm
Snuggling up by the fireside with Toyah Willcox and Roy Wood for some Christmas chat and festive songs are pop rock act The Feeling and Imagination’s Leee John. (Part 2)

Toyah’s Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Tuesday 15th December: 10am
Snuggle down by the fire with the family as punk princess, Toyah Willcox, introduces some of the finest Christmas videos of the 20th Century, sprinkled with a generous handful of fun festive facts.

Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Thursday 17th December: 11.30am
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Monday 21st December: 5pm
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Tuesday 22nd December: 11.30pm
Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo: Vintage TV: Boxing Day: 7pm
Cosy up with family and friends as Toyah Willcox brings you 30 of the finest Christmas songs and a sprinkling of festive stories, surrounded by an extraordinary variety of creatures great and small.

A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Sunday 20th December: 10am
A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Boxing Day: 00.00am
Presenters Toyah Willcox and Wizzard’s Roy Wood are cosying up by the fireplace with two guest artists as they talk Christmas and sing favourite festive songs. (Part 1)

Happy Christmas From The Stars, a “Free Christmas Record (12 Minutes of Festive Fun)”, the flexi that was attached to the December 9-22, 1982 (exactly 33 years ago today!) issue of ‘Smash Hits’ magazine, featured numerous pop stars sending readers festive greetings.

Click below to listen – Toyah arrives at 4.46, inbetween Martin Fry of ABC and Steve Strange of Visage. Too-de-loo!! Part One is available here.

New live dates and events for 2016 have been confirmed at toyahwillcox.com…

Neil Tennant’s Smash Hits Christmas aired on ‘BBC Radio 2′ in December 2012. An interesting look back at the golden years of the magazine, including contributions from Toyah, talking about ‘Smash Hits’ in general as well as her iconic Brave New World cover from 1982. The programme isn’t currently available at BBC iPlayer and isn’t being repeated any time soon. Click below to listen to a recording of the programme at You Tube.

There’s also an airing of Part 1 of A Very Vintage Christmas later this month on Vintage TV.

A Very Vintage Christmas: Vintage TV: Sunday 20th December: 10am
Presenters Toyah Willcox and Wizzard’s Roy Wood are cosying up by the fireplace with two guest artists as they talk Christmas and sing favourite festive songs. (Part 1)

Christmas 1996, Toyah contributed a recollection of childhood Christmasses to the charity publication ‘Once Upon A Christmas’ – Memories and Recipes From Your Favourite Celebrities. This book is now out of print.

In this delightful Christmas book, a host of our most popular and well-known celebrities from all walks of life have contributed stories, memories, recipes and thoughts about Christmas to make this the most irresistible festive anthology there is… Once Upon A Christmas will help to put – and keep – you in the Christmas spirit.

Toyah Willcox: Broadcaster and Singer

Childhood Christmasses were the most magical.

It was the appearance of the Christmas tree that cued two weeks of sheer all-encompassing joy. I’m talking about being four years old. Just able to talk but unable to comprehend the hidden meanings of the words of wisdom from the giants, the adults…

• Continue reading and get festive at Dreamscape’s Toyah Press Archive.