Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

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.

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.

In the early 80s, every member of Toyah’s Fanclub – The Intergalactic Ranch House – received a personally signed Christmas card from Toyah. She even mentioned in an interview at the time that she signed thousands of cards. Do you still have yours? Here are all four cards, sent from 1981 to 1984. The card from 1983 was a postcard and the 1984 card came from the Toyah Fanclub, the IRH had closed earlier in the year.

Click here to read the messages, for 1981 and ’82. And click here for the cards, and messages, from 1983 and ’84.

A number of years ago Dreamscape compiled the “Toyah Festive 50′. A tinseltastic half tonne of Yuletide related Toyah facts, figures and trivia. Revisit the full rundown here.

Why was Toyah Scarlett at Christmas? … Who would be her dream dining companion? … Just how many town’s lights did Toyah switch on at Christmas 2003?… What were Toyah and Tony Robinson doing at Christmas 1988? … Which other programmes were aired the Christmas Eve night that Toyah’s legendary Theatre Royal, Drury Lane concert was watched by millions on BBC2?

Discover the answer to these and much more in our Toyah @ Christmas information overload! Completely unecessary but a lot of fun nonetheless!

We’re counting down to Christmas at Dreamscape…

Christmas Eve, 1981. Toyah play to millions (figures mentioned sometimes suggest over 10 million viewers) on The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC2, beamed live from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Toyah was in top form this night and no wonder as it was the end to a hugely successful year: hit singles, an album that reached number 2 and stayed on the chart for the rest of the year, three sell out tours, topping year-end music polls, magazine covers, numerous television appearances… Here are screen caps from the original BBC2 Christmas trail for their 1981 Christmas Eve schedule.

Toyah’s other festive special, Toyah’s Christmas At The Zoo, has now also been added to the Vintage TV schedules…

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
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.

Toyah’s Vintage Christmas, Toyah’s first festive special for the music channel from 2011, is also being re-shown this festive season. (Photo © Vintage TV)

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.

Vintage TV are re-airing A Very Vintage Christmas, from 2013, this year. (Photo © Vintage TV)

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)

The build up to Christmas wouldn’t be complete at Dreamscape without this… I think I’ve mentioned I Believe in Father Christmas every December for the last 15 years, so here we go again… Toyah covers the Greg Lake 1975 classic (which I didn’t realise also features Robert Fripp until Toyah mentioned it a few years ago on Toyah’s Christmas at the Zoo) for ITV’s Pop Goes Christmas in 1982. She sounds great, looks amazing and Keith Hale and Joel Bogen are having a right old festive time in the forest of lit up trees. Bravo!

Welcome to December! It’s getting cold outside, the festive music and movie channels are in full swing (though they have been since about September ;)) and even the Christmas tree in Toyah’s town now has pride of place (see Toyah’s tweet)… It must be the beginning of Christmas, and the start of our annual countdown to the 25th.

Dreamscape has counted down to Christmas, almost, every year since December 2000, and here we go again. Visit every day until Christmas Eve for a festively Toyah related post.

To start the bauble rolling we have a Christmas Surprise, which I hope at least some of you will like… More info soon. In the meantime, it really wouldn’t be the true start of Christmas without a play or two of this.