Dreamscape – Toyah Willcox Fansite

Wishing a Merry Christmas to all Dreamscape’s visitors!

• See Toyah’s Changeling Christmas card for 2023 at Facebook, and Merry Xmas Everybody at DGM Live.

“Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas & a Brave New Year. Love from Toyah xx”

A brand new Sunday Lunch from Toyah & Robert for Christmas Eve – covering Slade’s legendary Merry Xmas Everybody.

“From the whole team at Toyah and Robert HQ we wish you a wonderful holiday season x Enjoy this brand new episode :-)”

We’ve reached the final day of our Christmas Countdown 2023…

In every waking hour I miss you, In my dreams I never kiss you, And in the shadows creatures want to hurt you, but in love and war I’ll never desert you…

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.

Gary Davies posted at X, and shared this great retro shot from 1987: “Excited to be reunited with Toyah when she will be our special guest on our BBC Radio 2 Sounds of the 80s Live Tour Shows“… (Photo © Gary Davies)

Christmas 1982, The build up/countdown to Christmas wouldn’t be complete at Dreamscape without this… I think I’ve mentioned I Believe in Father Christmas almost every December for the last 24 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. The programme aired on Boxing Day and also featured Musical Youth, Mari Wilson, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Nolans, Toto Coelo, The Mighty Wah! and Shakin’ Stevens.

According to an info board posted online, Pop Goes Christmas was only recorded less than a fortnight before it aired. Not sure if this is completely accurate. 

Toyah sounds glorious, looks amazing (wearing her Brave New World/The Changeling black contacts) and Keith Hale and Joel Bogen are having a right old festive time in the forest of lit up trees during the recording, which was introduced by David Essex. Bravo!

NB: Official Toyah posted today at Facebook and Instagram: Toyah’s 1982 version of the Greg Lake classic I Believe In Father Christmas is the perfect soundtrack for Christmas Eve Eve. Click below to stream at Spotify.

Welcome to Christmas Eve Eve. One of the best days of the year for many people, and it has always been my favourite day of all 365 days of the year!

There’s always just a magical feeling in the air, after the build up through December.

I want to say Merry Christmas and Thank You to each and every person who has visited this website in 2023, and over the past 24 years… Click below to view more Toyah content from a fan perspective at Instagram.

There’s been an abundance of press for The Great British Sewing Bee – Celebrity Christmas Special, and I have endeavoured to collect and compile as much of it as possible for this post (Photos © BBC):

• The Independent: Great British Sewing Bee crowns 2023 celebrity winner: The winner of the Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas special has been crowned – Continue…

• Telly Mix: The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special 2023: This year’s special promises to be a vibrant showcase of sewing prowess, featuring four celebrities under the watchful eyes of judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant – Continue…

• iNews: The Great British Sewing Bee review: Kiell Smith-Bynoe is its last hope: With more charm on display than sewing skill, this festive edition of the competition was more watchable than the usual series – Continue…

• AOL: Great British Sewing Bee crowns 2023 celebrity winner: The winner of the Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas special has been crowned: Toyah Willcox, Kerry Godliman, Jessica Knappett, and Hammed Animashaun, battled it out in Christmas-themed challenges during Thursday night’s show (21 December) – Continue…

• The Guardian: TV tonight: cheese, chips and cookies – it’s Nigella’s Amsterdam Christmas: The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special 9pm, BBC One – Continue…

• Digital Spy: Great British Sewing Bee reveals celebrity winner of 2023 Christmas special: “I’ve loved every minute, the stress included.” – Continue…

• The Sun: Famous Four: The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special: Who is taking part, when is it on and how can I watch it?: A group of famous faces will show off their sewing skills – Continue…

• Radio Times: Who Is In The Great British Sewing Bee Christmas 2023 line-up: Four celebrities are ready to take on the challenge – Continue…

• TV Guide: Celebrity Christmas Special 2023: Former Christmas special sewer Kiell Smith-Bynoe takes over as host as musician Toyah Willcox, comedian Jessica Knappett and actors Kerry Godliman and Hammed Animashaun are put to the test – Continue…

• Yahoo! News: The best Christmas 2023 TV to watch on ITV, BBC, C4 and more: The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have an array of festive specials airing this December – Continue…

• BBC iPlayer: In this year’s Christmas Sewing Bee, punk icon Toyah Willcox, actor Kerry Godliman, comedian Jessica Knappett and actor Hammed Animashaun put their sewing skills to the test – Watch for the next 12 months…

• Sharp Dressed Man: Toyah performs the ZZ Top hit – Watch…

Toyah & Robert have a virtual Christmas stocking of upcoming festive cheer for Christmas 2023, with an Upbeat Moments this evening, a brand new Christmas Sunday Lunch – Merry Xmas Everybody – premiering on Christmas Eve, and Toyah & Robert’s Christmas Day Message To You on Monday. Click below to browse at You Tube.

Top Of The Pops – The Story Of 1976: BBC Four: Saturday 6th January: 00.30am
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. Featuring contributions by Tony Blackburn, Paul Morley, Toyah Willcox, David Hamilton and Dave Haslam.

Another chance to watch this magical hour of festive fun (and sewing)…

The Great British Sewing Bee: Thursday 28th December: BBC2: 1.50am
Celebrity Christmas Special 2023. Former Christmas special sewer Kiell Smith-Bynoe takes over as host as musician Toyah Willcox, comedian Jessica Knappett and actors Kerry Godliman and Hammed Animashaun are put to the test by judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant. The celebrities begin by putting their own twist on a pattern for a stocking then turn the humble puffer jacket into food-themed children’s fancy dress. In the final challenge, the competitors create an outfit perfect for their dream Christmas Day.

TV loves to wheel in a celeb, but it was a shock to see Dion Dublin tour houses with a punk princess of the 80s

TV review: As Homes Under The Hammer celebrates its 20th anniversary with the help of Toyah Willcox, there are unruly throngs of celebs queuing up for festive specials

The joy of working shifts is that you have mornings to do things.

Butterfly collecting, going roller-blading with the dog or helping the elderly and infirm are just three things that I could do, but let’s face it, I don’t…

• Continue reading at the Belfast Telegraph. (Subscription required)

Celebrity Cathphrase: ITV: Friday 5th January: 2pm
Series 3, episode 7. Stephen Mulhern hosts a celebrity special of the classic game show, with Nicola Coughlan, Stephen Mangan and Toyah Willcox all trying to say what they see as they guess well-known phrases for the chance to win a £50,000 jackpot for their chosen charity.

Included in the release of Echoes: Ancient & Modern is a brand new interpretation of Relax – one of the 80s most successful records in the UK. Featuring performances by Toyah and Robert Fripp. Listen or download the track now by clicking below. (Text & Image © Trevor Horn)

Christmas 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984. In the early eighties Toyah’s Official Fanclub – Intergalactic Ranch House – sent out Christmas cards to subscribing members each December, with Toyah taking the time to sign each and every card, which numbered around 6,000 at the height of the fanclub’s popularity.

This tradition was carried on for an extra year, in 1984, when the Intergalactic Ranch House became simply the Toyah Fanclub following Toyah leaving Safari Records after five years and signing to CBS/Portrait Records.

All four cards featured photos of Toyah, showcasing great early eighties imagery and creating a unique set of fanclub memorabilia that became collector’s items. Here’s a snapshot of a feature on the Christmas cards from an issue of Dreamscape’s fanzine.

• NB: Lovely to see Official Toyah sharing the 1984 card in festive posts at Toyah’s Official Facebook and Instagram yesterday.

It’s Toyah Day on BBC2 today, with two programmes airing today – both from earlier this week on BBC1 and are being repeated on BBC2. (Photos © BBC)

Homes Under The Hammer: BBC2: Friday 22nd December: 6.15am
Toyah Willcox. Dion Dublin is joined by Toyah Willcox in a 20th anniversary celebrity special, to look around a three-bed semi in her native Birmingham.

The Great British Sewing Bee: Friday 22nd December: BBC2: 1.25pm
Celebrity Christmas Special 2023. Former Christmas special sewer Kiell Smith-Bynoe takes over as host as musician Toyah Willcox, comedian Jessica Knappett and actors Kerry Godliman and Hammed Animashaun are put to the test by judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant.

Christmas 2016, Toyah attended a ceremony and was inducted into the Birmingham Walk Of Stars.

Toyah said: “I am thrilled to be receiving a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars. Having spent my childhood and teenage years in this great city, I developed my love of music and theatre here, thanks to all the great music venues and theatres available within the one city.“

• See news on Toyah attending the Birmingham Walk Of Stars event here and here. (Photo © Birmingham Mail)

Portrait Artist Of The Year: Sky Arts: Wednesday 3rd January: 8pm
Celebrities V Kids Special. Nitin Ganatra, Anita Mangan, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Toyah Willcox, Leigh Francis and Gemma Cairney join six school pupils selected as part of Sky Arts Access All Arts initiative to paint portraits of Konnie Huq, Lee Ridley and Chi-Chi Nwanoku. (Photos © Toyah Willcox)

Christmas 2022, Toyah announced the release of a special 10” cherry red coloured vinyl EP commemorating the classic 1982 single Brave New World. To be released in March 2023, and limited to 500 copies only.

The EP contained four tracks, all previously unreleased versions, including the long-awaited Dawn Chorus (6.55 Special Mix). The release was part of Cherry Red Records’ special ‘45s at 45’ vinyl series marking the 45th Anniversary of the label.

The Tracklist: Side One: 1. Brave New World (Razzmatazz Mix). 2. Street Creature (Razzmatazz Mix) | Side Two: 1. Dawn Chorus (6.55 Special Version), 2. Ieya 1982 (Edited Version)

• Click below to browse the EP’s page at toyahwillcox.com.

• Saturday Morning Song: Rhythm In My House (Live In Putney 2021) – Watch… • Toyah & Robert: UpBeat Moments – Watch… • Toyah & Robert’s Sunday Lunch – Jingle Bell Rock – Watch… (Image © Toyah Willcox)

Homes Under The Hammer’s Dion Dublin says ‘I’m out of a job’ as ’80s music legend co-hosts show

Cue the music of the 1980s and the Toyah puns as the BBC show steps back in time

It’s no mystery that BBC’s Homes Under the Hammer is one of the most popular property programmes on TV – it’s been on for 20 years and has been celebrating this landmark anniversary by inviting celebrity fans onto the show to co-host a visit to an auction property.

Presenter and retired professional footballer Dion Dublin’s invited guest to a three-bed, semi-detached house on the outskirts of Birmingham was 1980s pop legend Toyah Wilcox, who was born less than 20 minutes away from the property in Rubery that went to auction with a guide price of £49,000.

Dion was over-excited, not because he managed to find a way to weave a football gag or reference into the show, but because he was joined by someone he really admires. He said: “You are not going to want to miss this! Sit tight, tea and toast on the lap, and you’re going to love it. You can call her a pop icon, you can call her a punk icon, but I’m just going to call her – I’m so excited – a music icon.”

• Continue reading at Wales Online. See also The Sun.

Toyah plays Sign of the Times Festival, Hertfordshire on Saturday 6th July 2024, alongside Travis & Jake Bugg. Tickets on sale now, more details by clicking below.