Holiday Tune #1: The Florin Street Band ~ My Favourite Time of Year

Last night began my holiday celebrations with the decorating of my apartment and the watching of my Christmas favourite: Love, Actually. I've watched that movie every year since its release in 2003, and never plan on missing it. In fact, I was so close to missing it when I lived abroad, that I now possess only the UK edition of the DVD, and I am therefore forced to watch it on my laptop... Alas, life could be worse.

After the film finished and I once again had access to the internet, I began my search for the perfect Holiday tunes to follow my mood. I quickly came across this band...

It all began with a UK musician, Leigh Haggerwood, who decided to bring the Christmas of Victorian times back to the month of December. He approached several music producers, but none would help fund his project of having a TRUE Christmas tune top the charts in December. The record companies were not prepared to compete against media giants produced by the likes of the X Factor. (Think of that opera singer from last year - something Boyle, wasn't it?) Faced with this rejection, Leigh refused to give up! This July he gathered as many people as he could get involved with him privately, including Nick Bartleet and John Perez. They made their way out to Shropshire (a little county just East of Wales that will always have a large home inside my heart) to film in the Blist Hills Victorian Town. As part of the Ironbridge Museum, Blist Hills was a great location for reinvigorating the Victorian spirit that so many of Leigh's holiday traditions have come from. This was his dream, and this is the year it came true for him. All I want to do is help him live his best dream!

If you like this video, or this story, please help him out. Go to:

http://www.florinstreet.com

or download his single off of iTunes. I know I have a new holiday tradition in Leigh's dream and the Florin Street Band; I hope you do, too!


My Favourite Time of Year
Words & music by Leigh Haggerwood