Despite the biting cold weather and icy grip of the recession nothing was going to stop Christmas from arriving in spectacular heart-warming style on Saturday at a packed BIC.

The latest festive-themed version of the nation’s favourite rock and roll variety show, That’ll Be the Day, worked its tinsel-trimmed magic as it partied through the musical highlights of Christmases spanning the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

Mixed in was a hearty helping of comedy sketches, old TV adverts and a short pantomime giving it the feel of a Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show combined with the Christmas Day Top of the Pops.

The cast is at its strongest ever, now it has three excellent complementary female vocalists.

Embracing all our favourite Christmas hits with bells on it had the entire BIC crowd up dancing, singing and swaying to everything from Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody to Bing’s White Christmas. Great fun!