Here in the UK we have a truly strange addiction to novelty records, non more than at Christmas. So what better time to take a look at some of these crazy Christmas hits.

1968 saw a group of lads from Liverpool hit the top spot, and it wasn't the Beatles, though there was a Beatles connection. The group was the Scaffold and one of the trio was Mike McGear (real name Peter Michael McCartney), brother of Paul. Along with Roger McGough, who went on to write books of poetry for children and adults, and John Gorman who many years later was part of the TISWAS team.

The song they topped out with was "Lily the Pink"

The following year we had Rolf Harris enjoying a six week stay at the top with "Two little boys" An unusual hit in that it was written about two young American Civil War soldiers and their friendship, growing up from childhood to the adult arena of war.

The following year saw the almost normal pop hit " I hear you knocking" by Dave Edmunds before 1971 saw one of the UK's best loved comedy TV stars hit the top with a tale of "ghostly gold tops, rattling in their crates". Benny Hill who had several hits in the late fifties and early sixties returned with his biggest hit ever "Ernie (The fastest milkman in the West)"

The early seventies saw The Osmonds hitting the charts all over the world and the youngest of the brothers Little Jimmy struck gold here in the UK spending five weeks at number one with "Long haired lover from Liverpool" in 1972.

1973 spawned a whole bunch of Christmas hits including Wizzard's "I wish it could be Christmas everyday",  Elton John's "Step into Christmas" and of course the now legendary "Merry Xmas everybody" from Slade. 

Yet another song that still gets played every year made it to the top spot in 1974. A quartet of Surrey lads who became part of the UK "glam" scene Mud with "Lonely this Christmas"

That's it for now, more Christmas memories to come.