Stephen Murtagh of The Academic

We’re all a bit nosy about what Christmas is like in other people’s houses - so we asked some local people to answer six questions about their Christmases:

1. Are you an organised shopper or a Christmas Eve gift-shopper?

2. Do you have any family Christmas traditions, or maybe ornaments that must go on the tree each year?

3. Who does the Christmas Day dinner in your house? What parts of the Christmas dinner are your favourite?

4. How do you spend Christmas afternoon?

5. What is you r best Christmas memory?

6. What are your favourite Christmas films or songs?

1. Definitely an organised shopper! Christmas is my favourite time of year by far, and I start to fully relax and enjoy it by getting all the shopping out of the way early.

2. The Christmas Eve quiz is a big tradition in our homeplace! Quiz master duty is swapped each year.

3. My mother has always been the head chef on Christmas Day. She does a honey glazed ham cooked in Coca Cola that is absolutely to die for!

4. Christmas afternoon is all about the build-up to dinner! It’s always nice to have some Christmas music playing around the house, and just relax until the dinner is ready to go.

5. I was given my first bass guitar on Christmas Day when I was 13! It holds huge sentimental value. I have it mounted on a wall at home like an ornament.

6. It’s a Wonderful Life will always be my favourite Christmas film. I’ve definitely watched it every Christmas for the last 10 years or so. I’m really loving The Ronettes version of ‘Sleigh Ride’ this year, it’s top of my playlist.

Stephen and his band mates Craig, Dean and Matt are currently working on their second album. They are touring the UK and Europe in the spring and on April 29 will play their biggest hometown show to date at the Lakeland Sessions. www.theacademic.net.