There will be two special festive editions of CBeebies Bedtime Stories.
On Saturday 23rd December 9 different members of the armed forces will read The Invisible String.
Filmed in locations including Bahrain, Estonia, Cyprus and the deck of HMS Prince of Wales, the story is read by serving members of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, as well as soldiers and veterans in the UK at Royal landmarks.
Every one of the readers is a parent or family member who can’t be with their loved ones over Christmas.
“Christmas can be a bittersweet affair for UK Armed Forces personnel, as many of us spend the festive period deployed thousands of miles away from our loved ones,” explained Sergeant Shannon Bennett, who read her part of The Invisible String from Estonia, where she has been protecting NATO’s eastern flank.
“On Christmas Day this year, there will be almost 7,000 sailors, soldiers and aviators who will miss the chance of Christmas dinner with family, or a cosy reading session with their children, because they are stationed abroad anywhere from the Falkland Islands to the Indo-Pacific.
“That’s why this special CBeebies Bedtime Stories episode will resonate so deeply with people who are serving – because while they are upholding peace and security around the world, they are still missing the simplicity of tucking their children into bed.”
Meanwhile on Christmas Day, CBeebies’ presenters Justin Fletcher and Dodge The Dog will join children from Manchester Hospital School, who are patients at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Fletcher will read The Hospital Dog by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie.
“Our children absolutely loved their special story time session! Being in hospital means they miss out on a lot of things other children take for granted especially at this time of year, so it was wonderful to see the looks on their faces as they listened wide-eyed to every single word of the story,” said Ruth Sheard-Pearson at Manchester Hospital School.
“The visit from Justin and Dodge also did a brilliant job of raising the profile of reading and encouraging young people to read and celebrate stories – something we encourage all our children to do! It was such a special experience for the children, bringing them moments of joy in what for some of them are extremely difficult times, and is something I know they will treasure forever.”
