Â鶹Éç

It is thirty years since singer songwriter Tracey Thorn joined forces with Ben Watt to become Everything But the Girl.Ìý They married a couple of years ago after 28 years together.Ìý They released ten albums together and since then Tracey has collaborated with others artists such as Massive Attack and released her own albums to much acclaim. Her latest, Tinsel and Lights’ is out now. She joins Jane to discuss.

What is it like having your adult children return home for Christmas? Have you finally got used to a tidier, quieter house? And if you’ve been away, how do you adjust to being back in the family house? Are you grumpy with your parents? Do you quickly fall back into bickering with your siblings? Journalist, Joanna Moorhead who has four daughters, two of whom have just returned from university, joins Jane in the Woman’s Hour studio.ÌýThey are joined byÌýnineteen year old, Rachel Tookey who has just arrived back after her first term at university.

Everyone does Christmas in their own way. For some people Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without their dog. Winifred Robinson from You and Yours take on her festive essential – known fondly as ‘Yellow Dog'.

Many familiesÌýwith a loved one in the armed forces. Life will be especially difficult for the Macmillan and the Malone families. Both have a father and a son serving in the Mercian Regiment who are currently in Afghanistan. The wives left behind have to cope with difficult day to day lives. Tricia Macmillan has 6 year old twins to look after and Jo Malone is in remission from breast cancer. Our reporter Jonathan Swingler has been talking to both families at home and in Helmand.

On a recent visit to Diana Henry's kitchen she showed Jane the ultimate way with prunes, combining them with Armagnac for an impressively alcoholic pudding.

Recipe for Pruneaux a l'armagnac

Ìý

Fills 1x1 litre (1 3/4 pint) jar
500g (1 lb 2oz) prunes
1 vanilla pod
225g (8oz) granulated sugar
250ml (9fl oz) armagnac

Ìý

1. Put the prunes in a saucepan and cover with 300 ml (1/2 pint) of water. Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds with the tip of your knife. Add the seeds and the pod to the pan. Bring the water to a boil, then immediately take off the heat and leave the prunes overnight.
2. The next day, drain the prunes and put the soaking liquid back into the pan with the sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Add the armagnac.
3. Put the prunes in a sterilized jar with the vanilla pod and pour over the syrup. Seal. Leave for a month before using. They will keep for at least a year.