POP impresario Pete Waterman has returned to his North-East roots for a broadcast of Songs Of Praise to be aired on Boxing Day.

Record producer Waterman, who was responsible for turning Kylie Minogue into a pop phenomenon, will play a different style of music as he presents a compilation of Christmas carols recorded last month at Beamish Museum, in County Durham.

Waterman's grandparents were born only a few miles away in Stanley, before they moved to work in coal mines in the Midlands.

During the show, to be broadcast at 3.40pm on BBC1, Waterman visits the award-winning town, colliery village and Home Farm, and looks at some North-East Christmas traditions.

Children from East Stanley Primary School will be heard performing during the show.

The museum is closed over Christmas, and will reopen on Tuesday, January 4.

Throughout the winter, Beamish is open from 10am to 4pm, with last admission at 3pm, but is closed on Mondays and Fridays. Winter visits are restricted to the town and tramway.

The museum reopens fully for the summer on Saturday, March 19.

Published: 24/12/2004