Final recognition for the real stars of Wizzard’s Christmas hit

The school’s music teacher, Mr Powell, selected a dozen excited 11 and 12-year-olds, including Hilary Gunton, who said her parents were less keen.

She said: “They were like ‘Oh, I don’t know, going to London with these rock people’. And I said ‘If you don’t let me go, I’ll never speak to you again’.”

They all travelled down to London to record the song during October half term, some in Hunt’s car and others in Wizzard’s tour bus.

“What they remember most is going to the Hard Rock Cafe afterwards. It had just opened in London and had burgers or whatever. We spoiled them a bit,” Hunt said.

Ms Gunton added: “I was one that was lucky enough to travel in the bus, with coke and lots of sweets and Mars bars and you name it, we were well sugared-up.”

Most of the track had already been taped a couple of months earlier, so it was just the choir that needed adding.

Nik Romillie said: “Roy conducted us and he pretty much give us the lines.

“He was really friendly and he knew exactly how to communicate with us and made us feel really at home.”