Christmas / New Year Memories

Wonderful memories JohnB! It reminded me of the year I too had an air rifle for Christmas. Although mine was the smaller .177 (as opposed to your .22) It came with a tin of lead pellets and a set of darts which all had tiny colourful "flights". I used to have a devil of a job pulling them (the darts) out of the wooden block that sat in the holder behind the target - had to use a pair of pliers in the end! I could extinguish a candle flame from about 10 paces though. We had a rule in our house that unless my sister's bedroom light was on, I wasn't allowed to open my presents (also placed at the foot of my bed) I think I checked every hour from about 2:00am!

Lovely memories JohnB. The smell of the turkey dinner wafting all through the house and dad's King Six cigar which he only smoked on Christmas day. He used to balance it over the neck of the brandy bottle over night for it to pick up the smell when he lit it up, then he would give me the little paper seal for me to wear on my finger. How I love reading all of your memories. I hope there are a lot more to come.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, when you sing this song please think of me. It was not my fault you were not tied on, I hit the brakes and you were gone. It's no good your stuck with me, I really need a Christmas tree. Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, why did you try to leave me? As we were running a little late, I gave the rope tie to my mate. Although not my fault I took the blame, I never trusted him again Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, why did you try to leave me? I thought to myself what bad luck, as I ran ahead to pick you up Spread across the the open road, I thought of the police and insecure load. Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, why did you try to leave me? As quick as a flash like old swift nick, we gathered you up pretty damn quick. The traffic jam had now almost gone, so we were able to carry on Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, why did you try to leave me? We took some stick from passers by, shouts of abuse I heard them cry But did we care? No not a chance, we just ignored their wild chants Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, why did you try to leave me? At last we were on our way, with lovely thoughts of Christmas day We arrived home safe and well, and now I wish you all, happy Noel. Happy Christmas everyone. Colin. Some more inane dribble! It refers to an earlier posting I made about an insecure Christmas tree. Love the past times experience portrayed on this site, keep them coming.

While on the subject of Christmas I can relate to most of the stories posted, but I wonder if you can look back at the down times and remember them with fondness? For some reason I do! Some of the things I was charged with having to do I am sure would not go down too well with the modern generation My age at this time was in the range of 8 to 10 years. We lived in a back to back cottage on the Radford Road. I cannot remember much about going to school in the morning other than getting dressed in the kitchen with the oven on to keep warm, but I sure remember the coming home, although not fully related to Christmas, more related to the winter months encompassing Christmas. I knew what it was like to be cold and wet. When I left school for the day I would make my way home on my own or with a mate, I would then go to my aunty ( not really my aunty but a friend of my mum's - thinking back I seem to remember most of the kids had a friendly aunt, not related). She was a lovely lady and very rotund, I would have to stay with her until around 5 pm until my dad came home from work then I would walk home having left a roaring fire to go into a cold house. This changed as I got older. I was not trusted to light the fire until I was much older so until that time it was my job to empty the ashes and lay the fire ready for dad when he came home it was almost Dickensian, in fact it was Dickensian, So cold I used to shiver waiting for dad - forgot to mention, the front door key was hung on the obligatory piece of string through the letter box (no thief would look there). Can you imagine how good I felt when mum had a day off work, I came home to a roaring fire and the house was warm. As a result of our experiences both my wife and I having similar up bringing we made a promise that when we had a family of our own the kids would never come home to an empty cold house. We kept that promise. Nothing compares now to the toilet experience we endured, no indoor toilet or bathroom, our toilet was in an outdoor block of four shared with four other families, frozen in the winter, so who ever used it first had to thaw it out using hot water, if it was really bad we used to leave a candle just behind the flush pipe, no such luxury as toilet paper, just ripped up squares of old news paper hung on a nail. The toilet was situated about 1.5 minutes away, or 10 seconds depending on how urgent, imagine the toilet being in use when you got there? I think that the above experience is the reason why I love Charles Dickens's Christmas Carol and Christmas Ghost films, every year I watch Christmas Carol staring Alistair Sim although I have watched other versions but none come close to the Alistair Sim's version. I remember one short film staring Robert Powell, Robert Powell was a stranger who called at an house in the depth of winter, when he left he had no foot prints in the snow, sent me cold. I wonder if anyone has ever seen that film? Makes me wonder why I think of the above account with fondness? The answer, I don't know. Colin.

The great painters had better look out. Just a bit of fun.

Smashing picture. Seriously, RKid, I think your cartoon style, a mix of minimalist line drawing with a more detailed colourful element, is quite appealing. You might have hit upon a new career in designing greetings cards if you don't already do that. Got any more?

Love it Colin. So when you get your poems published you can do the illustrations as well

Sarah & Indie Lee came for a walk with me to take the photos.

At Infant School, I used to love the Christmas Carol service, School concert and a School-room party with some cakes and home made Christmas cards popped into the cardboard 'Post-Box' for distribution in the class-room and we all wore crepe and cardboard hats that we had already made and we made paper lanterns which I thought were magic. I expect it's a memory we all have.

I am glad you were reminded of them. I can't remember how to cut out those Chinese lanterns though The kids seemed to cut them out with scissors and they looked spectacular, in crepe paper I think. Morgana is pretty arty-crafty, clever in such things, I wonder if she remembers?

I remember the school parties, "all take something for the Christmas party" the Teacher told us so we did, now bear in mind we are talking kids food so having told my mum about the party and she did me up some sandwiches with a filling of my choice, although she would not allow me to have a dripping piece! Not too sure now what I had but I knew it would ok. On the day of the party the teacher told us that if anyone wished to swap your food / sandwich with any other child then that's ok. Now I knew what I had and I was not going to swap unless someone had something better, I heard someone shout " anyone wish to swap with me, I have beans on toast sandwich "" we'll no contest" I thought, now that was my favourite, up went my hand to acknowledge that I was willing to swap We both agreed with the deal and we swapped. I could see he didn't waste much time, he soon got stuck in, me well I was taking my time, savouring the moment, I was I gona enjoy this? I unwrapped the package and began to eat the contents, after a mouthful it dawned on me it was not the taste I had expected, in fact it was awful, "what was it?" I thought, he said it was " beans on toast" I shouted across to him " what's this? You said it was beans on toast" he replied " no,I did not say that, I said " Sardines on toast" well I realised then I had misunderstood, Sardines on toast sounded like beans on toast. "Dam" I thought, never even heard of Sardines, Although I like them now, back then they tasted horrible, that's why he got rid of then, well he enjoyed what he had, I wonder if he did say "beans on toast" I will never know but it did put the School Christmas party on the map for me I will always remember that day.

Well, Radford Kid, I think he just about got the best deal but only just, cold beans on toast doesn't really have that Christmas Party Food appeal I had forgotten about the sharing/distribution thing in the class, my mum had given me some of those individual, icky, sticky, iced sponge cakes in a waxed box to take in and they were whisked away straight away and cut in half to dole out, I think I ended up with a squashed bit of Battenburg cake.(A very sophisticated party cake in the 60's with the contrasting colours of the sponge)! As usual, another comical winner from you

Christmas Eve The best night of the year, so excited, it was Christmas Eve at last. I know now that my dad had threatened my brother (Jim, 7 years older than me) not to let on their was no Father Christmas - "tell Colin, and no presents for you" my dad said to Jim, unbeknown to me at the time. It's funny how this particular Christmas Eve springs to mind. I remember staying up late so I would be tired and have no problem with going to sleep, but I was so excited, I seem to remember my mum was ironing, why on Christmas Eve I don't know? I remember standing at her side and saying "I think I can hear Santa". I asked her if I could go outside and have a look to see if I could see him, it was raining hard, I am sure I heard him. It was wishful thinking. Not long after that I was sent to bed and told to go straight to sleep or Santa will not come! Now that got my heart racing. Jim had another warning before he went to bed. "Donot get up too early and wake Colin". I tried my hardest to go to sleep but it was proving very difficult, not only was my heart racing but I was sweating, this could have been as a result of too many great coats on the bed (standard army issue blankets my dad called them). I felt Jim get into bed, being as quite as he could but I was wide awake (we slept in the same bed as you may have gathered). I must have dozed off but woke a little time later, to see shadows on the wall of a man stooped over and carrying what I thought was presents. It was a bit of a blur but remembering what I had been told - "If you don't go to sleep Santa will not come". That did it, I was down the sheets like a shot, eyes tightly closed. I was so scared, my brother was fast asleep, I kept thinking "I have seen him, he was in my room. Wow wait till I tell my mates!" I guess I must have drifted off to sleep then only to be woken up with a dig in my back from Jim. "Has he been yet?" he whispered in my ear (he was not daft, he thought that if I was awake then it would be ok for him to get out of bed also and I would get the blame). Well the bottom of the bed was full of goodies, on went the light and we began to unwrap our presents. What a joyous moment. Santa by the way was my dad, after coming home from the pubhe called next door to collect our presents then placed them in our bedroom. How he managed that without causing a din I don't know, he was very drunk. Next morning I explain that I had seen the shadow of Santa in our bed room. A bit sad this, I seem to think that was the last time Santa called, although it was hard to swallow I had to accept that Santa was not real, my dad took me to one side and told me, "Son, now you are 17 years old I think you should know the truth!" Only kidding kids, Santa will be on his rounds as usual, never stop believing in him, you be good, hang up your stocking and he will call. My dad only helped out Santa because he was very busy so he left the gifts next door. Phew, I think I got away with it. Colin

This is one I did earlier. I hope you like it

What ever happened to paper chains. I was talking about this the other day to a friend. Strips of coloured paper with glue on one end. You can still get them i have heard. But people just dont use them anymore. I remember sitting there for hours trying to get a least 10 foot done to reach across the room. Good times, but left a funny taste in your mouth. Sorry if this memory has already been said, but it does bring it back for me.