Christmas / New Year Memories

Lol Philip, You're lucky, don't mind Flash Gordon but this afternoon I refused to watch The Sound of Music again. I was told not to watch it anyway, I watched Downton Abbey the other night and said "He's going to die", lo and behold he did. So I was relegated to the computer this afternoon just in case they decided to change the end and shoot them all in the mountains. Wish I was more into the techno side of this thing, then I COULD change the end, lol, that would be a shock. If the wife sees this one, I'm dead.

Didn't see much TV over Christmas but we've just watched our recording of The Royle Family Christmas Special Absolutely brilliant Nice touch to dedicate it to Geoffrey Hughes too

Well I reckon the best thing that I saw on 'Aussie TV' this year (sorry last year!) was Nativity! a film made in Coventry in 2009. Have most of you seen this movie and if so did you enjoy it as much as I did? Loved the little children. Not long to go now for all of you in Coventry, so Happy New Year to you and everyone around the world. LesM and I are a little delicate this morning so if anyone replies please don't shout! Gilly

At least we did not get 'African Queen' again, but we did get Jimmy Stewart's 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Good in its day but wow not every year. Chevy Chase was here again with his Lampoon Christmas, very funny but not third time around. I am beginning to enjoy the children's movies more than the adults now. I am not whinging (must not break my last year's resolution) Sorry I know they can't please everyone.

You should have watched Nativity! Dreamtime. It would have been right up your alley! Filmed in the old Cathedral ruins, Holy Family and Bablake schools and many other sights of Coventry. Not a blockbuster movie by any means but good to see Coventry in the movie world. A very funny Christmas movie. No one has commented on it so either no one has seen it or it is too old to comment on or they just didn't like it. Gilly.

Christmas TV in the US is pretty dire but one of my family's Christmas Day highlights is to watch the film, A Christmas Story. One TV station shows nothing but this film all day, which I must say we used to think was a peculiar concept, but we gradually started to watch bits of it out of order on and off throughout the day. Eventually we saw the whole thing in one sitting and by that time we were devoted fans. It's gentle and nostalgic but also perceptive and wickedly funny. It's quite unlike the usual Hollywood Christmas schmaltz.

Having seen and thoroughly enjoyed the original "Coventry" Nativity movie a couple of years ago (and bought the DVD.... now only a fiver on Amazon, by the way), we just had to see the followup, Nativity 2 (Danger in the Manger) - so off we went to the Showcase Cinema yesterday afternoon to do just that. Well, we certainly weren't disappointed! It's a lovely, warm, fun family film, and even if it's a bit (well, a lot) far-fetched at times.... who cares! You certainly don't go to see this sort of movie with your critical head on! There are a few recognisable well known actors, although for some people, just having David Tennant playing two parts will be enough!!! I think anyone who's ever had, or thinking about having children, will love this film.

Oh Rob, I am nanny to 6 grandchildren and one great grandson and I loved Nativity, am hoping to see Danger In The Manger soon. Thursday I am off to the Belgrade to see The Sleeping Beauty Pantomime - oh yes I am lol. Happy New Year to you and your family and thanks again for your wonderful site and all of the continuing updates that you carry out.

Hi all I had no idea that this thread would attract so many replies, but thank you. I do have to be honest & tell you that it would not be the first time that I have watched an episode of 'The Hillbillies' in recent times. Anyway, I can't spend too much time being silly, as I have three more stories in my new Rupert Annual to read yet. No joke! My boy had his Rupert annuals, forty years ago & I have carried on having them ever since. I even watch the Canadian film versions available on YouTube. That will have reduced my steet cred to zero, hey!

Hi Philip, there is a lot of the old tv programmes back on now, or you can get them off the net, I was watching on tv Till Death Do Us Part back on the tv and Queenies Castle on the net last week and Ma it's the Dustbin Men, and back on tv is Bread, bit like my family haha, I wish they would put on Bootsy and Snudge and the Larkins too. I used to love reading Little Women which was on at Christmas so I taped it hehe and Hope Faith and Charity and 101 Dalmatians so my cred is zero now too

Unfortunately a great many of the older programmes were destroyed after transmission because it was thought that nobody would want to watch them again, the early video tape recordings were often erased so the tape could be reused (amongst many other recordings there are still over a hundred episodes of Dr Who missing). Often the programmes were "rescued" by engineers who kept them rather than see them destroyed "Dinner For One" seems to be popular all over the world especially Germany where it has been shown every New Year since it was made.

I used to like the comedy shows of the past such as Dick Emery, Les Dawson, Steptoe and Son, Bless this House, Benny Hill to name but a few. It was good clean fun. I know these were not confined to xmas but they just sprung to mind.

Hi & for you Tilly, Steptoe Christmas Episode Please enjoy. Also, Radio 4 plus has many repeated vintage wireless shows too.

Can any one else recall the parties and what presents or trips you had. I recall my dad being a member of the AEU Club Foleshill then changed to CIU club also the Jag Daimler, and Westwood Heath, every year my dad would have to pay a membership. All the children come Christmas would get a party and present good ones at that and there was 7 of us. I recall having a sweet shop and then a post office another year and expensive doll at the time. If the Jag Daimler didn't have the party we would go to the Pantomime at Coventry Theatre, where I recall Frankie Howerd, from the Westwood Heath club sometimes we would miss it not knowing the date but they always sent dad back with our presents. When I now think about it, must have cost a fortune, party and good presents.

Great subject Morgana! We used to go the Keresley Miners Club, although my dad wasn't a miner! We used to have a trip out in the summer, with a bag of goodies for a picnic. We always had a party at Christmas and I remember one year we all got tins of Quality Street - very exciting in those days! People really put themselves out to give us happy times. We also went on Sunday School trips to the seaside and had a party at Christmas - at the church hall in Fivefield Road. What stuck in my mind was having coloured thread around the handles of the cutlery because you brought it from home and needed to identify it! I don't remember going to the parties at dad's factory, although he did bring back presents each year. We were astounded when my brother got a working camera! I do remember going to a summer outdoor party with my friend, whose dad and mum worked at the Alvis on the Holyhead. It always stuck in my mind because there was so much going on. I remember all those years I went to the shopping centre on the site I thought about that party! Like you, Morgana, I remember the presents and events I think these things really helped us in those days, especially when, like us, money was short. They added so much to the community feeling and brought us together