General Chat

Really gave me a lift reading your stories so different and heartwarming! Linda x

family and neighbours. Often had people round to play cards or monopoly etc. Quite often used to lose my pocket money by gambling at cards.LOL. Boxing day was a visit to the greyhound track then home to finish of the turkey left overs from christmas day. Dad always went out on Christmas Eve to be out of the way of mums baking etc. I used to think he went to the pub but I went with him the year my brother was serving the army in Northern Ireland and he went to church. But I think he must have been calling in to the pub on his way home other years.

A stocking with an orange,apple and some nuts........Christmas dinner was either a chicken or goose from the back yard that had had its neck wrumg the day before..... ......pulling out those feathers was hard work............ I loved the smell of the 'mash ' in the cast pan on the stove....I think it was just boiled potato peelings but not sure. Christmas Panto....all the children were invited on to the stage to join them in a song they had been singing....I wanted to go but didn't know the words...................I was so upset when a great sheet with all the words was then lowered and all those that had gone got sixpence and an orange

Hi Linda My memories of Christmas include helping to my aunt to make Christmas cakes and puddings for all the family 6 of each as I recall. I liked putting the silver threepenny bits in the puddings best My mother used to make all the family mince pies on Chrismas Eve Like you the Christmas tree was never put up until after I had gone to bed on Christmas Eve and I thought it magical when I got up on Christmas morning and it was there One Christmas there wasn't very much money my dad had been ill for months , so he decided that for Christmas dinner he would kill Charlie our cockerel . It was left to mum to pluck it and as she was doing it she said 'will this hurt Charlie' We ate Charlie but it was with very sad hearts that Chrismas Day Regards Bren

Magical!!! Christmas Eve.. there was always 'Whistle Down The Wind' on TV and I used to love that film (don't really know why) and I used to be mesmorised by the tree - there was one silver glitter bauble that I used to rest in the plam of my hand it used to fill the whole of my small hand (I still have it today only now it's more pewter coloured and is really only the size of a ping pong ball) despite it being a bit tatty, I always put it somewhere on our tree. Mum and Dad would both be in and I would go to bed but have real trouble getting to sleep, Mum used to say that Father Christmas wouldn't come until I was alseep, but I used to listen out for the sleigh bells and the thud of the sleigh landing on the roof, I used to sneak a peek out of the window to look up into the starry night sky to glimpse his sleigh and reindeers. But of course I never saw him (or maybe just the once ;-)) Christmas morning, I would wake around 5:00am and would creep across the hallway (we had a bungalow) tapping lightly on each door as I passed it to find my way, I would go into Mum and Dad's bedroom and whisper 'Has he been yet?' Mum would say not just yet and I would climb in between them and snuggle down, Mum used to say I would be trembling I was so excited. I think they only managed to keep me there for a short while though because Mum always said we were always up opening presents at about 5:30am on Christmas morning. I remember that I would slowly open the lounge door and peep around it hoping that I wouldn't disturb Father Christmas putting out the presents which would then disappear as magically as they had appeared in the first place. I would peer in and the whole lounge floor seemed to be covered with presents and I would run in and scream with glee. One year I remember Mum asked me to look out of the window to see if was snowing (we had a large bay window with curtains drawn straight across the front of it and when I went to see if it was snowing there was a child size Siver Cross pram there. I was so excited. My Nanna on Mum's side had always wanted to buy me a dolls pram but I had never wanted one then this particular Christmas on Christmas Eve I decided I wanted to ask Father Christmas for a real doll's pram and my Nanna had gone out last minute and bought one especially. It was a gorgeous pram a perfect replica of a full sized babies pram. Christmas Dinner meant that the whole family, Grandparents on both sides and my Auntie's and Uncle's would come for Dinner... Turkey and all the trimmings... and then Christmas night I would always snuggle up with Mum and Dad in front of the TV or playing Games with my new nightie, dressing gown and slippers that I would get every Christmas.... then it would be bed time and would go to sleep hoping that we would be able to do it all over again in the morning..... Happy days. Gaynor :-)

My childhood Christmas was magical... I can remember me sitting by the wireless and having to talk to Father Christmas who was waiting to hear what I wanted.... I believe that Father C was in the cellar and had rigged up a device that he could hear me through the wireless and he spoke to me!!!! Wow that was just wonderful... Everything was home made the stirring and the wishing while doing the Christmas Pudds.... my Nana was always with us as well for Christmas and then in the night Aunts-Uncles and cousins came and Father Christmas arrived to give out the presents from each other under the tree. Father Christmas had 'very tired eyes' by the time he came to us and he had to wear very thick lensed glasses!!! SO either Dad, or Uncles would help him by reading the labels for him. He used to leave after an hour or so and go on to the next call.... then my other uncle would turn up cos he was always late having to visit his friend in hospital!!!!!! lol))))) We were never rich with money but so so rich with love and the smell of tangerines and modelling clay always remind me of Christmas time and love and laughter.... Wonderful Memories..... Love Maisie

The xmas I remember mostly is xmas 1973 when I was 6yrs.. On the 23rd December my Dad was rushed in to hospital . I remeber watching him leave the house. I also remember the fairy lights and blue tinsel...He never came home and died on 5th Jan 1974. Till this day I still can not listen to Slades here it is Merry xmas..as that was no 1 at the time...My xmas was never the same after that year, just full of bad memories....till my own children came a long that is.. Hayley x

Our christmas tree use to be put a week before and the livingroom was decorated. On Christmas Eve everything would stop at lunchtime, it was a chippy tea on christmas eve mum didnt believe in cooking on xmas eve, then it was off to bed early. On christmas morning nan was the first up to get the fire stoking so it was warm for me and my brother, we would wait at the top of the stairs for her to shout us to come down, when we came downstairs there were 2 sacks on eitherside of the fireplace one for me and my brother nan would help us unwrap our toys and mum and dad would see to the breakfast. it was mostly the same as any other family after that, play with your toys, then dinner, then a few games in the evening. Boxing day dad use to say the shops were open in the town, excited us kids would be ready quick only to get to town and no shops open, dads trick to get us out for a few hours. Its was fun xmas then and magical. Yvonne x

Lovely to read your memories! Linda x

The preparation for Christmas started a few weeks before. We had a coal fire and the room would be stripped bare one day, then Dad would sweep the chimney with his set of brushes. My sister and I would run into the garden and shout when we saw the brush poke out of the chimney top. We were pleased that Father Christmas would be able to visit unhindered by a mucky chimney. Everything was cleaned and washed before placing back into the room so that we'd be tidy for Christmas. The Christmas fare was always homemade and I can remember grating carrot for either the cake or puddings. The puddings seemed to take forever to steam, then they would be recovered and stored away until needed. We would go for a walk into the country and collect dry twigs etc. which we brought home and decorated sometimes with gold or silver paint, sometimes with glitter, on the next wet afternoon. During the year there was not much in the way of extra items, - the War had not long been over, - but at Christmas time our parents made sure that it was a special time and bought extra treats. To this day, my own children consider that orange and lemon slices and Turkish Delight are items that rekindle their grandparents' Christmas memories. Gwyn

We, my sisters and i, all had one bauble each.. When mum had decorated the tree we used to take our turn and add our bauble..Mine was a big red ball.... Then, on christmas eve, me and my sisters used to set traps around the bedrooms, so we could catch Father christmas putting the prezzies down.. We used to tie wool around all the bedroom furniture and attatch bells so it would wake us when he came in and we could see him.....(We never did catch him, i think he used to come in the room with a pair of scissors, lol) We would put our a mince pie and a carrot with a large glass of sherry and a bowl of milk... In the morning we would find bites in the carrot where the raindeer had bitten it :-)) We used to wake at the crack of dawn and shout 'he's been, he's been'' and check to see our presents... Brilliant memories...Hope my daughter has some good memories to look back on when she's my age... LOU XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hi Linda,I had the most fantastic childhood,the memories are wonderful:-)) Christmas In our house was a huge family occasion,My strongest memories are the huge amounts of love in our house, we all helped to decorate the tree, christmas eve my brother and I would go to bed with our stockings. when we awoke christmas morning our stockings were full of goodies. when we went down stairs we had other gifts wrapped under the tree. we had visits from neighbours and family constantly over the christmas period, mum would always do a buffet boxing day,the front door was open for anyone to come in and enjoy!! Just fabulous:-))

When I was a child the Christmas tree was put up after we had gone to bed on Christmas Eve so it was the first thing you saw when you came down on Christmas morning. It was so magical!! Mind you we only had 1or 2 gifts and a stocking with nuts, apple, tangerine, sugar mouse and a sixpence or shilling in it. We were all so pleased and excited! Linda x

What are your memories of Christmas?