Christmas When You Were Growing Up

[staffslad]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

I would have been at infants school, so somewhere between 5 and 7. I remember that was my big scene--my only scene, actually--and I never got to be in the Nativity play again.

The Frank Spencer episode is the one where he plays the angel and ends up on the roof.

The nativity makes me think of frank spencer ans his nativity play in one of his episodes.

What a great story and well remembered what age where you then.

They must have wondered why they could not see your face.

[darren]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

The nativity makes me think of frank spencer ans his nativity play in one of his episodes.

What a great story and well remembered what age where you then.

They must have wondered why they could not see your face.

snap! I was innkeeper in our nativity play. I just said "sorry, there is no room in the inn." i had a pretend lantern i had to hold up. I was told to lift it up with my right hand, but i forgot and used my left as i am left handed, so as a result the audience couldn't see my face.

[Twocky61]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

lol

[staffslad]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

Snap! I was innkeeper in our nativity play. I just said "Sorry, there is no room in the inn." I had a pretend lantern I had to hold up. I was told to lift it up with my right hand, but I forgot and used my left as I am left handed, so as a result the audience couldn't see my face.

[Twocky61]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

In our Nativity play I was the Inn keeper. I told Jesus & Mary "Sorry we're full. It's always busy at Christmas" lol

[staffslad]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

We--my mom and I--used to attend the Christmas Eve nativity service, which was about 6.30pm or 7pm. Occasionally we would go to the midnight service when I was older. I have also remembered that part of Christmas was the school carol service held at the local church a few days prior to breaking up for Christmas.

[Arran]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

Unless the weather was awful there would be kids running around the neighbourhood, showing off their new bikes, doll's prams, footballs etc. Now on Christmas morning there is nary a child in sight--all busy on their new IPhones or games consoles I suppose.

Very true. Kids had game consoles and computers for Christmas in the 1990s but I can definitely remember seeing more kids out and about on Christmas and Boxing Day back then. The streets are nearly deserted nowadays.

I think more people went to church on Christmas back in the 1990s.

[staffslad]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

When I was very young my parents would have my pillow case of Christmas presents in their room and on the big morning I would get in bed between them and open all my presents. Later, the pillow case would be in the lounge and I would open them there. Remember being told to make a mental note of who had bought which present so they could be thanked.

Mom always made the Christmas cake and pudding and fruit would be soaking in alcohol for days. There was always a sixpence in the pudding and you had to be careful when eating it. Christmas was the only time we had turkey. We got it from a farm and every Christmas Eve morning my dad and I would go and collect it. My gran made the mince pies. She made hundreds every Christmas, as neighbours would bring her the ingredients and ask her to make them some.

I can't recall ever being asked what I wanted for Christmas, so it was always a surprise to find out what I was getting. When very young, I would write a letter to Santa and send it up the chimney, as back then we had coal fires.

I recall on Christmas morning getting out of bed and opening the curtains to see if we had snow. I would have to scrape the ice off the inside of the window before I could peer out--no central heating for us back then.

Unless the weather was awful there would be kids running around the neighbourhood, showing off their new bikes, doll's prams, footballs etc. Now on Christmas morning there is nary a child in sight--all busy on their new IPhones or games consoles I suppose.

When did Christmas start for me? Well, I used to keep a lookout for the first sighting of a Christmas TV advert--usually Woolworth's--and then I knew it was approaching. I don't think I had a bought Advent calendar, but I seem to remember possibly making them at school towards the end of November. Of course, making it yourself there was no sense of surprise as to what was hiding behind each door.

Always there would be dates, figs, nuts, boxes of chocolates and savoury snacks. I don't think we had dates, figs or nuts except at Christmas.

I used to leave a mince pie and glass of milk for Santa, and a carrot and dish of water for his reindeer, on the sideboard in the lounge.

I was excited at what was on TV over Christmas and anxiously anticipated the double issues of Radio Times and TV Times--the only time mom bought both. Then I would look first at the films section to see what was on, before making a diary of what to watch--no video recorders then, so only one chance to see it.

My gran and grandad lived very close so I would run down the road and wish them a Merry Christmas. After my grandad died my gran always came to our house for Christmas Day and to my uncle's for Boxing Day. Before my grandad died we all went to see them as he was crippled with arthritis and was bedridden, so my mom would take tea for them.

My dad would often work Christmas Eve morning. My mom rarely would go out on that day but I would walk to the local shops and get any last minute items she needed.

One Christmas Eve afternoon when I was older, I was doing my paper round delivering the local evening paper. I bumped into one of my customers and he said he wanted to pay his bil. It was about 70p for his weeks' papers and he gave me £2 and said to keep the change. I was amazed. A £1.30 tip was a lot of money back then. Actually, I think he had been partaking at the local Working Men's Club, but I was over the moon.

[battyrat]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

Thinking about Christmas brings back so many memories of a time that seems so long ago now. It reminds me mostly of that care free time when everything was so easy and the world seemed so innocent especially as a child.

We used to make a lot of our own things. Paper decorations seemed to be in everybody's house and we would spend the week before Christmas putting them together. Glass baubles that always seemed to break easily.I think many of our decorations lasted for many years. I don't remember much foil decorations as a kid in the early 70's but they seemed to come in more later on. I particularly remember a big card and cotton wool snowman that once contained goodies and a Santa doll.

Christmas puddings and cakes were always made at home. Mum would start them months earlier so that they would be ready for the big day.I can still smell them being made with all the spices and alcohol. Nearer the time we would all decorate them. The puddings and cakes was always a family thing as we all had to stir the mix for luck.

The mystery and suspense of Christmas was as good as Christmas day itself. Mum would go to church but I never wanted to so I stayed with dad or went around to my friends. Then there was getting together with my mates after Christmas to compare presents.

Christmas was the only time as a kid I got to enjoy the adult stuff like a sip of Babysham or real beer shandy.

Apart from making of the cake and pudding and stocking up on goodies Christmas seemed to start a lot later as well.

We always stocked up with goodies as the shops shut down over Christmas almost for the entire holiday. If you did not have it then you had to go without. You could not just pop out on Boxing day to grab a pint of milk, as the shops were all shut.

The excitement of the primary school party and making of Christmas cards and hats, and the decorations for class. The school play and the float that used to be a cart pulled by a tractor. We also used to have a Santa come around the estate a few days before Christmas on a float throwing sweets to us kids.

I loved Christmas a child. Just wish I could find a bit of that magic again. But as an adult it all seems to have vanished with age for some reason.

[Arran]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

I have never believed in Santa. My parents think that it's all a silly hoax.

[Twocky61]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

When I was a naughty boy serving time in borstal I hung my sock on the handle of my cell door. Christmas morning when staff opened my door the sock was still there. It was empty except for a note which had written on it:


"No presents for you this year as you have not been a good boy. From Santa" lol

[darren]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

bad daddy.:d

i think as time went on i just worked out it wasnt santa.

I used to leave milk and biccies for him on the kitchen table.:d

i remember my mother gave my father a glare at the time so it must have been him that banged the bike that night!!! We all laughed about it many years later.

[akb48fan]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

I remember my mother gave my father a glare at the time so it must have been him that banged the bike that night!!! We all laughed about it many years later.

[darren]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

How did they feel about it.

You did well to hide your disappointment that same chrimbo.

i did tell them a couple of years later that they'd been rumbled that night!!!

[akb48fan]

Re: Christmas When You Were Growing Up

and when did u tell your parents that from that night on you knew santa was not real or did you tell them.

I did tell them a couple of years later that they'd been rumbled that night!!!