The Xmas Rush

baxtor

As I look back over the years and reflect on the changes over a period of 70 years or more I do not for one second think that youngsters today have a much easier life than I did.

Despite everything then being labour intensive there was a certain tranquillity of life that does not seem to be evident now. As I look around now I see a lot of cares and woe and people living lives perpetually worrying how they are going to pay all of the bills demanded by all of the gadgets they are now required to support; (in addition to all the usual living costs).

So this is not a thread about how hard we, or more especially, our parents had it, at Xmas in days gone by, but simply about how different things were then and how people had to cope with the challenges in a way very different than that today.

As I think about how my own mother had to do the Xmas shopping and procure the festive necessities I recall that no one in our street had a car, then in the early 1950', and so it required a 5 mile trip on the bus into the town shopping centre. I can recall the long waits at the bus stop in bad weather, very often the bus would be full and she would have to wait another twenty minutes for the next one. After shopping there would then be another struggle loaded down with shopping bags full of presents and things and again waiting in driving rain and sleet in a long bus queque and seeing the buses flying past without stopping. Eventually one would come but what a struggle.

Of course there was no self service supermarkets then. The idea that goods could be put on display and not immediately stolen seemed preposterous. And so everything had to be handed over the counter by a shopping assistant. Of course, it all seemed perfectly natural as no one had known anything else. Today we have the self-service supermarkets which make it very easy to set your hand on what you want to purchase. But what I cannot understand is why are the supermarkets always mad full over Xmas. Not just in the preparation for Xmas as it was in my day but over the entire festive period. There seems to be a feeling that war is about to break out and if you dont load up you will starve to death. (Even though the supermarket hardly closes at all).

Of course we had the daily deliveries of bread and milk, and later a lot of other things as well. It was nice to see the tradesmen getting their Xmas boxes on Xmas eve.

After the hustle and madness of Xmas eve came the the Xmas week itself when every commercial enterprise seemed to shut down and businesses went into hibernation for quite some time. But not the pubs of course. They opened on Xmas day and boxing day as usual.

The worst of Xmas, as I grew older, in my view, was the lack of a days holiday on New Years day. And so for us young lads there was a belter of a New Years eve celebration until the early hours and then a huge hangover on the way in to work on the bus a few hours later.

Oh well, off to do some shopping now. I expect Asda will be a madhouse.

Anyone else like to share their memories?

ognum

Thank you for sharing your memories, as our parents die we loose their perspective of the world and wish we had listened harder to what they said. maybe you could write a memory year for your family.

I certainly wish my parents had!

chesky

Everybody's expectations are so high nowadays. When I was a child in the late 40s/early 50s, I know father christmas came to me in the night and left me a whole heap of presents in a pillow case. But my parents weren't well off, so I suspect that the things I got were pretty cheap and cheerful. But I was always excited by what I received. We always re-cycled (didn't use that term) wrapping paper from the previous year(s) and some of it got really tatty.

Now you really have to go some to get that same thrill from the grandchildren. They all have their i-pods or pads (I get easily confused) and when you try to find out what to buy them, their parents don't seem to have a clue. Also, people now tend to buy themselves whatever they want when they want it, so come Christmas, nobody seems to really WANT or NEED anything.

And for Christmas dinner we very often had capon instead of turkey, that seems to have disappeared completely. And it seemed to serve all the extended family and have plenty left over for boxing day. I think my grandparents were better carvers than I am.

I don't usually approve of nostalgia, but I guess it's that time of year.

BusPass_2

In my day it was the tangerine (not readily available due to rationing) in the stocking which was the highlight of my Christmas.

Changed days.................

Savvy_Sue

chesky wrote: »

Now you really have to go some to get that same thrill from the grandchildren. They all have their i-pods or pads (I get easily confused) and when you try to find out what to buy them, their parents don't seem to have a clue. Also, people now tend to buy themselves whatever they want when they want it, so come Christmas, nobody seems to really WANT or NEED anything.

As a parent, I'm equally frustrated by this. Although I don't really know what I want either ...

moonpenny

(QUOTE)
As I think about how my own mother had to do the Xmas shopping and procure the festive necessities I recall that no one in our street had a car, then in the early 1950', and so it required a 5 mile trip on the bus into the town shopping centre. I can recall the long waits at the bus stop in bad weather, very often the bus would be full and she would have to wait another twenty minutes for the next one. After shopping there would then be another struggle loaded down with shopping bags full of presents and things and again waiting in driving rain and sleet in a long bus queque and seeing the buses flying past without stopping. Eventually one would come but what a struggle. (QUOTE)

This is what I have to do now in 2012 and have always done.
I have never owned a car and the nearest town is 12 miles away and a 45 minute journey.
Buses are every half hour (if you are lucky) but every one arrives 20 minutes late so you stand there at the right time only to be frozen to the bone when it does arrive.

I have to say though, being able to do a food shop online and have it delivered (when you are transportless!) is a boon.:j:j:j

zygurat789

chesky wrote: »

Now you really have to go some to get that same thrill from the grandchildren. They all have their i-pods or pads (I get easily confused) and when you try to find out what to buy them, their parents don't seem to have a clue. Also, people now tend to buy themselves whatever they want when they want it, so come Christmas, nobody seems to really WANT or NEED anything.

We had a Canadian boy, 14, visit us on holiday in a Welsh country cottage.
We heard later what he enjoyed most was not the castles or the sea but picking blackberries and having them for tea.
Not about Christmas but perhaps very retro is the way to go.

duchy

There wasn't the pressure or expectation .

Christmas dinner was the highlight but the turkey was collected Christmas eve and the same for the veg. Our tree went up Christmas eve after the kids were in bed and nothing beat the excitement of getting up early Christmas day to find the living room transformed with a lit tree-magical.

Pre-Christmas build up was stirring the Christmas cake in October -not finding Christmas displays in the shops in September.

I still ban the C word in my house before December -too much hype too soon takes away some of the magic for me.

themull1

I think since the invention of the credit card, and spending money you don't have, people are more stressed and worried about paying the bills, my parents used to get one present each and a tangerine/nuts and were grateful, of course there wasn't the technology then that we've got today, so kids were happy with a doll or a train!! My parents weren't well off but we always got loads in our stockings, some things were necessities to bulk it out a bit!

Our tree goes up around the 1st december, but when i was a kid it was about the 14th December. We used to get really excited about the chocolate advent calendars, but i can remember when they were just pictures behind the windows, no chocolate, which is nicer to look at than an empty chocolate mould!!

Savvy_Sue

Ah yes, the Christmas Underwear! :rotfl:

(I think everyone should have new socks / pants for Christmas. DH finds this a very strange idea.)

NAR

I grew up in the 50's and 60's and my brothers and I always had a brilliant Christmas. We had filled socks at the end of the bed, sweets, half a crown, tangerine and a couple of other small items. Our main present was usually a board game (such as monopoly), which we all shared and enjoyed playing. :cool:

I despair today to see the parents in competition (it appears) to spend as much as they can on their offspring and leaving themselves in debt for several months afterwards.