The Xmas Rush

chesky

............this involved home made stuffing and then the turkey being sewn up. I don't know why she always did it, maybe it was her stuffing recipe? ............

I still make mine based on my grannie's recipe with a bit of updating.

mishmogs

I remember having a coal fire in my bedroom as a treat on christmas morning.... heaven especially after the usual frost on the inside of the windows. We had a spindly xmas tree about 2' tall with a dozen lights on which our kid and me put up about a week before xmas day, a turkey and veggies which mother had to walk a couple of miles to get and a pud from gran. Then the usual ranting and raving from a drunken father... certainly dont miss those christmas times.

I haven't seen carol singers or the salvation army in years, just assumed its a tradition which has died out. I use to live in a small village in Cambridgeshire in the 80s and we had carol singers then.

It was really good to see the salvation army singing carols in India going from place to place, use to join in and have a bit of a weep thinking about mum.

Now christmas is just me and DH, enough to eat, drink and be happy with the odd pressie thrown in......

Savvy_Sue

I've been out carol singing in the rain tonight, not going door to door, just standing near a park. Out again on Tuesday: last couple of years have been absolutely freezing / snowing ...

Newly_retired

Still plenty of carol singing here in Yorkshire!
Our village churches get together and do the rounds, and the Salvation Army plays in town and outside supermarkets.
Also we still get a few small groups of children coming round the houses - at least we always have done, so I'll wait with interest this year.

Savvy_Sue

mishmogs wrote: »

I haven't seen carol singers or the salvation army in years, just assumed its a tradition which has died out. I use to live in a small village in Cambridgeshire in the 80s and we had carol singers then.

BTW, if you're going house to house collecting money while you're carol singing, you need a licence from the local authority. I don't know how many groups were doing it for that reason, we used to do that when I was a Guide, but the churches I've sung carols with haven't been collecting, just singing and giving mince pies and sweets away - although some people want to pay us anyway (maybe to go away?)

KMK

I seem to remember getting just one "big" present and then an annual, a selection box,tangerines and a box of dates. This was in the 50s.

The present which I have never forgotten was a doll's house left on the kitchen table. I thought it was wonderful and nothing since has been quite as magical. I later realized that it was second hand and had been "restored" by my dad. My sister inherited it and, like me, had many happy hours playing with it.

Popular presents from aunts and uncles were plastic manicure sets, hankies with initials, and boxes of chocolates with thatched cottages or flowers on the lid.Gloves with fur backs were also very popular and seen as very stylish!

We used the same decorations for years. They got a bit tatty as did the lights, but it never occurred to us to ask for new ones. Everyone I knew used the same "trimmings", as we called them, year on year.

The school party was greatly looked forward to and we were all expected to bring in an item of food.I remember one year crying at the bus stop because my older brother poked his finger into the jelly made by my mum and spoilt the top of it.

I live in a village on the north east coast and until a few years ago the Salvation Army band used to play at the end of each street on the Sunday before Christmas.Sadly not any more. I don't know why not.

People describe the 50s as an austere and dreary decade but there was a sense of community and cohesion. I would go carol singing with only one friend all round the village in the dark, and my parents didn't seem to worry about us. It would be unthinkable now.I feel that children these days have more material things, nicer houses, more comfort in their lives but they don't have the freedom to roam and play as I had. Nor do they seem to have the benefit of the extended family at parties and celebrations. Although it could be quite boring listening to adults nattering on about the old days or singing old songs, you were expected to listen and join in. Nowadays, parties etc all seem geared to the needs and interests of the children who consequently have little appreciation of the experiences and interests of older members of the family.