Back in Time for Christmas

PasturesNew

The programme did use "posh/up to date" houses; the sort of place that the middle classes would've been living in - and the stuff the wealthier would've had.

If it'd been done in council flats it would've looked a bit different.

But I guess they were just showing "the latest" for each decade to demonstrate the changes.

Personally, I've still never had an avocado or a kiwi fruit. Or a Christmas breakfast. I didn't even know anybody had a Christmas breakfast until a few years ago on MSE when a thread was started, asking people what they had.

lessonlearned

Great programme.

Loved the summing up describing Christmas as a beacon of light in dark times, which takes us back to its pagan roots as a midwinter festival.

So whether it was War in the 40s or industrial unrest in the 70s Christmas is all about families and friends, giving and sharing, being together.

My husband died in August 2014 and I was nervous about facing our first Christmas without him. I asked my sons what we should do. Should we go away or eat out, what did they think.

They shuddered at the thought. My eldest said "stay home, open our presents, stuff our faces and lie around watching crap on TV". So wise......

And that's what we did, raising a glass to Himself.

It was bittersweet but I'm glad I managed to pull it altogether and celebrate Christmas. It was a cathartic and healing experience, not just for me but for the whole family.

It's tradition, innit.:rotfl:

meritaten

Lessonlearned - that's so sad - stuff ourselves and lie around watching TV! exactly what we did last year! and I thought - not doing that next year! this year the TV is going off and WE are going to play! Charades! I wont take 'I am too stuffed for an excuse either'!

lessonlearned

It wasn't shoite at all - it was quiet and gentle - it's what we needed at the time.

This year we all feel better and will be more "Up for it"

This year I have bought a casino game.

Ps I shall record Downton to savour when I'm on my own......

PasturesNew

I do remember, many years ago, a box of old fashioned turkish delight would often be kicking around ..... and orange/lemon slices. Dad had a packet of dates and that toffee slab that came with a hammer.

We'd also have chestnuts that we roasted by shoving them in the coals at the bottom of the fire. I do like a roast chestnut, but not going to pay £5 for a few from anybody flogging them in the street, that's just a rip off.

This year I'm not with any family, I'm with a 'stranger' having ..... a completely unknown Xmas.

Kim_kim

PasturesNew wrote: »

The programme did use "posh/up to date" houses; the sort of place that the middle classes would've been living in - and the stuff the wealthier would've had.

If it'd been done in council flats it would've looked a bit different.

But I guess they were just showing "the latest" for each decade to demonstrate the changes.

Personally, I've still never had an avocado or a kiwi fruit. Or a Christmas breakfast. I didn't even know anybody had a Christmas breakfast until a few years ago on MSE when a thread was started, asking people what they had.

Well we're not middle class & we did the 70s dinner (still do lol) with prawn cocktail apart instead of deep fried advocado.

We tried the Christmas breakfast thing, but really a bacon sandwich will always be my top breakfast :-) but with Buck's Fizz Xmas morning :-)

VfM4meplse

meritaten wrote: »

oh, and what on earth was Kid Jensen on about? not until the 1970s were 'Christmas records' a big thing?

Not seen the episode but kind of get what he means
(based on years of watching TOTP2 ).

Rainy-Days

I laughed when i saw them with the first run of the Argos catalogue marking down what they wanted. My brother and I did the same although not to that extent! We always had a tin of Roses and a tin of Quality Street and they were really big tins as well not like the stupid faddly things we have now!

I still have my jewellery box although not with the twirling lady, but it's still lovely just the same and it brings back memories of getting it for Christmas. I will keep that forever!

I loved the 70's because by the 80's consumerism had really kicked in and it did not mean the same! To some degree I still do Christmas the same as Mum did, but for breakfast now we have the toasted muffin with the smoked salmon and either poached or scambled egg and a couple of cups of coffee!

Those brown flower saucepan - my Mum had those in the 70's as well and a huge frying pan to match

We have lost the true meaning of Christmas - the last couple of years after lunch internet sales have gone stratospheric as it seems everybody is chasing the sales bargains!

fuddle

Last nights episode left me feeling a bit deflated to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed going down memory lane but it dawned on me that I was given a ZX Spectrum for Christmas. I never asked for it and didn't particularly want it. Finding out that it cost £700 in equivalent wages confirmed that my childhood Christmas were about flashing the cash to others as much as anything "what did you get?!".

I look on my own Christmases and gradually I have scaled them back to homemade decs, bringing in the green, children designed place mats, paper chains, candles (some LED) instead of flashing lights etc but gift buying and giving is somewhat still quite pressured due to others expectations.

My own children used to get large piles of gifts, years ago. I would beat myself up over letting them down if I didn't but in the last 6 years they have gradually got smaller and smaller. This year it is markedly smaller, but finances and circumstance have dictated that more than my decision making but I am pleased as it's going to set a precedent for the coming years.

One thing I am strict about is that I don't have the girls writing wish lists. It adds to my pressure in financing and heightens their expectations (disappointment) I buy what I think they would like. Years on it has worked as it adds to the excitement - the not knowing.

My Christmas music comes from Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Perry Como. My grandma had Christmas albums and aside from Slade and Wizard, nothing comes close for me. Thank goodness to free access to Spotify

The girls are watching the series. They're up to 1960's. The question on their lips about my childhood Christmases in the 90's surround what food we ate. I really thought they would go heavily in on the presents. So interesting!

Goldiegirl

Fascinating show last night!


Regarding the 70's, a few things I noticed. The trousers the girls were wearing were far too narrow at the ankle. Oxford bags were in - generally you couldn't even see your shoes!


Those 70's pans - we got a similar set of those as a wedding present in 1981. Although we barely used them, as we'd already bought a Tefal set ourselves. The floral pans got decluttered about 5 years ago.


I was also interested to see the cutlery they were using. It was a set called 'Glosswood'. We saved up for a set when we got engaged, for our 'bottom drawer'. It was quite expensive, and we have only rarely used it, as it is very impractical. The wooden glossy handle lose their shine when placed in soapy water, so they are a pain to wash up. But I'm very fond of them, and they are in their box, in a cupboard.


Through out the 60's and 70's our Christmas dinner was always the same. Chicken for the main course and Christmas pudding for afters. We never had a starter - and still don't to this day. I remember we also had a boiled gammon joint for sandwiches. We had things like nuts and dates, which nobody ever ate!


I think it was in the 70's one of the girls got a jewellery box - I was given one, very similar, but without the dancer. I still have the box.


The 80's and 90's showed a marked change, to the more consumer driven world. I was surprised at the cost of a Commodore 64. We had one of these, and the equivalent of £700 would have been a lot at the time, as we had only been married about 3 years and had a large mortgage for the time. But we did enjoy using it. I also noticed the Nintendo games consol - we had one of those in the 90's


In the 90's we were spending about £100 each on presents to each other. But we could afford it, had no debt apart from the mortgage, and no children. I don't feel bad about this - it was right at the time. But over the years we have cut back on presents - this year we're only going to exchange token presents. Times change, and we change too - the presents are less of a focus for us now - maybe we've gone back the the 40's in this respect.


I didn't even know that Christmas breakfast was a 'thing' in the 90's and onwards - it's not something we've ever done.


In the years when my dad was alive and they came to us or we went to them we always had a chicken, as my dad didn't like turkey, but my MIL always had a turkey, although they had chicken in earlier years.


Nowadays, I save my M&S points and Nectar points for my Christmas food. This year I've ordered a turkey crown from M&S, and pre-prepared vegetables. I've bought a cake, pudding, wine and some chocolates from Sainsburys. But we dropped having the ham some years ago, and the nuts and the dates. There's been no cash outlay at all, it's all paid for with points.


I think our Christmas is essentially 60's to 70's, but with 90's onwards food