Childhood Christmas Presents

Sayschezza

I remember one Christmas Eve when I was about 12 we had visiting children with their parents. Us kids were rampaging round the house and went into my parents bedroom where the presents were still unwrapped on the bed. We laughed at a particular nasty sweater that in the morning turned out to be for me. Lessons are always learned the hard way.

kerri_gt

Prinzessilein wrote: »

I REALLY wanted a garage (with a spiral ramp to send the cars down)...but despite asking for it in my letter to Santa for 3 consecutive years it never arrived.....a combination of too expensive, and 'but you're a GIRL!'


I had a couple of dolls (no Tiny Tears or anything like that....just 'ordinary' dolls)...sometimes one of them would disappear during December...and return on Christmas Eve wearing a new set of knitted clothes (yes, Santa...the doll looks lovely in her new clothes....but where is my garage?????)

Books were always given at Christmas...but 'real' books...no annuals.

Later I had a Sindy (the more 'acceptable' version of the too-sexy Barbie!)...but she had homemade clothes because the branded ones were too dear.....she did eventually get a car (we're getting there Santa....now, about that garage!!!!) which was second hand, but very much appreciated.

I did get a garage (my hand me down toys were a mix from older kids in the road, two being from boys and one quite a tomboy) it was a matchbox one that opened out into two halves. You popped the 'top' half up on legs to make it taller.

I did have a tiny tears doll and a Sindy but really had little interest in them. Far more interested in lego, then Tramsformers. Although I did have a dolls house I loved too (only recently put out) it had real electric lights with our neighbour hooked up some kind of transformer devise plug for them. I'm guessing little plug I need lights wouldn't be allowed these days :eek::rotfl:

I also remember seeing a Monopoly game one year and my mum telling me it was for my cousins. I was a little upset but no tantrums etc, just took it as 'that's not for you' .....guess what was under the tree for me. I was thrilled, my parents less so at endless Sunday afternoons of me wanting to play it. :rotfl:

eandjsmum

I also remember seeing a Monopoly game one year and my mum telling me it was for my cousins. I was a little upset but no tantrums etc, just took it as 'that's not for you' .....guess what was under the tree for me. I was thrilled, my parents less so at endless Sunday afternoons of me wanting to play it. :rotfl:[/QUOTE]

I still have my monopoly set that i got over 40 years ago. I also still have my scrabble and Cludo sets.

Monopoly became known as Monotony by my parents http://static.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/laughing-smiley-014.gifhttp://static.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/laughing-smiley-014.gif

trailingspouse

I honestly don't really remember many Christmas gifts from my childhood. I remember an elderly aunt giving me a book which I already had, and being terribly grown-up and thanking her for it without blurting out that I'd already got it!! There was always a selection box (sweets weren't a big part of life the rest of the time), and Yardley soap from an elderly aunt (I had a lot of elderly aunts...). Oh, and a compendium of games one year.

The thing I remember best was a GIANT Christmas cracker (seriously - it was about 3 feet long!!) that a friend of my Dad's gave me one year. It was full of loads and loads of really cheap plastic toys, all very silly and trivial compared to the 'worthy' gifts that my parents gave me. I kept it for years!!

And I always had to write proper thank you letters.

Slinky

I remember a giant Christmas cracker, my parents had made it at night when we'd gone to bed. They put it in the lounge and my brother discovered it there after we'd had out Christmas lunch. It had lots of presents in but the one I remember we had was a proper battery operated telephone set so we could phone each other from upstairs/downstairs.

I also had a Rosebud doll, that may have been a birthday or a Christmas present. I also had a dolls bungalow. I've never heard of anybody else having one or having seen one since. It was made of metal and had wallpaper and furniture and a kitchen painted on the internal walls. It's buried somewhere in my late father's house which my brother lives in. Probably worth some money now if it's not rusted to bits.

We had John Bull printing sets and I particularly remember the year we both had scooters left on the landing outside our bedroom doors.

Never got excited about receiving clothes, it was toys, books and chocolate we looked forward too. A selection box shaped like a stocking made of card, with net on the front holding the sweets in. I loved the big tubes of Smarties and Fruit Pastilles. The lids had a letter of the alphabet stamped in them, I think you were supposed to collect them, to do what with, I've no idea. Do they still make these? I was looking for them yesterday to fill a gap in a hamper I'm making up but couldn't spot them in Tesco.

For years I had a Salmon branded calendar with horses on. I never looked at the pictures in advance of turning each month over so it was a suprise throughout the year.

Despite my username, I never had a Slinky.

CapricornLass

I was born in the mid fifities. My memories of the very early christmases are a bit dim - I think i was more excited by the christmas tree and the advent crown. However, I do rember a rocking horse - you climbed into it and sat on a seat rather than sat on it, and then rocked away. (Strangely enough, we found the same kind of rocking horse sans head in a jumble sale when my eldest son was a toddler, so my husband carved a wooden horse's head and my mother donated a bit of sheepskin to stick between its ears as a mane. Both he, his little brother and his cousins all had fun with that horse). I also had a toy shop, it had shelves and moveable counters and a little door which opened! I expect it also had little tubs of sweets but they wouldn't have lasted long. And also, for some reason, a toy ironing board for my little sister..... My parents also made a toy road map with zebra crossings and roundabouts for pushing cars along, which they painted themselves on hardboard. We played with that for years and years.

Later, I remember, lego, spirographs ( my sister), and Sindy, complete with bought and home-made clothes. Books were always given, as was the orange and the chocolate coins in the toe of the stocking.

We still give and recieve stockings, even my parents, who are now in their eighties.

Sayschezza

And just for the record the fairy on our Christmas tree was bought in 1966 and has graced our tree every year since. Her name is Doris and my DD has insisted she inherits her when I pop my clogs.

skogar

Love the idea of a giant Christmas cracker. May haave to make one of those next year. :j

Good to hear that Doris the fairy is still going strong. Sad to say the big tissue paper fan which we had up at my parent's has finally disintegrated. I used to insist on it being put up even when my Mum thought it was much too tatty. I like the fact that they still have some of the really old tree decorations that I remember from my childhood. Much more fun than a beautiful coordinated tree.

We had to write proper thank you letters too.

We used to play board games after tea on Christmas day. I was never a fan of Monopoly eventually though we did get Cluedo which was a real favourite.

Good to hear of the renovation of the headless horse. Sounds like it was very popular.

Slinky - I think they still make the big tubes of fruit pastiles - someone had some at work a few weeks ago. I think it came from one of the supermarkets.

Sorry to hear that you won the nasty sweater Sayschezza. A lesson hard learned.

kerri_gt

skogar wrote: »

Slinky - I think they still make the big tubes of fruit pastiles - someone had some at work a few weeks ago. I think it came from one of the supermarkets.

They do still do the big tubes of sweets (incl fruit pastilles I think) - Lidl have them atm for 99p each, and the pound shops often have them, also check out Iceland, sure I saw some in there the other day.

Serendipitious

Big tubes of Smarties etc 2 for £1.50 in Tesco today.