General Chat

I remeber being 9 and wanted a bike....

dad used to say put 3 things down for santas list.
my said,
1..Bike
2 Bike
3 Bike.

I got a red one.......it had a lovely shiny chorme bell.a little saddle bag with 2 spanners in .and a pump.

I loved it,,,,,,which promptly after 3/4 weeks I swaped with my brother for his train set,,,, it had a transformer and you could make the engine go backwards....... :-D :-D :-D :-D.

Next down the line came a watch.....desperately needed one..few weeks beofre christmas I had found it,,,,,and I used to sneak it out and wind it up put it on and wear it for a few minuets.....after putting it on on christmas day I could stop asking if anyone wanted to know the time. :-D :-D.sadly a month or so later I dropped it in the sink and broke it.....

Christmases later I wanted a table top steam engine that you put water in and lit a candle under it. just like the boy had across the street....I got one,,,,,,set it up on boxing afternoon on the dining table and set fire to mums christmas only table cloth leaving a bleedy big scorch mark,,,,,,

yes such are the memories.......



:-D :-D.

Do you remember making paper chains. We used to buy the coloured paper strips in a pack with one end glued & sit and stick em together into chains, Every year we made new ones because the chains just got squashed trying to store them .
Pinned em up with drawing pins .

The best Christmas was when I was about 7 or 8 and got a Sindy and a Tiny Tears doll :-D

Teresa

Yes and yes Rose.

Did anyone else make little bells out of the foil milk bottle tops? My mum used to save them up and then we'd mould them into shape over a thimble and thread them on cotton.

Also who remembers the chocolate medallions with father Christmas on one side and a robin on the other?

Thank you ladies for all these lovely glimpses into Christmases past <3

There were 4 of us...

We didn't have much as small children, probably about 5/6 presents each, but the best was my Christmas stocking........so full of chocolate money, a couple of sweets, orange ,apple, paper blow thingy pencil, ( nuts...cant think why LOL) All hanging from old socks of my dads on a nail on the wooden mantle with paper Father Christmas doilies along the mantle ....the excitement seeing those 4 socks is forever in my mind......wonderful memory's.

We always went to bed thinking what would be in our stockings !!

Hayley....I loved your storey.....sad about your dad though. x


Marilyn ...

A baby doll, as opposed to a walkie talkie one, and a sit up and bed black bike. Bought in different years and for some reason I went to the shop with my mother to chose them. This was in more affluent times but the present I remember as the best was the box of chocolates my uncle charlie and auntie mary brought on christmas morning. The ones in the purple box.

Vera

Love this thread Rose <3

Mine was a Bride Doll, saw it in the Rubber Toy Shop window,
sooo wanted it for Xmas but never thought I would get it, too
much money for my folks to pay out.
Mum told me later she started to pay it up every week and on
Xmas morning there she was, I still get a lump in my throat to
this day when I think about that doll and how my mum was making
sure I got it when money could have been put to better use. God Bless her. <3

Emma x

Then there were the scooter, a large one with a brake, a handcart made by my Dad to use in the garden – I used to pretend it was a milk cart - and a doll’s cot with drop down sides, again made for me by Dad. Looking back, the strangest present was a doll that I had, she was lovely and I think our daughter may still have her, but I was eleven years old. I have a photo of me with the doll and my sister with hers. I can only think that they bought it because they wanted us both to have the same. I daren’t tell my friends at High School!

As I got to my early teens the presents would be items like a satchel for school, a music case (I was learning the piano at the time), handbags, clothes but always books. I do remember two fountain pens I had as presents. One, when I started High school was a very small Conway Stewart in a green mottled case, the second, when I started work, was a ladies Parker. The Parker I still have which makes it 55 years old.

On my sixteenth birthday my boyfriend, now my OH, gave me a brooch of a spray of different coloured flowers, he also gave me the LP of Carousel. On my seventeenth he gave me a marcasite Naval crown and his Mother gave me a brooch that was a Scottish thistle in marcasite. On my eighteenth he gave me a rolled gold cross and chain, this was draped over a spray of red carnations in a presentation box. I still have all these. Christmas presents from OH before we were married included a gold plated compact and lipstick, a Marcasite bracelet and clip on earrings, an ivory flower brooch and clip on earrings and a party/dance dress. This was probably the loveliest dress I have ever owned and sadly I do not have a photo of it. It was made from nylon net, royal or midnight blue with a silver thread running through it (as it happened this was my Dad’s favourite colour). The skirt was quite full and stiffened with an underskirt. It was mid calf length and had a boat neck and was sleeveless. I fell in love with it and wore it to a New Year’s Eve dance at Trinity Church hall in Fareham. Early in 1959 I wore it again to my friend Tessa’s 21st birthday party. This was in Portsmouth near Copnor and I stayed overnight at my Aunt’s house.

My Dad was not very good at buying Christmas presents for Mum and was often ‘in trouble’ Mum was a person who could never hide her feelings. One year on the Christmas tree (these would be extra presents) he bought her a hot water bottle. She was not amused!!!

In 1958 Dad broke his ankle when he dropped a television on it while delivering it, he worked for a TV rental firm in Fareham. He was in hospital over Christmas and I took my sister down to see him on boxing day because I felt sorry for him. I was in big trouble because I was late back (the buses were running a skeleton service) and tea had to be delayed. Never mind poor Dad on his own in hospital.

These days it is the custom to spend a lot of money on Christmas and birthday presents. When I was young we were a lot less mercenary and, of course, we didn’t have television advertisements to encourage us to want the toy of the moment. Also it was war time, everything was in short supply and toys had to be queued for in the shops or, as was more likely, bought second hand.

I was lucky in that my parents always seemed to find books to buy for me at Christmas, I remember always having an annual at Christmas and a Rupert book, later on books by Enid Blyton were favourite and I particularly remember, besides the Five and Seven series a book called Red Roofs. The trouble with books though was that I always managed to read them in a day. And Mum would always say, “you haven’t finished that already?” As well as the books I usually had a jigsaw which I would enjoy doing with Mum.

When I was about four or five my Mum queued up and bought me a china dolls’ tea set. The pictures on it were of Pinocchio and our daughter still has it today. Dad made me a dresser to put it on and a small table and chair so that I could play tea parties. I remember having lots of fun with it. Another favourite present was the second hand dolls pram that I had one Christmas, a miniature version of the real thing, plus a doll to go in it which my Mum dressed for me.
Other favourite presents were a huge dolls’ house made and fitted out by my Dad with working lights, decorated with wallpaper and with fitted carpets and curtains, a farm house with lead animals, a large solid wheeled tricycle, I do remember being disappointed that it didn’t have pump up tyres but it was all they could find, this was probably in 1948 (this was in the time before young children had two wheeled bikes).

Christmas in our house was special, we always had lots of decorations up all over the house, both Mum and Dad loved Christmas. Sometimes we would have relatives to stay, sometimes we would be on our own. It wasn’t until after we were married that my other half and I actually spent Christmas Day together as he usually went home on leave. He would come back on Boxing Day. We would always have a large real tree in the front room and the fire would be lit in there on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. One year Dad arrived home with an enormous tree, having left it a bit late to buy one. Much hilarity as it was so tall that he had to cut the top off to get it into the front room. Christmas Eve, my sister and I would hang our pillowcases up on the end of our bed and, of course, we could never get to sleep. As we lay there we could hear the rustle of paper as Mum and Dad wrapped presents and the rattling of pans etc in the kitchen. Dad always iced the cake that Mum had made and that was done on Christmas Eve, Mum would be baking mince pies (no freezers to keep things in then). Also the vegetables would all be prepared that evening for the Christmas lunch.

When we woke the following morning it was to find bulging pillowcases (I can feel the exciting shapes now) and also Father Christmas would have left us a stocking each. We would open the presents in our pillow cases (from friends and relatives) in bed and our stockings then, when we got up, our main presents would be in the kitchen on or by the table. These would be opened after we had eaten breakfast. In the evening there would be more presents on the tree.
On Boxing Day we would have a family get together when as many relatives as could make it would come over in the afternoon and Mum and Dad would put on a special Tea. Mum loved to decorate the table with crepe paper and candles, which sounds ordinary now but was not done much in those days. She would make a huge trifle and we would have two cakes, the fruit Christmas cake which only Dad and I liked, and a walnut cake iced and decorated which Mum, my sister and I preferred to the fruit cake. There would be a ham salad and bread to start and the table would be groaning. After tea we would play silly games like blind man’s buff and pass the balloon. This was probably what put me off party games for life, the embarrassment of the adults playing them and rolling around laughing, and all this without any alcohol.

Lovely thread Rose and lovely stories. Those who have read my life story when published on here may be familiar with the following but for those who haven't read it I'll put my memories of Christmas. Apologies because it will take up two posts or more.

Lovely stories and so emotional!

When I was a child growing up in the forties,our house,like many others, smelt wonderful in the run up to Christmas. Mam baking her cake and puddings...the 'fresh' green fir-tree in the window ,and special to us children then,the scent of tangerines! .

The very first magical toy I remember Santa bringing me was a wooden desk with a bench seat attached,it was bright turquoise in colour! and had ink wells, and a pen stand.Lifting the lid there were lots of books and coloured pencils,and also (i've just thought,) one of those books that when you 'wash' the page with water the pictures instantly coloured...we were easily pleased.

I shared a bedroom with five in our family so thought it was great that I had my very own place to keep my 'valuable' lol possesions .....my Dad made our Christmas presents over the years...a shop with goods ,a house with working lights, for my brother a garage & fort...and to this day if I smell enamel paint I am transported back to those happy days :-) ...and it seems to me a simpler time..

I'm enjoying reading about others' presents...good thread :-D

Mau xx

Oh, what a lovely story Shirley (except the part in B'ham).

Take Care

Julia in Derbyshire

Julia
i was one of the lucky evacuees I was taken on by a family that took me into their family and loved me as their own . Auntie and Uncle even wanted to adopt me but mum & dad said no .

I wasn't so lucky after c1943 because Kent was getting so bombed too that all the London evacuees were re evacuated and i was sent to Birmingham and was with a family that already had 3 daughters . The mum was very harsh with me and she didnt treat me the same as the others i was very unhappy there and didnt come home to London till Jan 1946 .

i did still though stay in touch with Auntie & Uncle and spent every Easter holiday and a month in the summer holidays with them and all the family , I went to all the family weddings etc as a grown up and Uncle(Auntie died young in 1956) came to my own wedding in 1957 . We stayed in touch but both of them have now passed away .I am still in touch with their daughter who is a grandma now !

Oh Shirley, what a lovely story. Has me in tears.

Julia in Derbyshire

The present i remember most was in WW2 maybe c 1943& I I was still living with my foster mum (evacuee) in Tunbridge Wells. Auntie was a Tailoress and she did some beautiful work.

Uncle was away still in the War so we went to Aunties married brother for Xmas day, On Boxing day we went to Aunties parents ,Uncle Jack and Auntie Mary, their front door opened straight into the front room so as we went in, there was a big dolls pram with a big doll sitting up in it all dressed up . There were hand made sheets pillow and a padded quilt all beautifully done. There were other presents but I wasnt that interested in them just the dolls pram and my baby !

We had to walk home later which i did pushing my pram and baby with pride.

Apparently , my mum told me many years later ,Auntie had found somewhere a doll which had a broken head and she asked my mum if she could find a dolls head which would fit . Mum was able to do so and she sent the head through the post and auntie got it all mended at a dolls hospital . She spent time in the evenings after i was in bed making all the clothes and bedding . truly a labour of love.

Auntie was only young . she and Uncle were in their early twenties and had only been married 18 months when they took me on as an evacuee in 1939 when I was only 2+half . I loved both of then as well as Uncle Jack & Auntie Mary.I was treated as their own .

I am still in touch with their daughter who was born after the war ,she thinks of me as her big sister.

Aww some lovely memories and funny ones:))

Lovely thread RamblingRose:)

My first christmas memories were when we lived inTangmere...l can still see me on my sisters bed opening a pressie..it was a dark green carry cot, cream coloured inside, with hood that clipped on and a cover that clipped on too. Next pressie was a doll to go in it. Don't remember any covers or clothes though. A few years later we moved to Worthing and all our toys (me and 3 sisters) were chucked, except my carrycot and doll. Why?? don't know, my sisters have never forgotten that:((

Then a few years ago Vic had unbeknown to me removed a chair my grandfather made from the garage and taken it for repair. He would often say "can l chuck that chair now" , the woven seat was all broken:(...he was always threatened with divorce if he did remove it.....
Wellll l had'nt noticed had l...lol and one beautiful christmas day he brought inthis very large stranged shape pressie....YEH MY CHAIR ALL REPAIRED:))) its in my bedroom now...beautiful:)

jude xxxx

Now in my pensions years, I have to admit, I have never had a doll.
Times were hard, and not much money about for 'fripperies'.
I was always 'handy' from an early age, being taught to knit and sew by
an older sister, and would have loved one, to make little dresses for.
However, I had a little baby daughter, who was born almost 6 weeks early and put into an incubator.
I lived further up county in those days in the sticks as they say, and had to leave the other three children with a neighbour, whilst I travelled into Derby to the prem. unit to feed her every day.
By the time she was allowed out, about the time she should have been born, I had knitted her a pink 'Tiny Tears' dress to come home in.

Julia in Derbyshire