Christmas Retro

It is a nostalgic time is Christmas! A time when those lost to us are honoured and old customs come to the fore...

I was born during World War Two. When I was two we moved from a backstreet 2 up 2 down in Wigan to a new build which in England sprang up like summer mushrooms..

Christmas memories are fragmented as my father left us early on and there was little money. But as my brother and I got older we, especially me, enriched the season!
Always a Christmas tree with lights.. That was at my insistence and I soon replaced the tatty old artificial one with a real one each year. Lovely old ornaments that have sadly got lost in one of my many moves.

Always Christmas dinner! In those days chicken was rare, as ti was until battery farms came in . One year we went late to the market, just before they closed , on Christmas Eve, when they needed to clear the stall, and got the scrawniest, little bird you ever saw!
My mother was a great cook and oh my! Home made sage and onion stuffing and her roast potatoes! My brother was tall and getting taller by the day, hollow as all lads are, and there was not one tiny fragment of met left on that bird and not a potato etc left!

During the war my father had been saved and sheltered by a Dutch family , and they, with no rationing, sent us parcels.... coloured sugar which we made sandwiches from.... tins of pineapple conserve and joy of joys, Christmas puddings !

That was the best Christmas dinner ever! Never equalled.

The best are connected with the relatives we visited often in Wigan. always after my father had gone on Christmas Day. Sometimes the buses into Warrington did not run so we walked the three miles, laden with gifts and I always carried the Christmas cake Mum made each year as our part of the feast
This was way back of course when there was little money about. But the fleeting moment memories of that back street 2 up 2 down terrace with no toilet indoors and one cold water tap in the scullery ...but such warmth. Always a big coal fire. When we were there anyway.
And in the unused front room. always a glass bowl of Quality Street . Children remember these things! And we had little chocolate during the war and for years after
Tea was ham on the bone, celery in a jug.... lots of bread,, Oh and Auntie Annie would always without fail suddenly remember when we were too full to move, that she had put mince pies in the side oven of the range to heat. EVERY year! Sweet old lady.

Just scattered memories. It was not about big gifts; so little money and so little available... new clothes were wonderful, and rare. But I do not remember what else. "What are you getting for Christmas" is something more modern! Values have changed. There was hardly a family intact after the war,

Oh we had stockings left at the bed! Then.. pillowcases! An orange in the toe. And we were not allowed up until at least 6 am. Always that huge excitement of children through the ages

But my memories are strong of family times. And these are the qualities and facets that matter? Now I am alone I see that clearly. I still love Christmas lights and brightness; trying to get hyacinths in flower on time. But not the commercial hype for me . We never felt anything but …. pleasure at what we had and what we did. There was no hardship felt. Christmas was gentle and.. warm!

I was in Sunday School from five and my faith has always been a focus, Carol singing with the church group around the village, Christmas nativity plays at school..

Later Midnight Communion. Teaching Sunday School.. Listening to Carols from Kings. Admitting here it often ends in tears that programme and no shame in that....

Too long but sending anyways an d looking forward to others.

My dratted eyes are watering! Old age!