Magical Christmas Memories

The highlight for us living in the north east was a visit to Newcastle to look at Fenwicks window in Northumberland St, I think I was about 8. What amazed me was the fact the elves moved, I was told it was Christmas magic, so I believed it

I can't remember that, NanKate, I may have done and forgotten (like a lot of other things) [ohdear]

I do remember riding on the elephant at Dudley Zoo!

How lovely Rose. Did you ever visit the small children's zoo on the top floor, or was it the roof!

I used to be taken to Lewis's in Birmingham as well, NanKate. I still have photos of me sitting on Father Christmas's knee, wearing my best wool coat with a velvet collar, and a hat to match!

Remember the three of us all dressed up in best clothes and having an annual trip up to London to see the Christmas lights, a walk around Hamleys ('Don't touch') and sometimes a visit to Santa in Selfridge's, tea at a Lyon's Corner shop and the drowsy drive back to Wiltshire....... Very nostalgic, our eyes were out on organ stops trying to take it all in.............

I was ill when I was little and had to go up to London most weeks with my father to go to Great Ormond Street for checkups. Every year he used to take me to Hamley's 'just for a look'. It was a wonderland to me, I would exclaim and point and be so happy just to be there. Of course he would be making a note of all the things I really liked the look of (not the expensive ones sadly!) and would buy them later for me and my three sisters. I never registered what was going on of course, I just thought Father Christmas could read my mind. The lights in Regent Street, the chestnut sellers and Hamley's were my Christmas highlight at that age.

Well clearly Nellie Lewis's was ahead of its time. Happy memories.

Nankate I went up in a spaceship in Lewis's in Leicester to see Father Christmas.