The best £1.99 I've ever spent

That’s a real magic of Christmas story and has brought a tear to my eye. Def the best £1.99 spent. Little did you know when you bought it how much pleasure it would bring over the years.

Our local pet shop had a lovely China nativity set in the window. I wanted one for my young son so I asked the lady who owned the shop where she got it. She insisted that I take it home with me and boxed it up. She refused to take no for an answer and wouldn't take payment. She explained that her adult son had recently died tragically and she would love to pass it on to someone who would love it. I get it out every year (my son is an adult now) and think kindly of her. The 2 tiny goldfish I bought from her are now 17 years old and huge.

One Christmas, our RE teacher was arranging the nativity figures around the school’s real Christmas tree, when one of the pupils said “I didn’t know one of the angels was called Gloria”. (The angel had a sash on with Gloria on it)

I bought a simple wooden nativity set when my youngest DD was a toddler ( now in her thirties). She was aggrieved that Baby Jesus was carved all in one with the crib so could not be removed .
One morning we woke to find baby and crib missing, replaced by a duplo baby in a playpen. No one knew how that happened ....Every year , these comes out sans infant (it's always Christmas Eve there) as a gentle reminder that now - responsible adults may once have been naughty children ?

@ladyO.your tale of your dog and his Christmas present made me cry . We have 2 dogs at the moment that we love very much ?

LadyO

We have a squeaky Christmas pudding that comes out every year, I think it cost 50p back in 1996. It was the last present I ever gave to my beloved 13-year old golden retriever, it was wrapped under our Christmas tree, but sadly after 2 strokes we had to call out the vet to put him to sleep.
We lit the log fire and cuddled him until the vet arrived and my twin daughters aged 11 unwrapped his present and squeaked it. He was very deaf but the tip of his tail just wagged slightly, bless him. I get that squeaky Christmas pudding out every year and put it on the mantelpiece…?

Aaah, ? ?, what a lovely post. x

When my daughter was two, 1973 a neighbour asked if I would like to go to her daughter's school Xmas fare. My DD was excited when she spotted a Santa mobile. Basically cardboard covered in red and white glued on paper. Bought for 10p. Still have it and is hung from the ceiling every Xmas. Even more special since loosing DD two years ago.

We have a lovely wooden nativity set. So special to us as we bought it in Bethlehem many year's ago. I'll pass it onto a grandchild who shows interest when we're older.

4allweknow, Anniebach - heartbreaking ?

Yes crazyH very much so

I made my knitted nativity about 35 years ago when my two eldest were little. I think it was in the Woman’s Own.
The shenanigans the cast of the Nativity have got up to over the years! I never knew where they would be, what they would be doing from day to day. The lamb liked sleeping in the crib and the shepherds liked swinging from the tree branches by their crooks. The little grandchildren enjoy seeing it now and the little lamb is a favourite!

Thanks for all your lovely stories ,its been a joy and a wee bit tearful too.

Witzend

LadyO

We have a squeaky Christmas pudding that comes out every year, I think it cost 50p back in 1996. It was the last present I ever gave to my beloved 13-year old golden retriever, it was wrapped under our Christmas tree, but sadly after 2 strokes we had to call out the vet to put him to sleep.
We lit the log fire and cuddled him until the vet arrived and my twin daughters aged 11 unwrapped his present and squeaked it. He was very deaf but the tip of his tail just wagged slightly, bless him. I get that squeaky Christmas pudding out every year and put it on the mantelpiece…?

Aaah, ? ?, what a lovely post. x

Golden Retrievers are very special. I dread the day that my boy is gone.

Thanks to you too paddyann, for starting the thread, no sniping, no dissention, just shared happy memories.

storynanny, my nativity figures are very similar to yours. The bodies are made from yogurt drink bottles, and so are all the same size. They have now been glued into a shoe box, so they don't keep escaping! The angel at the back was supposed to be keeping an eye on them.

Auntyflo, the angel in my set often had baby Jesus stuffed up her dress….

Zennomore

@LadyO - Your post brought a tear to my eye, beautiful memory of your faithful boy ?

Thank you… he was the perfect family dog…

Thisismyname1953 Witzend and Lauren59 thank you SO much, fellow dog lovers. This was a very nice thread indeed. I am more of a lurker than a poster but I do read many threads. Thank you to all those who faithfully post every day. So interesting.

Anniebach

My darling daughter put a pig in the our crib , a priest who was a friend came to bless the crib and very kindly explained there
wouldn’t have been a pig there.

She said , yes there would, Noah saved them.

Typical know it all priest! Your darling girl was right, how lovely and made me smile xx