Magical Christmas Memories

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

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

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.

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 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!

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

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!

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 remember going to see Chu Chin Chow on ice when I was about 8.

I also remember the 'zoo' in Harrods, going to Bristol Zoo riding on Rosie the elephant (or was it Christina, they were both there at the same time)....circuses with lions and tigers (no one thought it cruel then ), penny slot machines, 8 for a penny Fruit Salad and Black Jack ( now presumably politically incorrect) chews, gob stoppers literally the size of golf balls (sucked, changed colour and kept in your hanky until next time!), frozen 'Jubblies' - weird coloured frozen twisted triangle shape ice blocks ( full of artificial ingredients I suspect and lurid colours.....
Skipping ropes and skipping using long lengths of thick rope, playing marbles and Jacks, hula hoops.... first time round!

Sorry, a bit of cross threading there, got carried away

Mine was the visit to Lewis's in Manchester, where the central dome was visible from basement to the top floor and hung with fabulous Christmas decorations. We also did the sleigh ride to get to Santa's Grotto. After that, we went for a short bus ride to the Hippodrome to see the panto. Such an exciting time and the anticipation of knowing that we were going to do it again next year made we want to stay that age forever! We try to re-create that for this generation, who love going to visit Santa, only now it's Winter Wonderland at the Trafford Centre and the panto has reality TV celebs, but the kids don't care.

Going the opposite way .

I was seriously Ill in Bath Hospital when I was 5 after falling down the stairs, wearing my sisters stiletto heeled shoes. I had concussion and loss of memory for days.

I remember that I had a stick of striped rock, 2 suger mice, 1 small bar of chocolate given to me for Xmas in a Xmas stocking. On Christmas Day the ward sister, a nasty piece of work she was, took all the treats the kids had and cut them all up to share. I cried my eyes out. She probably had a point but boy that hurt.

After I came out of hospital mum and dad arranged a special Xmas party for me, only at home, but Santa gave me an enormous bar of chocolate with a dolly dressed as a nurse, apparently I hid the dolly in the coal house so the ward sister left her mark.

My mother managed to produce 3 daughters within 4 days of Christmas (my sisters are twins) so whilst we had many lovely Christmas', presents were often of the 'joint present for birthday and Christmas variety', particularly from family friends.
It wasn't too bad if something like a 'new' bicycle but always felt a bit cheated! Should have adopted an 'unofficial' birthday like the Queen?
And being an expensive time of year it must have been difficult for my dear M & D.
Made every effort to make sure I had my two DCs in the spring and summer (April and June)!
Wasn't helped by DH's family all having birthdays in November......Seem to have ended up with 15 birthdays and wedding anniversaries between November 1 and Christmas Day .....
Roll on the New Year!

Rosequartz I too rode the elephant at Dudley Zoo. We had a day trip to the Zoo from school. I can only remember the elephant and the
Prefect in charge who I had a slight crush on. To be honest I can visualise the elephant better than the Prefect now !!

We used to go up to Oxford Street to see the lights and walk round Hamleys. It was exciting just to be out after dark. Usually by the time it got dark we were indoors and bedtime wasn't far away.

I can also remember a Christmas gathering at my grandparents, just after the war when my father was still away. At the end of the party two of my uncles accompanied my mother home. I held a hand of each uncle and as they led me along a put my head right back and looked into the dark night sky with all the stars seemingly going on forever. I can still remember how much the view of the stars completely engulfed me. It was magical.

Ah, the wonder of childhood

As far as I remember I was never taken to see Santa.

Living in Plymouth I was taken to the Dingles restaurant every Christmas. They always had a sort of cornucopia of a table at the entrance and I can remember a suckling pig with an apple in its mouth. There was also a model church with carols emanating from it.

I can remember dancing in front of and watching myself in a green Christmas tree bauble.

I remember being taken to see Santa when I was quite small. Not a success as I was terrified by having to speak to a strange man and the present was very disappointing, I think it was a skipping rope which I really didn't want!

I can remember dark evenings sitting under our Christmas tree, reading A Christmas Carol by the lights on the tree. How dreadfully twee and middle class it sounds now!

Don't apologise Deedaa for being middle class. I was really annoyed with the BBC representative for saying News24 was for white middle class older people. what is wrong with any of those statements?

There us nothing wrong with being any colour or age, or having programmes that may appeal to some groups more than others.

Loopylou I remember Rosie at Bristol Zoo. Not sure about Christina though.Found it quite scary being taken around the zoo strapped on her back but loved it anyway. My other favorite there was the Monkey Temple. We took our children there when they were small and the place hadn't changed much. (No Rosie of course). I expect it is very different now though.
Sorry, gone off subject again!

I remember the dome in Lewis's when and how exciting it was, but I'd forgotten about the Hippodrome, and we used to go there a lot.
Sugar mice in my stocking too, and when I was quite small we had an artificial tree which had cotton wool 'snow' on every branch and clip on candles which were lit every night!

Yes, what a fire hazard, they were real birthday cake-type candles!

We had clip-on birds as well.

Yes, the cottonwool snow on which we used to put glue then sprinkle silver glitter on! Lots of silver tinsel as well.

We were not middle-class, not a lot of money and no car, but DP still managed to take us to the panto or an ice show, the zoo and on holiday every year.
There is nothing twee or middle class about reading by the tree lights.