Christmas memories

Roy, 91, Strathclyde House, Skelmorlie

“Christmas to me was always special. Something I looked forward to and always loved. Even during the restrictions in the Second World War, somehow my parents always managed to make Christmas special. There seemed to be plenty around this time of year and we didn’t seem to want for anything.

“One memory that I have is getting fruit in my stocking. The Jaffa orange. It seemed huge to me with a thick skin and juicy flesh. The Cox’s orange pippin apple. Oh, and it was good, so good, with an orangy flesh that tasted like no other apple ever tasted.

“And then there was the empty sock that we hung up at the end of our beds. You closed your eyes, tried to stay awake to see who would fill the stocking. Was Father Christmas real? The next we knew it was morning and we awoke to see the socks were full of goodies. My youngest sister would come and sit on my bed and explore the contents, fruit, toffees and other ‘munchies’, and lots of little stocking fillers.

“It was always a magical time of year. Families got together, ate together, had fun and laughter together. Our mother did the ceremony of the Christmas pudding baking, and my favourite bit was licking the bowl after the cake had been made. There was much advance preparation made as Mother baked early for the great day and Dad coming home saying he’d ‘managed to get a bird’. Never a turkey or goose, always just referred to as ‘the bird’, big enough to feed the whole family.

Alison, 76, Royd Court, Mirfield

‘Come on, come on... Granny’s waiting.’ 7am Christmas morning! My brothers and sister were responding to our parents’ exhortation to sing outside Granny’s bedroom door. Her favourite carol ‘While Shepherds Watched’ was sung every year, all six verses, in musical parts, before we all piled onto her bed, to her delight!

“After receiving one penny per year for our age (carol money), we opened our stockings excitedly. Long hiking socks, stuffed by Mother, with small gifts making curiously enticing shapes. Then, dressed quickly, we had breakfast round the Christmas tree.

“There were no ‘main presents’ until 3pm, for celebrating Jesus’ birth in church was first. Back home to lunch with ‘extras’ playing charades, singing round the piano, then PRESENTS at last! It kept us happy till bedtime. Not every child has such privileges, but repeating it with our own children 25 years later was even better!“

Helen, 93, Shottermill House, Haslemere

“Christmas was different when I was a child, not like today’s Christmas when children have everything given to them. I grew up in a small village in Devon and was the youngest of five children. Mum and Dad made sure we had all that we needed. My mum ran a catalogue selling things, I think it was for Lever Brothers. Everything that was sold gave my mum a small dividend and she saved this up to spend on us at Christmas. I know Mum gave up a lot to make things Christmassy.

“It was a happy time. We had a stocking with an apple and an orange in it and we made paperchains that were part of a book of coloured bits of paper. We went into the local woods to collect holly, and my brother taught us the song ‘The Holly And The Ivy’. One lovely memory is that one year instead of a chicken we had a pheasant that my Dad had caught. In 1963 we had a big freeze. We didn’t have central heating like they do now. We only had a coal fire to keep warm but we survived.“