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Have spent a day being brainwashed into thinking I'm behind with EVERYTHING! for christmas. I'm not, but the prices of childrens toys

It can't be just inflation.

What does anyone else remember as their Best! presents from childhood?



OK I'll agree to a window of 5 -9 years old.

Me? Well at some age amongst the above I opened a flat cardboard box, not very big, but to me enormous, my parents had bought a pile of Fry's Cream bars ( I had and still have a weakness for them) they cost 1d and 2d ( yes I'm that old) each and were arranged artistically out on the bottom of the box but not for long.
No idea what elseI got that year!!

Every year we went to Holt's to buy a pair of ballet shoes which were then sent on to father christmas to redeliver.

The best of the lot was when my parents had a cash flow problem, they were hard up!!

Mum made me ( bare in mind she had no sewing abilities) a fairy dress with net skirt and top in satin with shoe string straps and my dad made wings covered in net and a wand, with a battery in the stick and a button that made a light at the end come on.

I was over the moon with joy and remember no other gifts. The downside was that I insisted on wearing it all Christmas, so I had to wear my VEST!!! with the sleeves, you know the kind
and felt that it took a little of my magic away.

Sad I am, I know, but it is all still remembered after years, hope the kids today enjoy their gifts for as long.

My most memorable Christmas was when I had a pair roller skates. The one year I didn't want snow on Christmas Day, we got a scattering. It wasn't enough to sledge but it was enough to stop me from skating.

My worst Christmas was because of illness. Mum and I always put the tree up on the 1st December. This particular year, we did it but my heart wasn't in it. Mum knew there must be something wrong. The next day I was taken with excrutiating pain. After investigation by the Dr, it turned out to be inflammation of the colon. I was just about right for Christmas morning but I know mum and dad were really worried that it was something much more serious.

Christmas was always exciting and magical. My brother, sister and I would get up at stupid o'clock to see if 'HE' had been. Just at the top of the stairs, dad would tell us to 'get back to bed', he's still in Greenland.

My favourite pressie was a huge big elephant 'teddy bear'. I used to love cuddly toys but this one was huge took up a whole chair. I didn't let go of it all through Christmas. Nellie even had a place at the dinner table.

I have such happy memories of my childhood. I don't think kids today experience any of the magic of Christmas that I had (and I bet my Christmas experience would be completely different to most of yours).
There are houses displaying decorations already round here. It's far too early and I think kids get bored. There doesn't seem to be any element of surprise either.

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

It was a magical time for me too, we didn't have much money when I was little but we had tons of love. One Christmas night when I was in bed inbetween sleeping and awake, I could have sworn I saw Father Christmas with a sack over his shoulder climbing back up the open chimney (we had old ranges in the bedrooms) the image is as vivid today as it was then. One Christmas when I was about 9, I got a box brownie camera for a present but the turning mechanism was missing and my Dad had put an hairgrip in it's place to be able to turn the film forward, only poor you see, it was second hand, but I loved it and it took fantastic black and white photo's. One of my worst Christmases was finding out there was no Father Christmas, that year I had bad tonsilitis and was sleeping very badly, as I was laid there with my eyes closed I heard my Mum creeping upstairs and looking in on me and then she whispered downstairs to my Dad, it's alright Fred you can bring it up now (my pillowcase) I was crushed but I never let on. The feeling experienced on Christmas morning when waking up and looking at the bottom of the bed and seeing your stuffed pillowcase, was the best feeling ever, such a time of innocence. I wouldn't swap what I had for what they have today, everything is about trying to get your kids the best toy, the best game, we had much less in those days but in a way we had so much more.


Stephanie.

No Father Christmas! Nooo. I believe I believe I believe

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

No Santa!!! Altogether, OH YES THERE IS
Had another flashback, stayed over Xmas with an Uncle and Aunt who had a farm.

major worry, will he know I'm here and not at home.
Highlight, their very flighty cat had put on a fair bit of weight in the weeks before Christmas, OK you know what's coming
Christmas morning she had a litter of kittens when I came down, did I get any presents, havn't a clue, played with the cats all the time and was promised the white kitten when we left, as 'he' had brought it especially for me.

It never did come home with me. Never saw the kittens again My Uncle was a bit of a softie, he disposed of her many litters in a bucket of water, with a lid on so he did not have to watch, oh! of course he did use warm water as well. EEEh by gum, them were the days.

Talking about kittens, my friends cat had a litter and her Dad put them in the gas oven and turned on the gas, thinking we were'nt about, but we walked in on him and we screamed the house down, of course he had to take them out to shut us up. But one day when we came hame from school they were'nt there................

Just to say I do believe in Father Christmas, he just stops coming when you are older that's all, and I also believe in fairies, I have some at the bottom of my garden I remember my Grandson asking me how Father Christmas was going to leave his presents as he did'nt have a fireplace, I told him that he has a magic key that will open any door.


Stephanie.

Like it! Magic Key, must remember that next time a small person with central heating gets me cornered in a deep and meaningful conversation.

I've always been a bookworm so any Christmas was magic to me if someone bought me a book and someone else bought me a selection box. There must have been many a Christmas morning when I was sprawled out on the floor in front of the fire in the early hours, stuffing my face with chocolate and reading my Bunty annual.

My grandson just wants loads of really loud wrapping paper. I'm making the most of it whilst he's cheap.

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

They love big cardboard boxes as well if they are at the crawling stage.


Stephanie.

I always loved books, and my paternal grandma always bought me some----that was me christmas day, with my head in one.

On the topic of cardboard boxes---our neighbour had a large childrens party a few years back and bought all manner of outside toys including a large climbing frame. What were they all playing with ?---- the large box the climbing frame was packed in----they completely ignored the rest, and the bouncy castle was only used by the adults. Give them a few boxes and a bit of imagination and leave them to it.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

I remember Christmas Eve we had friends in for cards and dominos i was sent to bed soon and can recall shouting from the top of the stairs Has he been.NO get back to bed .
I always got lots of books also can remember one year a fair isle beret and matching gloves that was one of my best presents .
And a friend of mine got a white £5 note i thought that was amazing never seen one before .
All this would be in the 40s .
Wonder what Father Christmas will bring this year Im ready for him .

The thing I remember about Christmas is that we always had a goose. The goose grease was saved to rub on the kids chests and covered with brown paper to help with colds and sniffles. It seemed to work.

Mum always made a rabbit pie for Father Christmas on Christmas eve. He must have been hungry because there wasn't any left on Christmas morning.

My favourite presents at Christmas were a Rupert Bear annual, a tin of reeves paints, a packet of dolly mixtures a Macintosh red apple and an orange. These I got every year.

One year in addition I got a doll and another year a cot.

We could never sleep either and a small amount of whiskey in coffee was used without success.

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Trish ...