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Christmasses past

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Janet Toms got a grey wooden kangaroo for Christmas in 1942. The story behind it concerns Polish battleships, Cowes harbour, and great heroism. When it comes to regrets, I am definitely with Frank Sinatra rather than Edith Piaf; regrets, I have a few. Mostly they aren’t of the life-changing variety but from time to time […]
KANGAROO FOR CHRISTMAS
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A Childhood Christmas
A Childhood Christmas
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When You Wish Upon A Stir
When You Wish Upon A Stir
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  Bells have long held a place in the traditions of Christmas, for a joyous peal of church bells was always used to herald good news. And hand-bells, an attractive smaller substitute, are still often used as a pleasing accompaniment to human voices at Christmas. In Heaven the Bells are Ringing, the Christmas carol tells […]
RINGING OUT FOR CHRISTMAS DAY
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  When I was small, I would write a note to Father Christmas (he wasn’t ‘Santa’ then), and be allowed to hold it over the fire when it was just glowing – suddenly, as if by magic, my note would swirl up the chimney. I knew that Father Christmas had received it. “Is it really […]
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
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  With Christmas approaching, I was considering my options on presents for my various grandchildren and great grandchildren when my mind drifted back to my own childhood and how things have changed. I grew up in my home town of Liverpool in the 1930s and my usual presents were hand knitted jumpers, socks, and shirts from […]
A Bike and Bruises for Christmas
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  I joined the Army in 1941, seeing action in France and Germany. After VJ day, being relatively young at 24,1 was posted to Egypt and Palestine in order to release men who had served many years abroad without home leave. And so I was able to join hundreds of other service personnel for a […]
Christmas in Bethlehem 1945
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  My second Christmas away from home was in 1949. The first had been when I was evacuated in September 1939. In 1949 I had completed National Service basic and trade training in the Royal Engineers and on Christmas Day was on the troopship Empire Halladale on a non-stop run from Liverpool to Port Said. We […]
Christmas in the Med
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The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot
The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot
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“A guid New Year to one an’ a’ and mony may ye see.” Traditions are often things that we adhere to without knowing why. It feels right. Deep in our DNA we’re hardwired to respond to them. The Scottish traditions of Hogmanay go further into our dark past than we realise, with mixed influences – […]
Happy Hogmanay
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The yuletide board…
The yuletide board…
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Oh Carol!
Oh Carol!
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My Christmas memories are inextricably linked with Woolworths. While Woolworths featured largely in our lives all year in the 1950s, at Christmas it was always first port of call. Wooden floors echoed and large wooden counters towered above the heads of toddlers. At the start of December, a central section of counters was cleared, making […]
Woolworths and 50s’ festive shopping
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Christmas feasting
Christmas feasting
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MY Christmas Day in 1953 was spent on the Royal Yacht in the South Atlantic between Chatham and the Deception Islands. I was coxswain of the Royal Yacht, and we had left New Zealand on December 16th. On board was the Duke of Edinburgh and members of the Royal party who were taking part in […]
Christmas at sea
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THE MISTLETOE BOUGH
THE MISTLETOE BOUGH
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THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
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AT 62 years of age, and the father of five children by two marriages, I find the contrast between life today and my life as a boy breathtaking. I wonder if when my son is 62 and he looks back, he’ll feel the same? When I was nine I was living with my mother, father […]
THAT AMAZING WINTER OF 1947
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WHERE WERE SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS?
WHERE WERE SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS?
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Christmas Eve is definitely not the most popular day for sailing. In wartime you didn’t have the luxury of picking and choosing your date, and so it was a rather disgruntled crew who put to sea on a day when most people were starting their celebrations. Massive posters everywhere shouted ‘CarelessTalk Costs Lives’, so another […]
THE RUM PUNCH EFFECT
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