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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Renee » Sun Dec 09, 2018 5:00 pm

Times have changed our Gill! :lol: Mind you, I do agree that he shouldn't have asked the children what they wanted.

As Joan did, I grew up during the war and I never asked for anything. I suspect that several things were second hand because lists were passed around where my dad worked. An aunt used to make clothes for dolls and lovely bedding for the pram. I did have plenty of presents though. We were very happy back in those days.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Uschi » Mon Dec 10, 2018 1:01 am

German children write a wish list either to the "Christchild" or Father Christmas, depending to the area they live in and givet that to their parents to post. If they were good some things off their list will find their waiting under the tree.

So, in a way we were asked. When I was little, my parents were hard up, but my mother sewed lovely dresses for my dolls for me and I did get some second-hand things that neighbours or friends handed down to us. I did not mind one bit.

I used to love standing in front of the toy shop windows and I loved looking at things and imagining how I would play with them, even if I knew that my chances of ever owning any of them were slim. My mother misinterpreted that and dragged me away to spare me the heartache (which I didn't have), but my father understood. He let me look and fantasize to my heart's content, while standing in front of the neighbouring shop window, looking at the cameras he didn't have the money for and imagining what he'd do with them. :lol: Magic1

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Gillthepainter » Mon Dec 10, 2018 1:24 pm

Yes, we were poor but happy.
My dad would bring back a big selection of sweeties from the local sweetie stall to be picked at from their wedding present cut glass bowl - the type with a silver rim round the top to prevent chips. Bomb-proof too, my sister still has it.
Toffee swirls, banana toffees, liquorice allsorts etc.

The mint imperials were the only ones to remain by the end of the week.
Which my dad would polish off at his leisure.

Sad about your 6th glass piece, Joan.

Uschi, you'd love the old fashioned toy shop near our house. Packed to the ceiling with toys and models, and run for a lifetime by a chap who looks at least 90.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Suffs » Mon Dec 10, 2018 2:01 pm

We were quite hard up when I was small and when Pa's precious pig herd was wiped out by Swine Fever and there was no compensation back then, times were very hard indeed. However the best Christmas present I ever had was a toy farm made for me by Pa that year.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Dec 10, 2018 2:32 pm

We weren’t badly off, except for a couple of years after Dad first took on the mortgage, but children didn’t expect so much back then

I was horrified when a thing went round FB asking for children to put their 15 least used toys into a bag for charity. FIFTEEN spare toys? Even as a comfortable middles class child I’d have had trouble puttin any 15 toys in a bag. I had a drawer downstairs that contained a few board games and quiet toys like fuzzy felt, and a small pink painted wooden box upstairs that contained my other toys. Plus teddy and a bike. I was quite jealous of friends with siblings, as of course there tended to be more toys around the house with 2 or 3 children :lol:

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby dennispc » Mon Dec 10, 2018 4:22 pm

Another ancient. It was only later in life I realised we were poor. However, my Dad had 13 siblings and Mum 12, with that number of Uncles and Aunts we did well at Christmas, though it was mostly things like a pencil case, small books etc., and an orange in the foot of our stocking.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Pampy » Mon Dec 10, 2018 6:18 pm

We always had a stocking with an orange, a red apple and foil covered chocolate coins in the toe. The rest were small presents like a pencil case etc. Although we weren't at all rich, my parents always managed to get the 3 of us "big" presents but I think a lot of them were second hand or home made - not that we minded. We never felt that we were missing anything at all and were always SO excited and couldn't wait to be allowed into the front room where our presents were laid out. We had to have breakfast before we went in though - probably because we'd have been too excited to eat anything once the presents were opened. Christmas was truly magical in those days.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Stokey Sue » Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:49 pm

Richard Osman’s theory is that the later in the day you open your presents, the more middle class you are

He usually has a point

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Gillthepainter » Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:11 am

I'm positively royal.
We open ours at about 8pm.

I've been looking at changing a few of our old decs.
Mum and dad's were stunning, acquired in Germany in the 60's. My middle sister has what's left of them.

The stuff in the shops is a bit meh!
Although Homesense isn't too bad. I've just got a very stylish cherry and willow wreath for the front door.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:12 am

I’m probably not going to put a tree up this year but I noticed there are some nice things in the Museum Selection Catalogue - including these “Imperial Russian” stars, now half price. They are made in Burma I believe, I brought some back when I visited the factory; current price is very good, I think they were at least $2 out there

https://www.museumselection.co.uk/christmas/imperial-velvet-decorations/

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Gillthepainter » Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:24 am

They're so pretty, Sue.
We are going for the tree today. :chrissytree1
I'd have an artificial one, but Tony won't have any of it!

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Joanbunting » Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:56 am

Well done Tony - me neither!

I got some very pretty glass baubles to hang from our 5 branch light above the dining table. They are blown glass with ice crystals and real foliage inside. They came from M&S France - special offer last weekend! I also got a lovely olive branch wreath.
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Dec 11, 2018 5:04 pm

You never know where they are going to pop up

Wilko of all places had some gorgeous glass baubles at a reasonable price about 4 years ago but only rubbish since

I have a set of 6 glass baubles in the shape of European birds, I think Museum selection have a set of 6 different ones, but clearly from the same source, tempted to make up the dozen.

And a local shop have gorgeous cloisonné humming birds, not cheap but they will last for ever

This room is turning into an aviary :lol:

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Sakkarin » Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:03 am

HAA! Festive ditty from my favourite poet (to the tune of "Last Christmas", from another boy from Bushey, George Michael)...

P.S. I've had TWENTY SEVEN emails from Heart Internet warning me of problems with the servers we're hosted on. Has anyone noticed anything odd, or "timeouts"?

Image

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Suffs » Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:28 am

No problems here Sakkarin ... all working very smoothly (accessing via iPhone atm if that makes any difference). :wave

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby dennispc » Wed Dec 12, 2018 1:02 pm

Haven't noticed anything Sakkarin, this is on iMac, but OK on Pad and Phone.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Joanbunting » Wed Dec 12, 2018 2:58 pm

Unfortunately I have Sakkers - either timeout or systems errors. However I always put anything like that firmly at the door of Orange France.

Love the festive poem :tiptoesanta :tiptoesanta
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Renee » Wed Dec 12, 2018 5:34 pm

No problems here up north!

:clap :clap … for the festive poem!

:chrissytree1 :chrissytree1

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Gillthepainter » Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:28 pm

Not a single glitch here, Sakkarin.

We should have been driving our way to Versailles today.
But decided to move our reservations to February, well away from the Paris and trucker difficulties.

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Re: CHATTERBOX

Postby Joanbunting » Wed Dec 12, 2018 9:47 pm

I very much doubt you would have had a problem Gill. However the weather may not have been kind!
Cooking for those you care about is the most profound expression of love - Anne-Sophie Pic

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