Gets earlier every year?

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Rob Houghton »

generally, most kids get a lot more than my generation used to get for Christmas. We also got a lot more than my mom's generation - who would often only get books, apple, orange, some nuts, a penny, etc.

I'm only going by my own experience - my sister and I wrote out lists, sometimes with 15 or 20 items on them, but we knew we'd only get one 'main' present - back then the top price we were allowed was £8 - but that was quite a lot in the late 1970's.

My nieces, when they were children, seemed to get a lot more - such as a mobile phone for £100 + or the latest toy which was usually fairly expensive (maybe £80 - £100). Their two boys now get loads of toys - many more than we ever had - so that they are almost swamped by them, and don't know what to play with first. While we would play with the same toy for days after Christmas, my great-nephews seem to get fed up and move on to older toys after a day or so!

Makes my Action Man, or a game, look rather meagre! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Moonraker
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Moonraker »

I don't know what it makes my packet of gummed paper shapes look like...
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The beauty of gummed paper shapes is that you can make them look like whatever you want! :wink:
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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Rob Houghton
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I used to love a packet of gummed paper shapes...though not usually for Christmas. My mom would buy them for me from the local post office, which also sold 'Britains' farm animals and matchbox cars. :-D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Moonraker »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:The beauty of gummed paper shapes is that you can make them look like whatever you want! :wink:
"Ha ha, Joke," said Moonraker politely. :wink:
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by o'malley »

Best Christmas Day for me was when I was four and recovering from German Measles. I can remember coming downstairs to be confronted with a huge brown sack (Mum had got one from the local Postal sorting office) - bigger than me - overflowing with toys! Magical.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by floragord »

Darrell71 wrote:
floragord wrote:We have frequently winced when parcels arrive via Australia Post at the cost of postage, between $40 - $85 generally
HOLY MOTHER OF - !! :shock: That's a bit much, eh?

I'm literally (when will I learn to say that word in a British accent? :( ) so done with India right now. Like Christmas is my favorite holiday of all time, I mean, I like it more than my birthday, but the last time I actually got to experience it properly was like 2006. I mean, here in India if we're not particularly busy we get a smallish tree and me and my parents get each other a few gifts, we decorate the tree and that's IT. Last year we didn't get a tree coz we were just way too busy, and now I'm too afraid to ask for one coz I mean they just get it for me, and I'm pretty sure they're gonna give me a "you should've grown out of this by now " look. I mean who in their right minds should grow out of Christmas?!. In US we used to celebrate coz everyone around us was doing it and as you guys know it's really festive and fun and the whole mood is different, but here, it's just like no one cares. My school used to have a camp every year from the 25th to the 31st of December, so the first year I told them that I couldn't come on the first day coz it was Christmas, and the teacher just gave me a calm fake smile and said, "well then don't celebrate it, the camp is mandatory." YES. No Christmas holidays, no trees, no decorations, just the cold that isn't really cold and no, don't celebrate it coz you have a stupid camp that you HAVE to have right on Christmas day coz who cares about other people and what they like to celebrate? Ooh and Diwali? The Ganpati festival? Wear uncomfortable Indian clothes when it's hot outside and go stuff yourself with food that's all sweet and sit in front of pandits who sing in scratchy voices and don't complain, it's God after all. I DON'T EVEN BELIEVE IN GOD!! I don't care about the traditions and what God is gonna do to me if I don't go there. I don't want to watch my poor dog whimper with fear every time a darned firecracker is set off by some uneducated idiot who thinks it's ok to pollute and to cause noise that can harm your hearing. I just wanna enjoy my holidays. And then the one festival/holiday I actually care about isn't even a holiday!! I'm getting out of this place in two years and I'm not coming back any time except JuLy-August coz that's the only time when it actually rains. And yes I love all the processions during Ganpati and the drums, and the pretty lights in Diwali but I don't like it in general.


Ok I may be a bit more than a little annoyed. Just a bit. :lol:
Guessing most postal services would suggest we have 2 choices - ergo, that's the cost, take it or leave it :roll: , we find the charges a bit eye-watering for our friends and relatives further afield but are very grateful they continue to think of us! Sorry to hear the current Indian Christmas celebrations leave you less than euphoric! It was many years ago and a different era when we had a festive season there, and "traditional" items were probably much easier to get. I remember a 6' tree and all the decorations, don't know if you'd have enjoyed the mealtimes though!!, we girls all sat round in velvet dresses buttoned up to our chins, and the boys and men in suits, and consumed a large chicken, considered a very special treat at the time, and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding & custard and boxes of crackers to pull, in extreme heat; don't think anyone actually fainted away and everyone remembers the celebrations with nostalgia! Hope your festivities this year are more enjoyable!
"Its a magic wood!" said Fanny suddenly.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Jack400 »

Strangely, although I recall being given at least two(probably more) fountain pen/ propelling pencil sets for Christmas, by my grandparents(and wondering what they thought we could possibly need so many for- as they surely last more than a year in normal use) I have only found one of the pencils since.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by floragord »

Its our year for poinsettias!!, 9 so far :shock: - we've made them a feature in the porch with a bench for some and the rest below, with plenty of lights and sparkle - luckily they're all red... :wink:
"Its a magic wood!" said Fanny suddenly.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Katharine »

Sounds very festive. Sadly our decorations are all still in the loft. :cry: I've just dug out my copy of The Teacher's Treasury Vol 3 which has instructions for home made decorations - I shall make a list and hit the craft shop early next week. Knowing my creative skills (or lack of them), I might have something passable made for next Christmas. :lol: :lol:

I don't know about getting earlier each year, but it seems traditions may be changing. I was chatting to someone about how many more cards I still had to write (I send about 60), and they said they don't send any, and that most people of their age (mid 30s) never send them either, they just send greetings via social media. I don't know if that's just their own circle of friends or if it's a trend that is popular with younger people.
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Courtenay »

I've just sent my two cards that are going in the post to Australia — one for Gran and one for my great-aunt (who's also about to celebrate her 100th birthday :D ). The rest of my family, who do have email, will be getting e-cards, simply because it saves on postage (and I have a subscription to Jacqui Lawson's e-cards, which are really nice and my family always enjoy them). I would certainly send or give them paper cards if I were in Australia before Christmas. Their presents will wait until I get there next month!

I do have paper cards for my friends and colleagues here in the UK, most of whom I'll see before Christmas and will deliver the cards in person. Again, it's mainly avoiding postage costs. I'm a bit cheap like that sometimes. :wink:
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Between us, my dad and I write about 90 cards. I write about 70 of them - mainly my mom and dad's friends, and friends from my musical theatre company etc. They do get less each year - as some people don't send cards and due to their age, we presume they've either moved or died. :( I hate writing cards, I must admit - but do them very quickly!! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by pete9012S »

For about twenty years we received a Christmas card addressed to Mr & Mrs Tommy Gun.

We always assumed it was a joke or an error until our neighbour Brenda, now in her eighties told us that a Mr & Mrs Gun did indeed live at our address a good few years before we arrived!
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane -

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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Poppy »

Rob Houghton wrote:I hate writing cards, I must admit - but do them very quickly!! :lol:
Awhh, I love writing Christmas cards!! I love it so much that I write all my parents cards for them (there's usually about 40 or 50 to write) :lol: Also, wrapping presents is one of my favourite things to do as well :lol:
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Rob Houghton
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Re: Gets earlier every year?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I do enjoy wrapping presents much more than writing cards. :-D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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