Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Was it really better ?

And I'll bet you still eat the fat even now

Not quite correct Bandy. I tried to make a doctors appointment yesterday and out of a pratice of 3 surgeries they could only offer me two options before next Thursday.I may get seen within the hour, but will have waited almost a week. I don't believe them anymore because they are never full when I;m in there. They do of course,have their coffee breaks which I suppose slows things down a bit.

Hi Elizabeth nice to hear from you. Hope you're enjoying all you read. There are some characters on this thread don't you think? What's your weather like?

The weather here in Allentown Pennsylvania ( 50 miles north of Philadelphia) is quite cold and crisp at the moment. The high temp for today was about 34*F (I don't do celcius very well I'm afraid)
There are a lot of colourful characters here yes, especially in the Wirral history section and I'm so glad I came upon this website back in September, it's been an amazing source of both entertainment and information to me. I only wish I'd discovered it sooner. Who'd have thought that a simple google of "Robert & Jobson" Sports shop in Charing Cross would have led me here, but that's the beauty of the internet I suppose

Really enjoying reading this thread,peeps! more! more!

I remember as a child my Mum would cut the toes out of our shoes when we grew out of them. We obviously must have been quite poor but I didn't know it at the time, anyway I loved wearing my 'open toed shoes' and thought I was the bees knees in them. In reality I must have looked a right tw*t with my toes hanging over the front

ELIZABETH,

It is 39.7 here in New Brighton at 0723, 10-12-2011. We have just had a hail storm & it's a bit windy. Not nice at all!

RUDEBOX]Really enjoying reading this thread,peeps! more! more!

Hi Rudebox it's good isn't it? I have become quite addicted and the memories are triggered so many times by what others remember. Unfortunately my brain this week is going into hibernation as Christmas is taking priority and I don't seem to be able to multi-task quite so well.
I do remember that our Christmas tree and always a real tree, was only ever put up after we had gone to bed on Christmas eve up until I was about 8yrs. Coming down on Christmas morning and going into the front room which we didn't use on a daily basis only special occassions (and piano practice).The fire would be glowing and a muffled silence was in the room with the magical Christmas tree standing proud and shining brightly in front of the bay window. The smell of the tree was a strong pine aroma. Presents(not so many as now) grouped around the base and even then, the chocolate coins of which ,we were allowed to have one after breakfast. Wonderful!

Blimey granny, how posh were you?!

We only ever had an artificial tree, and the same one got used year, after year, after year, after year...

It was was only a relatively small tree that could be put up on the livingroom side-board alongside a bowl of fresh fruit and stuff like dates and nuts. It was the only time of year we ever had fresh fruit in the house, apart from apples at Halloween, or on occasions when someone was ill!

Homemade paper-chains were used to decorate the room with, and all the Christmas cards got displayed on strings (looking like hankies on a washing line) stretching across every wall. And programmes like Blue Peter and Magpie would encourage us kids to make our own deccies out of things like wire coat hangers and tinsel.

I'm starting to cry now.

...should have said the only fruit we ever saw was the tangerine we got in our Christmas stocking.

Talk about artificial trees, ours is up again, its probably about 25 years old and every year Mrs Bert says "We must get a new tree", by the time all the crap goes on it, no one can see the bloody tree.

Hi Yes I did, I went to Prenton High School (prenton pram pushers!) before that I went to Well Lane School in tranmere.

We weren't posh I don't think. I tell you why tho'. T'was because my dear father absolutely loved Christmas. He had been born in 1902 and got married late in life(40yrs). He had not experienced Christmas or holidays much as a child as his mum was widowed before my father was born. (a few more tears for Bert).This was a time of year that he felt he could really recapture the spirit and so much wanted us all to enjoy. So a good Christmas and a holiday every summer were what we always had. He was dead tight the rest of the year tho'.
Paperchains yes, . A policeman and a Santa that were made of concertinered( spelling) paper. Their arms and legs sprung out when they were hung up. The tree lights were like little bells with the light inside.

p.s. I hope you eat more fruit now Geekus!

Here you are Geekus, I found this site, it tells you all about donkey-stones and other stuff which could be of interest.
http://washday.ukhomefront.co.uk/3.html

Oh yes, paper decorations I'd forgotten about them! We never seemed to make ours long enough to stretch across the front room ceiling diagonally from each corner so they wouldn't have enough of a swag/droop and would be virtually straight. And how I loved the concertina(ed) decorations too, we had a bell one that had the shape of a boot before it was fanned out to reveal its glory
Such sweet happy memories come flooding back each time I read this thread, and I could cry (with happiness)just thinking about my childhood.

PS Granny, I hope you return here after your self imposed Christmas hibernation!