 |
 |
Feature
written by Josie Vernon, site user
As I was on the threshold of my teenage years
in 1950, I can remember those days clearly.
They were, of course, very different to
Christmas today.
| |
 |
|
The
Godiva statue in the year it was
unveiled, 1949
|
World
War Two had finished less than five years
before and things such as sweets, meat and
butter were still rationed. However, we still
enjoyed Christmas, perhaps even more so than
children do today.
There was no commercial television until the
middle of the decade and so there was no
pressure for mums and dads to have to buy the
latest toy for their demanding offspring.
Computers and computer games, CDs, televisions
- all of these were unheard of in those days,
which to people of my generation really don't
seem so very far off!
| |
 |
|
A
chicken ready to be carved
|
There
were no supermarkets, just the small shops at
the corner of the street where our mums bought
the groceries. We were lucky, as we lived
next-door to a grocery shop, with the
greengrocer's next door to that.
Dad had kept chickens in the back garden since
the war and he used to kill a cockerel ready
for our Christmas dinner. It was the only day
of the year that we had poultry, so it was
very special to us.
Battery farming and 'broiler' chickens were
also unheard of at the time.
| |
 |
|
A
Christmas pudding
|
About
three weeks before Christmas, Mum would cook
the puddings in the big Burco copper in the
kitchen. We could smell them cooking while we
were in bed and it all added to the excitement
and anticipation. She also made her own
mincemeat, and we had to 'have a stir' of both
and make a wish.
There
was always a party at school before we broke
up for the holidays. We looked forward to
these parties, as we could wear our best
clothes instead of our school uniforms.
There was also modern dancing, with our music
teacher playing the latest records. Instead of
a barn dance, the veleta or the dashing white
sergeant - the old time dancing that we were
taught in school - we were allowed to dance
the quickstep, the fox trot and the modern
waltz.
These were, for us, the equivalent of today's
disco dancing. We were NOT allowed to jive -
the forerunner of rock and roll - as that was
not approved of!
| |
 |
|
Children
carol singing in 1950
|
We
used to go carol singing about a week before
Christmas, around the district. We always sang
the proper words and verses to at least one,
sometimes two carols at each door, and finish
off with "Apples to eat, nuts to crack,
we wish you 'Merry Christmas' and a
rat-tat-tat", knocking the door on the
last Tat!
Then, the owner of the house answered the door
and gave us a penny or, if they were very
appreciative of our renditions, 3d. It was
very rare for anyone to send us away.
| |
 |
|
Coventry
City Council Christmas card from 1946
|
On
Christmas Eve, Mum would take us into town,
where we went to see Father Christmas at Owen
Owens - the big Broadgate department store,
now called Allders.
Then, we would go to the Barracks market where
mum would buy the fruit and nuts.
My two younger brothers and I would go to bed
early after our bath, hanging clean pillow
cases at the head of the bed, ready for Santa
to come.
| |
 |
|
An
old-fashioned wireless radio
|
In
the morning, we would wake early to find our
pillow cases full of goodies. I believe it was
Christmas 1950 that I received a doll's
furniture shop that Dad had made for me - and
he had put lights in it. I was thrilled to
bits!
My brother, David, had a crystal set radio
from one of our uncles. We used to sit in bed
on Saturday nights, listening to Jack
Jackson's Record Round Up, twiddling with the
'cat's whisker' to tune it in.
We
had Christmas dinner at 1pm, on the dot, and
Dad always set the pudding on fire after
dousing it with whisky. This never ceased to
amaze us.
After the pudding, he would share out the
sweet ration. Christmas afternoon, uncles,
aunts and Nan would arrive, in time to hear
the King's speech on the radio.
For
tea, mum always made a Christmas cake and a
trifle, with various kinds of sandwiches. We
usually had tinned fruit and cream. Not real
cream of course, but Carnation milk poured
over it, but to us, it was the height of
luxury!
The evening was spent playing games with our
relations. Snakes and Ladders, Ludo or Lotto.
After we had gone to bed, the grown-ups played
Monopoly or cards. These games were considered
too adult for us children.
If
you have special memories of Christmas past,
whether they're from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or
90s - perhaps even older or more recent - then
let us know.
Email us at the address on the left and we
will print your memories here. Here's hoping
this Christmas will create more happy memories
for you.
|
