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| The paper streamer hanging from the ceiling is from around the '50s or very early '60s |
You asked for them, you pleaded for them, you demanded them (well, okay - four of you expressed a mild interest), so here they are - many of my Christmas decorations for this year. Starting at the back of the living-room and working our way around to the TV, here's a brief pictorial panoply to show you how I celebrate the festive season. I'll include footnotes in each pic if there's anything I think you might like to know.
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| Sharp-eyed Crivs will spot I now own two Fireball XL5 Bagatelles, as well as my Daleks one |
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| This ornament lights up and plays Xmas tunes as Santa's 'flying' sleigh revolves overhead |
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| Last year (as in previous ones) I had tinsel stars and bells hanging from the ceiling |
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| That's another small tree in front of the MWOM picture. It lights up when switched on |
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| The streamer over the wall-plate is 40 years old. The big piccie is Glasgow's Park Circus |
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| You can see part of another Xmas tree to the left of the pic. The central one is fibre optic |
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| I used to put more Xmas things on the display cabinet, but there's not enough room now |
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| The main Xmas tree, which is older than I am (and probably in much better shape) |
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| The red crepe-paper globe above the 'sunburst' clock is as old as the main Xmas tree |
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| Four '80s traditional Santas from Woolworth's hang from the distinctly '70s looking clock |
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| The mice in my house are enormous - perhaps I should hide the cheese somewhere |
47 comments:
It's nice to see those old-fashioned paper decorations, Kid.
All I can say is "WOW"! You definitely have a wonderful collection, vintage and modern. Makes me want to decorate now, but it's a bit late for this year. Seeing your photos really lifted my spirits, Kid. Thanks!
Guess what - it's even nicer to own them, CJ.
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Never too late, LM. Do it today - they don't need to come down 'til the 6th Jan.
We used to have a very similar star shaped clock and my brother and myself snapped a few of the prongs playing football with rolled up socks in the house when they my mum and dad were out. We clued it every time and used to ensure we always had a battery in it so mum and dad wouldnt see it Of course they knew but never said until we got a new one and told us " try not to break this one" Great decorations we had a few of these back in the day .
Before this clock, which we got in the early '70s, we had an old mantlepiece wind-up one, which I wish I still had. Must've got the new one in 1972 or '73 when we first moved into my current house. The 'goldy' bits are beginning to tarnish in places, so I'll have to try polishing it up a bit. Hard to believe it's now been around for just over 50 years, as I still think of it as our 'new' clock.
Not sure why Lord Mikolaj thinks it a bit late for decorations this year when you aren't really supposed to put up your Christmas decorations until Christmas Eve.
Kid, I too had a small fibre-optic tree which I bought in 1999 (it was the first Christmas after my father died). The fibre-optic "lights" flashed on and off because there was a bulb in the base with a plastic disc above it which revolved and the disc had alternate black and clear sections so the lights went off when the black sections of the disc passed over the bulb and blocked the light from passing up the fibre-optic filaments to the branches. Anyway I unscrewed the plastic disc and scratched away parts of the black sections and when I put the disc back in place and turned on the power it resulted in the lights appearing to constantly shimmer rather than just flashing on and off which was a big improvement in my opinion.
There have been times when, despite my best intentions, I haven't been able to put up my decorations until Christmas Eve, CJ, and I regretted it because Jan 6th came round too quickly to make the effort seem worthwhile. It's likely that LM has a similar view, but there's still 10 days to Christmas Eve so it's not too late.
That's exactly how my (and no doubt everyone's) fibre optic tree works, but I can't remember if the disc has got black sections or not, or just different coloured sections. It can be quite hypnotic and relaxing just to gaze at it when it's in operation.
I'm late to this party, but what an amazingly, eclectic Christmas bonanza, K. It's just how i'd have it given the chance. Those piccy's with the cool retro gold, are like time travelling to a 70's Christmas morning, after a serious unwrapping session, of course. Top marks K, an ispiration to all humbuggers everywhere, "put your trimmings up, life's too boring without them!"
Hi Colin! I guess its a combination of lots of little things, but health issues and company coming and a little smidge of depression are the main culprits, and that we usually get going on decorating at the end of November! In 40 years, this is the first Christmas we didn't do any cards, either. Hopefully by January when I get my medical tests done things will be back to normal. The good old USA has some of the worst health care imaginable. Sorry, this is supposed to be a festive jolly time! Happy Holidays to all the Crives!
Ta much, R. Given LM's reply to CJ, above, I'm sure you don't consider him a 'humbugger' as it's medical problems in his case that led to a decoration-free home this year. Let's hope he has a better 2025, eh?
And Happy Holidays (and Merry Christmas) to you, too, LM.
Thanks for showing us your decorations, Kid. I could spend a happy few hours looking at your collection. One thing I noticed and liked in particular was the Batman with a cape that looks like a hang-glider. I wonder if I could sneak a Batman into our decorations.
I have an argument every year about when the decorations should come down. I say they should be down by the end of the 5th January, which is 12th night (Christmas Day night being 1st night). I think 'til the 6th' should be 'before the 6th'. Google backs me in this claim but to be honest we've taken them down on New Year's Day the last couple of years, just because there are so many of them and we need to pack them all away before returning to work, otherwise we'd never have time to do it all.
The Batman figures are there all year round, M, not just Christmas. I've got more 'secular' toys out on display than I used to have, hence a couple of boxes of Christmas decorations not being unpacked this year. As for when to take down decorations, here's a 'cut & paste' from the Internet.
5th or 6th of January
According to Christian tradition, the right date to take down Christmas decorations is on the Twelfth Night after Christmas, which usually falls on either the 5th or 6th of January, depending on how the 12 days of Christmas are counted. Some believe that taking decorations down a day sooner or keeping them up a day later than this can bring bad luck. However, it is recommended to take decorations down any time from the 1st through to the 6th of January.
"Holy Conundrum Batman?" Of course not K, just a playful term for the likes that just cannot be bothered. I truely wish LM nothing but the best in health, hopefully your little Christmas and toy expose, will lift his spirits.
Well, he said it did and that's good enough for me, R. It lifted my spirits showing them.
Lord Mikolaj, I too hope you'll be feeling better next year and Merry Christmas!
I haven't sent any Christmas cards this year either and I don't bother with a tree or decorations but I'm not a humbugger as I like buying festive food plus I like all the Christmas-themed TV and radio at this time of year (Kid, on Monday night BBC Four will be showing the 1974 Christmas special of Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads which was also the very last episode of course. On the same night BBC Four is also showing the '74 Christmas special of Steptoe & Son which was the final episode of that series too. Funny how two classic series ended just two days apart on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day 1974).
The Christmas season doesn't officially end until Candlemas on February 2nd and in some countries the Christmas decorations stay up until then.
I've got the BBC box set of 'Whatever...', CJ, so can watch it whenever I like. My local HMV store is selling it for £9.99 at the moment, which is an absolute bargain. (Mine cost more a good few years back.)
Did you not even send a card to your old pal who changed his name? Wonder if he'll miss it, eh?
The original '60s Likely Lads shows were just as popular as Steptoe & Son, apparently. They both had very high ratings.
When does the Christmas season officially start? Our Home Bargains had decorations and gift sets on sale the 17th August. I don't think Christmas should be mentioned until the 1st December. It loses its meaning otherwise, whether that be religious or time with friends and family.
I've got the Steptoe and both Likely Lads box sets. They are always worth watching again but in terms of new programmes worth watching there are virtually none.
Personally, I wouldn't mind shops starting to promote Christmas around the middle of November, 'cos then at least Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes night have passed. As for when it officially starts, there seems to be a variety of dates on offer, which I found too confusing to pursue - so I didn't.
I used to watch Steptoe when I was younger and enjoyed it, but I find the father and son situation too unrelentingly depressing now to bother.
Kid, it's been over 20 years since I last saw that pal who changed his name. I just feel that Christmas cards are old hat nowadays and all that waste of paper is hard to justify anymore.
I won't be watching the Likely Lads and Steptoe & Son Xmas specials either because I watched them both on YouTube only a few days ago! There's also a radio version of the '74 Steptoe & Son Special (originally broadcast on Radio 4 at Christmas 1976) which is available on BBC Sounds along with all the Steptoe & Son radio episodes. Unlike you I still love Steptoe & Son and I listen to those radio episodes quite regularly. In the next few days I'll also be listening to the Christmas 1959 episodes of The Goons and Hancock's Half Hour on BBC Sounds and on YouTube I'll search for the festive TV episodes of shows like George & Mildred, Rising Damp and Robin's Nest. BBC iPlayer has the Christmas episodes of Porridge and To The Manor Born and hopefully BBC Four will show the Christmas episode of The Good Life from 1977. Watching all these old shows every year has become a tradition for me and it doesn't feel like Christmas without them.
A wonderfully festive display merging Christmas imagery with....well Batman and other characters.
I especially like the wooden clog shoe with sails which is as 1950's as it gets. I often wondered if the design came about because CLOG was mistaken for COG which was a type of sailing ship?
Happy, Healthy upcoming holidays to you and your readers.
That's interesting, CJ, 'cos not that long ago (or so it seems) when I suggested you might forego sending him a card as you hadn't seen him for so long, you said you'd continue to do so in case (I think) he didn't get any others - or it may've been for some other reason. And can keeping in touch with people by card really be said to be a waste of paper? Oh, you're a hard man, CJ. (I'm smiling as I type, lest you misconstrue my intentions.)
Regarding TV and radio shows, I just don't seem to have the enthusiasm for such things any more, unfortunately, don't know why. I have a large collection of various kinds of Christmas CDs, which I used to play every year up until a few years ago. Now I just play my Jim Reeves 12 Songs Of Christmas album over and over again, yet I never seem to get fed up with it. (It IS great though, which is maybe why.)
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I think that clog ship belonged to my maternal grandparents and passed to us (along with other things) when they went into an old folks home at the end of the '70s or start of the '80s, T47, as I don't remember it in our house before then. As you're so sharp-eyed, you'll probably have spotted that some of my Universal Monster characters (a couple of inches high) have Santa hats on, to compensate for the Christmas figures that didn't get put out this year as there wasn't enough space due to 'secular' items nabbing it.
And I'm sure all Crivvies wish you the same festive sentiments that you wish them, T47, as do I. Have a good one.
I did notice the added Santa hats, a nice touch. I also noticed a number of frog/toad figures. Are they for Toad of Toad Hall?
I have three Toad figures on display, T47, though only two (I think) can be seen in the photos. The one on the display cabinet might be a Beatrice Potter figure, not sure as I got it in a charity shop with no packaging saying who it was.
You must have an excellent memory, Kid, because I don't remember saying those things about my pal but I'll believe you. His birthday is on July 28th so perhaps I'll send a birthday card (he was born in 1958 so he's only a little older than yourself - and July 28th was also my mother's birthday).
T47's comment made me go back and study the photos more closely and I can see the little Santa hats and the clog ships but not the toad figures - I'll keep studying the photos. I also see you've got a globe of the Earth which is something I've always wanted but never owned. I've got a map of the world on my kitchen wall but I've always fancied a proper globe.
I've said it before but the amount of stuff you've got is astonishing and it must be a nightmare to dust it all. Speaking as someone who detests dusting (and housework of any kind) I'm glad it's not me who's got that task!
Dusting? What's that? I'd guess it must've been around Christmas last year, CJ, when you spoke about your friend, or it may've been when I mentioned changing my name to Percy Hinkle Pinkerbottom that you mentioned him. When I find it, I'll let you know so you know I'm not inventing things.
Actually, I've got two globes, but you're not getting either of them 'cos I'm a greedy boy. And I just remembered I took photos of my living-room last Christmas, so I might add some of them to this current post.
If you haven't seen your old pal in over 20 years, I wouldn't bother sending him a Birthday card if I were you. He's maybe forgotten all about you by now.
CJ, the post is called 'Friends Reunited...' and was published on Sunday, 22 October 2023. Take a look at the comments section.
I've just had a look at that post and the comments, Kid.
I did notice your second globe in the photos but it looked quite small and I wasn't sure if it was a proper globe or some kind of ornament.
Yes, it's a real globe, though smaller than the other one. Come to think of it, I have other globes even smaller, though they are actually working globes. Spotted the toads yet?
Are they next to the clog ships? When I try to blow up the photos they get rather blurry.
There's only one clog ship, CJ, and on the other end of that same shelf is a small seated toad figure. The other one is on top of the CD cabinet (just in front of Yogi Bear) on the left of the end of the display cabinet - 8th photo down. You must have a tiny screen or badly need glasses if you can't spot them.
K, your photo's are a gift, that keeps on giving, you could potentially have a spot the ?? competition. I've noticed two bears in chairs, (poetry at it's best!) is one of them the controversial charity shop bear?
Nope, the one on the left of the standard lamp was rescued by me from my late pal Moonmando, whose kids or grandkids it had belonged to but was no longer wanted. The one on the right belonged to my mother and was given to her to keep her company so she didn't feel lonely.
That's very touching, K. I've also got my parents things for momento's. My Mother passed, (I still can't believe it), 11 years ago, and my Father passed March this year. It's strange thinking that this time last year, I was hanging his foil and tinsel trimmings up in my family home and having laugh with him. And this year it feels sort of empty and my childhood home has now been sold. That's why I like retro decorations, the lights and colours give you a lift, I've also put up some of my parents trimmings, in my house this year. I like to listen to Christmas choir recordings, with the main lights off and let the Christmas atmosphere transport me back to the great Christmas times my parents gave me. (Apologies, I got a bit sentimental there).
Must be tough, R, no longer having access to your childhood home because it's been sold. I tend to think of every house I ever lived in as still mine and I'd love to be able to spend time in all of them again, whenever the fancy takes me. Of course, in a sense I do, though only in memory, which is why I like to have things (or replacements for things) that I owned in previous houses.
Yes, very much, it took nearly 6 months for the sale to go through, so most of that time was spent dismantling my parents lives, whilst emptying the property, which I hated. So many memories, and to finally close the front door for the last time, was very difficult. I should probably be sectioned due to this, but at one point, I was walking around a dark, empty, cold house, actually apologising to the house and my parents, for selling it to a Muslim bloke, who's been buying up all the empty properties in the area, and not surprisingly, he was a cash buyer. I felt like I'd betrayed and morally sold my childhood home out. I do have video and photo's, but has you know K, it's the physical connection that you lose and ultimately miss. Anyway, I'll have to deal with it. I've always said, "you only ever truly grow-up, when you finally lose both your parents!"
Just before my old primary school was demolished, I gained access a couple of times and wandered around the empty building knowing that, soon, I'd never be able to do it again and that part of my childhood was being wiped out of existence. The house I'm in now I've lived in twice, four years apart, and because we'd moved to our new house while still having around a month before the tenancy on our old one ended, I'd revisit it and sit in my old room, staring out the window at the view, which was never that important to me until I thought it was soon to be lost to me forever. I've now been back here 37 years and it doesn't seem anywhere near as long as the 11 years I lived here the first time. 'Scuse me being nosey, but was there no way you could have moved back to your childhood home by selling your own home to do so? Would you even have wanted to?
I missed out on visiting my old school, before they bulldozed it for a brand new soulless building, in the name of progress. I'd moved out of town, so I had no clue what the Labour council were planning on doing. The travesty was it was generally a good solid building, but obviously not fashionable enough in their eyes, to be labelled an "ACADEMY". (You're not being nosey) I would have loved to keep my parents' house, it would have been the biggest Shrine/Man Cave ever, and a nostalgic haven, just like your homestead (Kids Castle). But needless to say, the property needed some money spent on it, which I don't have spare, and the area, though very nice in its time, from the 1930s through to the mid 90s, is now quite rundown and almost like a different country, due to the Labour councils' greed/cutbacks and none indigenous votes for favours policy. So I'm now basically restricted to the occasional 20-min travel time, for a nostalgic drive by, or a quickie google street visit, whilst the house still looks the same and hasn't been re-fitted for several families to live in. Such is life.....
All the schools in my home town were perfectly fine, but were demolished and rebuilt due to a 'lend-lease' policy. That's where the company that buys the land builds a new school and leases it back to the council. I'd be surprised if most of them survive for 25 years, never mind the 50-odd the originals lasted. Even the demolishers said my old primary was 'structurally sound' so it never really needed to be destroyed and replaced. Our past is being bulldozed away before we're even halfway through our lives. Makes me sick. Incidentally, published a new post with Christmas photos from 2023.
My secondary school was demolished a few years ago and a new primary school has been built on the site which looks a million times better than the previous monstrosity. Also a derelict cinema near me was demolished and the site is now a paved plaza with benches and trees which looks much nicer so not all progress is bad.
True, I suppose, but then again, not all 'progress' is good, CJ.
No sectioning needed, Retro... everyhing you've said is spot on... I'd never felt like a real "grown up" until I had to organise my Mum's funeral last year. I'm sorry you've lost your Dad this year. I have a flat full of comics, annuals, DVDS, etc, as well as a very tolerant missus, but none of it really matters now I can't show my Mum what I've bought. Don't beat yourself up over selling your childhood home to a Muslim, just do something good with the money. I hope you have a peaceful Christmas...
Cheers HS, sorry for your loss as well. Something you mentioned rang so true, about showing things to your parents. That's exactly what you do, it's that mutual connection and interest, in a life of things and experiences shared. But correct, the possessions and achievements you have, do seem to not matter anymore, now that those people who understood your life the most, are no longer with us... Strange feeling really, they kind of gave you purpose and always showed an unconditional interest, in whatever you were doing. How lucky we were to have that. Seasonal Wishes to you too.
The infant school that me and my Mom went to is still there and is a constant source of irritation to her as she lives opposite it and the parents who are incapable of walking more than a few feet park across her drive on a daily basis. I wouldn't like to see it demolished but I'd like her to be free of its hassle. Hopefully she'll be moving next year.
Is that your childhood home she's still staying in at the moment, M? If so, won't you be sorry to see her leave it?
Second childhood home, we moved from the first when I was 7 in 1976. It will be sad when she leaves but she's 80 next year and needs to be in more modern accommodation that suits her needs. I must have liked living there because I didn't move out until I was 31 😁 In both cases of my childhood homes, the areas are no longer the nice places they were when I grew up. The demographic has changed.
That's a shame though, as I always find it sad when people lose that connection to any of their childhood homes. It's like waving goodbye to the past, and we all know where the future's journey ends. It'll be sad for your mum as well, as she's moving from a house that she's been familiar with since you were 7.
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