I'm dreaming of a 1970s Xmas

[brizzledrizzle]

A single hazelnut in the bottom of my stocking, chocolate coins,
lovely paisley/flowery ankle length dress to wear on the day,
putting up the tree with glass (!) decorations.

No Whamageddon!

How did you have xmas in the 1970s?

Yes kezzie, the tinsel strands were called lametta. Still available in selected stores, just not woolies .

Christmas Eve 1978 I’d have been wearing spray-on satin trousers and my old school blazer that had been punked to hell and back, desperately trying to pretend I wasn’t excited.

I’ve remembered that early 70’s older neighbours would appear after lunch asking if I wanted to come round and watch Top of the Pops “in colour”. I found it a bit cringey as they would go out of their way to give me ‘pop’ and sweets when I really wanted to be at home. Looking back now I can see that their children were grown and disinterested and they missed having children in the house.

Oh yes! The tree went up when school finished. Same old decorations for years. We had the big tree in the dining room. It was a thing of wonder to me. And smaller silver tinsel one on top of the tv in the living room. We made paperchains - bought them from local post office - and made gift tags by gluing glitter to last years xmas cards, cut into shapes using those serrated scissors???

The arrival of the Xmas Radio Times was beyond exciting. I bought a copy yesterday and was trying to explain to dd that in those days of 3 channels, no DVDs nor Netflix, the Xmas schedule was SO important! Imagine waiting 3 years after the cinema to see Harry Potter on TV!

Long party dresses. Selection packs. Make up sets with a mirror, comb, pretend lippy and a tiara. Dates, babycham and snowballs. James Bond in the afternoon. Huge tub of Quality Street. The Two Ronnies!

I love a snowball made with Rose's lime cordial.

Actually I was thinking of Morecambe and Wise rather than the Two Ronnies. It has all become a bit of blur ;-)

I am wearing my Norwegian knit jumper handmade by DM on circular needles (in yer face Sofie Grabol). The gold spray painted Blue Peter fairytale bog roll towers castle has been hauled down from the loft although it's looking a little dog-eared these days and the white plastic reindeer sleigh set is galloping across the top of the gas fire.

Jack Frost has gobbed all over sprinkled frost inside my bedroom windows, a hot water bottle is warming up my bed and Santa has found one of DF's old socks to stuff with small gifts.

Soap on a rope! Terrys Neapolitans, you lot are amazing...

I remember dr those coloured paper chains that once you’d opened them out they were wellnigh impossible to fold back in again. Christmas tree lights that looked like tiny Victorian lanterns. Diana annual. Mouse Trap game.

The Radio Times and TV Times - you had to get both of them because the RT only had BBC listings and the TV Times only had ITV. And you had to be a bit sharp about getting them because they sold out.

Cheese footballs.

Shaker maker! can still remember the smell of it. Another party 7 house here. I remember Christmas 1969, my brother had got a digital watch, and on nye he said 'it is now 1970' !!!

came in a box which was like a jewellery box, with a lid that opened and a drawer underneath. I can’t remember what they were called

My Nan used to get these chocolates. I didn't know they were chocolates. I just know they came in a, 'York' box. The empty box itself was coveted as a keepsake box.

Twisted crepe paper swags across the ceiling. Mum steaming the plastic branches of the christmas tree to open them up a bit. Poshest nighties on Christmas eve, and nice dress for Christmas day when grandparents and great aunt came for lunch. Shaker maker plaster of paris thing to paint. Paper chains, mum making mince pies, jam and lemon tarts late on Christmas Eve. Yes the Blue Peter advent crown, and my mum made Blue Peter present holders make into houses shaped out of old cardboard boxes, crepe paper and cotton wool roofs for snow. Christmas snowmen made from loo roll tubes and cotton wool. Christmas lantern decorations made at school from gold paper. The ancient tree fairy showing her knickers at the back.

www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retonthenet.co.uk%2Fekmps%2Fshops%2Fretonthenet%2Fimages%2Fvintage-chocolate-box-joseph-terry-co.-ltd-york-terry-s-dome-top-chest-scenes-of-york-circa-1980s-1493-p.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.retonthenet.co.uk%2Fvintage-chocolate-box-joseph-terry--co-ltd-york-terrys-dome-top-chest-scenes-of-york-circa-1980s-1493-p.asp&docid=ksrXT-CerDAIKM&tbnid=76-fK60kEnLO0M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjp986otarfAhVIWRUIHamnA-0QMwg_KAEwAQ..i&w=1024&h=642&bih=619&biw=1366&q=York%20Chocolate%20Box&ved=0ahUKEwjp986otarfAhVIWRUIHamnA-0QMwg_KAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

Like this ?

Yes kezzie, (and poppym12) the tinsel strands were called lametta. Still available in selected stores, just not woollies

Love that sweet dusty plasticy smell of Christmas decorations when the box is opened for the first time before putting the decorations up.

SymphonyofShadows pippa dolls! Iloved them.
I remember the advert with the woman singing ” pippa goes with you where ever you go”.

The mention of pippa on this thread is the first thing that gave me a happy 70 s memory.

Love this thread.

We visited a great aunt who gave us each a gift bag full of magical things: fortune telling fish, tiny spirals of paper that opened up as flowers when dropped in a glass of water, dried pumpkin seeds to thread onto twine as a necklace, matchboxes containing tiny puzzles, water monkeys, miniature Neopolitan chocolate bars in a red plastic dispenser that took old pennies as payment, tiny china tea sets...no idea where she found such treasures.

Visiting the GALT shop to choose wooden toys and construction kits made from straws, and the marble shop nearby to select marbles. My dad tracking down ‘cracker snaps’ a tiny magic shop near the British Museum because I’d decided to make our crackers (I still do but it’s so much easier with the kits)

Offices laying on panto visits and parties for the children of their staff.

We seemed to spend all Christmas Day eating - selection boxes, turkey and pud, tea and fruit cake, make your own massive sandwich from the evening buffet, Quality Street, nuts to shell...it went on and on. Then turkey curry with sultanas in it on Boxing Day.

Love lametta and does anyone remember white angel hair on Christmas trees. I used to love my nan’s fairy doll that was Made in Hong Kong.

Angel hair! We’d stretch it out to maximise the effect. Then spend Twelfth Night picking out the dried pine needles to re-use it the following year.

My name is Pippa- I both loved and hated the dolls. I was a tiny child (wearing age 7 in mothercare school uniform at 11). I can’t tell you how annoying that advert song was at the time!

Loved my Pippa doll though

I wish it was a 1970s Christmas this year. I’d be blissfully unaware that my mum was going to die unexpectedly in the October of 2018.

I miss her, but I’m immensely grateful for those memories.

Oh wow angel hair!! Used to stretch it over each separate coloured light, it looked so pretty. I need some!!

@Shockers

Omg I had the papermate pen thingy holder, a dog.
First time I've thought of it in years!

We used to have a white mesh stocking with red binding with lots.of sweets inside, and a walnut. The stocking could take the skin off your knuckles !

My long dress is a fake patchwork material, my nana made it for me.

I have silver shoes to match.

Carol singers at the door every night, and going carol singing ourselves. The people in the bungalow round the back would give us a few extra coins for knowing all the verses. We thought they were very posh.
My mother staying up till 3 am preparing vegetables and other things, then my sister wanting to get up to see if Santa had been from about 4am. Going over to our neighbour's house for a late morning snowball on Christmas Day. Christmas cards stuck to the living room doors.

@shockers

I think we all had the papermate thingy!

Thanks for the . 💚