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If you remember these at Christmas you were a child in the 70s

313 replies

BreakfastAtMilliways · 14/12/2023 15:13

Testing the lights on December 23rd, then having to try out every one on the string to find out which one had blown…

Frantically trying to find a shop that sold spare Christmas tree lightbulbs at 3.25pm on Christmas Eve…

Lugging the tree out to the garden on January 6th, and spending the next 2 weeks hoping it wouldn’t die…

Driving (or rather being driven) into London to see the lights on Oxford Street…

Walking home from school after the carol concert and peeking through the front windows of each house on your road to see if you could spot their Christmas tree…

Arranging all the cards from your schoolmates around your bedroom…

Any more?

OP posts:
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Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 16/12/2023 10:12

orangetriangle · 15/12/2023 19:46

remember the Carol singers knocking at the door and the big parties at my grandparents house same old songs every year music hall ones often by Max Bygraves knees up mother brown I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts my old man's a dustman etc wtc always ending up with a conga all down the lane with all the neighbours
snowballs and babycham
Those sets in a plastic bag with handles with a colouring book puzzle book dot to dot book and pens
paint by numbers every year
An annual every year remember getting the Rupert Annual
Games compendium
selection box
box of smarties
bath cubes
we had so much less then but we're so grateful what we got
in the 80s had presents
such as a children's knitting set
a sewing kit
a jigsaw puzzle
game of life
Pay day
Stay Alive
Etch a sketch
Girls
World
fashion designer
ballerina windy
the sindy house made of 2 bits of cardboard in a cross shape
and loafs of Enid Blyton books
sweet shop with rock hard sweets in
post office set

Agree with getting sewing and knitting kit post office set and Enid Blyton books.
the selection boxes in the big cardboard boxes.
presents which they still do now like pet stockings for dogs and cats

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 16/12/2023 14:25

I think family income might have had a bearing on a lot of these things. My family were at the 'poorer' end of the scale, so things like little bowls of sweets on the coffee table for anyone to help themselves was a Christmas-only thing for us in the 70's. We didn't have sweets much otherwise. And fizzy drinks with dinner - only at Christmas (never anything other than weak squash otherwise).

And Christmas was always mother getting slightly irritated, having been up since six to 'get the dinner on' (what was she DOING in there?), trying to stop the pudding from boiling dry on the stove, brother and I watching 'Playaway' and Tom and Jerry cartoons because there wasn't anything else on TV until the evening, whilst eating Quality Street until we felt sick. Fighting over the nutcrackers and being unable to EVER get a brazil nut open. Piles of lovely paperbacks to read, but all having to sit in one room because that's where the (one bar only) electric fire was (no other heating). An after-lunch walk, Mum coming along too, most unusually as she normally stayed home when we went out, and then back home for a gut-buster of a tea; chicken sandwiches and Christmas cake.

Oh, I do like a good reminisce.

furtivetussling · 16/12/2023 17:01

If anyone can remember the name of the department store in Romford with the Santa's Grotto in the late 1960's I will be most grateful...!

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stepintochristmas1 · 16/12/2023 19:22

It's only since becoming an adult realising my parents must have saved like maniacs all year round for Christmas . One worked in a factory and the other in a supermarket .
We went without nothing at Christmas, from presents to food ,even a hamper sometimes .My parents worked hard .

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/12/2023 12:45

furtivetussling · 16/12/2023 17:01

If anyone can remember the name of the department store in Romford with the Santa's Grotto in the late 1960's I will be most grateful...!

Stones Store ( Market Place , which was replaced by Debenhams ) ?

I don't remember Stones but I had a search on some Look Back at Romford sites and amazed at how much it has changed , and equally how much is the same (if that makes sense Xmas Grin )

furtivetussling · 17/12/2023 17:40

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/12/2023 12:45

Stones Store ( Market Place , which was replaced by Debenhams ) ?

I don't remember Stones but I had a search on some Look Back at Romford sites and amazed at how much it has changed , and equally how much is the same (if that makes sense Xmas Grin )

That could be it - thank you!

Bookist · 17/12/2023 18:12

70s baby here! Proper tins of Quality Street, deep enough to plunge your hand into past your wrist.

The extra long boxes of After Rights, with a real silk red ribbon tied in a bow.

Tangles of multi-coloured fairy lights. Heavy ropes of tinsel. White plastic Christmas trees. Garish Woolworths baubles. Everything was mismatched & tasteless but so joyous.

Glittery, flimsy Christmas cards, dozens and dozens of them - looped on string and swagged across the walls in the living room.

Getting maybe ten or twelve presents, but it feeling like there were hundreds of them.

Having the special Stuart cut crystal wine glasses on the table, with a red paper napkin twirled inside.

Crap crackers.

RedRadishes · 17/12/2023 18:16

Big boxes of chocolates with fluffy kittens or thatched cottages on the lid.
Long twiglets in a box.
Lime Cordial.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 17/12/2023 20:35

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 16/12/2023 14:25

I think family income might have had a bearing on a lot of these things. My family were at the 'poorer' end of the scale, so things like little bowls of sweets on the coffee table for anyone to help themselves was a Christmas-only thing for us in the 70's. We didn't have sweets much otherwise. And fizzy drinks with dinner - only at Christmas (never anything other than weak squash otherwise).

And Christmas was always mother getting slightly irritated, having been up since six to 'get the dinner on' (what was she DOING in there?), trying to stop the pudding from boiling dry on the stove, brother and I watching 'Playaway' and Tom and Jerry cartoons because there wasn't anything else on TV until the evening, whilst eating Quality Street until we felt sick. Fighting over the nutcrackers and being unable to EVER get a brazil nut open. Piles of lovely paperbacks to read, but all having to sit in one room because that's where the (one bar only) electric fire was (no other heating). An after-lunch walk, Mum coming along too, most unusually as she normally stayed home when we went out, and then back home for a gut-buster of a tea; chicken sandwiches and Christmas cake.

Oh, I do like a good reminisce.

To be fair to most of us. As far as I know not many people had credit cards (Access, American Express and Diners Club were the main ones), you also had banks only open on certain days and shops too, and no or few cash points so you couldn’t take out money easily. Also, although there may have been bank transfer automatic salary payments, lots of people were paid by cheque and cash (deductions included). There was HP and some loans available but seemed to be less of them.

There were Christmas clubs where you could pay money into every month to save for Christmas and they’d pay out by Christmas. More people seemed to make eg Christmas cakes and puddings rather than buy. Catalogues like Freemans, Grattan and others were a good way of making money (having people buy from you from them for items in them and they paid you for it) and you had catalogues yourself, spreading payments. The Avon lady meant you could buy from home.

Fewer women it seemed (but a few did have jobs) went out to work, so were SAHM/W, so there was less to spend and you were more reliant on your DH’s wage packet and presents bought by relatives for your DC and vice versa. There were loan sharks and a few dodgy items (more it seemed than now!), knock off stuff bought down the market or from the back of a lorry.

And that’s not even taking into account strikes by businesses (didn’t seem to happen where I lived). Maybe it seemed more common then too, but robberies of houses/flats seemed more common, I heard of a couple of families who’d been burgled in the run up to Christmas and presents taken from under the tree (the community did rally round though).

I have memories of Northcote Road market (where my nana lived) and all the stalls were decked in their usual lights but some had added fairy lights and tinsel on them. The fruit and veg ones would give me and DB extra treats like fruit (oranges) as they knew my DM.

As I said before church seemed big, going to Christmas services and then the school Christmas fair. The youth club had a Christmas disco. Seeing Noddy Holder on Sunday Brunch reminds me of Christmas No 1’s.

This is 80’s (I’m sure body shop was more 80s than 70s!) but I was bought (and DM bought my best friend some too for Xmas) treats like black furry ear muffs, neon socks, leg warmers.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/12/2023 20:45

Back in the 70s ( I was born in 1966) Matchmakers were in a long thin rectangular box , with maybe 5 compartments . They were thinner ans much shorter . Cannot remember exactly when long Matchmakers came along but they replaced the short ones .

They were Mint, Orange or Coffee (coffee were best) and I think you could get a mixed box.
None of this Honeycomb, Salted Caramel, Gingerbread or Lemon malarky that you get now .

Going round to your friends' houses (who always had nicer bedrooms and didn't have to share with pesky siblings ) they had music, table lamps (for atmosphere) and Pierot bedlinen. And loads from Avon.

Izit · 17/12/2023 20:56

I was born late 70s, so an 80s kid, but this thread is gloriously nostalgic!

The whole front room smelling of tinsel (proper, heavy tinsel in silver, gold, red, green and even exotic blue).

Coloured lights on the tree.
Christmas cards strung up around the walls. Paper chains. Foil decorations hanging from the ceiling.
An angel made at school from cotton wool and a paper cone on top of the tree.

Things we never got any other time of year.
Big bottles of cream soda & cherryade,
A net bag of nuts and a nutcracker.
Black Magic and After Eights and Terry’s All Gold for the adults, Milk Tray for us kids.
Nicking one of the liqueur chocolates and feeling all squiffy.
Being allowed a Babycham.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 18/12/2023 10:11

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/12/2023 20:45

Back in the 70s ( I was born in 1966) Matchmakers were in a long thin rectangular box , with maybe 5 compartments . They were thinner ans much shorter . Cannot remember exactly when long Matchmakers came along but they replaced the short ones .

They were Mint, Orange or Coffee (coffee were best) and I think you could get a mixed box.
None of this Honeycomb, Salted Caramel, Gingerbread or Lemon malarky that you get now .

Going round to your friends' houses (who always had nicer bedrooms and didn't have to share with pesky siblings ) they had music, table lamps (for atmosphere) and Pierot bedlinen. And loads from Avon.

Oh Pierrot! I never had Pierrot bed linen but did have Pierrots, the China ones.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 18/12/2023 10:16

Another memory. Stepdad is from Ireland and apart from one visit there and the odd visit from his parents to England we rarely saw them.

One year in 70s we received a fruit cake for Christmas in the post plus money/books for us two kids. Rare!

Not at Christmas as this happened another time but a great uncle of mine stayed and brought me a lovely dark coloured drawstring wash bag (floral) with bits inside (think it was Fenjal and some Floris soap, he was well off).

I also bought and made for gifts wash bags/makeup bags, one my nana used for years!

thegreylady · 21/12/2023 17:15

Early 50s I always got either a toy sweetshop with tiny jars and a tin scale and little paper bags; sweets were hundreds and thousands I think, or a toy post office which had little stamps, envelopes etc that was my favourite .

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 21/12/2023 18:44

thegreylady · 21/12/2023 17:15

Early 50s I always got either a toy sweetshop with tiny jars and a tin scale and little paper bags; sweets were hundreds and thousands I think, or a toy post office which had little stamps, envelopes etc that was my favourite .

I remember this and I’m sure I got the toy sweet shop (as well as toy post office) similar age to you.

And then don’t forget nurses outfit with stethoscope, nurses (or doctors) black bag, red or green first aid box with real bandages, fake medicine etc.

measureofmydreams · 21/12/2023 18:45

We weren’t well off, mum had a John England catalogue so spread the payments for our presents. We certainly had enough. My memories are:

me and my sister being taken to Wembley high street for our Christmas dresses.

queing up at Sopers (became Debenhams) in Harrow to see Santa.

A Petite typewriter
a game, mousetrap, buckaroo. Operation. Frustration etc
a tressy doll - a key in her back grew her hair and she came with little rollers and a comb.
An annual - Bunty, June etc
crayons and a colouring book( never felt pens)
the pages that you painted with water and colours appeared
the same decorations every year but still excited by them.

artificial 3 foot Xmas tree… lots of floppy tinsel
Dad being worse the wear on Xmas eve.
turkey being kept in the oven for three days.
Going to Church on Christmas Day.
leaving the Milky Way in my net covered Christmas stocking until last.

orangetriangle · 21/12/2023 19:16

had forgotten about the nurses outfit
had a petite typewriter
Also a sewing box
A knitting set
A knitting Nancy a wooden doll with four hooks at the top and you hooked the wool over them to make a long sausage thing which became a scarf for Tressie and Pippa dolls
Etch a Sketch as well
and records for children called top of the tots does anyone remember those?

AuntyMabelandPippin · 21/12/2023 19:35

I had a Petite typewriter too. It was a portable one.

I always, always asked for a Cadbury chocolate machine. I never, ever got one.

Sniff.

furtivetussling · 21/12/2023 19:52

I got a nurse's outfit one year. I remember being singularly unimpressed!!

And those Weekend chocolates, the orange jelly one was tangerine flavour. Unbelievable - I had forgotten they even existed, but I can taste it now...

DinoRodney · 21/12/2023 20:34

Index catalogues

Advent calendars with pictures

measureofmydreams · 21/12/2023 22:17

Found some of that really thin wrapping paper in a charity shop a few years ago and had to buy it.

If you remember these at Christmas you were a child in the 70s
stepintochristmas1 · 22/12/2023 00:18

@measureofmydreams That was half the fun when we were kids really , if you had nice relatives they would choose a nice paper for the children . It was bloody awful stuff to wrap with though 😁.

scalt · 22/12/2023 08:38

I was born in the 1970s, here are some of my Christmas memories. I remember getting some second hand Lego. It was very different then - model numbers only in three figures, and only basic colours: even green was rare. Also, you had to use your imagination more - doors might not open on houses or cars, so you couldn't actually put a person inside a car.

If someone forgot the batteries for toys, there might be no shops open until after Boxing Day; and if Christmas Day was on Saturday, that meant nothing open until 28th.

I had a toy post office once as well, it had dog licences, and premium bonds among other things. I also had a Ladybird book "The Postal Service" which explained some of these things. Perhaps the book was ahead of its time, as it said "postman or postwoman".

A running joke was when my dad brought the Christmas tree to our house, mum would say "Oh look! A walking Christmas tree", like Mog thought it was, in the book Mog's Christmas. They dropped their needles much more then - I used to enjoy hoovering them. (Hoovers seemed more powerful then - it threatened to devour the sleeves of my jumper, my hair, and the cloth on which the tree stood!)

My aunt and uncle had a creative way of presenting our big presents one year. My brother and I unwrapped a plain scarf each. They grinned at our slightly disappointed faces, then told us that good things come to those who wait. They set a mechanical kitchen timer (which ticked loudly) for three minutes, blindfolded us with our scarves, and told us that we could take them off when the timer rang its bell. That three minutes felt like an eternity! And when we uncovered our eyes, we saw two bikes, decorated with tinsel.

When I was older, here's a funny Christmas memory from the late 80s, when watches which beeped on the hour were fashionable (our headmistress banned them). At midnight mass, we all sat silently waiting for it to begin, waiting and waiting; and in the silence, lots of watches beeped; and for at least another minute, the priest did not appear. He was certainly late for one of the most important events of the year.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 22/12/2023 09:02

measureofmydreams · 21/12/2023 18:45

We weren’t well off, mum had a John England catalogue so spread the payments for our presents. We certainly had enough. My memories are:

me and my sister being taken to Wembley high street for our Christmas dresses.

queing up at Sopers (became Debenhams) in Harrow to see Santa.

A Petite typewriter
a game, mousetrap, buckaroo. Operation. Frustration etc
a tressy doll - a key in her back grew her hair and she came with little rollers and a comb.
An annual - Bunty, June etc
crayons and a colouring book( never felt pens)
the pages that you painted with water and colours appeared
the same decorations every year but still excited by them.

artificial 3 foot Xmas tree… lots of floppy tinsel
Dad being worse the wear on Xmas eve.
turkey being kept in the oven for three days.
Going to Church on Christmas Day.
leaving the Milky Way in my net covered Christmas stocking until last.

I had a small toy typewriter (can’t think of name).

I also got an old singer and also a new toy sewing machine.

Annuals were Twinkie and Girl and Buster for my brother.

Games:- Operation, Guess Who, Mousetrap, a huge big one called Safari I think and another one called Sorry.

We had a real Christmas tree every year and would sometime add new decorations, a new crimson star topper one year and a fairy.

faffadoodledo · 22/12/2023 09:06

Lego. Before the Marvelification and Potterification of it. Where you could make actual houses with window and door frames and tiles.