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Original poster

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:
Thread gallery
11
Ohyoudodoyou · 14/12/2023 17:32

A compendium. Every fecking year.

mambojambodothetango · 14/12/2023 17:32

Love all these. So many of them resonate with me. Going out with Dad to find bits of holly with berries on for the wreath. Selection packs - only time of the year we'd have that amount of chocolate in our possession at once! Dad's walking socks serving as stocking, with satsuma and nuts at the bottom. Christmas Eve party with all my parents' friends. Mum would spend the day making pastry for sausage rolls and mince pies and Dad would make the punch on the stove.

notthisagaindear · 14/12/2023 17:34

I loved the paper chain decorations. I’ve been trying to find some to buy!

Christmas to me was looking through the Bryant Mills ( I think that is what it was called) catalogue and picking out what I wanted for pressies!

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Christmas Events & celebrations
Mydoghealsmyheart · 14/12/2023 17:34

The wrapping paper was almost like tissue paper, so thin. I remember the little crackers that went on the tree as well as little Cadbury chocolate ornaments (when Cadbury chocolate was nice!)
I’m feeling quite sad reading about everyone’s memories and remembering all the family times we had and how hard my mum worked to make Christmas so lovely every year. I truly had no idea.

Tiredalwaystired · 14/12/2023 17:35

stepintochristmas1 · 14/12/2023 16:47

I think we must have been the last generation to get oranges in their stocking and eat them . I used to put them in my sons stockings in the 90's and they would just put them back in the fruit bowl !

Never fear! We still do this! And they’re eaten before breakfast! In fact my daughter thought she hadn’t got one last year and was so upset - it had got caught right in the toe of her stocking.

Rickenbackergoodgrief · 14/12/2023 17:36

@stepintochristmas1 it was always stuff like holly and ivy on it too.

@Ohyoudodoyou and always made from flimsy cardboard. Most boring gift for a kid ever.

LouisaMayAlcott · 14/12/2023 17:40

dodobookends · 14/12/2023 15:56

Yes to the Oxford Street lights, and looking at the window displays in Selfridges.

Lametta.

A metal whirligig chime thing with an angel on top that was turned by the heat of four tiny candles underneath.

Learning to play Jingle Bells on the recorder.

Glitter. Everywhere.

Paperchains that you had to lick to join the links together.

The sound of angel chimes going at the breakfast table on Christmas morning is still the most important part of Christmas for me. As soon as i left home I bought my own set and now my children have them for their kids!

KitchenSinkLlama · 14/12/2023 17:44

The Rotary Club Santa on his sleigh being towed by a Volvo estate. For a small donation I always got a drumstick chew on a stick and a wave from Santa.

I remember how excited I was when I heard the Christmas music coming down the street.

tolerable · 14/12/2023 17:46

Tiny Tears.

stepintochristmas1 · 14/12/2023 17:46

@KitchenSinkLlama We still have this coming round our bit , must be due in the next few days 😁.

Andthereyougo · 14/12/2023 17:46

Making paper chains which were put up in the never used “front room” which was freezing cold. Christmas Day was spent in there and even with an electric fire on all I can remember is the smell of damp. Huge Victorian house, electric fires in two rooms only, ice on the inside of the bedroom windows.

Pizdietz · 14/12/2023 17:49

Very fragile glass baubles on the tree
Matchmakers
Aqua Manda bath sets
Blue Peter annual
Slinky toy

Original poster
BreakfastAtMilliways · 14/12/2023 17:52

@Andthereyougo OMG you just described my DGM’s ‘salon’! North facing, fancy but not fitted carpet, electric fire, faint smell of damp, Economy 7 heating and massive brown storage heaters. A tiny Christmas tree with red tinsel on a high table. Christmas Eve at my grandparents, one of the few days of the year when they bothered putting the heating on. 😂

OP posts:
FinallyFinalGirl · 14/12/2023 17:54

@Lakeyloo oh yes! Fashion Plates. I had that and the Fashion Wheel where you could spin different outfits round to match.

If you remember these at Christmas you were a child in the 70s
itsmylife7 · 14/12/2023 17:54

MrsNandortheRelentless · 14/12/2023 15:16

Last day of school… toy day. Bring in a toy.

Wow, you jogged a long forgotten memory!

Goatymum · 14/12/2023 17:56

Hbh17 · 14/12/2023 15:52

Watching so-called celebrities on TV on Xmas morning as they visited children in hospital - as if the poor kids hadn't suffered enough!
Christmas Top of the Pops.
Hating the dry turkey for Xmas lunch (nothing changes).
Spending Boxing Day writing thank you letters to all the grannies, aunties etc who had sent money, "notelets" or smellies in the post.
Eating orange Matchmakers chocolates and dates from the Eat Me box with a picture of a palm tree and a camel on the front.
Mostly being bored because the library was shut, so running out of books.

I remember those dates. I love dates these days (Medjool ones), but was almost put off for life by Eat Me ones…

Itneverrainsitpissesitdown · 14/12/2023 17:57

Those garland streamer type things.

Huge selection boxes with massive chocolate bars.

Twirly Curls Barbie and Baby Skates. (two of my most memorable presents).

Christmas parties in infant school when a bell would jingle outside the classroom door signalling "a visitor" (probably still happens now but something that stands out in my own childhood).

The Wizard of Oz was shown every Christmas Day when I was a child.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 14/12/2023 17:58

barbarahunter · 14/12/2023 15:28

The great escape on tv every.single. sodding.year.

I hate to break this to you....but it's on this year as well. 😂

Ohyoudodoyou · 14/12/2023 17:59

I really need to get off this thread as I'm going out soon!
This tea set to prepare us for all our jolly afternoons with friends when we would have friends round and bake cakes and be home all day - not working full time.

ANightingale · 14/12/2023 18:02

Crackers covered in a weird sort of stretchy crepe paper
Stringing the cards up on the wall - at the height, when my sister and I were both at school and parents both working, we filled four walls with strings of cards.
Going to the Christmas Fete in the church hall and coming back with decorations made out of pine cones
Those very flimsy Christmas cards with red printing inside, often a soft-focus photograph on the front (of tree baubles etc), that came in fuzzy off-white envelopes.
All Christmas card were rectangular - no little square ones
Baubles covered in silk strands that gradually frayed over the years
The home-made candle decoration nearly catching fire
Rose and lemon Turkish delight in an octagonal box
A box of charity Christmas cards that had the music scores for carols printed inside them, and the box lasted for years because we didn't know many people who could sight-read music so they tended to be used as a last resort.
All the Christmas special sitcom episodes - Terry & June etc.
The Two Ronnie's 'Alice in the Winter Wonderland' extravaganza
Shloer for we children at Christmas Dinner while the adults drunk my dad's home-made wine made out of garden fruits such as gooseberries Xmas Envy

stepintochristmas1 · 14/12/2023 18:02

itsmylife7 · 14/12/2023 17:54

Wow, you jogged a long forgotten memory!

Show quote history

Does anybody remember how jealous you would feel that last day ? No matter what you brought in (operation) . If someone had something you didn't have you'd feel jealous 'cos you didn't have one .😧

FatOaf · 14/12/2023 18:04

A compendium. Every fecking year.

Then trying, unsuccessfully, to find someone willing to play tiddlywinks or ludo with you.

RampantIvy · 14/12/2023 18:06

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

Yes!

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

In our case getting the train up. Also, going into Hamleys to see the model trains, having a meal then going to Trafalgar Square to sing Christmas carols, and being excited to have a photo taken with Father Christmas.

This was in the 1960s.

limefrog · 14/12/2023 18:09

Nice memories OP although I don't think any of those are specific to the 70's. A lot of them also apply to the 80's, 90's, 00's, some even now.

Milknosugarta · 14/12/2023 18:11

IClaudine · 14/12/2023 17:15

I remember Movie Maker! It was brilliant. You had to choose a movie to make, Epic, Horror, Musical etc.I loved that game.

Edited
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I Claude you have made my day! 💐