To ask if anyone’s had carol singers this year ?

[Jumell]

And if so, how many ?

in 1982 a group of us went carol singing and raised some money for the children’s ward at the local hospital. Just before Xmas, a few of us in the group actually visited the ward to give them the money we’d raised.

it seems like a different era now

.SIGHHHHHH

It’s gone the way of ‘Penny for the Guy’. Both were commonplace when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s in South Wales. I can’t remember when I saw either last. And yet ‘Trick or treat’ wasn’t a thing then and very much is now.

I did this back in the late 60's early 70's - can't remember the exact year or how old I was but I do remember being shocked that someone put in 50p - that was quite a bit of money to donate in those days Do you mean a ten shilling note? (which was a lot of money)? Although I was surprised to find the 50p coin was introduced in 1969, before the change to decimal.

I didn't realise carol singers were an actual 'thing'. I thought they were just in the movies. I can't imagine having a group of carols singers come to my door. I'd find it very awkward. What are you meant to do? Just stand there with your door open while they sing? I also need carry cash anymore, so sadly they'd not get anything from me even if I did actually answer the door

We used to get carol singers, and I remember going house to house carol singing - maybe with Brownies or Guides in the village I lived in, in the 70s.
I don’t remember any house to house carol singing in the village that we moved to, or in the city that I lived in as a student in the 80s but there were Salvation Army/other groups singing round the tree, etc outside.

We (girl guides) used to sing carols for the lord of the manor and his family as they had their Christmas Eve dinner, I think as repayment for being able to use his grounds for the summer event. Afterwards were taken into the Great hall, to drink weak orange squash and gaze at their huge Christmas tree and all the presents under it. Very feudal! I used to love the singing, though.

No, but we have had a brass band!

When we used to go, about 10 of us would stand and sing, under the lamp post, and the non singers would go and ring the bells and collect money for that year's charity, from all the houses that could see / hear us from there.
After each carol, we'd move to the next lamppost.
Some people would go straight back in, some would stand on the doorsteps and listen, and some would lean out of windows to listen for a few carols / lampposts.

Traditionally you get “ paid” in mulled wine/ cocoa and a mince pie at the more generous houses.

I've never even heard of this- so people come singing Christmas carols at your door and ask for money?!

No the money isn’t part of it traditionally.

I'm going tomorrow! As a PP has said, it's usually a group who stop out on the street and others knock on doors to collect for charity and take requests for carols. People come to their doors to listen and they honestly do enjoy it!
It's been part of my life forever, but is dying out now the church congregation is so elderly and numbers are much smaller (the fact that far fewer people go to church now also limits the likelihood of hearing carollers). Up until about 20 years ago there'd be upwards of thirty of us singing in four part harmony, and back in the 70s and 80s we had a piano on a trolley that got pushed round with us. It's one of my best Christmas traditions and memories.

Yes! Yesterday evening! About 9 people, all aged 50+

It’s a shame really. My 8 year old daughter is very keen to go carol singing, complete with lantern like they do in some of her books but it doesn’t seem to be a thing anymore.

In Covid we were extremely isolated, saw no one for months in the flesh, as Dh was very vulnerable due to health issues. 2 of my friends came to sing carols to me, stood at the end of my front path. It was one of the kindest, loveliest things anyone has ever done for me. I mostly just stood there silently sobbing.

You’ve inspired me to try and get a group together. Its not too late!

I think the difference is that a couple of nights, not potentially a whole month.

i haven't had any here in the 15 years I've lived here.

They'd need a card machine these days!! 🤣🤣🤣

I was going to say the same thing! Ditto selling “flags” for charity - paper badges on a pin.

I think “penny for the guy” and carol singing for pocket money was already disapproved of when I was a child in the 80s, although there were always a few. We did go carol singing as children but always for charity with a sealed official collection box. I think it’s largely died out because it’s not an efficient way to raise money and it’s an invasion of privacy. That said, it was lovely when the Salvation Army, Brownies, church or Rotary Club came carol singing. At least, when they still came in person! I seem to remember they started coming with recorded music played from a car at some point 😂

Haha I was going to ask did you grow up on the set of Heartbeat? (Lord Ashfordly)

Gosh I miss these Sunday night programs

Only at St Pancras station 2wks ago. They were absolutely amazing, opera style voices. Sure I saw some others too when on my travels last week, but can’t remember where

My late uncle used to sing carols at Gatwick Airport with his choir.

Yes I agree, the predictability is almost certainly a factor in people embracing Halloween - though we have had them arrive unexpectedly on the closest Saturday when it fell on a school night, so even that is beginning to have a spread of a couple of days.

What I’m not understanding is the money thing. When I was young, we didn’t get paid. People sometimes had a batch of mince pies and you’d all get one, or a drink but this somehow tended to be at the end. Maybe the organisers arranged with that house and we finished there. But it wasn’t a given that you got anything: you just sang snd they said thank you.

As per my pp, any we had never sang a proper carol anyway. Presumably the kids couldn’t be arsed to learn any.
OTOH most of the people in DD’s road are very community-minded - they have a community carol-sing outside in the road, mulled wine and song sheets provided!

They also do Advent windows - each house of 24 decorates a front window for all the kids to walk round and admire. It started during the first COVID lockdown, when there was hardly anything else to do. A lovely idea IMO.

Love carol singers.
Hate people coming to my house begging for money.

Been at my current property for 26 years. Last time we had Carol singers was c.1999, 3 or 4 teens with dreadful voices singing on our doorstep. We duly ignored.

Only time we’ve ever had carol singers was once when Dh lived on a dodgy estate in uni. Otherwise, we’ve always lived too rurally. Postman barely can be asked to come to our house. 😂