Then and now - Christmas things you don't see any more

[housemum]

I was buying some Christmas cards in Sainsbury's and for some reason remembered how we bought cards in my childhood (1970s). I remember going into Woolworths, where you bought a selection box of 20/40 different cards. Mum would spend ages looking through the boxes, but whichever you chose there would always be a couple of really naff kitten-looking-at-a-bauble cards and that dismal brown-tinted sheep-in-the-snow painting. Everywhere now sells a couple of designs only in a pack. Also whatever happened to:

Paper chain garlands, like a honeycomb that stretched out and you pinned to the ceiling

foil garlands - the expensive version of the paper ones

matt wrapping paper by the sheet, usually with the print a little off-centre on each colour. Up until a few years ago I bought this from the local cheap market, and used it to differentiate Father Christmas presents.

Peanuts and cashews in ring pull cans (usually given as gifts - whoopee! )

Christmas tree lights shaped like Victorian lanterns

Christmas may have been tacky back then but it seemed cosier when everything was less "tasteful" :)

Yeah Valda was one of my faves. Another chocolate item you used to be able to get over here were italian chocs called Baci. they came wrapped in silver and pale blue foil. They were pralines and they were lush. unfortunately you cant get them over here any more.

What was the catalogue you used to get at xmas in the 80's? Sold wrapping paper and stuff but I used to love looking at the sweets pages. Things like trays of toffee with a hammer and the mini cadburys chocolate machines.

How about real holly and ivy for decoration? Take a walk on the Common and help yourself for free! Does anybody do that any more? Come to think of it, we used to find tons of ivy down back lanes in inner-city Cardiff! (Not holly, though, you had to go to the wild bits of the park for that))

Sarah Kay!!! Thank you!! I've been trying to remember for ages what the character was on my childhood bedroom curtains Hollie Hobby and Victoria Plum mentioned too - wow! Memories memories...

Found a box of the original My Little Ponies the other week that I'd kept for 2 whole decades in case I ever had a DD. DD (and DS) were thrilled!

Studio Cards catalogue, or Webb Ivory! Loads of things that looked great, until you actually ordered them - the back section was a bit like Betterware, cheap household stuff.

I remember watching the news to see the Oxford Street/Regent Street lights being switched on, it was a really big event to see what they would be like, and I think they'd have a feature about the Selfridges Christmas Grotto theme too. (I lived in the South East, so our TV news would be fairly London-centred). I still have a badge from going to see Father Christmas once in Selfridges, it has Mickey Mouse on. Sad to say, I can remember going, I remember queuing (not in a bad way, I just remember waiting in line) but I cannot remember anything else about it - wouldn't have known there was a Disney theme if it wasn't for my Disneyland-at-Selfridges-Christmas badge.

Only went up once, as I think there were IRA bombings in London the next year so we didn't go to London again for a long time. Now that's something I don't miss from times past :(

Baci chocs still going strong in Switzerland and Italy, they do a lovely bauble full of chocs!

Thanks to Adverse Camber I have procured myself some fabulously tasteless snacks from the Co op.

I can honestly say they are as strange tasting as I remember. Aaaaahhhh.

Think these might have been mentioned:

TV

TOTP Xmas special
Morcombe (?) and Wise Xmas special
James Bond film

and
Matey bubble bath
Charlie perfume

Father christmas in the Co-op

[old gimmer emoticon]

binfullof maggots - did you grow up in Llanelli?! can't believe there was more than one FC in a co-op with a bridge over teh road!

Oh my gosh kewcumber totally busted. Yes I did, but I was talking to someone from Coventry and they told me about the Co-op ride there and it was still in existance.

Are you from/still in Llanelli?

Am I oversentimentalising or was the Coop FC just the best? My mates have been talking about the carnival this year too, I had forgotten how huge it was!

grew up in Llanelli and my grandmother/aunt/uncle/cousins etc still there so I do get bak form time to time. Yes FC in co-op was special [dreamy eyed emotion] mind you, lets be honest it wasn't too difficult to be special in Llanelli given teh competition...

Ha ha ha! Just thought - you're not my cousin are you? (Photo on my profile) That would be too creepy!

I don't think we're related but you know Llanelli!

My cousins live in Burry Port and Kidwelly mainly.

Your DS is supercute

Bet we are related - my grandfather was one of 8 and grandmother one of 6. My grandfather was forever pointing at some strange woman sayng "thats your cousin Mary". Llanelli cousin meaning about 15 times removed. I grew up on the main road out towards Burry Port and Kidwelly.

Small world.

Lol I'll pm you who I am!

Every Christmas my dad would get the Christmas tree lights out and have them laid out on the floor trying to find out which was the bulb that wasn't working - none of the lights would work when one of the bulbs needed replacing!! We had those lights until 1989 (bought in 1963) until my dad died and nobody could face doing what was always dads job . This thread is lovely and it's lovely remembering all the things that made Christmas special. Although I can still remember how depressed I felt on boxing day when the Hoeseasons adverts started on TV - DH knows all the words to the Hoeseasons adverts and says that he always felt like crying when he heard them too.

Fondant filled chocolate pandas. Haven't seen them for years. They were a bit like Creme Eggs.

Does anyone remember the Simon game? I was never lucky enough to have one - but I did get a Little Professor calculator :)

My mum reminded me this week how excited my dad used to get about Christmas. Reassured me that's where I get my total festive hysteria from. I miss our family Christmases of the 70s and 80s, and this lovely thread has made me even more determined to recreate the naff traditions for my DCs :)

There's a new version of Simon in Asda Crytaltits!

Forgot about the holiday adverts, yes I remember those being a sign Christmas was over as well - various tourist boards and holiday companies, then back to school and "Wish You Were Here" would start again on the telly. Actually, there were pages and pages of holiday ads in the Radio/TV Times iirc.

I found my Holy Grail, Wilkinsons are selling the fold out paper honeycomb balls and bells. I bought a few today. Happy Now!

Wilkinsons? Online or high street?

yes, i bought loads of paper stuff in wilkinsons, some lovely paper tree/snowflake garlands!

What do you all think of the plain multi coloured fairy lights of today? Do you think they are 'Christmassy' without shades?

Yes. If non LED. LED are work of the devil.

Glad im not the only one who detests led lights. My lights consist of multi coloured shadeless and clear shadeless. I know of some people using shadeless all year but my personal oppinion is they should be kept for christmas only. I have some star lights made out of wire mesh with glitter, glass santa lights, felt snowflake lights and Noma blue and white glass shaded lights.