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Sunday 23 December 2018

Christmas Memories ....



Hallo again peeps.  I know I said in my last Blog Post that I probably wouldn’t be writing again until after Christmas, but here I am, the little Christmas elf, just dropping by to make sure you’re still being good and that all your preparations are going well..  I don’t know how many of you will actually be travelling to spend the festive Season with family and friends, but if you are, I wish you safe travels, with no delays.  Sometimes it’s not the easiest time of the year to be travelling, is it?

I seem to have gained quite a few new Followers to my Southhamsdarling Facebook page, which is rather nice.  I would like to welcome you all, and to thank you for joining me, especially at this festive time of the year ❤️

Most of my Facebook friends know that I love vintage Christmas images, so I thought I would include a few for you today.  I suppose they take me back to a less complicated world, a kinder world, when Christmas didn’t start three months before the 25th December!










One of the things I remember so well as a child, was visiting all the local Department Stores and to stare in wonder at the magnificent Christmas displays - each huge window telling a different story, and the outside of the Stores had Christmas trees on every corner of the building. A couple of years ago, whilst staying with my eldest daughter, who lived in Paris at the time, I felt the same wonder whilst walking by Galeries Layfayette.

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Our Christmas trees would be dripping with shiny slivers of silver icicles and the ceiling would be festooned with brightly coloured paper garlands, which were eventually taken over by metallic ones.  I can’t remember now when we stopped doing that! These are the Christmas trees lights on our tree when I was a little girl...





Here you can see how the paper decorations gradually changed to the more modern metallic ones!












As a little girl, Christmas Eve was always a special day for me, when my dad and I would go out to collect the goose from the market, which had already been ordered, and we would then choose a Christmas present for my mum.  We never had Thanksgiving over here, and I’m almost sure that the tree didn’t go up until a couple of days before Christmas. Imagine that!

It’s nice to be nostalgic sometimes, and remember how things were.  As I say, they were simpler times, and, to be honest, I’m glad I grew up when I did. Glad that I was a little girl in the 50’s and glad I was a teenager in the 1960’s, when fashion and music 🎶 were changing so much, and there just didn’t seem to be the pressure that the young ones have these days.  No social media for a start!  What am I talking about - we didn’t even have a television until I was 14, and my mum and dad only had a telephone installed when I got married at 19, and had to move a few miles away!  I well remember going out to the old, red phone boxes in the dark and rain, so that I could call them.  So mobile phones have to be one of the best inventions!!

I think that’s the end of my Christmas reminiscing, so I’ll finish off this Post, once again wishing you blessings at Christmas, and to remind you of the reason for the Season ....May God bless you all ❤️



As a Postscript, I’ve also published a new Featured Post today - just click on the link at the top of the sidebar on the right hand side. ❤️
(Images today courtesy of Pinterest.com)

7 comments:

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

What great pictures and what great memories, I am glad I came here today and I hope you have a wonderful and happy Christmas

Glenda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Glenda said...

What adorable pictures! I especially love that tree! Although we live many miles apart and didn't know each other when we were little girls, we certainly had the magic of Christmas in common. Merry Christmas to you and your family, my friend and twin!

Southhamsdarling said...

Hi Jo-Anne. I’m so glad to see you here, and to know that you enjoyed this Post. I’m sure that you will be surrounded by your lovely family at Christmas, and I hope that you’re all keeping well. I’m sure that all the grandchildren are growing away, just like mine! Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas! 🎄

Southhamsdarling said...

What a lovely comment Glenda, my friend and twin! It’s always a pleasure to see you here, and so lovely that we can keep in touch through Facebook. We’ve seen the grandchildren growing up, haven’t we, and I’m glad to be your friend. Happy Christmas to you and your family, and I wish you many blessings at this special time of the year.

Suzanne said...

I love your vintage Christmas images, Thisisme! Not many people post them, I guess we just sit back and enjoy yours. Your childhood tree looks so much like ours did in those days-with icicles everywhere! Most of the time we didn't put our tree up until my Birthday on December 19th, or on the 20th, and I did most of the decorating (except for the lights). We would always buy a small tree and take it to my grandparents. They loved watching us kids decorate their tree...my sister and I have talked about that this week, and how we miss those times.

You are right, Thisisme! I think those time were simpler. And, the downtown areas were always so festive. I believe they still decorate in the larger cities, but not in the smaller ones. Downtown Fort Worth, Texas has a large tree lighting ceremony with Santa Claus and plenty of decorations. We always went Christmas caroling in the neighborhoods too!

Oh, the 1950's and 60's! I, too am so grateful to have grown up during those times! This is a wonderful post with beautiful thoughts, Thisisme. Let's bring on the New Year STRONG! ♥

Southhamsdarling said...

Hi there Suzanne. I’m so glad you enjoyed this Post, and particularly, the vintage images. They really were much simpler times, werent they, and I totally agree that I’m so glad we grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s. I never actually went Christmas carolling - I’m sure that would have been fun! That’s so sweet that you took a smaller tree to your grandparents, so that they could have the pleasure of watching you decorate it. Happy times, my Texan friend. 😊❤️ . So now we wait to ring in the New Year - let’s hope that 2019 will be a good one for all of us. Sending hugs your way ❤️