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CHRISTMAS 2020

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mbenne said:
Our youngest son phoned today with an update on a charity collection that his boss had organised at work.

His boss had been asking for Christmas donations for the homeless. Not the usual sort of donations - he needed unwanted clothing and backpacks to hand them out.

We had no backpack to offer but my wife took the opportunity to clear my wardrobe. Our son did the same too. Having made a conscious effort to lose weight during lockdown he had quite a few things that no longer fitted. Of the items he donated was a hooded, fleece lined lumberjack shirt we'd bought him some years ago. Like all the other items he passed on to his boss he assumed these would go to a collection centre and that would be the last he would hear of it. However, his boss was bypassing the mainstream organisations and actually touring the streets of Birmingham looking for people who had fallen outside the system.

Imagine our son's reaction when hearing of his boss approaching someone seated on the floor outside a large supermarket being given a backpack instead of loose change. The recipient was obviously bemused and, at the same time, wary of the gesture from a total stranger. He opened it and pulled out the fleece lined shirt. He tried it on, looked back in disbelief and said, "Is this for me?". On being assured that it was, he burst into tears.

Our son has said that next year he wants to go along and will take our Grandson with him so that he can begin to understand what real hardship is!

I'm not saying that everyone is a deserving case but it is so easy these days to overlook someone who is.

Best wishes and take care over Christmas
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I had already read your message then I read it out to my husband, by the time i got to the end there were tears running down my cheeks, what a beautiful thing to take time out to do, it has made that persons day . How wonderful for your son deciding to take your grandson next year.

Best Wishes for a wonderful Christmas.

Wendy:)
 
mbenne said:
Our youngest son phoned today with an update on a charity collection that his boss had organised at work.

His boss had been asking for Christmas donations for the homeless. Not the usual sort of donations - he needed unwanted clothing and backpacks to hand them out.

We had no backpack to offer but my wife took the opportunity to clear my wardrobe. Our son did the same too. Having made a conscious effort to lose weight during lockdown he had quite a few things that no longer fitted. Of the items he donated was a hooded, fleece lined lumberjack shirt we'd bought him some years ago. Like all the other items he passed on to his boss he assumed these would go to a collection centre and that would be the last he would hear of it. However, his boss was bypassing the mainstream organisations and actually touring the streets of Birmingham looking for people who had fallen outside the system.

Imagine our son's reaction when hearing of his boss approaching someone seated on the floor outside a large supermarket being given a backpack instead of loose change. The recipient was obviously bemused and, at the same time, wary of the gesture from a total stranger. He opened it and pulled out the fleece lined shirt. He tried it on, looked back in disbelief and said, "Is this for me?". On being assured that it was, he burst into tears.

Our son has said that next year he wants to go along and will take our Grandson with him so that he can begin to understand what real hardship is!

I'm not saying that everyone is a deserving case but it is so easy these days to overlook someone who is.

Best wishes and take care over Christmas
[/Qthats great.
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sospiri said:
Different cultures, Nico,and it's the same here in Greece, though since our first Christmas here, we've stayed at home. But the Greeks have got used to what I like and what I don't, though Jan eats most of their stuff except for their sausage and squid/octopus, which, like me, she can't stand.

Our first Christmas here was spent with Greek friends, who had Greek relatives over from Germany. A half pig was barbecued over an open fire in the garden, and they also had turkey & beef and a massive table spread. Communication was a bit of a problem because some of the Greeks spoke a little English, others spoke only German & Greek and others just Greek. We were struggling with Greek (and still do once they get up to speed), but Jan's German is quite good, and no one spoke French, which both Jan & I can just about get away with, though vocabulary is now pretty rusty. So for some it was a case of going from English to German to Greek (or vice versa), but we got by and had a good Christmas Day.

Maurice :cool:
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I took my post off Maurice (I think) as I felt uncharitable as my Mum in law meant well and she is no longer around. But I remember we used to drive there to France it took me all day often in blizzard conditions. After a rough channel crossing. We would arrive at her house around 9pm or later, and she we grunt, what kept you I am hungry I have been waiting to eat for hours etc etc. We had to grovel to be able to put the car in her garage, I found it hard to back in. We had to plead to get her to open the front door instead of trying to manouevre the holdalls and cases up the lethal spiral stairs from the garage. I had to sleep on an uncomfortable bed me against the wall, (I am being uncharitble again but I never slept,) I was moaned at if I wanted a shower, which attacked you and I got water all over the ceiling and everywhere. I got garrotted from the clothesline over the bath, which I was to big to fit in. So to cheer myself up I would have a bet how long it would be before she and my partner had their usual bust up. It got down to minutes in the end. Seconds even! Christmas always raked over old wounds for them.
 
Nico.

Christmas, as well as being a happy time for most people, is also a time for arguments and very often fights in some houses and the presence of copious amounts of alcohol doesn't help with people who don't when they've had enough.

When we used to go to my in-laws for Christmas Day, the big problem was with kids just going into puberty and their very touchy female cousin of about the same age, who by coincidence was half French! Our two younger boys would bait her quite jokingly, and she would flare up and storm out of the room, on two occasions just after we had sat down to Christmas dinner. Sometimes her mother would go after her to try to calm her down, but at other times she would just accept that she could do little about it. Our pre-Christmas lectures to the boys about not baiting her were met with disbelief that they actually had. Her French father had had a history of mental illness in his younger days, so that was quite possibly the reason. Even now in her mid-50s she's not much different.

You only have to look at the newspapers over the Christmas period to see the number of fights that have taken place. It's certainly not a peaceful time for all families. But I really do hope that everyone has a happy time, and apart from these incidences, we always did.

Maurice :cool:
 
sospiri said:
Nico.

Christmas, as well as being a happy time for most people, is also a time for arguments and very often fights in some houses and the presence of copious amounts of alcohol doesn't help with people who don't when they've had enough.

When we used to go to my in-laws for Christmas Day, the big problem was with kids just going into puberty and their very touchy female cousin of about the same age, who by coincidence was half French! Our two younger boys would bait her quite jokingly, and she would flare up and storm out of the room, on two occasions just after we had sat down to Christmas dinner. Sometimes her mother would go after her to try to calm her down, but at other times she would just accept that she could do little about it. Our pre-Christmas lectures to the boys about not baiting her were met with disbelief that they actually had. Her French father had had a history of mental illness in his younger days, so that was quite possibly the reason. Even now in her mid-50s she's not much different.

You only have to look at the newspapers over the Christmas period to see the number of fights that have taken place. It's certainly not a peaceful time for all families. But I really do hope that everyone has a happy time, and apart from these incidences, we always did.

Maurice :cool:
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Maurice/ Nico, a statistic at least from here in the US. I have a good friend in the funeral home business and also has a business that sells coffins. His busiest time of the year is right before Thanksgiving (late November) and the first week of January. Mostly heart attacks with a number of blood pressure/depression related illnesses. It’s called the Holiday Season!
 
This Christmas we have another problem to endure the bloody Virus! Do we visit our daughter and her gang at her house in the "Pinery" Parker, Colorado USA, only about a mile from where we live or not? They are all working and in contact with others, is it safe for two Old Folks to mingle with them? Apart from Marcia Grocery shopping, plus me riding my bike when possible, we have not been into Parker for weeks now.
 
John,

People in cities, especially older people, are far more at risk than those of us in a more rural area. We manage with a supermarket shop once a fortnight. Medicines are brought to us by the pharmacist and the local mini-market has the bulk of the stuff we require. The British Food Shop also delivers fortnightly. We're very lucky in that respect and have no wish to be anti-social, but are just trying to safeguard our village community and ourselves. Everyone should try to do the same if they can.

Maurice :cool:
 
oldbrit said:
This Christmas we have another problem to endure the bloody Virus! Do we visit our daughter and her gang at her house in the "Pinery" Parker, Colorado USA, only about a mile from where we live or not? They are all working and in contact with others, is it safe for two Old Folks to mingle with them? Apart from Marcia Grocery shopping, plus me riding my bike when possible, we have not been into Parker for weeks now.
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John, we have the same dilemma! our daughter lives 1.7 miles away and we are trying to decide what to!
 
what a difficult time this is deciding who if anyone we should visit or have visit us...just because the rules say we can visit friends and family over the christmas 5 days does not mean we have to...i liken it to travelling down the motorway in icy conditions...just because the law says we can travel at 70mph ask yourself would you? i say just follow your heart and your conscience..if you think you may put yourself and others at risk then dont do it...there is always next year...for myself because my sister has health issues she will not be joining us here this year so her good friend who also lives alone will be going to hers..just myself and son who lives here and my brother who lives alone at mine christmas day so we shall be practicing the washing of hands using hand sanitiser keeping our distance and keeping it short....take care everyone

lyn
 
After going through all the decorations today I've mato use.
I've also finally finished decorating our tree.
Astoness said:
what a difficult time this is deciding who if anyone we should visit or have visit us...just because the rules say we can visit friends and family over the christmas 5 days does not mean we have to...i liken it to travelling down the motorway in icy conditions...just because the law says we can travel at 70mph ask yourself would you? i say just follow your heart and your conscience..if you think you may put yourself and others at risk then dont do it...there is always next year...for myself because my sister has health issues she will not be joining us here this year so her good friend who also lives alone will be going to hers..just myself and son who lives here and my brother who lives alone at mine christmas day so we shall be practicing the washing of hands using hand sanitiser keeping our distance and keeping it short....take care everyone

lyn
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But isn't the question alsp, Do We Have Next Year ?
 

Elmdon Park - January 1963

My son has been on to me for quite some time to digitise Dad's 8mm home movies. So far I've done only one, Christmas 1963, which was almost eight years ago and has just re-appeared on the BHF thread - Christmas 2020. To say I have my work cut out is an understatement, with sound recordings on...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
Not sure if I posted this in the correct thread?
 
lmr3103 said:
How lovely is this song...

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I love this Carol and In French as it was first penned. So many artists have covered it. The first time I heard it was Johnny Mathis. Dad bought a Christmas Compilation when I was quite young. Then I heard it by Perry Como and a full choir. Lots of French artists and Josh Groban as in the next post. I do like Il Divo's rendition, the American high tenor is superb it makes me tingle. And they compliment each other. Quite emotional.
 
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At the school Carol Service in St Michael's we had to turn round in the pews and face the back to sing Away In A Manger to our mothers. All ten of them, who turned up. Mrs Prichard who worked on the petrol pumps, Mrs Warwood who was a dinner lady, Mrs Ablewhite and Mrs Harper (Pearl) cheeky kids called her Pearl Harbour who were the two lollipop ladies, mum if she could get off from BO Morris's, Nan, my mate's mums Mrs Stanley and Mrs Bruton and Mrs Rollason, the dragon who cooked the school dinners and the vicar's wife.
Mum was an operatic contralto and I used to get embarassed as her voice filled the church. Getting emotional again. And she wasn't even trying.
 
wendylee said:
I had already read your message then I read it out to my husband, by the time i got to the end there were tears running down my cheeks, what a beautiful thing to take time out to do, it has made that persons day . How wonderful for your son deciding to take your grandson next year.

Best Wishes for a wonderful Christmas.

Wendy:)
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Thank you.
 
Love that recording of O Holy Night, really lifted my spirit this morning so thanks. As far as visiting or accepting visits this Christmas, as Lynn said, go with your heart. You know those who you would love to be with and whether or not they have been sensible to keep themselves away from it. Our son and his wife will be visiting on Christmas afternoon and I know they have done all they can to protect themselves. We ourselves will be opening our presents as usual in the morning and watching a Christmas day service on line. Whatever you do, take care folks and have a wonderful Christmas
 
absolutely wonderful mbenne....what great banjo playing and singing really brightened me up as i love george formby

lyn
 
I was sent a nostalgic video on Whatsap or Facebook. I am guessing it was in the 50's of little boys and girls with their mums visiting a very poshly spoken Father Christmas and he asks them what they would like for Christmas. I wish I could send you the link. They are all well dressed like we all used to be, boys in a cap and a tie and smart coats. Little girls in pretty pale fluffy ones. And they are all Brummies. I sent it to my friend Angela as there is a little girl called Angela who wants a car for her mommy to drive. My Angela asked me what store it was, it doesn't tell you. I wondered if it was Lewis's. She mentioned she used to be taken to is it Hamleys?
I wondered what you all asked Father Christmas for?
I asked him for a Noddy Puppet. He thought I wanted a puppy. I came out with a pale blue plastic squeeze box, which I squeezed and squeezed till dad came home from work, and that was that.
When my dad got made redundant in the 70s the Co Op advertised for a Santa but he could not be persuaded to apply. He told me to bugger orf!
 
Could only tolerate Father Christmas from a distance (bah humbug). Too scared to go and see him. Did anyone else not really like him ? Or am I the only wimpy scaredy-cat on here ?!!

Never took my own children to see him either. Prefer to keep it as a myth. The Father Christmas thing was all handled from a distance. My son refused to have him in the house so presents had to magically appear on the patio outside. Couldn’t be doing with any of that magic key stuff either. Some stranger in a red suit letting himself in. Noooooooooo .......

Viv (reaching for my copy of Dickens’s: A Christmas Carol !!!!)
 
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