The worst Christmas present- ever.

[Di.Poppitt]

It couldn't have been easy for my mom buying presents for me during the 40's. She didn't have a lot of money and there was not a lot of choice. My dad would rather not have bought me anything, he didn't like spending money.

I loved waking on Christmas morning and moving my feet around the bottom of the bed to hear the rustle of paper. Then sitting in a freezing cold bedroom opening the parcels. The black sock, darned within an inch of its life, would have an orange and an apple, a few walnuts that I didn't actually like, a handkerchief, sometimes there were sweets and finally in the toe a shining new penny.

There was always a book, sometimes a school book from the Midland Education in town, one year it was a cardboard book of the Nativity, it was a 'smelly' its pages were scented, it's on my bookshelf and it still has the scent, faint now but still there.

One year I ripped paper from a square parcel to find a lovely red box. I lifted the lid with the usual excitement to find - A Mechano Set. I hated it, and never managed to make anything with it. To me it was a jumble of bits of metal with holes in. But you know what, I managed to hide my disapointment from mom.

 

[Rod]

I can't say there was ever a time I had the worst of presents? I remember being dissapointed once because a pair of gloves that had been bought for me had two hands of different sizes :cry: Even worse was being in hospital when I was 6, I was very lonely and sad. I had Xmas once I got home, but it didnt feel the same?
There have been times and a good many of them over the years when as parents we have not been able to afford Xmas and have had some very bleak times. Those times are in recent history for me and I know the wolves are never far from the door. Our kids have never complained about the gifts they have received but I know that they have looked longingly on as other children have showed off their gifts. Xmas can be a dreadful time for those who live below the poverty line.

 

[Jerry]

We never had anything expensive in the way of presents either but these posts have made me remember how our mum and dad used to hide our prezzies in a cupboard on the top shelf of the scullerie where they thought we wouldn't find them - fat chance!

I remember one year me and my brothers going through the cupboard when our mum and dad were out and i found a cast iron model of a double decker bus which was obviously meant for me.
Well that saturday our dad took me with him to woolworths on the coventry road and while we were going around we came to a counter with lots of model toys on it, including the bus that I'd found in our cupboard.
Dad asked me if there was anything on the counter that I liked and not being daft I said I liked the double decker bus.
Well, looking back, the smile on his face was probably the best prezzie he ever gave me

 

[SuBee]

Pressies

I too, dont recall disappointment over a christmas pressy, but christmas has never really been much about the pressy for me, its more about the family togetherness, and as Jerry said, the hiding of the gifts and the looking for them before christmas. I also like wrapping pressies, and am well known for the multi wrapped presents. I have a friend, who tries to open her pressy prematurely....so I wrap it about 6 times, with messages in each layer, telling her off for opening it early. :roll:
Over the last 30 Christmas's, I've worked 27...the biggest Christmas disappointment for me, was when a rota was changed and I had to work a Christmas that I had originally been rostered off The upside of it was, that my family did not have to suffer my Christmas cooking - my husband cooks a mean Turkey!

 

[angeleyes]

christmas

i also enjoyed my christmas at home we never had much but that chicken we had was wonderful. i think the dinner was the best part . as food was in short supply then. god bless mary.

 

[Pomgolian]

Well here I go again ... I never had that many presents at Christmas, so anything found in 'The Pillowslip' was a treat for me.
One year I had a doll that I lost in Highgate Park during the summer school holidays, that was a major disappointment for me, we looked and looked for it but it was gone. I cried all the way home and I got a hiding for loosing it to-boot.
There was this one other year though when I was about 14, I got a new dress and I hated it.
It was pink with little puffed sleeves and a flared skirt, but by that time everyone was wearing straight dresses and being small it made me look even younger than I already did. My sister told me Mom had got it cheep out the catalogue, on clearance sale.
Well be careful what you wish for, cause on my next birthday almost a year later in October, my 15th I got the straight dress also pink and well down over my knees, it had white fluff around the neck and the ¾ sleeves. That dress made me look like a frump, or orphan Annie.
Was I glad when I was allowed to shop for myself…?

I agree Mary, the food was always much better at Christmas and there was more of it too. :wink:

 

[anthony and jackie perry]

I and my brothers and sisters always had a nice Xmas, we were very lucky, I think my best Xmas present ever was my 1st watch. I was so proud and thought I was quite grown up, I must have been about 10. My other half and his brothers never had more than an orange and a little tin car...So I can honestly say I never had a `worse xmas present ever` .Jackie

 

[sylviasayers]

Worst Christmas Present Ever

As a child I can't ever remember being disappointed with my presents, although it must have been hard for my parents to fill the stocking due to lack of goods in the shops during the last war. As an adult my son who was about 20 years old bought me a large blue car cover, despite us having a two car garage!!!!

He has also received inappropriate gifts, he has sported a beard for most of his adult life but has frequently received gifts of aftershave from some of his female staff - do you think they are trying to tell him something?

 

[Kandor]

Draw!! (er...what with?)

I remember the one Christmas I had a Cowboy suit but my Mom and Dad couldn't afford a gun ...how pathetic is that?
Plus I had to wear it with Wellingtons... 8)

 

[postie]

pressies

Being born just after the war (no, cheeky buggers, not the boer or the crimea wars ) there were not many toys about.
One Christmas morning I woke up very early and made my way to the bottom of the bed looking for any pressies that may have been left by Santa ( a k a Dad )
A booming voice came from the next bedroom " STILL 2 HOURS TO GO BEFORE CHRISTMAS MORNING "
The next couple of hours seemed like two weeks while I waited for Christmas to begin.
Eventually the same voice said " OK MERRY CHRISTMAS "
I tore into the paper on the present and inside was a BATTLESHIP !,
Well, sort of.
It was really 2 pieces of wood nailed togethein the general shape of a sort of boat and painted in various coloured paint left over from odd jobs in the house. :?
But dad said he had made me a BATTLESHIP so it must of been one.
We filled the tin bath with freezing cold water and got the rest of the family to witness the " launch" of the battle ship.
I put the boat in the water and it flipped over and remained in the upside down position. :shock:
"Perhaps it's a submarine " said one of my brothers, which got him a smack round the lugholes. :cry:
But, hey it was made by dads own hands, so it WAS a BATTLESHIP, even if it only sailed upright on dry land. :wink:

 

[gingerjon]

my Dad did the same for me on launch day it capsized in the tin bath after a bit of blarting my dad rescued the upturned hulk dried it off and put wheels on was I impressed not much having to tow it around with a bit of string attached to the bow is next foray was a wooden plane that did not fly well that's another story which caused me some pane (not a spelling mistake ) I was swinging it around on a bit of rope and the rope broke and the plane went straight through the window
My DaD never did make any more toys