I think has a child I enjoyed Christmas Eve as much as I enjoyed Christmas Day itself with it being a mad house. We had no conveniences like today. Supermarkets that sold everything you need from food, drink, and toys really just about anything. It was shop-to-shop back then and anyway there wasn’t that many supermarkets about. Our closest was a short bus ride away.
I mentioned previously the trip to the Docks Non Political Club to see if we had, won something in the Christmas draw for our oven but after that, a bus into town for some last minute shopping. A trip to Mill Lane market for the veg and fruit and there would be a mass of people doing the same and then a short hop to the indoor market for some cold meats and then the bus home.
We were lucky dad didn’t work Christmas Eve because all of the running around was his job.
We had coin meters we would have to feed and with a total shut down of nearly all shops from 2pm until the 27th, the need to feed the meters was never greater. With the Electric, Gas and TV to feed we needed many shillings. That would mean trips to the shop and asking for shillings in the change or the dreaded going around your neighbours asking if they had a spare shilling or two. That could lead to a treat, which was a double edge sword if it wasn’t a piece of fruit. Mum was never happy unless there was a decent pile of shillings on the mantelpiece.
Around 4pm that would be it other than dad going for a drink at the club before midnight mass, and to seek out a few more shillings. But for the bits of shopping Christmas Eve was really about the shilling.
What kid didn’t wake up early it is hot-wired into a child’s DNA at least until early teenage hood when getting up late is your new DNA? I have mentioned church but I loved standing in the doorway of our tiny kitchen watching mum cook. especially Sunday dinner/Christmas. One of my only claims to fame was when I left home I could cook bits and pieces but I could make a killer Sunday dinner with gravy made mums way.
Something else I like was the rule on Christmas Day you were in for the day! You would see most of you friends at church giving you a chance to brag about what you got and then home. The only chance to get outside otherwise was if you had a new bike mum would allow 5 minutes to have a quick ride.
We would sit down to dinner always the same time around 1pm which I still do today and once we were stuffed we would play with our toys and watching TV and the likes of Billy Smart's Circus and Disney Time all the time topping up with chocolate before Turkey sandwiches . The perfect way to spend a Christmas Day just the family, your family. Boxing Day is for visiting the rest of your family and having them visit you. I could think of nothing worse than dragging yourself and family around your parents or in-laws for Christmas Dinner.
It was agreed between the wife and I before we had any kids that Christmas Day was for us, and Boxing Day was for family excluding when Cardiff City played home or if I fancied an away trip.
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