Christmas followed the same pattern each year. My parents, my two brothers , myself and Gran, my maternal grandmother who lived with us and my paternal grandparents plus my Auntie Mabelle and Uncle Edmund who joined the family early because they brought vegetables ready prepared for Mother to cook. So it was to be at this particular Christmas. Decorations were everywhere and a large bunch of mistletoe hung under the hall light and was used in the time honoured way as each guest arrived.
Christmas morning arrived but it started in an unusual way-instead of pillow cases at the end of the bed there was a note to say ‘follow this string’. It was the same for David. We met on the landing and found the strings going downstairs and round the hall and back again. On the string we found many little gifts: such great fun we had finding what they all were. Eventually we arrived at our parents’ bedroom everyone to be greeted with ‘Happy Christmas, you’ve been a long time-ha ha.’ The best was to come as we went round to the other side of their bed. I was so happy for there was a lovely dolls’ pram for me and a red pedal car for David. We were so delighted. I already had a lovely baby doll so she was soon in the pram. These toys proved to be much loved and were played with so much.
The rest of the day was wonderful as usual-after a lovely meal everyone gathered in the sitting room and the presents under the tree from and to other members of the family were given out by the youngest in the family who of course in this year were David and myself. What a day-a really special Christmas and one I have never forgotten.
Beatie