CHRISTMAS TIME AND AND ALL IT ENTAILS

[Katharine]

My mother taught me to put the coins in on Christmas Day, wrap in greaseproof paper and then when you take the pudding out of the steamer, cut slits in the base and slip a coin in each before upending onto the serving plate. This is the way I have always done it, works for me, Mary so you could try that!

[Jo]

Gosh, you're all so domesticated Though I did offer to cook Christmas lunch again (just the two of us) as I have done a couple of times recently, but we decided to go out to a local pub in the end - saves all the messing about.

Actually, I'm not a great fan of Christmas-type food like mince pies and Christmas pudding - maybe I might be more disposed to making them if I really liked them. Or possibly not, I'm not a very good cook.

[Angela Woodford]

I used to have a very pretty set of silver Christmas Pudding charms. There was a miniature sixpence, a Batchelor's Button, a little thimble; that sort of thing. Sadly, Christmas by Christmas they disappeared! I fear that, despite my every warning, they were eaten eventually in the Pudding frenzy.

(Imagines the very worst way to spend Christmas afternoon... ashen-faced in waiting room of hospital childrens' ward interviewed by furious surgical on-call registrar (torn from family festivities) producing jingle bell which was trapped in child's pyloric sphinctor...)

[englishangel]

My Christmas promises when I married was to always make the pudding, cake and have a real tree once we had children .

The pudding promise was broken the very first year, the real tree was abandoned when I was still vacuuming needles out of the carpet on my birthday though we did revive it in the USA where we had hard floors, the cake is still going.

Once the kids were old enough they helped, then they gradually took over, No 2 son reading the instructions, daughter weighing and measuring and No.1 son mixing and beating. Gradually I withdrew my overseeing and the last two years daughter has made it before going off to Uni, so September time.

[CHAZ]

It's nearly 4pm here on a Friday and things are really slowing down at office. I shall be out of the door in about an hour but this will be my last posting until 2009 so I wish all Forum members a very Happy Christmas and my best wishes to you and your families for 2009.

[englishangel]

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

[blondie95]

I have just come back from work where i have had an agency de brief on a research project i managed and their parting comment was....oh by the our office is now shut for 2 weeks, if you need anything we will speak to you on the 5th!!!! Thats was greeted with a clenched smile by me who is in the office for the two weeksn bar the main days i.e xmas, boxing day and news year eve!!!
Oh well time for our seasonal clear out then!

[englishangel]

I know JT finished LAST Friday as did I, though this week has been part of my holiday entitlement. My son is a porter at a conference centre and on Friday was told he has 2 weeks off. Shame they didn't tell him a bit sooner then we could have planned a trip.

[Mid A 15]

Not sure when I'll next be on so a Happy and Peaceful Christmas to you all

Andy

[J.R.]

Same from Jan and myself.

I was down in Horsham on my own yesterday. Sadly, I was stuck for time so only managed a 'quickie' in the Green Dragon without meeting any of the local posters on here.

£3-70 for a pint of draught Peroni, but well worth it.

[blondie95]

I hope you have an absolutly fantastic christmas and for all you who let you inner kid appear again (i never let mine go away) track santa's progress round the world..as i type he is in Kirov Russia
http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

[jhopgood]

I hope you have an absolutly fantastic christmas and for all you who let you inner kid appear again (i never let mine go away) track santa's progress round the world..as i type he is in Kirov Russia
http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

Now over Anse Volbert Village, Seychelles.

Flying well.

[Angela Woodford]

This is exciting!

He's now over Waipathu Oahu, Hawaii! To the east of the International Time Zone, Miss Wilson? He must have almost finished his night's work!

I can certainly bear witness to the fact that Santa moves incredibly fast. A week ago in Tiverton, I was taking advantage of late night Special Reductions shopping. Suddenly I spotted Santa hurrying past on the opposite side of the road, heading downtown. He wasn't carrying a sack of presents - just a clinking plastic carrier. Strange! I turned to watch him give a furtive look around him, then disappear up a dark side street.

Then I understood! It must be so hard to go anywhere for him. Always being stopped, feeling obliged to say "Ho Ho Ho" to tiny children and their mothers. The pressures must be terrible!

However, now a hatchet-faced woman Security Officer was bearing down on me.

"Have you seen Father Christmas?" she demanded.

This was tricky. There had been something a bit, well, desperate about the progress of the Santa. I felt for him, if he was fleeing from this fierce woman in her Hi-Viz Vest. "W-e-ll" I said carefully "I did think I saw Santa going thataway. And I waved very vaguely in the direction of downtown. "But I can't be sure. It's a while since I've Believed. It might have been..." However, uttering a brief "Tcha!!!" she was off again in pursuit.

Santa baby, did you get away? Santa, you owe me!

[CHAZ]

The thread now continues with the post Christmas "what did you get thtat was unusual or fun or so totally different"?

My Mum has given me some CH socks! Does anyone have these? There is a web company that speciliases in old school socks and low and behold she picked up some CH ones. No surprise if I tell you that they come up to your knees just like the good old yellow ones but they are not made of wool so no more damage to the hairy legs then!

I remian convinced to this day that the yellow socks stopped proper hair development on my legs! Does anyone else think this?

The site is http://www.footloose-socks.com

[CHAZ]

Look as though this thread died then....

I am wearing my CH socks today if anyone wants a peek!