Earlier and earlier!!

[Rowlf]

I had to check my calendar this morning as I passed a house round the corner already trimmed up for Christmas and then I switched the radio on in the kitchen and on Smooth radio they were playing Christmas songs.
I tuned into another station quick. Perhaps I'm turning into Scrooge but seems too early for either yet to me.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I went to Manchester a couple of weeks ago and on the route there was a house with a Christmas tree in the window...decorated and lit up.

[cashman]

There just saddos as far as i'm concerned.

[westendlass]

I was in Blackburn on Friday and all the shops seemed to be playing Christmas background music. There is someone around the corner from me with their trimmings already up, I agree with you Cashy its all a bit sad. I would have thought you'd be sick of the sight of them by Christmas! One of the television channels have been playing cheesy American crimbo films back to back for a couple of weeks too. Its going to be all year round soon.

[Less]

If I remember correctly, the earliest looking forward to Christmas thread started on here was in early October one year, so for once it is getting later in the year thank goodness.

[maxthecollie]

We have today had our £2000 Christmas Tree installed on the roundabout near our house. What a H.B.C. Rip Off.

[Rowlf]

Well doesn't sound like I am on my own in thinking its too early for putting trees etc up in the house. I can understand the shops being decorated by now but not a home.

[DtheP47]

There's house in Penmaenmawr N Wales that keep their Christmas Lights on their gable end all year round. A few years ago when my grandson first saw it around June time he said sagely "Well that saves em a job at Christmas "

[dotti34]

I certainly agree that all the Christmas stuff is started far too early these days, especially when individual homes are being decorated weeks before Christmas is here.

I remember when I was a child we did our house decorations during the week leading up to Christmas, homemade trimmings made from crepe paper. Part of the fun was sitting around as a family twisting the strips of paper into pretty ‘ropes’, folding them in a special way using three different colours, crimping the paper here and there and also making chains long enough so that they stretched across the room. Didn’t have the money to buy fancy decorations, though we did have some that we saved from year to year – paper bells that opened up.

Then when we had used up all the paper our efforts would be fixed to the walls and ceiling with drawing pins and stretched from corner to corner, looped up here and there to the ceiling.

My dad would always ‘acquire’ a real Christmas tree from somewhere and we would put more paper decorations on this and some ‘special’ ones that had been saved over the years. Maybe some tinsel if we had any.

It was a combined effort from all the family and created so much fun and laughter, so much excitement that Christmas was almost there, only a few days away. We only used two or three packets of crepe paper but we made lots and lots of lovely decorations with them. The room was full to overflowing.

What a pity that so much of that sort of simple fun and enjoyment has been lost over the years.

[maxthecollie]

Christmas Tree.JPG
Here is our £2,000 Christmas Tree. Value for money or what?

[maxthecollie]

2.JPG
I can see where the money has been spent now .Two wagons.

[westendlass]

Thinking about Christmas, I've just remembered the time my brother got his first bachelor pad ( a one bedroomed flat) and decided to go hunter gatherer to get his tree. He found one in a wood somewhere, hacked it down and installed it in his living room. He didn't realise until that point that the farmer who owned the land had sprayed his trees with manure to stop people nicking his trees. It stank his house out , was hastily removed and taught him to buy one in future! (He was only young at the time!)

[Rowlf]

Dotti34 brought back memories of making paper chains etc. Paper trimmings, the concertina type, strung across the room and on the small artificial tree REAL candles that clipped on the end of a branch and they were lit !!!! ecky peck health and safety brigade would have a fit .

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Rowlf

ecky peck health and safety brigade would have a fit .

Screw 'em ... I remember the real candles too ... and sending notes to Santa up the chimney.

[Rowlf]

Ha Ha yeh and putting a pillow case on bottom of bed.No fancy coloured bags or sacks then. Never noticed whether pillow case on Christmas morning was same sort as left night before.