Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:42 am  

El Barbudo wrote:

cod'ead wrote:

Mintball wrote:

6. The classic B&W film late on Christmas night on BBC2. My introduction to Humphrey Bogart came in such a fashion.

You should be creaming your drawers this year then, with all the "Dickens 200th Anniversary" stuff the beeb will be pumping out on TV & radio

Aha ... you have reminded me..
Years ago (1970's, 80's?) there were a couple or more "Christmas" ghost stories recorded for TV.
Of the two I remember, one was "The Woman in Black" (the forerunner of the West End long-running play) and the other was by the BBC, "The Signalman" (adaptation of Charles Dicken's "Mugby Junction : The Signalman").

Please note, I'm not talking about subsequent remakes, films, stage plays or radio programmes ... I'm referring to TV dramas in both cases.
"The Signalman" had Denholm Elliott as the signalman, and "The Woman in Black" had Bernard Hepton in it (although not in the lead role).
If you can lay hands on a recording, I can't recommend these too highly, either or both of these will have the hairs on the back of your neck bristlingly erect.
Great for Christmas Eve viewing with the fire lit and a glass of something warming at your elbow.

Unfortunately I'll just have to take your word for it on that they're asking for astronomical money for them on't Amazon.

A few of mine.

Carrying various bits of the dinner over from my Grandma's flat next door to our house as it was a combined effort from her and my Mum.

Being extremely upset when my radio controlled Lamborghini wouldn't work whilst my sisiter was out riding her brand new bike with my Dad.

Rum sauce for the Christmas pudding.

Beetle drives.

Hostess trolley, classy!

Christingle oranges.

Chestnuts roasted on an old shovel on the fire.

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:54 pm  

cod'ead wrote:

Mintball wrote:

6. The classic B&W film late on Christmas night on BBC2. My introduction to Humphrey Bogart came in such a fashion.

You should be creaming your drawers this year then, with all the "Dickens 200th Anniversary" stuff the beeb will be pumping out on TV & radio

I was thinking much more in terms of the golden age of Hollywood, young Codward.

The Bogart introduction came via The Big Sleep late one Christmas night – which remains one of my favourite films and even influenced my course work for O level art.

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:09 pm  

The Christmas Radio Times was official permission to get excited.

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:55 pm  

1. sprouts (love 'em)
2. my dad chucking a shoe at the door when carol singers came
3. watching the Christmas day derby at old CP
4. compendiums of games
5. hoping to find the tanner in the pudding without choking on it
6. my bike with blocks on the pedals
7. visiting my grandparents on Boxing day
8. Johnny 7's
9. socks on your hands for snowball fights
10. being allowed a sip of my dad's Hull Brewery Mild

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:10 pm  

Watching 'The Great Escape'

In fact last year I downloaded it and we had it on a projector with a dozen of us watching it outside. Only later in the evening did I remember that our neighbours are German.

Same theme this year and already got 'Escape to Victory' downloaded and a 1973 Two Ronnies Christmas special.

2). Raleigh Grifter
3). Sherry
4). Soap on a Rope
5). Brut 33 splash-on/Talc christmas pack
6). Waiting for the telly programmes to start after I got up at 4am and wanted to get my B&W portable telly up and running.
7). Bad jumpers
. Terry's Chocolate oranges. Got one every year and never really liked them.
9). Watneys Party 4 (and 7)
10). Buying '20 Park Drive' for my Grandad and wrapping them up.

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:23 pm  

1. Waking up on Christmas morning wrapped up in a brand new pillowcase an duvet set.
2. Getting a red card for throwing a snowball at the ref after a boxing day game.
3. My Grandad's cr*p presents, usually bought from Bingley car boot sale.
4. Watching my cat rampaging through all the torn up wrapping paper.
5. Getting a quality present only to realise the batteries weren't included.
6. My dog ripping to bits used christmas crackers.
7. Watching Zulu on TV.
8. My Grandma getting pi55ed after one too many sherries.
9. Having to eat horrible stuff just because it's christmas eg Sprouts, Turkey.
10. Getting told by my Mum I could only have 1 bar of chocolate a day out of my selection box but eating them all on Christmas Day.

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:16 pm  

I'm now thinking about Charles Dickens and the The Signalman as I spend the night alone in my signalbox.

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:33 am  

hopps wrote:

as I spend the night alone in my signalbox.

Is that a euphemism?

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:38 am  

Stealth Comic wrote:

... 4. Watching my cat rampaging through all the torn up wrapping paper...

We didn't have cats at home, so this isn't a childhood memory for me – but the Christmas Wrapping Paper Wars are now one of the things we look forward to every year.

And of course it's even better if it's really shiny wrapping paper.

Re: Top ten things that remind you of Xmas from childhood. : Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:54 pm  

1. Game show Christmas specials, featuring celebrities. These were genuinely 'a change', different and funny - now it's the norm.

2. Having to write a note to Father Christmas because I was staying at my grandmas on Christmas Eve. Of course, i didn't want him to pop into my bedroom to check I'm asleep, see I'm not there, then think no kids lived at that house.

3. Having to write another note after I realised we'd no chimney, telling him my dad would leave the back door unlocked.

4. Wondering why Father Christmas had a Wigan accent in Debenhams, but was a scouser like the caretaker when he came to visit my school's Christmas party.

5. Whilst in first year juniors and performing a Christingle service for the rest of the school, a girl called Louise in the class next door, and who was stood next to me during this service, puked up all over the stage two lines into Silent Night. I credit that event with making me an emetophobe.

6. In most lessons in secondary school, the final lesson would be a fun quiz with the class divided into two teams. The same (thick) girl would moan "why do they get all the easy ones?" after EVERY question the other side got. Daft cow.

7. It has to be added, in the geography quiz it was girls v boys. I scored ALL the points for the boys team, AND we won the game.

8. Cilla Black's Christmas specials on ITV. Ugh.

9. Having to go around EVERY bloody relative on Christmas morning, and my mum invariably getting highly strung first thing because if we didn't 'hurry up' we'd not get round them all. Invariably it was her we'd end up waiting for.

10. School fancy dress discos. Invariably rubbish.