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Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
I'll be heading back to Mum's tomorrow, and hope to be decorating the tree, possibly helped by a 4 year old nephew. Many of our Christmas decorations are almost as old as me (some actually older, having belonged to Grandma), and some are particularly unique:
Our Star for the top of the tree was homemade by Dad, when I was 1. It's a foil covered cardboard star, mounted on a larger dark blue cardboard star, with a bit of wire sellotaped to the back. When I was little, money was so tight, home made was all we had.
Also home made from that era, some little hanging parcels, matchboxes covered in pretty paper. One is covered in a sort of gold foil covered paper - the inside of a box of Benson and Hedges. It's even got the red B and H motif from the box stuck on for decoration.
Our 'fairy' is a little Dutch peg doll, a present from our landlady when I was a kid. She wears a dress and headscarf and holds a bunch of tulips. Peeping out from under her headscarf is hair - real hair!
A box of 24 mini baubles - little glass balls about a cm in diameter. Well, there were 24 to start with, the number dwindles very gradually - about 12 or 14 now I think. We've had them for as long as I remember. They came from Woolworths, and still go back into the original box each year.
Finally Lametta. Of course each year a few strands get left on the tree, or lost. I think there are about 5 strands of the original crimped style I remember from 40 or so Christmasses, in amongst the more modern stuff.
Nephew Oli (4) made his Mum ring Grandma to check if there was going to be a tree, and when told that there was, said "Good, I'm going to make decorations". I hope they last for 40 years too.
Anyone else got decorations laden with memories?
Our Star for the top of the tree was homemade by Dad, when I was 1. It's a foil covered cardboard star, mounted on a larger dark blue cardboard star, with a bit of wire sellotaped to the back. When I was little, money was so tight, home made was all we had.
Also home made from that era, some little hanging parcels, matchboxes covered in pretty paper. One is covered in a sort of gold foil covered paper - the inside of a box of Benson and Hedges. It's even got the red B and H motif from the box stuck on for decoration.
Our 'fairy' is a little Dutch peg doll, a present from our landlady when I was a kid. She wears a dress and headscarf and holds a bunch of tulips. Peeping out from under her headscarf is hair - real hair!
A box of 24 mini baubles - little glass balls about a cm in diameter. Well, there were 24 to start with, the number dwindles very gradually - about 12 or 14 now I think. We've had them for as long as I remember. They came from Woolworths, and still go back into the original box each year.
Finally Lametta. Of course each year a few strands get left on the tree, or lost. I think there are about 5 strands of the original crimped style I remember from 40 or so Christmasses, in amongst the more modern stuff.
Nephew Oli (4) made his Mum ring Grandma to check if there was going to be a tree, and when told that there was, said "Good, I'm going to make decorations". I hope they last for 40 years too.
Anyone else got decorations laden with memories?