Christmas 2021

[sidcow]

My childhood Christmas Days always followed a set pattern. 

Wake up and tear into your stocking

Wake up mum and dad to get downstairs to open the presents under the tree.   The presents were dished out by me or a brother wearing a red dressing gown.  Started with my older brother till he was too old/too bored, then it fell to me as the middle brother for a couple of years then finally my younger brother took the role.  That Red dressing gown must have been so worn out by the end. 

Then we would visit my Gran (Dad's mum) who lived in a flat in Solihull right next to my Dad's sports club.  So it was open the presents from her whilst my parents suffered Gran for as little time as was respectably reasonable before we were off to the club where my Dad would sink as many beers as it was possible to drink in the alloted time before driving us home half pissed.  Not sure how old I was before I realised just how wrong this was but he was from a generation that just did that and thought literally nothing of it. 

Dad had just 1 sister and she lived in America so it was really only my Gran on that side. 

Then late afternoon over to my Nans house.  She had a massive house and my Mum had 3 brothers plus accompanying wife's so it was always a big crowd for the dinner.  Strangely only 1 child was produced by the brothers so until much later me and my brothers were the only kids. 

So big Christmas Dinner late afternoon/early evening followed by presents from that side of the family.  Watch The Wizard of Oz. 

Then home and finally a chance to play with our presents properly before bed. 

In later years my Mum took over the hosting of the big dinner as grandparents aged and in more recent years as my parents age we've hosted here. 

This is a very long winded way of saying I've never set foot in a pub on Christmas Day but I have spent many hours in a Sports Club. 

Edited December 11, 2021 by sidcow

[sidcow]

8 hours ago, theboyangel said:

Christmas Preparations for the day:

1. Wrap wife’s presents - done

2. write family cards - done

3. put up outdoor Christmas lights - done

4. Christmas hair and beard trim - done

5. Write works Christmas Quiz - done

6. Do bugger all for the remainder of the day - in progress! 

Not bad for midday

Christmas Preparations for the day:

1. Woke up. 

2. Do bugger all for the remainder of the day - in progress! 

[Rds1983]

Never been to the pub on Christmas day before and never considered it. I've had extended family members swear by it as a great day.

I used to love going out on Christmas Eve when I was younger as everyone was in a great mood. Had some brilliant nights doing so, including copping off with my elder sisters best friend when I was 20 odd. 

[villa4europe]

I've never really gone out on Xmas eve, never out out, always called it a night around 10pm, I've had a hangover on Xmas day once and that was enough, used to be just the local about 6pm to say hello to some familiar faces over a few beers

Probably my favourite day out for Xmas was my late teens when I worked in a factory and we finished at say 3pm on the 22nd or 23rd and all just piled in to town surrounded by other workers doing exactly the same, had some great nights out from that 

24th / 25th / 26th I drink but don't get drunk 

[Xela]

I've never gone to the pub on Christmas Day... unless you count it as a continuation of Christmas Eve.

For about 7 or 8 years I used to get very drunk on Xmas Eve. Finish work at midday, then onto Broad Street and i'd be there with work colleagues or mates later on in the evening until the early hours. Roll home (still lived at parents) absolutely battered and not get up until 1pm. Did that for a few years... then it moved to going out in Moseley on Xmas Eve. My best mate at the time lived in Kings Heath with a couple of other lads so we'd be out getting smashed and back to his house for more drinks and a smoke. Used to sleep it off there and get home about 3pm on Xmas Day, just as Mom was serving dinner! Have dinner then pass out in my room. Looking back on it, I must have been terrible company for my parents! 

It calmed down in my late 20's... i'd moved out and me and my mates used to spend 3-4 weeks in Asia from late November to just before Christmas every year. Just partying hard. By the time we got home, we were thankful of a quiet Christmas Day with our respective families. We'd meet up in town (mate) between Christmas and New Year, after work, and get drunk in the Old Joint Stock! Good times, as they say. I lived for those days. Now my life is just some PG rated bullshit. 

 

[TheAuthority]

Great to hear your stories fellas.

Christmas day - Get up and go through the presents and dad would always put on carols from Kings. Now he's gone it's always hard to listen to that these days but I still do it.

Put the TV on (Noel Edmonds era) and it would probably stay on all day. Never knew my paternal grandad and my paternal grandma died when I was 5. I do have a very strong memory of her though for various reasons - probably for another thread but she was a fascinating woman.

My mom's mom & dad would then show up around 11 and my moms sisters with my 2 cousins (both lads.) That was great as my older sister was a pain in the arse so us lads just played with our new toys. Huge lunch around 2, Queen at 3 (lame) and then the "Big Christmas" film on BBC 1. 
I sometimes look up the old Radio Times listings from back then for nostalgia and to see if I can trigger more memories.

I'm sure the first time I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark was one Christmas day when I'd received the "Ghostbusters" video game for the Commodore 64. How do you choose between those 2 options?! Those were the days!

[villa4europe]

The big bbc film in the afternoon! Same in my house

I don't look back but I still look as to what they've got on every year even though I'm not there to watch it, I look at the Xmas TV guide just to see what's what 

[ferguson1]

Great pastime was circling the films you’d watch over the Christmas period in the Radio Times etc.  

Growing up, I always circled films like: 

The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs & Broomsticks etc.  Any James Bond, any Indiana Jones or Superman film. 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by ferguson1

[Rugeley Villa]

I was bought up that Xmas day you stay home with your family , so I’ve never got into this going the pub on Xmas day thing . Never did it pre kids so definitely won’t start now. I just don’t get it tbf . Xmas Eve was always a good night out before I had kids and would always get in early hours with the smell of turkey cooking and sometimes my gran up prepping the dinner. She used to prep some of  it through the night . Now Xmas Eve is all about the kids, and it’s a very busy day because my partners family always have a big get together in the day with food and a few drinks but nothing crazy. Boxing Day was a big drinking day for me but again since I’ve had kids it’s basically a day in the house with them so they can enjoy their gifts . Xmas Eve-Boxing Day is basically three Xmas days, well it is for the kids anyway . I’d always save up extra money to have 4-5 good blow outs over the Xmas period but if I have one now that’s all I have. Prefer to chill and I’m not a big in the house drinker anyway, so don’t drink much in the house at all . 

[bickster]

In my late teens / early twenties we all used to go to the pub (The men - all to different pubs) whilst my mother prepared the xmas dinner which was at 1pm, it was always at 1pm.

My Grandad turned up at 2pm

My Dad turned up at 2:30pm

I think I turned up at  about 3:15pm

Not the best Xmas vibes going on after that

[Rugeley Villa]

The other year when my grandparents were alive a funny incident happened. All the family was around the house and my grandad had put a film on for us all. He had this habit of always keeping things and never throwing anything away. He also had an habit of keeping porn videos the dirty old dog. When he was bored of them he’d tape over them with normal films . Anyway this afternoon he put this film on and we were all there watching them all of a sudden it suddenly skipped to some woman getting nailed by two blokes   we all cracked up and my gran god bless her was in stitches. 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Rugeley Villa

[Rugeley Villa]

Think I’m now going to brum on the 22nd all day on the piss. Can’t be arsed in all honestly but that’s because I’ve been off work for 3 weeks and I’m not in the Xmas spirit at all . Go back to work for 7-8 days starting from tomorrow then break up . My work mate and his mate now want to go after what looked like being cancelled . Just going to stick to the old traditional boozers around town. Not in the mood at all, but we’ll see.

[sidcow]

My favourite Christmas era was after me and Mrs Sidcow first got together*

Her parents always did a lunchtime Christmas dinner and my Nan/Mum always did evening Christmas dinner so for a few glorious years we had 2 Christmas dinners every year. 

* I actually proposed on Christmas day

[Phil Silvers]

47 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

Great pastime was circling the films you’d watch over the Christmas period in the Radio Times etc.  

Growing up, I always circled films like: 

The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs & Broomsticks etc.  Any James Bond, any Indiana Jones or Superman films. 

 

Damn no likes, I've literally just finished doing this.... In the radio times, been doing it for nearly 50 years. Highlight this year is Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone's Robin Hood.

[bickster]

3 minutes ago, sidcow said:

so for a few glorious years we had 2 Christmas dinners every year.

When the After Eights get passed around....

 

[sidcow]

1 minute ago, bickster said:

When the After Eights get passed around....

 

Yeah, it was definitely borderline Mr Creosote by the end.

[Xela]

12 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Think I’m now going to brum on the 22nd all day on the piss. Can’t be arsed in all honestly but that’s because I’ve been off work for 3 weeks and I’m not in the Xmas spirit at all . Go back to work for 7-8 days starting from tomorrow then break up . My work mate and his mate now want to go after what looked like being cancelled . Just going to stick to the old traditional boozers around town. Not in the mood at all, but we’ll see.

Don't worry mate, the pubs will probably be all closed by then and we'll be in lockdown. Welcome to the brave new world. 

[mjmooney]

52 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Xmas Eve was always a good night out before I had kids and would always get in early hours with the smell of turkey cooking and sometimes my gran up prepping the dinner. She used to prep some of  it through the night .

Thus was exactly my routine - my Mom would be still up prepping dinner when I rolled in pissed at 3 am or so. That stopped with marriage and kids, but what still happens is the (slow, steady) all day drinking on Xmas day. At home, though, never been to the pub on the day. And music on all day - the pop stuff I like, but none of the ones I hate, plus carols and Handel's Messiah. 

[ferguson1]

54 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

Damn no likes, I've literally just finished doing this.... In the radio times, been doing it for nearly 50 years. Highlight this year is Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone's Robin Hood.

Yep, definitely another worthy film.  

[Rugeley Villa]

1 hour ago, Xela said:

Don't worry mate, the pubs will probably be all closed by then and we'll be in lockdown. Welcome to the brave new world. 

Let’s hope that’s the case then, eh