Christmas 1950's

A Memory of Rossendale Valley.

I lived in the valley until the very early 60's and can remember Christmas very well. As a treat I was taken to Lewises in Manchester to meet Father Christmas. I can recall queuing up some stairs to visit his Grotto. Christmas parties at Hareholme Methodist Church. Making decorations at school for the class room. Nagging your parents for the toys you wanted and the excitement of Christmas eve and not being able to sleep. Often wondering, when I believed in Father Christmas how he could get around all the children in the world in one night? How does he do it? Still amazes me.
The excitement of Christmas Day morning ripping open your presents while still in bed and emptying the pillow case to make sure you had left nothing it. Working out which toy to play with first. Looking at the covers of the annuals that you had being given and trying to imagine what wonders were inside. Not being allowed to tuck into your selection box until after dinner. Wonderful memories. Hating the fact we had a lot of relations and each each year it was someone's turn to put on Christmas dinner so I had to leave my goodies at home and the boredom of being told to behave myself and listen to the grown up talk. Then one year it was my mothers turn so I could play all day with my fort soldiers and clockwork Sherman tank. The magic of Childhood was very apt.

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