Memories of Christmas Past

"Bearmans was the big department store, the site which is now occupied by the Coop or Leo's. I remember the toy department at Christmas was fantastic with an enormous model train layout in the centre of the floor which would take you ages to walk right round, everything painstakingly assembled in miniature for the kiddies. I remember visiting Santa at Christmas. To get to Santa's grotto, you went on a sleigh ride with plywood cut out reindeers on either side of the seats. The ride had some machinery to make it feel like a real sleigh ride."

"I always think of East Ham at Christmas, going to the Co-op to see Father Christmas, it seemed like magic how they did it. Then when older I remember my dad sat down our shed at 61 Stokes Road plucking chickens, he kept chickens in our small garden along with rabbits and canaries in an avairy. He would be all done up in scarf and big coat, with a lead going down garden with a light on the end, no health and safety then. The chickens were then displayed in the kitchen and all the neighbours bought one for Christmas dinner. It made up the Christmas money. I remember New Year's Eve out in the street having a good old knees up and listening to ships' horns going off at midnight at the Albert Docks. They can never recreate those days. Happy Christmas to all that remember good old East Ham."

A memory shared by Pamela Mather.

"My dad, Teddy Burke, was Santa Claus at Busby's on Manningham Lane. He was certainly popular, since in the 1950s and 1960s the crowds lined the streets when he was due to arrive on his float. When he did appear, he played Christmascarols on his trumpet before making his entrance into the grotto. What few people knew was that Ted was largely responsible for the construction of the grotto before he arrived! Sometimes, in busy periods, he had colleagues timetabled to do a Santa rota with him, and naturally Mother Christmas and Fairy Starlight had their roles to play as well. I was astonished that Santa knew all about me when I went to see him, so I believed in him for a little longer than most kids!"

A memory shared by Edmund Burke.

"To anyone local to Dorchester this was a familiar scene day in and day out for almost 50 years. My grandfather Ben Courtney started selling 'fruit and veg' in 1947 from hand-carts on the roadside. His son Doug started in 1950 and various members of the family helped out through the week. I always remember Christmas time was manic, we sold Christmas trees which had to be dug up and hauled to the store by the hundred. Nets and nets of piled up sprouts would disappear as fast as they were opened. Boxes of tangerines were stacked everywhere."

A memory shared by Trevor Courtney.

"We moved to Rustington in 1949 as my Mother Dr Mary Higgs was the M.O.H. at Zachary Merton and was the doctor there until her retirement. Zachary Merton was a lovely hospital to have a baby, all the staff were so friendly. The Matron I remember was Miss White, with Sisters Mingay, Cole and Mrs Smith and later Matron Cynthia Grose and Sister Gray to name but a few.
On Christmas Day in the afternoon there was always a tea party to which lots of people came and Father Christmas with presents for everyone. We listened to the King's Christmas message (with great impatience in the case of us children as we were keen to get our presents!) and later we were able just to peep through the doors to see the babies in their cots and the special Christmas Baby. "

A memory shared by Jo Berryman.

"As children and teenagers my twin sister and I loved going around the market. At Christmas it was magic! We would come back home to visit our grandparents and family and Christmas Eve wasn't complete with out a walk into town and the market!
We would walk from St. Augustines (Gussies) and come in to the market square through a 'tunnel'. If it was cold, or if it snowed, that was even more exciting!
People were rushing about, buying stuff for Christmas Day. Then, like Ebenezer Scrooge in ,'A Christmas Carol', things were bought on Christmas Eve, not months before, like now.
Mum would buy fruit and veg off the stalls. I can still smell tangerines, wrapped in beautifully printed tissue paper! What a treat!
As teenagers, we had money for Christmas, so 'spent up' on 'the latest fashion' - midi skirts from the stalls.
I visited Chesterfield market, a few years ago now, with my daughter. It was the end of November, but had that Christmas feeling! It was cold, the lights shone and we bought her birthday present, a coat, from one of the stalls. Just like old times! Long may Chesterfield market thrive!"