I recently found an old Christmas list of presents I was planning on buying my family one year in the early 1970's.
I must admit I was amazed how much thought I put into it.
Each present seemed personally pitched: the novel SHOGUN for my Mum, a Car Waxing kit for my Dad, Sports car Soap on a Rope for my two older brothers and so on. I don't think there was anything home-made, which I'm surprised about.
My memory is shot though and I don't recall how and when I got pocket money as a kid but I must have done to pay for all this lot.
I do have another old list which details records I was selling to my mates at school, mostly singles, so maybe that's how I paid for people's Christmas gifts. I just can't recall, dammit.
I know one year I got my old Mum a book on how to recognise hallmarks on silver and my brother a novel called The Dark by Stephen King.
Somewhere I even have a home made Christmas label I made for my folks' gift. It has a hand drawn Samurai on it. Typical of me to foist my early teenage obsession with the Orient on my family, even at Christmas! ha ha.
I wish I could remember much more than I do.
Did you give your parents and siblings Christmas gifts when you were small?
The most ambitious childhood gift that I bought for my mother was a perfume decanter shaped like a silver deer.I bought it in secret at my aunt's Avon party and forked over 8 dollars American,which was probably about 3 or four months of allowance given for raking leaves and taking the garbage out to the curb.The most ambitious gift I ever made for my dad was a microphone made of soap(for singing in the shower,ha ha).It was easy.Just some soap flakes mixed with water and some food dye.packed it into a cardboard tube until it set up and used a small sponge as the mic head.My school teacher helped me develop this idea,so I can't take all the illustrious credit.I continue to buy presents for my mother and brother, the only family I have left.Their gifts are already purchased and wrapped, sparing me the agony of crowded shopping centers.
ReplyDeleteSuperb memories Brian. very special. Does the silver deer still exists somewhere? I love the soap mic. What a great idea. I wonder if it ever actually appeared in a novelty store? Yes, its odd and painful how our families seem to get smaller the older we get. I wish I was as organised with gift buying and wrapping as you! All yet to happen although my Missus has started on our Grandsons, the most important!
DeleteThere's a sporting chance that my mother still has that deer somewhere stored away.Like me, she,s a bit of a collector.There might be some old Avon shampoo containers from my childhood,too.I remember containers shaped like dinosaurs and race cars.
ReplyDeleteJust been sorting out a junk pile here in our house Brian. i found a womble I gave my Mother in the early Seventies. It amazes me that I was able to rescue small things like that when my parent's house was sold in 1977. A entire childhood went to the tip. I hope your Mum still has the deer.
DeleteDo hold on to that womble.Cherish it. :)
ReplyDeleteDid you have Wombles in the States?
DeleteTo be honest,I have no idea what they are.But if it reminds you of mum,it's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteWombles were TV characters in the early Seventies. They were a bit like Teddy bear type creatures, who cleaned up and recycled rubbish they found on Wimbledon Common in London. they had a regular tea-time show and even made records! Part of kids culture in the UK back then.
DeleteIt would seem they helped children learn about ecology then.I saw some pics online of the characters.I guess the U.S. counterpart would be Jim Henson's Muppets.Perhaps the Muppets or the show Sesame Street was shown in the U.K.They seem pretty well known.
ReplyDeleteYes the Wombles were eco-warriors! Those two US shows were massive in the UK. Seasme Street was on TV Saturday mornings and the Muppet Show was prime time telly on Sunday Nights. People stayed in to watch it! Classics.
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