Christmas (part 1)
I’m a fan of Christmas 
After 6 months of being married, some 19 ish years ago, we were in a discount store in Bedford discussing how now we had our own house, and were having a Christmas to ourselves, we didn’t have to do all the usual seasonal stuff, and especially not all the decorations or a tree. Of course as we were sharing this moment I was picking out and purchasing a plastic tree. It’s taken Mrs C a long while to get used to it, but each year I want to buy more tinsel, more lights.
Given my traditionally dysfunctional family I have precious feelings about Christmas.
My (step) dad uses to baracade the top of the stairs so we couldn’t get down in the early morning. No presents were allowed to be opened until the coal fire was lit.
One Christmas I got a 1/24th scale airfix spitfire. I don’t think I ever finished making it, but it was a very impressive kit. I was really too young for it, but that was part of the treat – made me feel rather grown up.
Another Christmas my dad gave me a chess computer game. It may have even been the first proper computer game I was ever given. I opened it full of excitement, only to realise it needed a joystick to play, which I didn’t own. I was momentarily crushed, until my dad, with mock surprise, presented another gift saying “oh maybe you’ll be needing this”
We always got the Christmas radio times and scoured it to see what would be on. I even have half a memory that each child had a different coloured pen to we could highlight what we wanted to watch.
I can’t remember what we ever did for Christmas dinner, I can’t remember if we ever went to Church, or went to visit relatives, or played games. But whatever we did as a family it made me very fond of the season.
I’m hoping my own family will pick up the same delight. Or at least a love of mince pies!
