Web Page No 3028 22nd December 2022 Christmas in the 1950’s First Picture: Christmas Tree Lights

Second Picture: Tree decorations

Third Picture: Glass tree decorations

Forth Picture: St. Nick Christmas Lights

In the 1950’s and 60’s the approaching Christmas season saw my folks buying all kinds of different foodstuffs and fancy goods to place on the sideboard for the festive period. Various items that were never seen in our home at other time of the year. Firstly, there would be a net bag selection of various types of nuts. Walnuts, Hazel nuts (why we bought these as we had a whole row of hazel nut trees in our back garden), plus Brazil nuts, this naturally started a search through the various cupboards and drawers around the house for the nut crackers which had not been seen since the previous Christmas. Another item only purchased at this time was Turkish Delight (not the Fry’s version but the real thing dusted with icing sugar). The only person that liked it was my grandmother, who lived with us. The hexagonal box would be placed with its wooden fork on the side board and there it sat for several weeks until my grandmother finally finished it off sometime in mid-January. Another item bought around this time were tangerines, I liked them and would frequently attack the bowl of them set out on the sideboard. Talking about fruit, this was the only time in the year that we ever saw Crystalised Fruit in our house. Oblong boxes of dates would also appear. They were horrible, sticky things that came with their own long handled eaters. Again, I cannot remember anyone liking these particular fruits but it was the done thing to have them available. As was a tray of Sharpes toffee complete with its little hammer to break up the block with. We now come to alcohol. This was something the was rarely kept in our house. Some bottles of stout were bought in for my grandmother and a bottle of Advocaat so my father could make snowballs for my mother. Babycham and Pony were bought in for guests and so was sherry and Port so that Port and Lemon could be offered and of course lemonade for me. My dad would go out and buy some luxury smoking aid , Du Maurier in its bright red flat box and mini cigars such as Manakin. These items would be put on the sideboard so they could be offered to visitors. Then there were the homemade decorations! You Write Obituary Robert Barlow Robert ( Bob ) Barlow passed away on Saturday 17th December aged 78 after suffering a general decline in his health over the last few weeks. The son of John & Mary Barlow who owned the well know Chemist and gift shop in Cosham High Street , Bakers of Cosham we lived over the shop throughout our school life. Bob went to Court Lane infants school and then primary school and then secondary school which became Manor Court. Bob became head boy while he was there and finished school in 1961. He then joined National Provincial Bank which became NatWest. He stayed there and took early retirement in his mid 50s. He also travelled a lot on his holidays. I will post funeral arrangements when known. Regards Peter Barlow Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com