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| Yesterday the snow came. Yesterday it was Christmas 1965. School had finished for the term with its customary nod to the festive season - the school nativity play. That year I had graduated from playing one of the three wise men, to the rather dubious promotion of playing King Herod! How I loved the last few days of the Autumn term. Goodbye to formal lessons; instead we children were allowed to bring into school our favourite toys and games to play with. I had asked my friend Lynn to remember her blonde ponytail Barbie wearing "Solo in the Spotlight". Well, |
| by that stage it was just the dress she was wearing, but that was enough! I had also asked her to bring in one of her many "Thank Your Lucky Stars" pop annuals. In those days, I used to play at being a pop star, and having my own tv show. From the swing attached to the tree in my garden that Daddy had built me, I would belt out Dusty Springfield's greatest hits! Mummy collected me from school on the last day of term. We hurried through the streets. It was already dark. There was something indescribably magical about the comnimation of bright, welcoming shop windows and the dark, frosty, winter's afternoon. We passed the toy shop, and I tugged at Mummy's sleeve to stop. "PLEASE let me look for a minute," I implored. There in the window of the shop was the magical World of Barbie. It was a bright and charming display, featuring Barbie in "Ski Queen" (Oh, I WANT that one!), Ken in "Ski Champion", and Midge in "Icebreaker". There at the front was an adorable little blonde Skipper in "Skating Fun". I wanted to stay there forever, but insistent arms pulled me away. Christmas Eve. The house looked beautiful. My older sister and I had helped Daddy to decorate. My younger brother was too busy playing with his toy farm. He had meticulously set out all the buildings and animals. We had watched endless tv. "Stingray", and "Bonanaza", and a special Christmas edition of "Thunderbirds" called "Give or take a million". It was exciting that these programmes were being shown on days and at times different from their normal schedule. It made things even more |
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| special. Our favourite tv show had been an animated puppet version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", with Burt Ives as the snowman telling the story. When he sang "Holly Jolly Christmas" and the elves danced, we were dancing too! It was the one thing all day that had distracted us from the agony of waiting for Christmas morning! At that point it might as well have been a year away! Having argued with ny older sister about cutting the paper doll and outfits off the back of the "Bunty" comic (which I had!), it was time for bed. There in the darkness, I dreamt of all the magical things that would await me around the tree the next morning. Yes, I knew by then that it was indeed my parents that had bought the Christmas presents, and that they were not from Santa's sleigh, despite their insistence to the contrary. The air of furtiveness and whispers |
| that had pervaded the house from 8pm onwards only escalated my knowing excitement. My brother had left a small glass of brandy for Santa (courtesy of Daddy) and a mince pie courtesy of Mummy. He would need the sustenance to help him get up the chimney again! A few hours or more passed by. I heard the soft opening of the bedroom door, and the familiar rustling of a Christmas stocking. They were all made of netted mesh in those days, and trimmed with red braid. Dutifully I lay there, for all the world, sleeping like a baby. As soon as I heard the door shut softly, I leapt forward in my bed, eager hands furtively surching the depths. Pens and crayons, chocolate sweets wrapped in gold foil to resemble coins, a handkerchief embellished with my initials... Where DO children go to in the twilight world that we call sleep, and, more importantly, how do they ever get there on nights such as these! |
| A Christmas to Treasure Continued.... |
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