Just a quick entry so that you don't forget me lol!
I can never regret being the age I am (63) as I have such lovely memories and I lived through such terrific era's - the 50's and 60's!
I am working right up until the very last moment this year, so everything is such a rush, and no time to enjoy the thought of the coming festivities- and I bet this is the same for SO many of us! So I took a peek into my diary of 1959 whan I was 18 years old to see what I was doing then. Of course it fell to Mum to do all the organising, for us teenagers - it was just fun, fun, fun!
I lived in a small village, and most social activities were focussed around the village church. I belonged to the church choir, as did most of my friends, so I was a regular churchgoer, and for me, Christmas was all about going to church, it was the only time of the year when it would be 'standing room only' lol! For a small village, we had a suprisingly large church - perfect acoustics for the rousing hymns and Christmas carols. It was a truly wonderful atmosphere, and it always seemed to snow in those days. I particularly enjoyed the Watchnight Service. I'll never forget walking back home in the early hours of the morning, (hardly anyone had a car) making the first footprints in the virginal snow, calling Happy New Year, to whoever we met on the way. On New Years day, we always wished everyone we met 'A Happy New Year' whether we knew them or not.
By now we would already have had the Christmas Dance in the church hall, where we would do 'proper dancing' to a septugenarian trio lol! dressed in their ancient evening jackets and bowties, and their shoes highly polished. It usually comprised Saxaphone, Bass and Drums (or more acurately - drum lol!)I can still hear the steady 123,123, rythm of the snares on the single drum
Most young people could waltz and quickstep to some degree, but we all got up to do the Paul Jones and the Barn Dance - absolutely no one was allowed to sit down during these dances - even the the Vicar (who mostly stood drinking tea) was made to join in. Of course we always ended the evening with the Hokey Cokey and then the last waltz, when the lights would be dimmed for a minute or two and the boys could sneak a quick kiss from their partner ( you had to be very careful who you did the last waltz with lol!) I'll never forget finding myself in the arms of the young curate for the last walz - I fancied him like mad, but was desperate for him not to know, ha ha - no, I didn't get a kiss!
We would then look forward to the Gala Dance in the New Year - the hall would be gloriously festooned with lots of balloons which would come down upon us like confetti at the end of the evening. I always hoped to be able to take one home, but the boys were determined to pop them all with their cigarettes lol!
As I got older, I would forsake the local festivities for the much grander events at The City Hall in the centre of Sheffield, we girls always hoped we would find a nice young man to take us home - preferably in a car!
We didn't get a lot of presents in those days. There would be one main present, and then things like, bath salts (THE most popular gift of the time lol!) perfume, make up, chocolates and stockings (no tights then!) My favourite gift that year was a lovely net half slip, which had lots of layers to make my dresses stand out and a wide, white leather belt that made my waist look half its size lol!
Was going to add a pic with my net slip peeping from beneath my dress, but somehow it doesn't seem to work for me :-(
Freda
ps Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
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4 comments:
Lovely memories Freda, and I so enjoyed reading them. I remember those slips you talk of. I had one with layers and layers of net, used to soak it in sugar water to make it even stiffer. I had a wide black belt to wear with it. Those were the days when I had a waist lol. The dances sound lovely. I have always loved making first footprints in new snow. So glad you have done another entry. xxxxxx
Hello!! I have just discovered your journal! Merry Christmas and I hope you continue writing more entries
love Amy
http://journals.aol.co.uk/abeator81/AmyLovesPeccarys/
Your younger days sound magical Freda. I`m only a baby of 52 lol, but I remember having, as a child, one of those petticoats. It was a lemon colour and I really loved it though it was a bit scratchy ! I also remember going to church at christmas and singing my head off to the carols....they were lovely times.
Sandra x
Sandra thanks for your comment - glad that you remember those petticoats - the fashions were so feminine then. You're right about the net being scratchy, it used to snag my precious nylons, also, one tended to reveal one's stocking tops when spinning round whilst dancing. I solved both problems by wearing an ordinary halfslip beneath the net one.
Yes, I think Christmases were very different then, very little (if any) commercialism. We used to make a lot of our presents - which takes me on to Christmas in the 1940's.........
Freda
Comment from frdbrow7 - 28/12/04 16:59
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