Christmas recollections

While arrangements around Christmas including writing that all important letter to Father Christmas to get to the North Pole continue one thing I remember about Christmas were the trips up to my Nan and Grandad's around that time as they were fitted in with shopping being just a few miles away.

I'd spend time with him helping out with the gardening or going with him to get plants while on other occasions he'd swing me on the garden swing at the top end of the garden terrifying Mum as my co-ordination is pretty lousy as I'd enjoy it in my t shirt and shorts.

It was there our family parties with cousins were held not least one just after Boxing Day for which we'd be scrubbed up protesting in the way as boys just do about the very idea of being scrubbed up and having to dress tidily as we played Kerplunk, Battle stations and the like together while the grown ups watch Darts from Jollies night club just on the south side of our city region or snooker.

Another thing I loved around then was Shari Lewis's Lamb Chop sock puppet show that was shown on national television at the time as I loved puppetry, practising with old grey socks we'd worn out.