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Cover Story: The magic of Christmas remembered
The magic of Christmas remembered
Many of us have treasured childhood memories of Christmas which we hold close to our hearts, so here are some special recollections from our residents in WA and NSW.
By Gabi Mills. Karingal Green and Mertome Aged Care Home Portraits by Ammon Creative.
Karingal Green Health and Aged Care Community, WA
Rose Adams, 89
The excitement of Father Christmas coming was something I remember as a child. We’d look forward to Christmas lunch with all the family coming to my house and I would have lots of fun playing with my cousins. Mum would make a beautiful roast chicken and then we would have homemade plum pudding with custard. Mum always made Christmas lunch so special for us. I had a beautiful collection of dolls, so receiving one would be a special moment at Christmas.
Sheila Dunne, 84
I loved getting presents and helping put the Christmas decorations up. Mum always made a special Christmas dinner with all the family and my cousins, and we would always have so much fun together. Mum made us a roast and pudding and custard but I didn’t like the fruit in the pudding, so I would just have the custard and I would get extra because I didn’t eat the pudding! One year, I got a three-wheeler bike - it was fantastic because I could take my dolls for a ride.
Ruth Invargson, 96
Christmas was a great day. There were eight of us and Mum worked so hard to make it a special day for us. We would put up balloons and streamers - it was so much fun, and then after Christmas Day was done, we were allowed to play with them. Mum would make a pudding and put shillings in it. We all wanted to keep eating it until we got one . . . We would all get a stocking filled with things, and then one year, my sisters and I got a bike to share - it was great.
Brian Burrows, 93
Christmas began with writing a letter to Father Christmas then wondering what we would get because we would never get what we wanted. For instance I really wanted a bike because they were rare and expensive. Mum would make us a hot lunch on Christmas Day then we would have the cold meat for dinner. My favourite gift was a Dinky toy (they were great because you could just keep building onto it). As far as the festive food was concerned, I loved my Mum’s Christmas pudding because it was a real one not one of those tinned ones.
Kevin Flanagen, 96
Kevin Flanagen, 96
The best thing about Christmas was getting toys and I loved tucking into Christmas dinner with just my family. We’d eat ham and Mum’s homemade boiled Christmas pudding. I remember getting a red bike which was my best present ever.
Mavis Handyside, 95
I used to love going with my Dad to find and cut down a Christmas tree for the day, two days before Christmas. I decorated it with my stepmum which was interesting. We always had family over for dinner and about 12 to 14 people would arrive by horse and sulky (a lightweight cart with two wheels and a seat for the driver). We would eat plum pudding which was made a month before, then wrapped and hung until Christmas. I remember that I would always get shoes for Christmas.
Jim Pickering, 81
A fortnight before Christmas, Dad and Mum would have a Christmas dance in our wool shed with a pig and sheep on the spit and a band. It was a terrific day with everyone coming. Christmas Day however would just be Mum, Dad, my brother and sisters for a Christmas lunch.
My favourite Christmas gift I received was a red bike and I loved the pork mum made. She also made the best pudding.
- Brian Burrows
Mavis Handyside, 95
Georgina Roberts, 97
Montana Aged Care Home, NSW
I am of English decent, even though I spent my formative years in Zimbabwe, Africa, so at Christmas, I absolutely loved British things. Our family were some of the original British immigrants into Zimbabwe, and we really loved the climate over Christmas which is very hot as opposed to being very cold back in England! I used to love the Christmas candles and plum puddings (in those days we could not import them from England) that we would cook up as a family. It was actually my grandmother who taught my mother how to make this from scratch and this recipe has been handed down over generations throughout family. My mother was a practical person who told things as they were! There was no fancy attachments to Christmas. My aunt - mum’s sister (who was a nurse) - was the total opposite, so we were aware of who to go to for different cheer on Christmas Day.
Georgina Roberts, 97
We would decorate the house with lots of bunches of flowers that we could collect off the wild trees. In the early days, there were only the African wild flowers before the British seeds arrived and we could raise European flowers. We did not have pen and ink in those days; instead we used to get big leaves from trees and scratch stories into them. We would often make lovely invitations to Christmas lunch or dinner on them to give to the family. My favourite gift was a candle. We didn’t have anything to light things with in those days so the people coming from England brought candles out with them, otherwise we would make our own with wax from a local tree. We would roll little candles with a dried stalk inside and we would light that for Christmas. The white wax came from a tree called lanceleaved waxberry – that’s the English name for it. It was a unique tree that was covered with the white wax we would scrape off to mould into candles.
We’d tuck into traditional Christmas pudding and put penny coins into the bake, not too many though. If we had, say, 12 people attending dinner, then we would only put four coins into the pudding so it was only the lucky four who would get them. Mum used to make custard from our cows’ milk and eggs from the wild geese that you could find out on the plains.
McDougall Park Aged Care Home, WA
Stavros Mittas, 81
It was winter in Greece at Christmas (Krismas). We used to get our mules to pull out roots of trees so we could build a bonfire. For Christmas lunch, we would cook a pig on the fire. When we were hungry we could just carve a piece of meat off the pig and put it on our plate. I have six brothers and two sisters so gifts were very small. We just enjoyed being together as a family. Later we would all sit around the bonfire with our neighbours and play cards. Christmas was always a very special time with our family and neighbours.
Stavros Mittas, 81
Pat Smith, 90
Pat Smith, 90
My most vivid memory was as a child living in England, celebrating Christmas during the war. I remember in 1939 at Christmas most of the children were evacuated to the countryside. Where we lived was near the docks and that was where the bombers dropped their bombs. It became known as Bombshell Alley. For the next three years, my brother and I were separated from our parents for Christmas. I think over the years we never had Christmas as a family again. In the girls’ home, we were very excited to be given a doll every Christmas. I do remember we had a lovely time under the circumstances, at Christmas in the children’s home.
Betty Davison, 91
When Betty was young, she and her brother would find their presents in the lounge under the Christmas tree. The family would open them at the same time. Betty remembers getting a cream-coloured dolly’s pram with a blue cover on it. Her brother got an electric train that went around and around on tracks. Betty enjoyed the train as much as her brother did. The family went to Communion in the morning then home for Christmas dinner. Usually there was a roast chicken with vegetables and also a ham. There was usually a ‘slap up’ pudding that contained cherries and fruit, and a brandy sauce to go with it. Often cousins and aunts joined Betty and her family for the big meal and they ate all day.
Betty Davison, 91
Bexley Aged Care Home, NSW
Faye Weatherall, 74
For me, Christmas time is where you spend time with friends and family. Some of my family are in the country living in very small country towns. I grew up in Moree, which was a very small town about 188 miles away from the city. Now some of my sons are in Sydney, which is nice as they are in the same city as me. When I was young, we would always have family around. As children, we used to wake up early just to open the presents. Some people could not afford much and we didn’t have extravagant presents at that stage of my life. We would spend the day playing games together, things like dominoes, checkers and cards, all sitting around the table, having a great laugh and banter. As a child, I lived with my Mum and Dad’s family as both of my parents had died quite young in an accident. I was formally adopted by my direct relatives, so I was always with real family. We would always have a good sized Christmas tree and it was always a real one that was freshly cut down by relatives. Everyone used to go out in those days and choose a tree from the bush and bring it back. We would make our own decorations, buying paper from the paper shop and put bells on the paper. I loved making the handmade decorations for the tree.
Back when I was little, things were very tight in a money sense, people were working very hard to make ends meet in the post-war times. Even if we only had one present, we were happy with that. The most important present for me was always to spend time with my aunties, uncles and cousins - that’s what made me happy. For our Christmas lunch, I loved a nice roast chicken or turkey with cranberry sauce. Christmas cake would be on the table and a Christmas pudding with fresh custard and jelly. My sister and I and my aunty would make the puddings for everyone.
Faye Weatherall, 74
Mertome Aged Care & Retirement Village, WA
Allan Donnelly, 73
Allan Donnelly, 73
I remember being allowed to have cakes and a cool drink and my father would let all us boys have a mouthful of beer. We would travel to Esperance from Kalgoorlie in Dad’s Plymouth. Us boys would stay in the bush in tin huts while my folks stayed in a caravan. We woke up early to presents under our beds, and Mum would make lunch. We would eat on 40 gallon drums as a family. We’d tuck into a Christmas ham, or a sandwich with the ham and mustard on white bread.
I was given a wind-up train set one year which I absolutely loved.
Catherine Weiss, 84
I used to love Christmas as a child because we were given lots of things, and gave gifts to our parents that we had bought with money we had saved. We’d give thanks at dinner time - it was a very special family time together and every Christmas was a good one, even during the war. We would all go to bed early, waiting for Father Christmas to come and then woke up early to presents at the bottom of our beds. We ate lots of food as a family and fed the horses with Dad as this was his only job for the day which was exciting. It made us realise how hard my parents worked all year round for us.
Catherin Weiss, 84 and her daughter Sarah.
Freshwater Bay Aged Care Home, WA
Loretto Pell, 85
We would decorate the tree with lights and sing with my friends - it was awesome. We would prepare lunch, hide all the presents and when they finally found them, sing Christmas songs and dance. My mother gave me a long dress one year and my friends bought me jewellery and lipstick. We loved eating smoky hot turkey and Christmas pudding.
Stella Willis, 67
Our first job was to get the Christmas tree ready with lights and ornaments. Then we would prepare lunch - roast pork, Christmas pudding and ice cream - and share the presents. One year, I was given a statue of Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus and that was my favourite gift.
John Gjench, 72
My parents and I would decorate the Christmas tree together. I loved receiving chocolate as a gift and tucking into roast pork. In later years, all my friends gathered together and we’d have a beer and a good lunch. Some of my friends would play guitar and we all sang songs together.
Stephen Patrick, 64
Stephen Patrick, 64
I got presents from relatives and visiting friends when I was a child at Christmas. My parents were Scottish, so my father would play the piano while my mother did the cooking. We’d open up presents and have a BBQ with visiting friends. Mucking around with kids and playing all the fun games were the best. Smoking, drinking and singing was absolutely wonderful when I was older. When I was a 17-year old, my parents gave me seat covers for my first car and I loved it. I was fat and my nickname was ‘Pig’ - so I was on a diet but I loved eating sponge cake at Christmas. I would eat half of it before anyone else got to it.
Wendy Sumner, 78
We would celebrate with some beautiful Christmas food, like roast beef, pudding and ice cream. We’d put presents around the Christmas tree and on the table and one year, my father made me a little horse which lasted a long time.
Rosie Harvey, Vivienne Pedlow and Robert Crawford from Mosman Park Aged Care Home, WA
Mosman Park Aged Care Home, WA
Rosie Harvey, 72
The excitement of receiving toys, and the turkey dinner with roast potatoes and sprouts were highlights of Christmas for me. In our house, Christmas Day itself was quiet and we would have a party on Boxing Day. I remember the year I was given the book Little Women, a pop-up book and a wooden penguin filled with toffees. I loved the snow at Christmas and the chance for peace on earth.
Robert Crawford, 73
I loved receiving toys as a child and tucking into Christmas dinner with the family. One year I received a large pedal car that I could sit in.
Sheila (Anne) Vale, 84
When I was small, I used to look forward to seeing all my family over Christmas. My three sisters were away fighting in World War II and they got to come home for Christmas! We celebrated Christmas very joyfully in our house. My mother would roast a chicken - it was a very special treat and it was always traditional. We lived in London at the time and one year, I got a Pedigree pram which was my favourite Christmas gift ever. I don’t really like Christmas now; I do like seeing all the grandchildren but I find the day itself very exhausting!
Vivienne Pedlow, 71
I remember after Communion in church on Christmas Day, we would have lemonade in the church grounds. We would choose a pine tree from the bush which was usually too big and it bent over to fit the space. I still love the food at Christmas and the chance to get together with my family.
Mitzy Bootsma, 91
When I lived in the Netherlands, we used to celebrate St Nicholas’ Day and a man who was always painted black would throw presents into the lounge room from outside in the hallway. It was always cold but there wouldn’t necessarily always be snow. My uncle was on a big boat collecting spices from India and he sent me a book back from his travels. I was so in awe that this book had come from so many miles away. Meat was very hard to come by when I was young but if we were lucky, we had a rabbit for Christmas Day. We always had Christmas pudding - that was the most important dish of all.
John Sucksmith, 72
I loved seeing all my family, spending lots of good times, singing carols. I was given a model train set one year, my favourite gift ever.
Hocart Lodge Aged Care Home, WA (Under management)
Lorraine Mckay, 90
Lorraine Mckay, 90
The thing that I liked about Christmas when I was young was that we were allowed to have a lot of food. I loved to eat everything on the table during Christmas. We usually celebrated Christmas at home with family and friends. My favourite Christmas gift was when my mother gave me a ring, and I loved her so much.
Shirley Armstrong, 88
What I liked about Christmas was the church service and family gatherings. We celebrate Christmas in our home and it’s when all the family try to get together. My favourite Christmas gifts are hugs and kisses from all the family and maybe a box of chocolates. I love to eat Christmas cake and fruit mince pies, also ham and turkey at our Christmas celebration.
Elsie Wilkinson, 100
What I used to like about Christmas was when my family would all get together and have a Christmas tree with a lot of fun. We celebrated Christmas in our house with the family getting together and putting the gifts under the tree for the young ones. When I was younger, my favourite Christmas gifts were toys, and when I was getting older, I liked receiving clothes. My favourite food to eat during Christmas is roast chicken and steam pudding.
Kevin Morgan, 88
I used to like a nice party with my sisters, brothers and cousins during Christmas time in our house. We celebrated Christmas by playing games, giving gifts and watching Christmas programs. My favourite Christmas gift that I received was a train set when I was one - my family gave it to me. I love to eat Christmas cake and roast chicken during Christmas.
James Bacich, 82
For me, Christmas does not mean much. It’s nothing for me. My parents tried to make it look nice, but I wasn’t interested at a young age. We celebrated Christmas at home, and my Mum gave gifts to us, invited relatives around, and she enjoyed all the cooking. She would roast two or three ducks with veggies and she baked a Christmas cake too. I can’t recall my favourite Christmas gift, but I love to eat jelly and custard during Christmas these days.
Edith Whelan, 80
The things that I liked most about Christmas were Christmas trees and family get-togethers. I used to help decorate Christmas trees when I was young. We celebrate Christmas at home with family, putting gifts under the tree and opening presents on Christmas morning. My favourite Christmas gift was a teddy bear, I was about five or six years old. I love eating Christmas cake with cheese and ribs. I don’t know what meat it’s cooked in, but so delicious.
Rose Adams and Sheila Dunne, residents at Karingal Green.
