Growing up, we used to open everything before breakfast in Mum and Dad’s room. They’d sit there with notepads, making a list of who’d given us what, as we dived into huge pillowcases. This was usually 3am! So they then gave us a book at the bottom of the beds. We were allowed to open this immediately we woke, in the hope that it would keep us occupied until a more reasonable hour. Didn’t work.
One year they said we could open our stuff early so long as we provided cups of tea. Cup of tea at 2am anyone? The following year it was specified a cup of tea at 6am… think it was more like 5.30am.
Anyway, no one was allowed in the lounge until breakfast time as there were more presents in there. Which were opened at breakfast.
After breakfast came church. So we’d collect Nanna and Grandad and the eight of us would squash into the one car (no seatbelt laws in those days) and head into town for the 11am service.
We’d either spend Christmas Day at ours and Boxing Day at Nanna and Grandad’s or the other way around. We’d have a huge Christmas dinner – turkey, pigs in blankets, eleven kinds of veggies, Christmas pudding, mince pies…
The Queen speaks at 3pm and is required viewing. Then we’d open more presents and settle down to watch the afternoon film and play games. Oh, and there would be lots of tea and cake and so on later as well.
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