This was sent to me today by my Aunt who is 92.
She lived through WWII and lost her fiancée who was a pilot in the war. She never talked about it except to my mother who has been dead for 20+ years.
Her note takes one back to a similar time when family and tradition were important.
It is a shame that Christmas has turned into a subject for entertainment and a day off from work. I remember in the early days of living on Ann Street. Was it gone when you were young. There was a back stairway as well as the main one. Father was the only person allowed into the big room where the tree was, until we had all eaten breakfast. There was only one real present for each plus a few bits of socks and underwear. The piles were spaced so no fighting. I don’t know what we did in the morning but Christmas dinner was at one o’clock. Father picked up the cooked turkey from the baker where it was being cooked with tomorrows bread. Then he picked up great Grandma and Auntie Bessie. All the extra boards were put in the table and we all sat down while Father carved. My Mother, your Grandmother did all the kitchen work, before and after—no electric stove or dish washer. It sounds like a Christmas Carol doesn’t it but I expect we were a very lucky family in those days. Long, long time ag0
What my friends did later was go to the movies. That brought back reality and I expect it sounds like a story and I have left out a few bits of realism, but it is what I remember.