Give it a rest

[ERICS MUM]

I was in Marks and Spencer food section on Weds looking in vain for fruit scones - my 92 year old Mum likes one for her breakfast. The space on the shelf where they usually sit was filled instead with .......Mince Pies ??? WRONG. the shelf was stacked with HOT CROSS BUNS !!!!!

The world's going mad.

 

[Brissles]

if he can afford the dry cleaners he can afford to gift a gift to them

Probably regifted one of the many "try at home" goodies the presenters are given.

 

[Brissles]

I was in Marks and Spencer food section on Weds looking in vain for fruit scones - my 92 year old Mum likes one for her breakfast. The space on the shelf where they usually sit was filled instead with .......Mince Pies ??? WRONG. the shelf was stacked with HOT CROSS BUNS !!!!!

The world's going mad.

I agree, but (unless someone argues to the contrary) is this just a British thing ? I spent many years in Switzerland, and the shops don't go bonkers there months before a celebration. Generally the beginning of December for Christmas shop decoration, and the same for Easter - Halloween is barely noticed. Apart from us, I think the rest of Europe are far more muted in the pushy retail frenzy we experience here.

 

[Turandot]

That's how it used to be in the UK. More muted and as a child I was lucky if I got a present.We didnt have the money.Christmas used to feel a lot more special. Now many people say they can't wait for it to be over.Me included !

 

[donna255]

The famous How Do You Know Its Christmas? The Easter Eggs are in the shops:mysmilie_15:

 

[ERICS MUM]

That's how it used to be in the UK. More muted and as a child I was lucky if I got a present.We didnt have the money.Christmas used to feel a lot more special. Now many people say they can't wait for it to be over.Me included !

For us too growing up in East London during the 1960's. Decorating the living room involved much licking of strips of gummed paper to make multi-coloured chains festooned across the ceiling. They inevitably fell down before 12th night. I remember Mum sneaking small packages into their bedroom when she got home from the market (with all our food shopping wheeled home on an old pushchair). The packages contained cheap items that we loved - on returning to school we realised that our and our friends' mums must have bought their presents from the same market stall !

Christmas Eve found us kids polishing the cutlery until we could see our faces in the spoons. Mum always struggled to get the cooked turkey out of the oven, Dad tried to help but every year the liquid fat spilled onto the floor.

I could go on and on about our Christmases 40 odd years ago. Will today's children have such vivid memories 40 years hence ?

Sorry, I digress but but couldn't help comparing.

 

[Breeze]

It's all gone completely mad.
Christmas used to feel a lot more special when the build up only started Christmas week. Mum used to be baking & the tree was only dressed Christmas Eve with decorations that came out year after year.
We used to be thrilled to get a longed for doll or later an LP, not smart phones, games consuls & other stuff costing hundreds which seems to be almost the norm now, well if you believe the TV ads.

 

[shopperholic]

The beauty of Christmas is, you can make it in to whatever you want it to be, there are no set rules. Some people like myself love Christmas and all its connotations, so I personally don't mind how early it starts and feel a little sad when it's over. But equally it's just as easy to not get involved, decorate you tree Christmas Eve and take it down Boxing Day, it's all a matter of personal taste and easily adapted, each to their own.

 

[boffy]

For us too growing up in East London during the 1960's. Decorating the living room involved much licking of strips of gummed paper to make multi-coloured chains festooned across the ceiling. They inevitably fell down before 12th night. I remember Mum sneaking small packages into their bedroom when she got home from the market (with all our food shopping wheeled home on an old pushchair). The packages contained cheap items that we loved - on returning to school we realised that our and our friends' mums must have bought their presents from the same market stall !

Christmas Eve found us kids polishing the cutlery until we could see our faces in the spoons. Mum always struggled to get the cooked turkey out of the oven, Dad tried to help but every year the liquid fat spilled onto the floor.

I could go on and on about our Christmases 40 odd years ago. Will today's children have such vivid memories 40 years hence ?

Sorry, I digress but but couldn't help comparing.

i could have lived with you erics mum sooo vivid was your despription. me a child in the 60's and born in east london too. xmas was truly wonderful. happy christmas!

 

[historymystery]

Don't forget the postal workers and the street sweepers..unfortunately, all channels have got the disease - a few days ago I caught one of the jewellery channels saying we should buy pearls for anyone with a birthday next June! Urghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Still, I suppose you can't knock them for trying every angle, and let's face it they've come out with dafter comments than that.

Guess the hard sell never ends ...it's Christmas ,Valentine day ,Mother's Day ,Easter ,Halloween and back to Christmas ,not forgetting birthdays ,teachers gifts and milk mans gift .jeez:mysmilie_51:

 

[historymystery]

Yes, it's sad. Christmas just never started so soon (and definitely not before Bonfire Night!) when we were kids, and I'm sure we loved it more because it was "special". Nowadays, with a much wider selection of foods in the shops all year round, and with Christmas starting in July, according to Q and Gems, "special" is not a word that immediately springs to mind. But in the end, I think it's what you make it yourself, either on your own or within family/friends circle, whatever your circumstances. After all, we none of us are compelled to buy into the manic frenzy at this time of year, or the Christmas in July rubbish - we can opt out if we wish (and nothing gets me turning off the telly quicker than a Christmas in July event, except possibly the sight of DF...) Whatever everyone is doing, I hope you all have a happy and peaceful Christmas and that the New Year brings everything you want it to.

That's how it used to be in the UK. More muted and as a child I was lucky if I got a present.We didnt have the money.Christmas used to feel a lot more special. Now many people say they can't wait for it to be over.Me included !

 

[Julius]

Just wait until February and there'll be an Ultrasun TSV with Abbi extolling the faux virtues of her overpriced, aluminium-laced Swiss pumps of octocrylene. Summer's round the corner. Ra ra raaaa! Well I'm just going to go to Boots and get some Soltans like I always do!

 

[Glittergirl]

Craig came up with a new gift recipient the other day. He gave a card and pressie to the lady at the dry cleaner's.

LOL! Probably got a drawer full of pressies :mysmilie_15:

 

[countrymaid]

I only buy clementines at Christmas but they seem to be available all year round. My Mum insisted that we only had hot cross buns on Good Friday and she hated the fact that they were in the shops around Christmas. There they were, on the table at breakfast and toasted in the evening, but only on Good Friday! After she died, I said to my Dad that I'd get hot cross buns for Good Friday but he asked me not to bother. Apparently he couldn't stand them but she used to make such a thing of it he didn't have the heart to tell her. Bless him.

 

[Moth]

My mum is the same with Hot Cross Buns They are a Good Friday treat and she hates the fact that our local Asda in Brighton sells them all year round now. I know as kids you don't really notice the retail machine at work, but it definitely didn't start as early as it does now. I don't recall seeing much of anything about it before bonfire night when I think about it. And it did make it more special. The almost year long advance to it now just wears you out and makes you wish it was over, which is a shame. I've never been so disgusted with any retail outlet as I have been with QVC this year though. They really have flogged everything to death many times over and to see there is nothing even remotely fun about their Christmas broadcasting is the last straw. Bah humbug!

However, I wish all here a happy Christmas and best wishes for the new year

 

[grovesy]

Hot cross buns seem to be available all year.

 

[Brissles]

Just wait until February and there'll be an Ultrasun TSV with Abbi extolling the faux virtues of her overpriced, aluminium-laced Swiss pumps of octocrylene. Summer's round the corner. Ra ra raaaa! Well I'm just going to go to Boots and get some Soltans like I always do!

What do you mean "there'll be an ultrasun with Abbi" ? SHE'S ALREADY ON !!!!!! (well,, this morning anyway) - beggars belief, AND that suitably dressed elf, Jackson !

 

[Letz-be-avenue]

I love hot cross buns and eat them all year round, love M&S luxury ones, always take them on my travels, plane or train rides etc, sad though that sounds. I find Christmas food quite unappealing, turkey is boring, I don't like sprouts, or mince pies, and if goose fat is so good for cooking roast potatoes in, why not use it all year round, well perhaps not if you have high cholesterol!
I saw Ultrasun was on today,not sure why Q bother having shows on Christmas Eve if that is the best they can do!

 

[Vienna]

What gets me are all those people posting on QVC`s fb page saying thank you, thank you, because their parcels have actually arrived. Errr hang on a mo, don`t Q customers pay (often through the nose ! ) to have them arrive and isn`t that the norm for parcels to actually be delivered or is it such a rarity for QVC to fulfill something without a hitch, that people feel the need to thank them ?
I bet nobody thinks to thank Amazon or Argos or whoever !

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

What gets me are all those people posting on QVC`s fb page saying thank you, thank you, because their parcels have actually arrived. Errr hang on a mo, don`t Q customers pay (often through the nose ! ) to have them arrive and isn`t that the norm for parcels to actually be delivered or is it such a rarity for QVC to fulfill something without a hitch, that people feel the need to thank them ?
I bet nobody thinks to thank Amazon or Argos or whoever !

Can these idots be traced back to DBF 's gang? If so nuff said. Or maybe her gang get free P&P or wee pills which let them live in LaLa land.