The 2013 Christmas Thread

[DAVIDW 1,683]

My favourite two Christmas songs :

http://youtu.be/gD0tQFrGCRA

[mick2me 3,033]

Still love this one.

Star Wars Christmas 1980

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Bilbora-lad, It will take more than a few commy loons to cancel Christmas. It is here forever whether the traitors at slab square like it or not. It is more powerful than they will ever be. If they make it illegal to celebrate Christmas properly there will be the largest mass civil disobedience in history. Remember. They once made being a Roman Catholic (which I am not) illegal, but it didn't work.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Hey Bilbralad. You've just got to love Fairy tale of New York by Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues.

Anyway, here's my contribution:-

Christmas Eve

It is dark outside, stars shining bright

And a glittering frost on this special night

Excitement is tangible, hung in the air.

Goodwill and joy is everywhere.

The Christmas tree, and its winking lights

With paper streamers, make festive delights.

Baubles hanging in red, blue and green,

The brightest display ever seen.

Presents surrounding the Christmas tree

Wait to be opened with laughter and glee.

Hung on the mantelpiece, stockings and sacks,

Held there in place by mother's nick-nacks.

Holly and mistletoe hang from the ceiling,

Invoke that peculiar Christmassy feeling.

Christmas cards pinned all over the wall

Through from the lounge and into the hall.

Sherry and mince pies left on the table

For old Santa Claus, as long as he's able

To drink any more. Oh! and a nice cool drink

For the reindeer, in the kitchen - next to the sink.

So fill all the stockings with lovely toys!

Dolls for the girls and games for the boys.

Take them upstairs where all are asleep,

And leave them in a tantalising heap.

Then walk round the house once again.

Check all the doors and the window frames.

Christmas dinner lies waiting to cook

With lashings of veg. and an oven roast duck.

It's nearly midnight, time for much thought

Of the way of life that Christmas has brought.

Baby Jesus, shepherds, angels, wise men.

A story related again and again.

Thoughts of your family, of joy and much love.

Happiness sent down from heaven above.

But outside, church bells ringing loud and clear.

They are chiming out midnight! CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!

And there's more where that came from.

[loppylugs 8,429]

Christmas will still be being celebrated when the politically correct are pushing up Daisies. Bah Humbug! To the lot of 'em.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

'Silent Night' a beautiful Chrismas song by Elvis Presley. Some nice photos, too.

[jackson 301]

Hi there Bilbraborn (Poet Laureate of 'Nottstalgia') and just what are?: 'mother's nick-nacks' (stanza 3, line 4)

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Nick nacks are ornaments. You know, the tat that we used to win at Goose fair and stick on the mantelpiece.

I hope you didn't think it was a bit naughty. I gave that up in my school years after getting detention for them LOL.

Did you want another poem. I've done loads about Christmas. Religious and otherwise.

[AfferGorritt 868]

I'm not a Christian, but would passionately defend the practice of Christianity in this country and I love to celebrate the spirit of Christmas. This is a poem I try to get my Christian friends to read. I think it has a real sense of awe at the meaning underneath the celebrations.

It's "Christmas", by John Betjeman...

The bells of waiting Advent ring,
The Tortoise stove is lit again
And lamp-oil light across the night
Has caught the streaks of winter rain
In many a stained-glass window sheen
From Crimson Lake to Hookers Green.

The holly in the windy hedge
And round the Manor House the yew
Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge,
The altar, font and arch and pew,
So that the villagers can say
‘The church looks nice’ on Christmas Day.

Provincial Public Houses blaze,
Corporation tramcars clang,
On lighted tenements I gaze,
Where paper decorations hang,
And bunting in the red Town Hall
Says ‘Merry Christmas to you all’.

And London shops on Christmas Eve
Are strung with silver bells and flowers
As hurrying clerks the City leave
To pigeon-haunted classic towers,
And marbled clouds go scudding by
The many-steepled London sky.

And girls in slacks remember Dad,
And oafish louts remember Mum,
And sleepless children’s hearts are glad.
And Christmas-morning bells say ‘Come!’
Even to shining ones who dwell
Safe in the Dorchester Hotel.

And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue,
A Baby in an ox’s stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me?

And is it true? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare –
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.

Wow!!!!

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Love it!! Where did you get it from? (And don't say Yerfergorrit. LOL)

[alisoncc 379]

Nick nacks are ornaments.

I thought it went something like this:

Nick nack paddy wack give a dog a bone,

this old man came rolling home.

Google suggests:

Now all together:-

This old man, he played one,

He played knick-knack on my thumb;

With a knick-knack paddywhack,

Give the dog a bone,

This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played two,

He played knick-knack on my shoe;

With a knick-knack paddywhack,

Give the dog a bone,

This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played three,

He played knick-knack on my knee;

With a knick-knack paddywhack,

Give the dog a bone,

This old man came rolling home.

...........................

[alisoncc 379]

No, no, no, that's no good at all !!

Watch the conductor so we can all start at the same time.

That's much better.

[jackson 301]

Alison: Like Minds................

[mick2me 3,033]

The Tortoise stove is lit again

And lamp-oil light across the night

I had visions of a Tortoise oil stove!

Google images shows...

[mick2me 3,033]

No, no, no, that's no good at all !!

Watch the conductor so we can all start at the same time.

I am playing all the right notes... But not necessarily in the right order!

[StephenFord 866]

I seem to remember an alternative version that involved the Liverpudlian proprietor of a pawn (spelt like that!) shop, his Irish assistant and a Pakistani customer who needed some money against the deposit of his gold watch. After some discussion in the back room the assistant was told "Nip back Paddy wack, give the "[gentleman]" a loan..."

[AfferGorritt 868]

Eyup Bilbraborn,

Think I first heard it on that "Nation's Favourite Poems" thing they did on the telly. They brought out a book later and it's in there. Good innit!

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

I will try to find a copy.

Try this one....

Just another day

Last week as busy shoppers sought

To get out of his way, he was caught

Stealing food from a roadside display.

It happens like this every day.

He is so glad when late at night

In the subdued city light

The streets are empty and he's alone

In the shop doorway he calls home.

He tried to find a room to use

At the shelter, but for past abuse

He's always told to keep away.

Sadly that's the price you pay.

At the Salvation Army Place,

Despite their outward love and grace,

Their hostel's always fully booked.

He feels so badly overlooked.

His clothes are dingy, dirty and smelly.

He walks the streets with empty belly.

Folk avoid him with withering glares.

No-one loves him. No-one cares.

He sits and thinks about his life.

He had a family and a wife.

Times got hard he could not cope.

He turned to crime, he had no hope.

Remembering his army days

Fighting in the world's affrays.

But finding life in civvy street,

Seeking standards hard to meet.

Heavy drinking, late night brawls.

Violent crime, drunken falls.

Given warnings all defied.

Sent to gaol for homicide.

After serving twenty years,

released and free to worldly cares.

Nowhere to live, nowhere to go.

No-one to love, no-one to know.

So here he is living rough.

In city streets life is tough.

As for money, he has none.

Police forever moving him on.

It's Christmas Day, the streets are quiet.

His Christmas dinner is homeless diet.

For those who in shop doorways lay

Christmas is just another day.

[alisoncc 379]

It's worrying me. I know all the words for "Nick nack paddy wack give a dog a bone" so must have sung it often, but can't for the life of me remember when. Wouldn't have sung it at Mundella or in the air force, definitely not in PNG and South Africa, and can't say I've ever heard it in Australia either. So now I am going back to Queens Walk Junior school in the early fifties - sixty years ago. Was it all the go in the early fifties?

In attempting to dredge up musical memories did come across less familiar songs like "Que Sera, Sera" and one about a windmill in Amsterdam, not the Rolf H version. If I recollect correctly the windmill song had arm movements - possible mid-late fifties.

[littlebro 234]

Windmill in Amsterdam = Max Bygraves

[DAVIDW 1,683]

I think the hit version of Windmill in Old Amsterdam was actually by Ronnie Hilton .

I remember when it came out in the mid 60s , it scared my young niece absolutely witless . She would howl the place down , whether it was the bit about the mouse not sure !

I think a lot of these songs were played on programmes like 2 Way Family Favourites .

Que Sera was from 1956 and by Doris Day , though I love this later , live "soul" version that morphs into Twist and Shout , by Geno Washington ,

If you can stand the screaming , the album that this track is from is one of the best ever live albums.....every track a belter ! Unfortunately never released on CD .

[mick2me 3,033]

It's Coming... But so is the weather!...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8axp9nHNU&sns=fb

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

David W I had one or two Gino Washington LPs including Funky Butt Live. I played the hell out of them. Wish I could get that stuff now.

[LizzieM 9,507]

I saw Geno Washington on the top floor of the Nottm Tech College ...... now Nottm Trent University, about '67 or '68 ...... sorry, nowt to do with the Christmas Thread, just saying!

[Stan 386]

I saw Geno Washington on the top floor of the Nottm Tech College ...... now Nottm Trent University, about '67 or '68 ...... sorry, nowt to do with the Christmas Thread, just saying!

I seem to remember several concerts in 1960-2 in the dining room on the top floor of the `Tech'. The one I keep trying to convince myself of was Simon and Garfunkel (probably not as my remaining grey cells are almost gone!). In the same time period I also think I recall Cliff Richard in the coffee bar across the street.? I do remember the awful expensive food at the Tech though.