Read At The Library

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Story Chapter 52: The untold stories

Ok for this last story post of the year of story- I am cheating somewhat. Here is a collection of all my favourite story quotes and visuals that I never got a chance to share.... (please visit my Pinterest Board for links to all this amazing work)

 

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Story Chapter 51 ~ A Christmas One.

(Artist: Andrew Bannecker)

As a kid, as with now I went to see  Santa every year. The Santa of choice was always the one at the DIC department store on Princess Street in Dunedin.

Why?

Because of the Pixies of course.

This is one of my most enduring memories of Christmas as a child. You had to go down a wide set of stairs to the basement of the store. Often there was a long queue because he was such a popular Santa. You lined up. Paid the money and waited sneaking a glance at the other children as they each took their turn on Santa's Knee. 

The smell was predominately of the saw dust which for some reason was liberally sprinkled over the floor. (Maybe to mop up the accidents of over excited children?)

But to be honest though he should have been Santa was never the main attraction, he was always just a happy stop on the way to see the pixies. There was a brief chat about Christmas Wishes and then a small treat (I don't recall ever having my picture taken). And then it was on to see the pixies.

Much time was taken to study every little Tableau. To see the workings of the Mill, the butcher and the ferris wheel. To note the donkey being beaten to pull the mill stone and the band. There was music- I don't remember it- but I am sure I believed at the time it was delightful. 

Then I was most likely dragged away from the pixies along a long hallway with larger tableau's depicting various nursery rhymes and fairy tales behind class windows. We came out up another set of stairs into a world totally lacking all the magic of the one we had just left behind, knowing that it would be another full year before we entered that world again.

I think this photo taken circa 1991 with my school friends Tara and Berri would have been my last visit to Santa at DIC.

DIC has long since closed and is now the home of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

But when we visited Dunedin in 2006 for Christmas we were lucky to catch a display of the Pixies at the Otago Early Settlers Museum.

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Story Chapter 50 ~ Christmas As a Kid

This is not me at Christmas but I thought it looked pretty Christmassy with that dress and it's a pretty cute picture so here 'tis..

When I was a child our day started with a Christmas Stocking filled with little bits and pieces- basically enough to keep one going while the grown-ups got showered and dressed and put the Turkey in the oven for lunch.

Then we opened the presents.

I don't really remember many of my presents except the year I got my 10 speed. And every year I got a 40 pack of felts. Felts were really quite expensive back then so it was a big deal to get a big pack and I made them last for as long as possible- I always ended up with those random tan and icky green colours left when the others were all used up. I also remember my Nana giving me a can of Guavas wrapped in a $5 note pretty much every year. I love Guavas and my mum wouldn't get them supposedly because they were not politically correct and also because they were expensive.

I do remember buying presents and Christmas cards. It was a strategically planned process. With specific cards chosen especially for the person- no cheap 12 packs for me. My mum always got one with a Robin in it. I shopped at a few Dunedin shops including Arthur Barnetts- (monogrammed hanky's with a D for daddy), the lolly shoppe, and a gift and home wares store that sold a lot of stuff from England like Crabtree & Evelynn and Liberty. I got things like drawer perfume sachets, soaps and little tins. Essentially carefully chosen expensive junk for my mum and my aunties- both real and honorary. 

My mum was very much a Christmas Traditionalist. We played and sang Christmas Carols, read Christmas stories. The house was decorated with Holly and Ivy and we did the full roast turkey lunch. And my mum made the Edmonds book Christmas Cake (no.3 I think) and a steamed pudding with sixpences and shillings in it. We had homemade Ice cream with LOTS of Brandy in it and raspberry sauce. There were always two types of Cherries and cashew nuts as well. We used the best china and crystal- don't ask me how we even afforded any of this on the DPB? There was even a smaller version of the grown-ups classes for me and my sparkling grape juice. Most times it was my Mum, Dad, two aunts (any associated boyfriends) and sometimes my Grandfather, my uncle Robin and some of the associated friends who didn't have family to go to.

 

209 Leith Street, Dunedin. Circa age 10. It say's '84 but I'm not sure that's correct.


 

47 Mechanic Street, Christmas Day 1987 photos with my walkman for my birthday and my ten speed for Christmas and my Dad.


With my Grandfather.


And my cousin Danny who I'm guessing got zinc and sweatbands for Christmas.

Notice the woollen jersey - Dunedin not known for good weather- not even in summer.

47 Mechanic Street, Christmas Day 1989 ~ My Dad performing a number card trick.

My Mum, Dad, (maternal) Grandfather and Aunty Rachel. Looks like my Grandfather has had enough drinks.... there's always that relative right?

After lunch and a rest to help relieve the soporific effects of eating way to much food we would head to my Nana's place. At first it would have been to Onslow house with all the boarders. And then to the 'Pool room' at Young street with extended family. My Nana had 8 kids, plus there were associated wives, cousins, 2nd cousins, my maternal grandfather, and my aunties and Howard- Nana's boarder. When everyone finally got there we'd open presents. And then eat- the pool table was generally covered in food. Then Poppa would pull out his guitar and with his alcohol slurred speech play a few rounds of 'shingle' Bells and a bunch of others.


This will be 1981 the year Onslow house was demolished so the first family Christmas at Young Street. My Nana is holding my cousin Antoinette (aka Toni-Maree) who was not yet 3 weeks old. Poppa with the guitar. Uncle Graham with Harvey the dog and various other family members.

   

Nana's tree- she still has it!


And Nana, once again at Young Street but circa 1984.
 

Christmas for me as a kid was about presents, food, and family- not much has changed. But at least I don't need a woollen jersey any more.

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