'Some Dickensian Festive Footage To Cheer You Up!"

 Even for a ‘Christmas person’ like me it is hard to get much of a grip on the festive spirit this year. Though I have been writing and sending out cards ‘willy nilly’ for the best part of a month now (all around the globe to!) so far this year I have only actually received two cards - one from a friend I met for a coffee and the other an advent calendar style card from the people at The Postcode Lottery (I’m yet to win more than £10 in about a decade!).

I do understand though how hard it is to focus on Christmas this year and also that for many people it all must either seem ‘impossible’ because they have lost someone or have lost their job or ‘pointless’ because there is no way anyone is really going to be able to enjoy the festive season properly this year with all of the restrictions and Covid 19 worries.

I myself am concerned now at how the infection rate in Hastings is shooting up and fear for the future but Christmas is I feel something to sustain me rather than a burden or a worry. When the going gets tough and the world looks to be a pretty bleak place that is when you need to be able to ‘return to childhood’ and ‘escape’ into the magic of Christmas! 

With ‘constants’ like my beloved Debenhams struggling this year and no huge Christmas Tree outside Gordon Busbridge in London Rd (for the first time I can ever remember) so I need the comfort of cards, card writing, present giving and of course a trip to Kings Road to see the Christmas lights. Twinkle, twinkle little star enters my head as I say that and I can almost smell the scent of Jaffa Oranges - a taste sensation that I believe to be EXACTLY the same as when I was a small boy in the 1970’s and watching my Grandad rolling his orange on the living room table in the hope that he might then be able to peel it more easily! Now I can see the sight of the Toffee Tray with its small metal hammer and If I try really hard recall the smell of nan’s ‘special gravy’ - made from the juices and fat from the Turkey! 

No, SOD COVID 19 - no matter what it does to us this year it can never take away warm memories of Christmas past! See, I’m beginning to sound like my old friend, Charles Dickens now! (lol)

Now, talking of Charles Dickens, if you read this blog every year you will know that I visited the Rochester Dickensian Festival  last year and had a great time. I took a fair bit of film footage while there and now I have edited the best bits of it into a 13 minute film! Sadly, it is no longer possible to upload videos here and I had to remove all of my content from Youtube because of their ridiculous change in policy from Jan 1st regarding child protection laws BUT I have now managed to upload my footage to Facebook! I believe my film is ‘public’ so anyone should be able to see it. If you want to have a look at my film just search Facebook for ‘Rochester Dickensian Festival 2019’ and it should come up - it did when I just tried it.

Whatever we do this year we MUST preserve the jollity in Christmas! O.K. so a ‘snog under the mistletoe’ is out for now but that will just make it all the sweeter when you ‘catch up’ with that person once this is all over! (lol) If you have to ‘chuck’ a few more sherries down your throat this Christmas to bring back your smile and have the odd cold shower to ‘take the edge off your desires’ but lets all say SCREW YOU Covid 19 and laugh in the face of adversity! xx

' Oh No! My Beloved Debenhams!'

 Well, it may be December now at last but the news today that my BELOVED Debenhams now looks certain to close all of its remaining 120 stores for good has brought me close to tears...

I LOVE Debenhams so much because I have a LOT of history with the brand...

Rather than depress you all with my sorrow and to pay tribute to all those who work for and have ever worked for Debenhams I will instead reproduce for you here an article about my Christmas memories of Debenhams. Unlike the news today the following is a happy tale and (I hope) one that will bring back some special festive memories for you.

I send my love and thanks to all currently employed at Debenhams and pray that life will be kinder to you sooner rather than later...Screw Coronavirus, screw mobile phones and (ironically, I know) SCREW the Internet - no town centre will ever be the same again once its DEBENHAMS FLAGSHIP RETAIL DEPARTMENT STORE is gone! xxxxx 

I will always keep a candle lit in my heart for Debenhams...

FROM 'HASTINGS TOWN' MAGAZINE...

Seeing as I’m somewhat of a ‘self-opinionated swine’ I love filling in surveys and thus am a member of a number of websites where you can make a little bit of beer money from sharing your opinion. 

The other day I was asked about famous ‘brands’ and how much I loved them (or otherwise). I had to trawl through a seemingly endless barrage of questions for about half an hour and answer a fair few, which I thought quite bizarre. I mean, can anyone honestly say that a company ‘understands them and their needs’ to such an extent that they love the brand?

Love? 

Surely, that’s too strong a term, isn’t it? Isn’t it?

Well, the other night I had a dream about visiting Father Christmas in his grotto at Debenhams as a child. I can’t say exactly how old I was in the dream but no more than five, I would say. Long buried memories of standing in what then were horrendously long queues with either my Mum, Dad, Gran or Grandad came flooding back and I could really feel the sense of excitement inside of me. The ‘winter wonderland’ the store created each year was on the first floor if I remember correctly and it was not uncommon to queue up for over an hour to get in to see the man himself…

“And what would you like for Christmas, little boy?’ Would be the question once you were sat comfortably on Santa’s knee. Whatever your reply you could be assured that the next thing you would be asked was if you had been good this year or not?

If you had and your conscience was clear a great big YES would burst out of your mouth while if you knew you had been naughty your reply used to be much less animated and apologetic because you knew there was no use in trying to lie to Father Christmas. After all, he knew EVERYTHING and so your best line of attack was to own up and promise to be good from now on (or up until Christmas at least).

With a kindly smile and a crinkle of his long white beard Santa would then reach down into the large sack of presents by his side pull out one and place it in your hands…

“You be a good boy for your Mummy and Daddy now, won’t you? I will be watching don’t forget and remember its only good little boys and girls who get the things they want for Christmas”.

“If I’m good will I get the new bike I want!” 

“You will just have to wait and see now won’t you” Santa would say with a twinkle in his eye and after a final wave goodbye you left with your present. 

I was the kind of kid who always wanted to save opening the present Santa had given me until Christmas Day. Somehow the excitement of wondering what was inside the colourful paper for days on end was what made Christmas. Often though I was not a ‘good boy’ for Mummy and Daddy after my visit and used to have to hope Father Christmas wouldn’t find out about my misdemeanors. I always used to apologise for my bad behavior when I’d clamed down and used to hope that would count in my favour.

Toy’s & Games back in the 1970’s were a lot more fun than they are today. They were REAL for a start and you could pick them up and gaze for hours sometimes at the shiny box of a games compendium before even opening it! Games compendiums were all the rage back then and every Christmas I was sure to get another one. ‘100 Different Fantastic Games’ sounded so exciting but I often remember being so disappointed when on opening the box there didn’t seem to be anywhere near 100 games inside. All you used to see was plastic pieces, dice, some cardboard shapes and a pack of cards – how could that ever be 100 Games?

Debenhams was always the place to visit though at Christmas. I used to love the Christmas lights along the seafront and when we got to the store we used to park outside the rear entrance if there was a space. There is something inherently magical about fairy lights and Debenhams was always beautifully decorated with those, tinsel and Christmas trees everywhere. If you went into the store by the back entrance you only had to walk up one flight of steps to get to the floor where Father Christmas’s Grotto was. Waiting in the queue for your chance to see him was never boring as there were always loads of colourful things to look at.

“Put that back!” Would come Mum or Dad’s anguished voice as a picked up a sparkling little glass frog or something. It all seemed so innocent then as I knew nothing about prices.

In my dream the other night I got into a kind of ‘Ghost Train’ ride after visiting Santa. The little car I sat in went through a series of Christmas scenes before delivering me back to Mum & Dad again. I can’t be sure though whether this part of my dream is a false memory or not? Could a bit of ‘Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory’ have crept into my subconscious or did the Debenhams of the 1970’s really set up some kind of little ride in store for tots back then? I would love to know the truth about that as it all seemed so real and familiar in the dream…

Searching for information/reminiscences on the Internet while researching this piece I found a news article from 2012 which stated that Debenhams had decided that year to do away with in store Grotto’s. The company felt that as most of their branches were situated in town centers where there would also be a Santa’s Grotto it was both confusing and disillusioning for kids who still believed in Father Christmas to see TWO in the same area. I think that was a wonderfully caring thing to do and a move totally in the spirit of Christmas.

Meanwhile, at http://andysretrospace.blogspot.co.uk I came across a page dated Monday the 13^th December, 2010 where there was a picture of an old ‘We Met At Debenhams’ Christmas badge from around 1975.

A jollier reminder of your visit to see Father Christmas no boy or girl could wish to have and I so wish now that I had kept one of my old badges… 

Coming back to those surveys I was telling you about earlier I suppose with this article I have answered my own question regarding whether it is possible to love a brand or not? As the world has moved on, as time has taken away so much and as traditional High Street shopping has become a thing of the past, I have become more and more attached to Debenhams. Ironically, while I did work in the Hastings branch briefly on a ‘Manpower Services Commission’ scheme in the early 1980’s (and was applauded for achieving the highest sales figures ever on the ‘Lighting’ department one year) I have very rarely since ever had the money to spend much in the store over the years. If I ever win the lottery though I think my very first spending spree will involve a trip on the bus (I will hire one of the old ‘Double Deckers’ to help recreate my childhood) along the seafront to the Hastings branch where, once inside, I will say ‘I’ll take that!’ as often as I like!

So yes, it IS true, I DO love Debenhams and know now I always will. With connections to my childhood and to all of the 70’s things I used to love (including ‘Are You Being Served?) I think the brand has me trussed up like the proverbial Christmas Turkey these days…

You see, those advertising chappies do know a thing or two after all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS xx

'A Sort Out Brings Back Memories'

 Lockdown is not the most riveting way to live nor is it great for putting you in a festive mood but one of the things it is good for is inspiring a person to have a sort out a clean up or both!

Now, my room is perpetually a 'total bombsite'. I may well be 'The Clean Up Man' and thus a  'champion of the litter picker' but I am also fiercely sentimental and HATE getting rid of things! (lol) Such a trait is often like a ball and chain around your leg because if you don't throw things away it means you have to find somewhere to put them! I guess in many ways it is one of the reasons I love my favourite shop, 'Teddy Tinkers' in London Rd, Hastings so much. My friend Kate's shop often reminds me of my bedroom in the respect that it is full of memories, curiosities and reminders of the past. Kate does keep the stock in her shop in a much more orderly fashion than I do though, I hasten to add!

Anyway, with blogging on my mind today I decided to try and find a 'curiosity from a Christmas long ago' that I was recently given to show you all but (as usual) was unable to locate it and instead found something completely different!

Tucked down the side of an otterman that 'Lord Lucan could have hidden in this last 50 years' (so little have I 'reached' it!) I came across a plastic bag with some old stamp albums, birthday and Christmas cards in. Now, when I say 'old' I mean from the 1970's and early 80's - though the plastic bag they were in had 'Sounds Exciting From Decca - An Outstanding Series Of Records To Suit All Tastes' written on it - so we could even be talking early 1970's!

One of the items inside the bag was this sweet little Christmas card I drew and coloured in as a kid! 'To Nanny May' said the blue envelope it was in and inside in my handwriting it simply says 'Happy Xmas from Tony'. Well, seeing as I am 55 now this little card must be approaching 50 years old! Amazing really seeing as it is still in such good condition... Sadly, I lost 'Nanny May' in 2014 (aged 104!) but she is often in my thoughts and I expect I 'got the card back' when she died and we were clearing her house.

 

In lots of ways I don't see this discovery as 'sad' thought because it proves how much my Nan loved my 'rather basic' effort - keeping it for the rest of her life - far better then than any of the 'swanky' type Christmas cards we all buy (well, used to!) each year

Talking of which, the bag also contained a selection of VERY NAFF 1970's Christmas cards! If you think today's 'Deluxe' Christmas cards that you can buy for about 99p a box (of 12) are poor quality you should have been around in the early 70's and bought some of the 'shockers' people used to order packs of from their Kays Catalogue! Thin! By gum, Charles Hawtrey was a body building champion compared to them! (lol) In spite of their 'budget element' though I have to say that they too have stood the test of time rather well in this plastic bag. 'Printed in U.K.' or 'Printed in Great Britain' was always on the back of these cards, which if nothing else proved that a) we used to manufacture something here then and b) that people were much more patriotic than they are today. The fact that the cards were of REALLY awful quality didn't seem to matter to people it was all about 'buying British'!

I don't know about you but I would LOVE to be able to flick through some of those old Kays and Littlewoods catalogues from that time again now - not only would it be fun to laugh at the 'fashions' it would be fascinating 'drooling' over the toys & games section! I still have a few of my 1970's boxed games (like 'On The Buses', 'Movie Maker' and 'Exploration' but none are in great condition and I saw one of those 'antique selling shows' on T.V. the other day where a man was having a 'Dr. Who & The Daleks' boxed game valued. £40-50 it was worth and I used to have one! (sob) 

If you are willing to 'pay through the teeth' for retro replicas you can get 70's toys like the 'Scepter Interceptor' from 'Space 1999' on the Internet (Gerry Anderson Official Website) but at £125 a go I think I will stick with my memories!

As far as the stamp albums I found they were dated 1977. I used to buy them from 'The Stamp & Coin Shop' in Norman Road, St Leonards - where I also bought most of my stamps. Obviously, all of the stamps inside are now almost 50 years old but I doubt very much if any are worth a great deal.

One of the stamp albums even has a few of the little packets that the Stamp & Coin Shop used to sell their stamps in - all good for bringing back memories of school  and of 'fun and adventures on our bikes' (mine was a 'Chopper') - like the time we rode to West Ham (near Pevensey) and back with my mates Norman Crouch, Gary Willis, and Paul Jenner. I wonder if any of them still have their old stamp albums? I doubt it - I do tend to be a bit of a 'one off' when it comes to hoarding! 

'Arts On Prescription Bring Festive Cheer!'

I had a swell time this morning at the Christmas get-together organised by 'Arts On Prescription' in Warrior Square! If you are on your own and are feeling lonely are unemployed and a little lost or suffering with mental heath, anxiety or depression then you should look into joining some of the brilliant 'arty' courses put on by Arts On Prescription next year!

2019 has not been 'all sunshine and roses' for me and I have felt quite down and hopeless at times. Now, I know from experience that when I feel that way it is time to DO SOMETHING different to give my life a fresh perspective. With that in mind I decided to look online to see if I might find anything 'going on' in my local area that might suit me? It wasn't long before I found the Arts On Prescription website www.artsonprescription.org and saw that there was a free 'Creative Writing' session coming up shortly! Well, as writing is 'right up my street' I thought that such a session would be a good way of 'testing the water' in order to see if the whole set up was 'my scene'.

As the old saying goes, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' and after contacting, Tara Ready - the lady who runs the sessions it wasn't long before I had booked my place on the writing session and had it to look forward to! When you are lonely you need 'something to look forward to' and so its always a good idea to 'line a few things up on the calendar' to keep you going.

Well, the time eventually came for the day of the session and so I went along to see how it went? Tara is lovely, warm, friendly and welcoming and as the session (usually 2 hours long) wore on I began to feel at home and started to get talking to some of the other people there. One really nice chap who is known by the group as 'Jeff' let me into the secret that he is really SANTA and me being a Christmas nut we had a lovely conversation swapping stories about our adventures at Christmas time! I liked 'Jeff' so much in fact that I gave him a complimentary copy of my 'Timeless' CD and told him to 'have a listen to 'The Toy Museum' as being Santa I thought he'd appreciate it.

Well, I'm glad to say that 'Jeff' did have a listen to my album. Better still he told me today that he really liked it! He also proved that he really IS Santa - turning up (as you can see here) in full robes and boots! I happened to go as an Elf 'for a bit of jolly' and one of the ladies present ( THANK YOU, Mandy!) thought we looked like a team and took the photo you see here! Santa was in his element throughout the morning telling us all a few festive tales and dishing out presents! I helped him with that to make sure that everyone present got something and both of us joined in with the carol singing  as well - though I think both Santa and I prefer the sound of other voices at this time of year. It's kind of nice to listen to other people singing Christmas carols etc because that way you get a real sense of belonging and feel for a short time at least that you are all 'singing from the same hymn sheet' and celebrating the same thing for once!

Such 'togetherness' is sadly in VERY short reply these days and so Christmas needs to play its part ever more to calm the world down a bit and get us all thinking of others and not just our own needs and wants...

If you are interested in finding our more about Arts On Prescription you can either contact Tara through the website or see your GP and ask to be referred. You don't have to be 'ill' and you can do what I have done and refer yourself so there is no pressure! Go on! Give it a try! No good staring at four walls - I know! (lol)

'The Glory Of St Clements Church Christmas Fair!'

I went to my favourite Christmas Fair of them all yesterday namely the one at St Clements Church, High Street, Hastings!

I ALWAYS have a lovely time there meeting old friends (some from my school days whom I never seem to 'bump into' at any other time?) and so it is something I look forward to every year at this time.

I was the very first person through the doors this year as I got to the church about 25 minutes early! I love to chat with the people behind me in the queue as its an opportunity to soak up some Christmas atmosphere, share a few laughs and help promote the festive spirit!

Me doing just that! (lol)

The queue this year was not as long as in previous years but then, as I reported at St Luke's a while back, this is the trend these days with the generations that love actually doing this kind of thing dying off!

This said, I was heartened to see a number of kids being brought to the fair by their parents. It is vital for the very survival of Christmas itself that we all do our bit to keep introducing Christmas to the next generation you know!

As you may already know, I LOVE the £1 a go prize every time stall and usually make a bee line for it as soon as I enter the church. For some reason though this year I didn't - deciding to browse through some of the bric-a-brac and craft stalls first. I bought a lovely Debenhams Christmas Tree broach (all sparkly!) that I shall wear myself (and blow the damage to my reputation!) in December and found the PERFECT present for a friend as well that I won't reveal the nature of here just in case they read this!

Sadly though when I did finally arrive at my beloved £1 a go stall I noticed that some of the familiar faces that I usually share some fun with were missing. I've never been one for remembering names ( unless you've ever had a record out!) but usually remember faces and some the elderly 'stalwarts' of the event I was hoping to see were definitely not there...

Thankfully one of the ladies I was hoping to see was there and she told me the sad news that the other lady I had expected to see had died recently and that her husband, with whom I often share some laughs, was in hospital at the moment. I felt so sad hearing the news because every year when I go back I fear hearing this kind of thing and up until now have always been pleasantly surprised to see them all smiling back at me for another year.

Pic courtesy of, Keith Leech.

The GOOD side of such sad news though was that the lady I spoke with had her DAUGHTER running the stall for her with a friend this year. At least if the tradition is 'handed down' so to speak it will help St Clements continue to put on such events!

After I 'bought my fill' of presents to open on Christmas Day from the stall I went for a cup of tea and a mince pie with my school-friend, Paul. He is a really nice, gentle bloke and said he would treat me this year so that was even better! (lol) We sat down and spent a good half an hour catching up on stuff and chatting about Christmas and there was only a smidgen of politics, honest guv! (lol)

I then saw the lady who organises the Fair every year. She is a marvellous lady, who at 78 is an incredible asset to the church. She was dressed with her usual festive hat on and a tiny mince pie hanging down (not a real one!) but was not quite as bright and smiley as usual I detected. It turned out that her brother passed away last week quite suddenly (though they knew he was terminally ill) which was why. What a STAR she is to STILL turn up, help out and be as Christmassy as ever in such sad circumstances, eh?

People often ask me why I love The Old Town and Old Towners particularly - well that's why! They are made of sterner stuff and do all they can for their community even in their own darkest hours. If only the people of other areas in Hastings & St Leonards would take a leaf out of their book!

I felt very honoured talking to her as well because she recounted to me how special it was to read the 'lovely story' I wrote about the Fair for 'Hastings Town' magazine a few years ago. That was probably more than 'a few' years ago now so it is nice for me to think that someone still remembers my efforts!
I really hope that this lady reached her fund-raising target from the Fair this year. The number of stalls was down a little on previous years but there was a 'Mulled Wine' seller this time around and of course the HUGE raffle!

It always pains me that I am invariably MEGA busy at this time of the year and so can not stay right until the end but I really enjoyed myself (as ever) again and came away with a bag full of presents and 'goodies' as I always do to help make mine and those I buy for's Christmas Day special.

Oh and I also bought 4 lovely home made cakes that were divine! I took a pic of them for you before sharing them with family and a friend. They look a bit 'sickly' but actually weren't as the sponge inside them was as 'light as a feather'!

Who needs 'Red Bull' to give them wings, eh? (lol)

God bless all at St Clement's Church - I wish them all a SMASHING Christmas and a very HAPPY new year xxx

'My First Christmas Fair Of The Year'

It was the annual Christmas Fair at St Luke's Church in Silverhill today! I always try to get along to the little churches 'festive do' as it is always a lovely event with a nice community atmosphere. The Church hall is big enough to make browsing fun but not so big that you lose the intimacy, if you know what I mean? I always associate the way that the parishioners lay out tables in the centre of the hall with Christmas table cloths on and implements for Tea and biscuits with the 'Women's Institute' for some reason (probably because my mates Mum, Mrs. Crouch was in the habit for many years of baking cakes for similar events and she was a W.I. member) and the whole event somehow evokes thoughts of a bygone age...

It is a fact, sadly that many of the generation of people who put a lot of work into running such events at local churches and community centres are now dying off. There were not as many stalls this year as last and the queue at the door before the STRICT opening time of 10AM only consisted of about a dozen or so people whereas I recall it stretching all the way back to the pavement in Sedlescombe Rd South a few years back. I always say to my Mum (who went with me) how we must all appreciate such events while we still have them because I can't see the latest 'always too busy on their phones' generation being bothered about 'Christmas Fairs' - or any social activity that involves the real world for that matter! (lol)

While there was a CRACKING selection of fresh, home made cakes to buy and sample this year and a HUGE raffle with maybe 100 or more prizes I was a bit disappointed with what was on offer on the majority of the other stalls this year. In my opinion there were far too many raffle style stalls where you had to rely purely on luck to get anything. I prefer to be able to buy items as - not being very lucky with raffles (or any form of gambling for that matter!) I often end up spending a lot of money and come away empty handed. I did have a go on the MacMillan Nurses stall though (and lost!) because that is a cause worth supporting.

My main disappointment this year though revolved around the AMAZING lady who sold home made Christmas cards to me last year. I got some genuine bargain cards last year at incredible prices and was looking to 'fill my boots (or stockings!)' again this year but though there was a card stall the cards were more expensive this time and not as nice so I didn't buy any. I do recall that the lady that sold me them last year was quite elderly so maybe she is not as fit as she was or no longer with us now...

The tea was great though! A really fresh and invigorating brew and the choccie biscuits were nice. I would have LOVED to have had a go in the raffle but it was not to be drawn until about 1pm and as I have lots of things to do at this time of year ( Reindeers to train & feed, Sleigh to get through another M.O.T etc) I wasn't going to be able to be there at that time. This is a common problem for me and spoils my enjoyment of a lot of Christmas Fairs. I know that you can write your name and number on the back of your tickets but I like to be able to choose my own prize if I win and you have to arrange to go and collect your prize from the venue as well, which can be tricky.

I DID get something (or someone!) that I LOVE at the Fair though and hope to get them to make a special appearance with me on the Jeff Belton Christmas Show on Conquest Hospital Radio on Christmas Eve! More about that in future posts! (lol)

Photo by Keith Leech

The next Christmas Fair I hope to get to is next Saturday the 23rd of November. It's the BIG ONE for me at St Clements Church in High Street and so I shall hope to pick up some wonderful cards and gifts there! I often 'bump into' people I only ever see at that event as well (hi Paul Bryant!) and am hoping that will be the case again this year so we can share a cuppa and a cake or something and have a good natter. The raffle at St Clements is always a good one but I have never won anything (yet) - mainly though I suspect because I am hard to catch by phone so even if I do win and they try to reach me I probably won't be in at the right time! Maybe this year I will try and stay to the end so that I can see the raffle drawn live!

Lastly, November the 30th sees the annual Christmas Fair at The Holy Redeemer in Upper Church Rd take place. That's another Fair I usually attend. It's not always been great for me as far as 'finding a bargain or a gift for someone' goes but the atmosphere is ALWAYS Christmassy and there are plenty of stalls of all sorts!

If you see me at any of the above do say hello!

'Under A Week To Go!'

Not long until the big day now! The weather is 'suitably un-festive' though (as usual) and its teeming down with rain again this morning. My cold is also hanging on longer than those 'friends & relatives' that come to stay at Christmas each year and has now gone on to my chest! (lol)

The smiley, Kate Rosie from 'Teddy Tinkers' in London Rd

OTHER THAN THAT (lol) I have been enjoying the run up to Christmas Day and attended a Christmas Barbeque Party thrown by the very FABULOUS, Kate Rosie from 'Teddy Tinkers'. As you might expect in mid December we had LOVELY weather and Kate said the burgers were lovely (if you could catch them) and the sausages divine (as long as you could lift your snorkel out of the way enough to take a bite).

So it rained then?

Oh yes! Just a tad! But it didn't dampen the Christmas spirit and everyone had a great time. I got three 'very dubious considering my single status' presents on the night as well. Three boxes of 'lucky dip presents' had been put together and we all had to choose one at random times during the evening. The three boxes were entitled 'Boys', 'Girls' and 'Not Sure' and I (without consciously thinking) picked my first gift from the 'Not Sure' box. Well! I got a small metal SHEEP for my pains made by Kate's hubbie, Alex!

The irony of these gifts will not be lost on the universe!

Now, most of you who know me will have burst out laughing at this - you rotten swines! (lol) The next 'random gift' I got turned out to be 11,000 of toy pirate money! You can buy a LOT of metal SHEEP with that, oh yes! (lol) Thankfully, the final gift I received was a simple biro with a football on the top - nothing 'double entendre' about that you might say but I would point out that potentially all three gifts involve playing with balls! (lol)

Oh dear, that REALLY is a GRIM joke, isn't it? By gum, you can soon tell reading this blog how far 'stuck up my own era' I am, can't you? My one defence being that if you can't have a bit of fun and 'let your hair down' (FAT CHANCE OF THAT!) at Christmas then when can you?

Talking of people 'having a bit of fun' I saw a chap in the street the other day wearing a suit made to look like Christmas wrapping paper! Bright red it was and he had a 'sparkly' sequinned red hat on as well. The suit was quite well made as well - not a 'home-made' job and he told me when I stopped him to say "well done and Happy Christmas" that there is a company now selling them on the Internet.

GREAT to see a few PRO Christmas things coming from the digital age and i really hope more people will decide to buy one to wear 'for a laugh' at Christmas! I would have asked him for a photo but he was with a lady and she was a 'vulnerable adult' and so I didn't think it appropriate. He must be a 'good lad' I reckon as he probably works in the care industry - Santa won't forget him on December the 25th, I'm sure of that!

I did my bit later that day to 'spread the insanity of Christmas' when with my friend, Stephanie in the Hanushka Coffee House in George Street (Hastings Old Town). Sitting there wearing my Christmas jumper that makes me look as if I am wearing a Santa suit I asked Stephanie whether she was 'suitably humiliated to be seen with me in public yet or not?' Stephanie (who knows me of old) grinned and denied that she was - so to make sure of it I opened my shoulder bag and pulled out a large Elf hat with a bell on the end and sat there wearing that as well! To say that I got a few "Oh, GOD PLEEEESSSE' looks from the 'miserable git community' was an understatement but quite a few people who were in the shop already or who walked in and spotted me thought it was fun!

I LOVE spreading a bit of good cheer and insanity at this time of year and for every person who thinks its 'pathetic for a man of my age' there are two (or more) who smile. Smiles are what we need more than ever in the world at the moment and so I shall continue to be as 'daft as a brush' in public places at Christmastime no matter what!

Love Tony xxx

'Some Nostalgic Thoughts'

As I have been 'laid up' for three days now with a cold I have had plenty of time to think and that is both good and bad (as we all know). I've managed to do most of my Christmas shopping this year now and have done most of it online. It pains me to do that really but I went into Hastings town centre the other week with a voucher to spend and a specific thing in mind I wanted to spend it on. After visiting, H.M.V., W H Smiths, Argos and one or two others, however I could not find anyone who stocked what I was after! Walking around the town 'with a purpose' and visiting REAL shops and seeing and touching REAL items felt really good and I got much more of the sense of Christmas but at the end of the day I came home empty handed...

It's such a shame how our High Streets are 'falling away' everywhere and Christmas loses some of its magic when you 'shop' in front of your computer screen but the decline in the amount of retail outlets and the fact that you CAN get pretty much anything that is generally available anywhere online means that it is now very hard to support local traders. It's not so bad if you are looking for something in the arts & crafts line as Hastings (The Old Town especially) is GREAT for that kind of thing but other than food or other perishables these days it is so much easier to find what you want online...

I do miss the sense of excitement, the festive atmosphere and the sign of the streets PACKED with shoppers all carrying carrier bags at this time of year though. Stress might have been a factor for a lot of the people shopping back then but the sights and sounds of Christmas used to be EVERYWHERE! Kings Rd in St Leonards was such an exciting place to be when I was a kid at Christmas time and all of the shops (both big and small) went to a lot of trouble to try and attract customers and every shop you visited would be laden with tinsel! There used to be carol singers in the streets at certain times and the 'Sally Army'  would turn up and play as well - Christmas shopping was a social thing but it was also something that could be enjoyed - especially when you got a thrill finding that 'something special you didn't know about' for someone. These days that rarely, if ever happens as its almost impossible to NOT KNOW about something due to either the 'bot' on Google or Facebook working out what you like and 'throwing' the right ads your way...

I guess that's not all a bad thing and I have bought items that I 'seriously wanted but would probably never have known about otherwise' because of those ads but its rather like winning the lottery and being able to buy anything you want to - without the thrill of the chase or discovery somehow it doesn't mean as much, you know?

The other thing I have been 'nostalgic' about recently is a wage packet! (lol) It will be a DECADE next year since I got paid a wage (other than my once yearly 'collecting' pot!) and I certainly miss the freedom my festive wages at Mason's Music used to give me to enjoy Christmas! My old boss, was a real 'good un' and he always treated us very well at Christmas with a cash bonus, a present AND a 'meal out on the firm'. We used to have to work like galley slaves for about a month though up until the Christmas break because the orders just kept piling in! I used to get a perverse delight at counting how many orders behind we were on the boss's desk - much to his and the rest of the staff's irritation - but only really because it used to spur me on to keep going when I was pretty knackered! I've always been one for a 'lost cause' (hence 'The Clean Up Man') and somehow taking on the world and  STILL winning has always motivated me.

Sadly, the business I used to work for itself has now closed (another victim of the Internet age) but I do still see my old boss occasionally, which is nice...

Oh well, who knows what 2019 will bring? I don't hold out much hope for a return to earning cash nor can I honestly say that I think it will be a good year but you HAVE to live in hope, don't you?

If you have any thoughts about 'the old days of Christmas High Street shopping' do share them with me. They say nostalgia is all you have as you get older so it would be good for both of us to know that there's 'someone else out there' who understands! (lol)

'Less Than A Month!'

I am working hard to try and get prepared and organised for Christmas in good time this year after a couple of 'debacles' the last two years. When you fail to sort things out before the word 'December' hits the calendar you are on a very slippery slope! By GUM the time flies away from you at that point and as you become too stressed to enjoy anything you miss out on the magic of the run up to Christmas and how that can make you feel...

When you are organised, have written all your cards, sent all the overseas ones, written all of the letters to go inside them AND have sorted and wrapped up all of your presents though you can just relax and soak up the festive atmosphere. The  Christmas lights have now been switched on in Battle and there is no better a place to go - especially when its getting dark to feel the 'Disney' kind of vibe that Christmas evokes. The sight of Battle Abbey all lit up and of the tiny Christmas trees that usually hang out from above shop fronts around the Market Square is amazing and as there are also plenty of public benches to sit on in the square you can simply relax, be merry and think of favourite memories or of 'the things to come' this year.

I am soon to be 'off on my travels' back to Grassington and the Dickensian Festival there. It should be fun but I reckon this year its going to be much colder and probably damper up in Yorkshire than last year. I'm going to try and fit in all of the things I missed last year (including a trip to the little museum there) AND make the time to go and have a pint in the quaint little Pub there. Hopefully, the trip will live up to my expectations but its always a risk 'going back' to somewhere in consecutive years because if its not so good the second time you kind of spoil your overall memories of the place, you know?

I had a 'traditional taste' of High Street shopping yesterday in Hastings. It brought home to me just why most of us shop online these days because, try as hard as I might to support the High Street, I could not find the item I wanted to buy anywhere in Hastings. Every shop I went to that I thought would have it did not and in the end that is what you are up against. Time is of 'the essence' to most people these days what with 'flexible' working hours and so the average person needs to be able to find what they want quickly. Mind you, It did bring back lots of happy memories of shopping back in the 1980's when we would all be seen carrying a plethora of carrier bag fulls of stuff in town on a Saturday or at Christmas time. I used to love looking at people struggling with all their bags and  wonder who they were buying the stuff for? The snag with all kinds of shopping is that the more a person looks  - the more they buy and usually for themselves! (lol) We all know what WE want but struggle to find presents and so for every £1 you spend on someone else you are likely to spend twice that on yourself! (lol)

I did get some LOVELY Christmassy enamel badges (you can see a few of them here) though from one of the St Michael's Hospice charity shops. All of the money raised goes to help the hospice and so I couldn't resist - especially as the designs are so cute and festive. In my situation I shouldn't really be 'handing out money' but Christmas is all about 'good will to all men' (I do feel sorry for women on this occasion!) and the hospice do such fantastic work.

Finally, I managed to get a glimpse of the fabulous old Steam Train that visited Hastings Station yesterday afternoon at around 3pm. While the weather was rotten and it was raining looking down on the train from the bridge in Linton Rd was a lovely, nostalgic and emotive experience. There was quite a crowd with me, which was nice to see, and we all 'oohed and aahed' when 'the old girl' fired up and pulled away in clouds of steam towards us and we heard that (once) familiar chugging sound as she picked up speed. It was only a Steam Train but it brought back so many wonderful memories for me of my Nan and Grandad, Fish N' Chip suppers and sitting on the bridge watching the trains in their old Austin A40. Whenever a Steam Train came in or went out of Hastings Station I used to delight in getting enveloped in the smoke as it went under the bridge and would then rush over to the other side of the road to watch it gradually disappear into the tunnel. I did most of that yesterday (couldn't get really into the smoke due to the crowd) and so for me that train yesterday was like catching a glimpse of the Polar Express...

You can see a video of the Steam Train on my Youtube channel, Maybrick44. Sadly, we are not allowed to include links here anymore but if you type in 'Steam Returns To Hastings' and Maybrick44 into your browsers you should find it o.k.

Love Tony xx

'Christmas Fun At My Favourite Christmas Fair!'

Well, I had a LOT of fun today at, St Clements Christmas Fair! I look forward to this event every year and save 50p pieces in a model lighthouse all year round in order to give me some money I can afford to 'enjoy myself with' and not worry too much. Being unemployed and on a paltry income is not a lot of fun and so I LOVE the feeling of freedom that saving for this event gives me. Oh to often in the past I would look at the lovely raffle FULL of great prizes and mouth watering chocs and yet not really feel comfortable with 'spending a few quid on tickets' because the odds of winning are so slim and I always have things more important I need to spend my money on at this time of year like presents...

Some of my 'haul' from today's Fair

It is then with a MASSIVE smile upon my face that today I had a go at EVERYTHING! (lol) I had a couple of goes on the Tombola stall (and eventually won a nice pen in a box), I 'went back to my childhood' and had a go on the 'bounce a ping pong ball into a glass jar to win the prize inside the jar' game and of course I PLUNDERED the £1 a go - prize every time stall!

Because I am a 'regular offender' as far as attending this event goes and (hopefully) spreading a bit of Christmas cheer and good will I am well-known at St Clements by all of those who organise and put on the Fair. It was lovely today when walking up the front steps of the church two people said hello to me and said that they were 'glad to see me back again'. The two people I spoke to were elderly and they said were going to be in charge of organising the tea & coffee. I SO admire them and their fellow parishioners for all the hard work they put into making this Fair happen. It's a LOT of work in the kitchens at this event and the tables need wiping, the plates of biscuits and mince pies need replenishing and then there is all the washing up that needs to be kept on top of so that there are enough cups and saucers!

About our new, 'Vintage World' magazine...

I gave the couple a free copy of 'Hastings Town' as a little gift. I brought a few with me to try and promote the magazine as we ( I have been writing for 'Hastings Town' now for a decade) have a NEW title coming out soon called, 'Vintage World' and so it was a good chance to 'pop a flyer' for that in the middle as well.

While the event was well attended it was more of a trickle of people coming in rather than a 'long queue to get in' kind of event. I felt a little sad waiting outside before the doors opened as I realise that going forward there are likely to be less and less of these community type events. People today seem more interested in the 'virtual' world and 'talking to their T.V.'s' than they do in attending and taking part in organising events. The lady who has been at the helm of St Clement's Christmas Fair for years told me herself that she is now 80 and can only really see herself carrying on for another two or three years. It is SO SAD how so many of the hard working and happy faces behind the stalls at this event are now the 'older generation'. Why and how has society gotten to the state that it is in today with people so seemingly disconnected from each other?

The sense of community in The Old Town though is second to none and that's precisely why I like to think of myself as a kind of 'Honourary Old Towner'...

This all said, there were a few YOUNG people helping out today! The ladies 'ladying' the ping-pong game were very fun and smiley and a schoolgirl who looked very chirpy was also helping out on the £1 a go - win a prize every time stall.

There was no 'bottle' stall this year though and it didn't seem to me that they had quite had the level of donations as far as 'bric-a-brac' was concerned that they usually get (though I got a lovely book for someone I know as a Christmas present and a fun little finger puppet that I'm going to have some fun with!) but all in all the FESTIVE spirit and feel of a 'Traditional Christmas' was as intact as ever!

The St Clement's Church Christmas Fair is like the best tonic any Doctor could prescribe for me and I almost got a bit teary after I left. This time of year there is so much going on and it all comes at you so fast. With other appointments today I could only spare an hour and a half at the Fair this morning and I got a bit emotional when I realised that it would be a WHOLE YEAR now before I could potentially feel that happiness again.The upside to this sad tale being the fact that I soon realised that, just like the days of Charles Dickens when 'Christmas was just a few days and far less commercialised' when something in life is so rare it is that very rareness that makes experiencing it that much more SPECIAL.

There is no way I would ever want to get 'over familiar' with the MAGIC of my favourite Christmas Fair and so until next year I shall hold on to my special memories and keep the spirit of Christmas they evoke in my heart...

Finally, I also got a copy of the brilliant, 'A Pier Amongst Peers' book at the Fair today. It was brand new and £10 but if I was ever going to buy a copy I thought today was the day to do it! All of the money raised goes to charity and (as you may know if you read, 'Hastings Town' magazine) I have a very personal connection to the history of Hastings Pier...

Lots of love to all at St Clement's Church and A MERRY CHRISTMAS and THANK YOU for all they continue to do to make this event so special.

My Christmas starts from today and long may it last!

Love Tony xx

'A Lovely Day At St Luke's Christmas Market'

Well, I am positively GLOWING with the festive spirit right now after visiting St Luke's Christmas Market this morning at Silverhill.

I got there a bit early and so stood in the queue where I got chatting to a lovely lady. We passed the time of day by talking about all kinds of worldly things and about 'the state of the world these days' but none of it was depressing for long before we were laughing together again.

Once inside the Church hall I had a whale of a time browsing through the variety of stalls and quickly found an ideal 'stocking filler' present for my Mum (don't you dare breathe a word now!). An elderly lady had a hand-made card stall and was selling some lovely cards for just 30p each! That is INCREDIBLY cheap for hand-made cards and so I 'filled my boots' and bought 20! I asked the lady why she was selling them for so little and she told me that she can get £1.50 a time for them 'outside' but that she believed in raising a good amount for the church and felt that people coming to Christmas sales like this expected to be able to pick up a bargain. I was really touched by this and told her that what she was doing was truly in the spirit of Christmas. "As long as I cover the money it takes to buy more materials I will be happy", she told me with a gentle smile.

There was a FANTASTIC raffle table with over 100 prizes stacked up on it as well! If I had been able to stop to the end of the event and wait for the raffle to be drawn I would have 'invested' a few pounds on tickets as some of the prizes were well worth winning like a full sized bottle of Jack Daniels, for example! Sadly, I had other appointments to go to today and I really don't like paying for raffle tickets and just writing your name or telephone number on the back of them.

I DID have a go on the Macmillan Nurses Tombola stall though and amazingly won three prizes with just a £1! You get 5 tickets for that and numbers had to end in either a 5 or a 0. Hilariously, the first thing I won was a pink ladies handbag! Now, I know I'm a, Dick Emery fan but that is ridiculous! Next I won a Mc Millan Mug and lastly I got a nice Indian sculpture of an elephant. The lady who sold me the tickets told me that she had brought it back from India when she went - not bad, eh for a single pound!

The cake stall really made my mouth water! By gum, if I had been returning home straight afterwards I would have bought a few cakes! Small cup cakes were only 30p and looked delicious. they reminded me of the 1970's when my Nan used to arrive every Friday evening with a white bag full of cup cakes with 'swirly toppings' on for us to munch on while watching Brucie and 'The Generation Game' on T.V.

After a second look around (and a good 'um and aah' about buying a Christmas cushion from the arts and crafts stall) I decided it was time to have a cup of tea and a sit down. The whole event was really well organised and there were rows of tables in the middle of the room all with plates of biscuits, cutlery and sugar in neat bowls upon them. The tea was 50p and to my delight when I went to sit down the nice lady I had been talking to in the queue was sitting on her own so I asked if I could join her. We then spent a good half an hour nattering about Christmas, Charles Dickens, what people expect at Christmas these days and all that kind of stuff. A real Christmas person she was and I think both of us felt better for meeting each other afterwards! That's the kind of thing that SHOULD happen at community events, after all! Not a mobile phone in sight to ruin a good wholesome conversation!

So enamoured of this lady was I that I gave her a free copy of my, 'Timeless' CD as a little 'memento' of our chat. She seemed genuinely pleased at this (though she hasn't heard it yet!) and it was nice to be asked a few questions about my 'musical career' again! I told her about my mate, Alan and the making of my Christmas album and about the existence of this blog. We chatted about St Clement's Church Christmas do next week and I urged her to go. Hopefully, we will bump into each other again there next week!

The pictures you can see here are of just some of the lovely Christmas cards I picked up today. I LOVE giving hand made cards as I feel I can say what I want to say in them and the fact that they are hand made makes them seem all the more personalised. With my finances in pretty dire straits these days its been a couple of years since I've been able to afford to buy the amount of hand made cards that I need to send out to all of the people I know. Thankfully, thanks to that dear old lady on the card stall today that won't be the case this year...

Here's looking forward to next week and my FAVOURITE Christmas Fair of them all!

Love Tony x

'Welcome Back For Another Year!'

Hi Everyone!

I hope this post finds you and yours in good health and looking forward to the run up to Christmas this year? I've taken to leaving it a bit later (past Guy Fawkes Night) to begin posting about Christmas these days as there is so much in the media and in the shops that winds you up well before bonfire night that I didn't want to add to that.

I've been a right old, 'Scrooge' this year!

2018 has not been a great year for me but then again I don't expect it has for a lot of people. Finances have been dire this year and that has meant that I've been unable to do any recording. This has been tough for me to bear and I've had to battle depression as a result. It's also been a sad year because I lost another good friend in, Bin Kennedy and felt compelled to leave my writing club, Shorelink Writers due to 'differences' as well after 14 and a bit years. Not much good any of that, eh?

STILL, all the time you are still in the game and battling there is always a chance that a 'silver lining' to all this misery will show itself and I HAVE done wonders this year in my role as, 'The Clean Up Man' - recently receiving a 'contribution recognition' award from the 'Tidy Up St Leonards!' Group.
In the last few weeks my creative mojo seems to have returned also and I have written a number of poems and THIS MORNING a NEW Christmas song called, 'What We'd Got For Christmas'!

Considering my financial state and the fact that we are already into November, I doubt I will get the chance to record the song this year but it has been a bit of a boost coming up with something new as I really had 'dried up' the way I was feeling.

The other GOOD news is that I have booked a short break in order to return to the 'Grassington Dickensian Festival' again later this year. In DIRE need of getting away from it all earlier in the year I rather stupidly booked a holiday (when you are depressed you just think 'Oh, sod the expense!'). As it turned out the tour operators had to cancel that one and so I was due a refund. It all seemed a bit like 'Deja Vu' to me because that is exactly what happened last year! I really LOVED my trip to Yorkshire last year and so in the end decided to re-book the same holiday that I went on in 2017 again. It's not always a good idea to try and 'replicate' a great experience as you can set yourself up for a tarnishing experience but the tour operators have dropped the holiday from their 2019 brochure and so I realised that if I ever wanted to experience the Grassington magic I probably best go again this year. You can see a few of my favourite Grassington pics from last year with this post...

Lastly, we are coming around to the 'Christmas Fair' time of year again! My 'beloved' 'do' at St Clements Church in High Street Hastings takes place on the 17th of November at 10AM and so I am looking forward to that! In case you live in my area (Hastings & St Leonards) here is a short list of a few other Christmas Fairs to go to in the next fortnight or so...

10th November - St Luke's Church (Silverhill) - Christmas Market 10AM -1.30PM
17th November - St John's (Nr St Michael's Hospice) Christmas Fair 10AM - 1PM
24th November - Battle Xmas Lights Switch On (always lovely to see Battle at Christmas!) 1.45 PM
1st December - Holy Redeemer (Upper Church Rd) Christmas Fair 11AM -1PM

I'm not sure if I will be able to get to all of the above (especially St John's as it clashes with St Clement's do) but will try to get to as many as I can. If you see me there do come and say 'hello', won't you?

'Christmas At 'Teddy Tinkers'!'

One of my favourite places to spend time at during Christmas is a 'Vintage & Retro' shop called, 'Teddy Tinkers'.

'Teddy Tinkers' - 134 London Rd, St Leonards.

Just One Of Teddy Tinkers Festively Dressed Windows

All the info you need!

Not only is it run by a VERY smiley and friendly lady by the name of Kate Rosie, all of the stallholders that make the shop what it is are both knowledgable and enthusiasts for anything from the past (like Kate!.  Almost ANYTHING you can think of is available at 'Teddy Tinkers' (Kate named the shop after her Teddy Bear as a child - she still has him!) and the days of 'over the counter' conversation accompanied by a cup of tea or coffee are well and truly alive and kicking, unlike most 'modern shops' where the emphasis is usually on 'whipping you out of the store as fast as possible once they have taken your money'. No, at Teddy Tinkers you can genuinely feel free to browse and take your time to decide if you want to buy something or not.

Actually, I reckon that Kate has a 'secret deal' with Santa himself as she always seems to manage to 'find' a selection of wonderfully nostalgic and magical 'festive blasts from the past' to make my eyes go all big and wide every year!

Old Fashioned Paper Streamers, Yay!

Noddy annuals- REALLY take me back to happier times!

Take a look at some of the 'old friends' that Kate has in stock this year. Noddy was on T.V. a lot when I was a kid and it was such a lovely, innocent and inoffensive little cartoon. It makes my blood boil when I think how today there would be uproar about a character being named 'Big Ears' and how even the slightest hint of a golliwog would be frowned upon. How sad people have become - taking offence at the slightest thing - the way we are going the only thing that will not be 'inappropriate' is looking in the mirror and with my mug that's not good news for me! (lol)

You can find Teddy Tinkers on the internet and on Facebook and Kate has uploaded hundreds of photos of the AMAZING things they have for sale there! Aside from this years festive delights you can also find vintage clothes and furniture, toy cars, models, ornaments, ephemera, badges, photographs, movie magazines, sheet music and a whole host of stuff!

An old collection of Christmas Carols.

The shop also seems to be stocking a growing selection of LP records as well for you rare and collectible vinyl lovers out there - so if you're still stuck for ideas this Christmas why not check out 'my favourite shop' and get something really special and unique for your beloved this Christmas!

Finally, I used to get a group of my friends together at Christmas time to go out and do some carol singing. We used to knock on doors and sing, 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' as that was about the only carol we knew! (lol) Our hearts were in the right place but we should have worked MUCH harder as far as learning the words of a selection of festive songs was concerned! I did write out cards for those who gave us some money on the door step though which said, much love for Christmas from 'The Tony May Singers'!

Ah, those were the days!