Off Topic The Christmas Thread

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Talking of repetition - my gran started buying me the Rupert bear annual in 1958, not sure when she got me the last one but, it was late enough to be a source of mirth and piss-taking from my younger brothers.


A few months into my apprenticeship at Fenners, I'd have been 17, I was out in town with a load of the lads and we bumped into my paternal grandmother (now long gone, bless her). Having insisted on being introduced to the group of smirking, micky taking young fitters that I was with I was expecting a bit of ribbing when we'd parted but she really didn't help the situation by pressing a shiny ten pence piece into my palm and telling me to treat myself to some sweets.

I can still hear the laughter and derision. It went on for days.
 
Totally stoked today as I finally got my great grandads war medals. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Artillery and he was killed at the end of the Second World War. He was instrumental in the release of prisoners and the shutting down of the Belsen concentration camp. He is on some old Pathé footage, but I can't track it down.

He's mentioned in despatches.

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I have been 'waiting' for these for about two years now. I was doing a lot of research into him and his background. By all accounts he was a bit of a scallywag <laugh> He was lieutenant colonel by his early 30s, he had a directorship role to return to after the war at a major paint company in Hull. He was killed at the age of 36 - served in the Royal Artillery with Edward Heath, my great Gran had a letter from Edward Heath offering his condolences.
 
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For the first time ever my wife and I, okay me and the wife, left it all behind this year and spent 10 days in Ben E Dorm. Presents were sorted before we went and we flew out on the 18th came back yesterday. Bit surreal sat at a bar facing the beach watching families building sandcastles in temperatures of 22C on Christmas day. Brandy and lemonade, with ice, close by and blue skies as far as the eyes could see, then came home to fog, frost and ice.
 
For the first time ever my wife and I, okay me and the wife, left it all behind this year and spent 10 days in Ben E Dorm. Presents were sorted before we went and we flew out on the 18th came back yesterday. Bit surreal sat at a bar facing the beach watching families building sandcastles in temperatures of 22C on Christmas day. Brandy and lemonade, with ice, close by and blue skies as far as the eyes could see, then came home to fog, frost and ice.
Nice dose of reality then
 
For the first time ever my wife and I, okay me and the wife, left it all behind this year and spent 10 days in Ben E Dorm. Presents were sorted before we went and we flew out on the 18th came back yesterday. Bit surreal sat at a bar facing the beach watching families building sandcastles in temperatures of 22C on Christmas day. Brandy and lemonade, with ice, close by and blue skies as far as the eyes could see, then came home to fog, frost and ice.

In laws do that every year for about 6 weeks at a time. Not Benidorm. They love it.
 
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A few months into my apprenticeship at Fenners, I'd have been 17, I was out in town with a load of the lads and we bumped into my paternal grandmother (now long gone, bless her). Having insisted on being introduced to the group of smirking, micky taking young fitters that I was with I was expecting a bit of ribbing when we'd parted but she really didn't help the situation by pressing a shiny ten pence piece into my palm and telling me to treat myself to some sweets.

I can still hear the laughter and derision. It went on for days.
My brother in law was a fitter at Fenner's Ern, you might have worked with him, he's a big City fan too.
 
Not exactly Christmas related but I'm sat watching some seriously ****e TV which under normal, sober, non Twixmas time times I'd switch off in a second.

I'm watching a programme about Shane MacGowans teeth.

Not the life and times of the man, no his teeth. His teeth, or lack of them, and how he's getting a new set made.

FFS.


Can't understand how a bloke born and raised in England can sound so Irish.

Sugar puff toothed ****house.
 
It's on for another half hour.

Can't switch the bastard off though, I need to see how it turns out for him.

He looks rough as **** these days, not that he ever looked anything else. I'm slightly shocked by how much he looks like my mate Jacko though.
 
It's on for another half hour.

Can't switch the bastard off though, I need to see how it turns out for him.

He looks rough as **** these days, not that he ever looked anything else. I'm slightly shocked by how much he looks like my mate Jacko though.
Yeah xmas makes you watch total ****e doesn't it.
 
He's eating an apple.

He looks like a gibbon, his Polish dental nurse is crying and the rest of the dental team are either crying or applauding . Unbelievable .

I'm off to charge my glass, he's still at the apple.

Why am I watching this?
 
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