When should Christmas start?

[Mervyn and Trish]

What, cheap B&B's, gay clubs, candy floss and chip papers blowing in the wind like tumbleweed?

[qbman1]

Yep, and half-dressed girls with their skirt up round their waist lying in the gutter

[Mervyn and Trish]

What was the address again?

[qbman1]

I've told them there's free Babycham at your radio station

[Mervyn and Trish]

Ah Babycham. My Mum's favourite Christmas tipple.

See what I did there?

[qbman1]

Saved us from the wrath of the Christmas ModPlods

[CaroleF]

A year or so ago, can't remember where, I had a taste of Babycham - first time for goodness knows how many years - it was disgusting! Can't believe it was THE drink all those years ago.

One Christmas when I was a Student Nurse in London and on night duty, a couple of days before Christmas the Staff Nurse on the ward opposite mine had a birthday and she brought in some Beaujolais and a melon - goodness knows why a melon. Well I'd never tasted either. Once things were quiet and Night Sister had been and gone, the wine was poured out and the melon cut. Quite like the melon but I thought the wine was horrible - the only wine I'd ever tasted had been a Sauterne at home - my father liked it on Christmas Day! I had to pretend that I liked it of course - the two Staff Nurses thought it was wonderful.

It's funny how tastes can change - quite like a good Beaujolais these days!

[qbman1]

Amazing, isn't it, how tastes have changed in only a generation. Sauternes was the only wine we ever had too, and then just a glass with Christmas dinner. Can't remember when we started having "proper" wine and the Sauternes became a special treat as a dessert wine.

Mind, you, there was a time when I wouldn't have minded sharing a melon and Beaujolais with a student nurse !!!

[Quizzical Bob]

Amazing, isn't it, how tastes have changed in only a generation. Sauternes was the only wine we ever had too, and then just a glass with Christmas dinner. Can't remember when we started having "proper" wine and the Sauternes became a special treat as a dessert wine.

Mind, you, there was a time when I wouldn't have minded sharing a melon and Beaujolais with a student nurse !!!

We had some Mateus Rosé on a cruise a few months ago. Actually it wasn't too bad.

[qbman1]

I had so much in the seventies, I just couldn't face it now !! Never liked rose since

[anniec]

I had so much in the seventies, I just couldn't face it now !! Never liked rose since

Ditto .

Strangely, we were talking about this yesterday: Liebfraumilch or Blue Nun, anyone?

[qbman1]

This came up on another thread last week and someone mentioned the dreadful Piat d'Or. And what about Hirondelle ?!

We did drink some tosh !

[Manoverboard]

Not to mention Cherry ' B ' ... eh, girls ( and Cubie )

[qbman1]

I stuck with Babycham

[Ranchi]

One of the worst drinks must have been/ be barley wine. We bought a small bottle once to add 3tbs to a Christmas pudding. Thought I'd slurp off the rest....no, it was awful.

Another 70s drink was 'Pony'. I saw WWIII almost break out in a bar in Aberdeen one day when a bloke asked for a whisky & a pony ( in this context a pony is a small glass with about 1/4 pint of beer to have as a chaser). The barman brought a whisky & a sweet red bottled drink. Much cursing ensued before the required beer ( heavy) was brought. ( I guess the beer pony is not strictly legal as drought beer must be dispensed in pints or 1/2 pint measures)

[Mervyn and Trish]

My Dad was into Barley wine.

But to digress from booze, but staying on Christmas, we put the tree and outside lights up today. Wouldn't normally do it for another week but we have the grandchildren staying. But why is it that Christmas lights which were working perfectly when you took them down pass away quietly in the loft during the summer.? Had to bin another set today. Bah humbug.

[GillD46]

We have a set of lights, old ones with bulbs that can be changed, that were extremely expensive when bought back in 1987! They STILL work, though for the first time since then, we haven't used them this year.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It was my old ones that finally gave up Gill. I had loads of spare bulbs at one time but three died in the loft spontaneously so I ran out and can't get any more.

[emjay45]

I had so much in the seventies, I just couldn't face it now !! Never liked rose since

Snap qb I got a taste for rose wine when we were in France in the eighties. It was all I would drink and now I too can't look at it.

[Manoverboard]

Chilled St Tropez rose on a warm sunny evening with salmon, smoked or otherwise, remains sublime .... pou moi.

Mateus Rose still works for us with a Bar-B-Q'd tuna steak with a tomato and onion salad ... a la Madeira.

Where we all went wrong, perhaps, was drinking these wines with just about everything rather than saving them for the food that they actually compliment.

[Quizzical Bob]

Chilled St Tropez rose on a warm sunny evening with salmon, smoked or otherwise, remains sublime .... pou moi.

Mateus Rose still works for us with a Bar-B-Q'd tuna steak with a tomato and onion salad ... a la Madeira.

Where we all went wrong, perhaps, was drinking these wines with just about everything rather than saving them for the food that they actually compliment.

It goes nicely with turkey. (Do you see what I did there? )

[CaroleF]

As far as Christmas lights are concerned they seem to have changed so much. The old screw in ones disappeared and then the push in bulbs appeared, not too bad as long as they were warm white and not ones that were so bright you needed sunglasses. Now it seems all the ones I look at are sort of large pea shapes. Then you have to check the colour of the wire to see that it's green and not black or white. Quite a few years ago John Lewis sold the push in type of bulb in a gold colour - they were lovely. We used to decorate a tree with gold baubles and those gold lights and put it in the window of the front room in our house that overlooked the street. Can't get replacement bulbs for that set now.

Can anyone explain to me what blue Christmas tree lights have to do with Christmas? I'm always amazed when I travel around and see the front of houses decorated in blue lights??

[GillD46]

I am not a fan of coloured lights at all. Ours are all white, both inside and outside, nice and tasteful. And we only dress the large tree and the smaller Christmas tree, both growing in the front lawn.

Several of the residents in our cul de sac light their trees and it looks really pretty when driving down on our way home.

[emjay45]

Chilled St Tropez rose on a warm sunny evening with salmon, smoked or otherwise, remains sublime .... pou moi.

Mateus Rose still works for us with a Bar-B-Q'd tuna steak with a tomato and onion salad ... a la Madeira.

Where we all went wrong, perhaps, was drinking these wines with just about everything rather than saving them for the food that they actually compliment.

I'm afraid you're probably right about this too. I haven't changed I'm afraid only now I drink sparkling white wine with everything ( champagne when I can). I'm such a philistine.

[qbman1]

Chilled St Tropez rose on a warm sunny evening with salmon, smoked or otherwise, remains sublime .... pou moi.

Mateus Rose still works for us with a Bar-B-Q'd tuna steak with a tomato and onion salad ... a la Madeira.

Where we all went wrong, perhaps, was drinking these wines with just about everything rather than saving them for the food that they actually compliment.

And this relates to when Christmas should start.....how ?