CHRISTMAS CHEER

WE ARE SURVIVORS

 - For those born before 1940

We were born before Penicillin, polio vaccinations, frozen food, fax machines, contact lenses, videos and the Pill, before radar, credit cards, laser beams and ball point pens. Before dishwashers, drip dry clothes, air conditioning, electric blankets, tumble dryers and before men walked on the moon. 

We got married first then lived together (how quaint), we thought fast food was what you ate in Lent, a Big Mac was an oversized raincoat and crumpet was for tea. We existed before house husbands, computer dating and when a meaningful relationship meant getting along with cousins. We were before disposable nappies and day care centres. Sheltered accommodation was where you waited for a bus. We never heard of FM, tape decks, desktop publishing, word processors, artificial hearts, low fat yoghourt or of men wearing earrings. For us time sharing meant togetherness, a chip was a fried potato, hardware meant nuts and bolts and software wasn’t a word at all. A digit was a finger or any number between 0 and 9. Linear was a straight line and non-linear meant crooked. London to Birmingham and back in a day was a hard drive while disk drive referred to collecting old 78rpm shellac records for the war effort. Monday mornings would see mother’s washing on-line while off-line would mean there’s been a train derailment. Windows let the light in and a mouse squeaked and ate cheese. 

Before 1940 the term making out referred to how you did in your exams, stud was something that fastened a collar to a shirt, and going all the way meant staying on the bus as far as the depot! In our day cigarette smoking was fashionable, grass was mown, Coke was kept in the coal shed, a joint was a piece of meat you had on Sundays and pot was something you cooked in. Rock was from Brighton and Roll was for eating bacon in at morning break. A gay person was the life and soul of a party - nothing more, while aids just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.

We who were born before 1940 are a hardy bunch when you think of the way the world has changed and the adjustments we have had to make. No wonder we are confused and there is a generation gap today. But.... by the Grace of God, we have survived!! 

PUNCH (MILD)

350 gms sugar

450 ml lemon juice

300 ml pineapple juice

1.5 litres white wine

tbl spn Angostura bitters

orange rind

slices of apple and orange

600 ml freshly brewed tea

Place sugar, lemon juice and orange rind into a large pan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the wine and pineapple juice. Before serving add strained tea and the hitters. Pour into a bowl and garnish with slices of apple and orange.

PUNCH (POTENT)

1,200 ml dark beer

600 ml boiling water

150 ml rum

150 ml whiskey

150 ml gin

1 sliced lemon 

sugar to taste

pinch of cinnamon

ground cloves

grated nutmeg 

Put all the ingredients into a large pan and bring nearly to the boil. Serve with slices of lemon in a punch bowl or jug.

WASSAIL

3,600 ml dark beer

2 large lemons sliced

1 litre dry sherry

1/2 level tspn ground ginger

half kilo brown sugar

large stick cinnamon

level tspn grated nutmeg

Pour one third of the beer into a large pan. Add sugar and cinnamon and simmer slowly until sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining beer, spices, sherry and lemon slices. Remove the slices before serving.

JOHN ALDRED