"Never underestimate the power of a woman . . .

                                                                                                  with a sewing machine."

Erik,

     This page is really an excuse to include photos that didn't fit anywhere else.  As I was looking through old photos I noticed that there were a lot of me and Maureen in outfits that Momma had made for us.  If you remember she left school at 14 and started working as a seamstress at Clark's Factory in Nottingham. 
     When we came to the States, Mam continued making nearly all our clothes.  I remember begging for a store bought dress.  I've included a picture of that dress below.  Maureen says Mam never used a pattern when she made outfits for us!
                                                                                                                    Mom

1959, Easter outfits with mataching hats and, in my
case, a matching purse

For Easter 1961, Momma made these suits.
Maureen's was lavender and white, mine
was green and white.

On the back, Dad had written,"This is up at
Blowing Rock Park, taken on the look-out
tower.  Don't they look nice?"

July 1959 at Viewmont Apartments,
Hickory, N.C.

Taken in Hickory, N.C. at the Viewmont

Apartments.  Maureen's dress was bought

at  Sears in Hickory.  Mam made Barbara's

dress and knitted her sweater.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

I begged for this store bought dress.  It was mint
green with rose colored flowers embroidered on
the bodice and sleeves.

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred . . .

and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.
                                                                              --Laura Ingalls Wilder


Momma's memories of Christmas as a child--

     "Christmas, when I was a child, was family time.  I remember my Mam did a lot of cooking but still managed to make knitted outfits for Christmas dolls and clothes for me and, later, for Molly.  One Christmas I got a doll with beautiful hand knit outfits; another year I received a black doll dressed in a red knitted outfit--I thought she was so beautiful.  Molly was born at home Christmas morning, 1932, and because I was only 5 years old, I was taken to Aunty Ginny's (Nanna's sister) until one of my older sisters came to fetch me back home.
     We had a very small tree; Mam would put it on top of a high bookcase so the cat could not pull it over.  We would string intricate, gaily colored garlands from each corner of the room to the light fixture in the middle, like spokes on a wheel.  I don't think Mam appreciated them much. We had no clothes dryer in those days, and since it was impossible to dry things outside in England in the Winter, a clothes line was strung across the main room when we went to bed at night, and the sheets and towels were hung up to dry overnight.  It was a jumble to have all those holiday garlands and washing hanging about, especially because the custom in England was to leave decorations up until the evening of January 5, the eve of the Epiphany (when the three wise men visited the baby Jesus) and formerly the twelfth and last day of Christmas festivities.  I know Mam could hardly wait to get those garlands down.

In the 1930's the chocolate makers added novelty
items to the holiday selection packs,
such as this clock (center)

     Molly and I, the two youngest, always received the same gifts in a white pillow slip tied with a big red bow and placed on the bottom of our bed.  We were awake by 5 a.m., eagerly going through those pillow slips.  We always received a huge Selection box of Cadbury's or Rowntree's chocolates, games, books and clothes.
     Before the war food was abundant at the holidays and included mince pies, fruit cake with marzipan and royal icing, a Christmas plum pudding with custard on top, and a large pork pie for Christmas breakfast.

British Christmas cake--fruit
cake with marzipan and Royal
icing

   




























     Usually Christmas dinner was eaten midday and was a goose or a pork roast.  A light 'tea' would be served around 5 p.m.  Auntie Ginny, Mary, and Uncle Tom always came for tea and afterwards the grown-ups would play cards. Molly and I didn't care much for Uncle Tom because he was such a grouch, so we would look at his cards and then signal with our eyes to the other players. Eventually he caught on, threw his cards down, and stormed off.  We all felt so sorry for Auntie Ginny, and I think Mam and Dad only tolerated Uncle Tom for Ginny and Mary's sake.

     The stores in Nottingham had wonderful Christmas displays; Molly and I would go in, sit down, and go on a 'journey' to the North Pole; one Christmas the ride was a 'submarine.'  It was magical, and as we exited the ride, we'd always receive a gift from Santa.

a modern day indoor Christmas market in Nottingham

     On Christmas Eve, Mam and Dad would take us to Nottingham's indoor Christmas market to buy a Christmas goose.  Mam was a savvy shopper, always looking for a bargain.
She'd hang around around until nearly closing time, then zero in on the goose she wanted.  While we waited, we'd stuff ourselves with mushy peas.  The shop owner would put the goose in a large straw bag with its head hanging over the side; we'd ride the tram from the city center back to Arnold, walk home, and then Mam would go to work cleaning that bird and getting it ready for the oven next morning.



     When the war started everything changed--no more glittering shop displays because everything was blacked out to prevent lights being seen by the enemy during an air raid.  As the war progressed we were also under more and more severe rationing, so it paid to stay in touch with the butcher and anyone local who raised poultry.  We were more fortunate than others.  Since Dad was a blacksmith, he kept in contact with two or three farmers for whom he did work and was able to barter his work for meat, vegetables, eggs and other things not available with ration cards.

A child sleeps in an air raid shelter festooned with Christmas
decorations--a not uncommon sight during the war

     I was 12 when the war started and 18 when it ended.  At 14 I left school and started working as a seamstress at Clark's Factory.
They made undergarments; I ran an embroidery machine.
     From ages 14-17 I lived with my older sister, Win; her husband Les was away with the Navy.  She was fearful and wanted someone with her.  I did not enjoy it, but did it to spare Mam from having to go and stay with her.

During WWII Westminster Council, London, offered
a prize for the best dressed shelter.  These occupants
have used Christmas decorations and flags, as well as
portraits of the King and Queen and Winston
Churchill--20th. December 1940

     I mentioned above that I had a cat that would try to pull over the Christmas tree.  The cat's name was Lucky and she was one of 3-4 black cats that I had, each named Lucky.
     Uncle Les worked at a Co-op grocery store early in the war years.  The Co-op had cats to keep the mice population down in their food storage areas.  There were always kittens available.  He brought me the first Lucky, and when she got hit by a car on Front Street, he came the next day with Lucky 2 in a paper sack. They would run away or get killed and he'd show up with another--always named Lucky and always black!

     On Boxing Day, usually the day after Christmas, Mam would buy two rabbits from the butcher, hang them up on a big hook in the kitchen, skin then, chop off their heads, clean out the insides, stuff them, and bake them for our dinner.  Dadda would have rabbit brains on toast for breakfast.
                       --Joan Shelton
(Wow, that is one family tradition I'm thankful we no longer observe!)


Bit of history:  

Boxing Day--"In Britain, it was a custom for tradesmen to collect 'Christmas boxes' of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.  This custom is linked to an older English tradition: since they would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts and bonuses, and maybe sometimes leftover food.

“I heard the bells on Christmas Day. . .

Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”  ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Although missing the nursery rhyme light shades, I think
this is the tree Mam brought from England

     "In 1959, I came to America with my family aboard the Queen Elizabeth.  Mam packed a small, artificial Christmas tree.  A central wooden dowel sat in a hole in a square base.  It was 3 feet tall with branches that pulled out and down to form the shape of a tree.  It came with light bulbs, each with a shade like an inverted Dixie cup.  A nursery rhyme and character were painted on each shade."






   "In the early 60's, we bought a 5 ft. silvery tinsel tree.  It had a silver painted 'trunk' with holes drilled in it at increasing angles, so that when each of the branches of the same size was inserted into the holes, they would perch upwards forming a tree shape.  My brother Darryl was born during the era of the silvery tinsel tree.  Maybe that's why he loves tinsel so much."





   






     "In the 70's we had a 6-foot artificial evergreen tree.  It looked real, but didn't smell real.  We three kids could assemble it, no parent help needed.  Dad always put those big, cone shaped, multi-colored lights bubs all over the tree.  Maureen and I begged for fairy lights.  Darryl just wanted to lob tinsel at the tree, big clumps that would drip from random branches."
                                                                                                                 --Barbara

Maureen remembers:

     "I can't say that I remember any Christmases in England.  I would've been 6 years old on my last Christmas there.  I remember Dad taking me down to Nanna's house to receive a gift.  Pop would always give me a small glass of Advocaat at Christmas, a yellow drink that tasted a bit like eggnog.

'Advocaat or Advocaatenborrel is a traditional Dutch alcoholic beverage made from eggs, sugar and brandy. The rich and creamy drink has a smooth, custard-like flavor and is similar to eggnog.'

     I remember more of our first Christmas in Hickory, N. C.  I got a bridal doll that came in a hinged case with a few clothes.  We lived upstairs in a small attic bedroom, but Mam has since said we didn't stay there long after finding rat droppings.
     Mam and Dad would hang a pillow case on our bedposts, and in it would be nuts, fruit and a few gifts.  I believe it might have been the Christmas after we came back from  England, that you and I each received a bridal doll that was about 3 feet tall.

Opening a package from England

We're very dressed up for opening gifts--must have been for
the photos

    





       
     I remember a Christmas in the duplex on
Oakland Avenue in Statesville when I received
a Brownie Bull's Eye camera.  First I opened a
package with film, then one with a camera bag,
and finally the one with the camera.  I still have it!
     Every year we went to a Christmas party at Dad's workplace, Hunt Penn.  Mr. Waring, the owner, led the singing.  Each child of an employee received an age appropriate substantial wrapped gift.  They served cupcakes covered in red and green icing.  What a treat!"
                             



FYI:  Below are some British Christmas traditions, some of which we celebrated.

1. Letters
It is very common for school age children to write letters to Santa Claus.  But, the Brits take it a step further and burn the letters in the fireplace so the ashes fly up the chimney and Father Christmas can read the smoke.

2. Stockings
Rather than hanging stockings above the fireplace, British children hang them at the end of their bed hoping they will be filled by Christmas morning.

3. Crackers
The cracker is a paper tube, covered in foil, twisted at both ends. It’s shaped like a large sweet with hidden treasures inside. Each person crosses their arms, using their right hand to hold their cracker, and pulling their neighbor’s cracker with their left. POP! The cracker will make a bit of a bang with the contents spilling out which usually is a joke to be read at the dinner table, a small trinket and a paper crown.

4. Next Year
Brits say you need to take your tree and decorations down within 12 days of Christmas or you’ll have bad luck for the next year.

5: Crown
Everyone is a king on Christmas! The paper crowns are made of tissue paper and unfold into an actual crown. Adults and children alike don the crown making it a colorful sight. The paper hat was added to the crackers in the early 1900s and the tradition has carried on.
                                                                                               --from BBCAmerica

Bit of history:  

     "The most famous Christmas tree in the UK is the giant tree in Trafalgar Square. The tree is a gift from Norway to the people of the UK as a token of gratitude for British support of Norway during the Second World War. Every year since 1947, Norway ships over a spruce tree that the British ceremoniously decorate with white lights.
 
     Crazy costumes, audience participation and cross-dressing all in one performance! What more can you ask for? Pantomime season in the UK begins around Christmastime. The audience always gets excited at pantomime performances, cheering for the heroes and yelling angrily at the villains. The tradition of pantomimes comes from medieval mummers plays, in which men acted all the parts in a silent play with a moral theme for noble households. Today, pantomimes sometimes even feature famous pop stars or TV personalities.

     While some children leave cookies and milk for Santa Claus like in the US, it is quite common in the UK to leave something a little stronger for good old St. Nick. Many families leave a glass of whiskey, sherry or brandy, along with a heartier snack, like a mince pie, made of fruit and spices. It’s a long, cold night for Santa, so they like to give him something to keep him warm.

     Brits used to stay warm by the Yule log during the cold Christmas season. The Yule log was a large piece of wood that was burned in the fireplace as part of the holiday celebrations. Traditionally, it would be decorated with ribbons and dragged into the house ceremoniously. Once it was lit, it would be kept lit throughout all 12 days of Christmas. If you could keep the log burning, it would bring warmth, prosperity, blessings and good luck all year long"
                                                 --from http://usa.britishcouncil.org/british-christmas-traditions

"The American Dream is all about social mobility in a sense--

                                                            the idea that anyone can make it.     --Fareed Zakaria

Erik,

     "When Mam and Dad were able to purchase their first home in Statesville, NC, they had accomplished something that wouldn't have happened in England at that time.  It was a huge moment, I think.  They were well on their way to 'making it.'"                   --Mom

Maureen remembers:

     "It was in Statesville that Mam and Dad bought us each a bedroom suite (bed, dresser, and desk) from Gordon's Furniture Store.  I still have mine, as does Barbara.

     I was allowed to ride my bike to the library.  I would cut through the back of the high school, cross North Center Street, and ride through a residential area to the front of the library.  I had a basket on my bike; in the summers I went through a lot of Nancy Drew books.
        A few years ago when I visited Statesville, I noticed how small the library (now a Head Start center) actually is; it still looked the same, with curved wrought iron steps on both sides of the front door.

Statesville Drug  Store/Holmes Drug Store

     I would also ride into downtown Statesville and go to the movies.  I remember Cherry Cokes at the corner drug store, Statesville Drug Store or Holmes Drug Store.  On one of my many trips into town, I bought Barbara a tiny china tea set for Christmas.


     I joined a Brownie troop; Mam would help at the meetings.  I remember making a small ceramic fawn and shoe, both of which I still have.  Mam painted the eyes on the fawn.  Barbara and I also made egg cups, her's was a rooster (she still has it) and mine was a duck.



     I was playing over at a Brownie friend's house one day, in the backyard, when her dog jumped up and bit me in the behind.  I had to be taken to the doctors to get a Tetnus shot.  I think that is the reason I've had a fear of large dogs every since.  I stayed in Girl Scouts through high school.
     Our next door neighbors, the Lipshitz family, had a daughter,  Donna, who I often played with.  I needed a dress for a school dance, and Mam had just had Darryl and couldn't get out to the shops, so Mrs. Lipshitz went to a local department store,  Spainhours, and brought home several dressed for me to choose from; I chose a lovely white dress with big green flowers on it.

Maureen holding Patches; Barbara on the far right

 






     "We had our first dog while living in Statesville, a beagle named Patches.  We were out driving up in the mountains and saw some kids playing with some puppies, stopped, went to the door and asked if we could buy one.   The woman who answered looked so down trodden; the house had a dirt floor.  It made us count our blessings.
     Patches became a memeber of the Shelton household, but he kept running away.  We had just about given up on him, when one day he came home with a piece of rope tied to his collar.  We found out later that he would go and visit at some nearby shacks, and the people who lived there were feeding him, obviously something he liked because he would keep disappearing.  We left Patches home alone one time; when we returned there was toilet paper strewn all over the house."
                                                                                            --Joan Shelton

   

"A friend is a brother that once was a bother."

Darryl  
   Franklin
      Shelton

"Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world

                                                                              simply by being there for each other."  --Carol Saline 


                    
                       Barbara  
        
                       Diane  

                            Shelton