What's the oldest ornament on your Christmas tree? Mine is probably the fairy on the top.
She hasn't always been a fairy though. She started life as a Rosebud doll back in the 1960s but her career as a doll was brought to an abrupt end when I dropped her in the back yard and her head broke. Mum carried out some emergency surgery (her hair covers the scars) but, wanting to avoid more tears the next time I dropped her, suggested that she might like to be the fairy on the Christmas tree. You can just about see her in this photo from Christmas 1966.
And yes, that's me in my red nightie gazing up at at her happily. Over the years, she's had various changes of clothes ... well, not so much clothes as bits of lace wrapped round her and sewn in place.
Next time, I'm going to make her a new pair of wings - less, shiny cardboard, more floaty gauze I think.
This year we have been sorting out my late Mum's house and, amongst other things, we divided up the old Christmas decorations. Which leads me on to another treasured ornament. Can you see the Father Christmas on the swing in that old photo?
I have no idea why he's on a swing; I must have missed that part of the traditional story. He has a fine handlebar moustache though. He was always one of my favourites and, this year, he's on my tree.
He doesn't look bad for a gentleman of sixty.
The newest decoration on my tree is this lovely felt cat, made for me by my daughter.
Fans of Judith Kerr will recognise Mog the cat who definitely doesn't approve of Christmas, hence the glum look. When she sees a tree moving about she takes refuge on the roof and refuses to come down ...
'Mog stayed on the roof. Some white things fell out of the sky. Some
fell on the roof and some fell on Mog. They were very cold.'
To find out what happens next (don't worry, there's a happy ending), you'll have to read Mog's Christmas.
Have you got any treasured ornaments on your Christmas tree?
