Making Christmas Crackers in 1910

Making Christmas Crackers (1910) | BFI National Archive
 

I found this video on YouTube and I have shared it here for your viewing pleasure.

To learn more about the BFI please visit https://www.bfi.org.uk/

A Christmas Vehicle Recovery Story

I don't think we have published a fictional Christmas story on That's Christmas, before. 

This is about to change with a story called "A Christmas Vehicle Recovery Story."  I hope you enjoy it.

Bob and Mike had drawn the short straw that Christmas Eve. They were one of the two vehicle recovery teams their employer, MacV Recovery, was using to provide 24/7 recovery that day and on Christmas Day. They were working Christmas Eve, someone else was working Christmas Day.

And as Mac, the owner said, every year: “If we say we offer 24/7 recovery, we’d better offer 24/7 recovery, even over Christmas and the New Year!”

They were in the MacV Recovery flagship, a very substantial well-lit recovery truck, an American-built Vulcan V70 from Miller Industries.

The area the company covered was a substantial one so rather than keeping both duty recovery trucks waiting in the compound in the centre of the area, it was Mac’s habit to have one unit parked up in a layby in the North of the area, whilst the smaller Volvo tow truck was further south.

The Northern position was colder and more prone to snow as it was on higher ground. 

Bob and Mike chatted about Christmas. Both of them were married, Bob had been married for 15 years to Betty, they had one son, Josh and Mike was not long married to his childhood sweetheart, Sally. They had no children, as yet.

Times had been tough of late and they’d had to scrimp and scrape to get the money together for presents. 

Bob said: “We wanted to get Josh a top of the range iPad, but the shop we ordered it from burnt down, so I have no clue when we’re going to be able to get one for him. Unfortunately we'd paid for it weekly, but as the owner wasn't properly insured, we might lose all the money we paid.”

“That’s terrible!” replied Mike. “I’d love to get Sally a real diamond necklace, but my budget could only stretch to £100, so I got her a cubic zirconia necklace. The diamond one was £1,000. Way beyond what I could afford. What are you getting Betty?”

“Some perfume. Not the expensive stuff I’d prefer to have got for her, but like you the budget was stretched, what with getting Josh his iPad.”

The heater was doing a good job of keeping them warm and the radio was tuned to a station playing Christmas tunes. They were both at the point of nodding off, when the radio gave a burst of static and died. There was a flash of light and a whooshing sound from above their vehicle.

“What was that?” gasped Bob. 

“Dunno,” said Mike. “Was it a plane crash?”

“We’d better get out and take a look.”

They put their reflective winter jackets on and clambered from the truck, amazed to see snow had been falling and there was already a covering of about four or five inches. 

Behind them in the layby they saw a sight that stunned them. There was an old fashioned red sleigh like you see on Christmas cards and a man dressed as Santa stepped down. He turned and waved at Bob and Mike then ensured his six reindeer were feeding from nosebags.

Bob and Mike looked at each other, gobsmacked, for want of a better word.

“One of us must be dreaming!” said Mike. 

Santa walked toward them, his boots crunching in the snow. “Hi, lads! Am I glad I spotted you. Could you help me out, please? I’m having problems. It’s the left hand runner, it’s developed a squeak and made the sleigh shudder. I don’t want to be behind schedule, I’ve got presents to deliver all around the world, tonight.”

“I’ll just get my tool kit,” said Bob. Mike stood there, transfixed. 

Bob returned with his tool kit and approached the sleigh. He noticed the reindeer had stopped feeding. They were gently steaming and were eager to get going again, as they were pawing the ground.

Bob put his headlight over his cap and turned it on. He looked at the ornately carved wooden runners. He was no expert, but he thought they looked early Victorian. They were, he thought, in very good condition, especially considering their age.

He called out: “Santa, I see what your problem is. It looks as if a bolt has sheared through. It’s a non-metric one, a Whitworth imperial. But that’s not a problem because I always keep some old style Whitworth imperial screws, washers and bolts in case I meet up with a classic car, or an interesting vehicle…” Mike finished off by saying: “Like this one?” Bob nodded. To be honest, he still thought he was dreaming.

Mike looked at the reindeer and had helped keep them calm. He reasoned they couldn’t be that much different from the horses his sister kept.

When Bob had finished greasing and tightening the nut Santa said: “How much do I owe you, boys?”

Bob shook his head. “That’s fine, Santa. There's nothing to pay. I’m just glad we could help.” Mike nodded in agreement. 

“Thanks, boys! I’ll be off, now! Merry Christmas!” He walked to his sleigh, climbed in and with a “Ho, Ho, Ho!” the reindeer took the sleigh and Santa off and up into the night sky.

Bob took his tool kit back with him, as they talked about what had just happened. “Got to be a dream,” said Bob. “Yeah,” replied Mike. But whose dream?”

As they climbed back up into their recovery truck they noticed the radio was working again. But to their shock they saw there was a box containing a brand new top of the range iPad, a bottle of very expensive perfume and a box containing a very costly genuine diamond necklace. And two bottles of top single malt Scotch.

“Happy Christmas, Bob,” said Mike. 

“Happy Christmas to you, Mike," replied Bob.

Mike said, with a grin, “What should we put this job down as on our record sheet?”

"Ho, Ho, Ho!" replied Bob.

We would like to thank OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay and Miller Industries for the photographs and images used to illustrate this story. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Interested In Pixabay? Please visit www.pixabay.com.

Want to learn more about Miller Industries recovery vehicles, tow trucks and wreckers? Please visit them at https://www.millerind.com/

200 Degrees Acts of Kindness lets you swap hygiene products for coffee

Those fantastic people at 200 Degrees Coffee are enabling their equally fantastic customers to help those who are less fortunate than they are.

How? They are going to let their customers donate hygiene products in exchange for coffee throughout its coffee shops this Christmas season.

Why? Because the sad reality is that many people in the UK simply do not have proper access to basic hygiene products. And this problem, points out 200 Degrees, has been made worse by the pandemic.

So 200 Degrees is inviting its coffee loving customers to bring new, unused, unopened items like deodorants, soaps, shower gel, shampoo, period products, baby care items, shaving foam, household cleaning products and other hygiene basics into any of its premises. 

200 Degrees will then work with local charities within each city to make sure they are distributed to local people in need.

They'll be hosting a Swap Shop on Wednesday 8 December, asking their customers to bring in personal hygiene products at any of its coffee shops, in exchange for a free cup of coffee.

The teams in each of their coffee shops have chosen local charities, which includes Manchester's Booth Centre,  a community centre offering support for people impacted by homelessness, and Helping Hands, Birmingham which provides food, blankets and other essentials to homeless people nightly.

The team at 200 Degrees are continuing to spread kindness with other initiatives including its ‘12ish Days of Christmas’ campaign, which will see surprise gifting of all sorts of experiences, messages of kindness on takeaway coffee cup lids and rewarding some of its loyal customers with 200 Degrees goodies.

Will Kenney, who is the commercial director at 200 Degrees Coffee, said: “The festive season should be a restful time of year for all, but sadly there are many thousands who face difficult circumstances, instead.

“Acts of Kindness is about us trying to make a small, positive difference to people who are having a tough time and also thanking our customers for being brilliant.

“The Swap Shop alone will collect much needed products that will be distributed to the amazing communities around our shops.”

To find out more about 200 Degrees and their 15 coffee shops please visit them at https://200degs.com/.

Their coffee shops are located in Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester, Cardiff, Sheffield, Lincoln, Liverpool, Manchester, York and Cannock. https://200degs.com/pages/our-coffee-shops.

That's Books and Entertainment: If I Die Today

That's Books and Entertainment: If I Die Today: Readers of the The Flowers of the Grass  series of novels by N L Collier set during the First World War, which began in 2016 will welcome th...

Have a Gusto ethical and delicious Christmas

Once you taste Gusto Organic drinks, you'll understand why it's won so many awards.

Gusto Organic deliver a range of eight tantalising adult-focused soft drinks, guaranteed to bring a sense of occasion to celebrations this Christmas.

Perfect when experienced neat, as a thirst-quenching treat, or accompanying premium spirits as a zippy mixer. Each drink offers a unique blend of flavours made only using  the finest ingredients. There are zero free artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners and guaranteed to bring pleasure in every sip.

Plant-based and vegan, Gusto’s drinks are not only made with an ethical conscience by supporting farmers around the world with its Fairtrade mission but are also packed to the brim with taste, making them the perfect tipple for every guest.

You should begin Christmas Day with Buck’s Fizz by pairing Sicilian Blood Orange with Champagne or Prosecco, a traditional drink to kick start festivities. Gusto’s Sicilian Blood Orange is made with organic blood oranges from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, using whole orange pith and peel, blended with blood orange juice, creating a super orange blast from the sun-drenched South, bringing a wonderfully diverse zesty flavour.

Designed for discerning drinkers and citrus lovers, Gusto Organic boasts the world’s finest lemonade as a healthier alternative to mainstream lemonades - Sicilian Lemon with Yuzu blends a hint of yuzu magic, sweetened with Fairtrade agave, Fairtrade apple juice and a light touch of organic grape juice and with just 100 calories per bottle and its low GI won’t leave you with a sugar high. It’s also the perfect partner for Gin this Christmas.

For those thirsty for a more complex, quintessential adult soft drink, Fiery Ginger with Chipotle is sweet, hot, zingy and dry. It is also a superb mixer with Vodka, or for that legendary ‘Dark n Stormy’ with Rum. 

Made with organic ginger juice from China, blended with ginger from both Nigeria and Indonesia and sweetened with organic, Fairtrade apple juice and organic, Fairtrade blue agave from Jalisco in Mexico. To elevate the taste further, it packs a punch with Mexican chipotle – a wonderful smoked chilli that offers heat, a little smoke and a wonderful hum on the taste buds.

For the cola nuts around the Christmas table, Gusto’s award-winning Real Cola, Naturally Slim Cola and indulgent Real Cherry Cola, use Cola nut from the rainforests of Africa, which balances the flavour of its cola drinks, adding a bitter note to counterbalance the sweetness of the agave. Cola nut also mildly stimulates and revives you in a completely natural way. 

"While many big brand colas use synthetic caffeine derived from ammonia and phosphoric acid, known to damage bones, Gusto Organic uses the revered cola nut for its natural active ingredient theobromine to stimulate, which translates as ‘Food of the Gods’. Gusto’s Naturally Slim Cola sits at only 55 calories a bottle, also one to reach for calorie reduction, based on natural plant-based ingredients only and no artificial sweeteners.

Coined ‘the perfect hangover cure, its Original Energy and Lemon Energy drinks should be the go-to drinks to boost energy levels naturally, enjoyed over ice, or as the ultimate mixer. Gusto Original Energy is a unique energy drink– ‘no nasties’ 100% natural and powered by Amazon guarana, African cola nut and 14 Chinese herbs for strength, focus and wellbeing. For a different tangy taste sensation but the same stimulation, Lemon Energy contains whole crushed organic lemons, including crushed peel with Amazon guarana, powerful adaptogen Siberian ginseng and a sweetening blend of organic grape, agave nectar and apple to keep you partying without the hangover!

Founded by Craig Sams, (the entrepreneur behind Green & Blacks) and Will Fugard, CEO and alchemist in chief, Gusto Organic has harnessed both European and global markets with their organic, Fairtrade and refined sugar-free soft drinks. Not only possessing a raft of Great Taste Awards, the brand was voted the No.1 Ethical Best Buy Soft Drinks brand in 2020 by Ethical Consumer Magazine and are also a proud sponsor of sporting events across the calendar year.

"At Gusto Organic we pride ourselves on producing the finest tasting soft drinks, which are the antithesis to mainstream fizzy drinks, our organic and Fairtrade drinks offer complex aromatic flavours with ingredients of exceptional provenance. No weird chemicals, artificial sweeteners or excess sugar; there’s a Gusto for every Christmas moment. Every one of our fully recyclable glass bottles supports Fairtrade farming projects around the world, they taste great, and they do good, the Gusto way.

The Gusto Organic range is available online from Ocado, Abel & Cole, Amazon, Holland & Barrett, Farmdrop, Gusto Shop and at Fortnum & Mason, Waitrose Farm Shop, Wholefoods, Eversfield Organic and many premium natural trade retailers & farm shops across the UK. RRP from £1.89

Update to That's Christmas

We have made a slight update to the That's Christmas site.

For some unknown reason the search function vanished.

Upon noticing this we decided to re-introduce the search function so visitors can now search for whatever they need to make this Christmas a very special Christmas.

Also, when you purchase something that you have seen mentioned on That's Christmas, please do mention us when you do.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us source Christmas goodies over the years that we have been working on That's Christmas.

And if you have a product or service that you'd like to see featured here on That's Christmas, for free? Please email thatschristmas@mail.com.

Make it a Habulous Christmas this year

What is Habulous?

A spokeswoman for the brand tells That's Christmas: "Habulous ceramics are all individually handmade by Nicky Edmunds; mugs, vases, storage containers, jugs and many other decorative and useful pieces for your home."

She adds: "Most items are thrown on Nicky's potters wheel, although from time to time she will also hand build. Her pieces of work all reflect the time, energy and skill that she puts into them. Every piece is unique and crafted with care."

She said: "The jellyfish air plants are unique to her and are proving to be very popular indeed."

I must admit that I have long admired pottery items, especially handcrafted works. My only experience with traditional pottery came about by working in the archaeology unit of the Ironbridge Museum which includes craftsmen and women using traditional techniques to make pottery items before firing them in a kiln.

My favourite event, however, involved digging out a large bottle kiln and find the pawprint of a cat on one of the bricks on the base used for the kiln when the bricks had been left out to dry before baking!

However, let's return to Habulous, shall we?

The pottery items sold under the Haboulous brand are nothing short of astounding.

Handmade Ceramic Mug Moorland Series which costs £25.00. Or if you preference is for a ceramic tumbler, then the Handmade Ceramic Tumbler Moorland Series at £22.00 will be more to your liking.

Handmade oil pourers, handmade espresso mugs, handmade ceramic hanging planters (limited edition, so do order these now!) dome vases, jugs, treeline broaches, there's actually something of a match to the limited edition lidded pot with Moorland trees decoration.

Or what about a gorgeous handmade ceramic soap dish? Or perhaps you are looking for something different for your kitchen? How about some nice ceramic bowls? Or a large ceramic bowl? A very dinky and exquisite mini vase? A small jug ideal for the table?

An amazing range of handcrafted pottery items, I think you'd agree? But that's not all that's available!

There are truly unique jellyfish air plants, wax melt burner sets, handmade ceramic hanging bird feeders, handmade jewellery, cards and more. 

To learn about the full range please visit https://www.habulous.co.uk/.