Camp Street Christmas Past

Everyone has good memories of childhood, but growing up in Camp Street in the late 50s early 60s was magical, especially at Christmas time.

Then we had no idea of snow or cold weather – these were descriptions we read in Enid Blyton books. However, the Norfolk Bronze (black feathered with red comb) turkey was bought in August, fed and fattened for the appointed time just before the big day when it would be killed (held down and neck chopped off), cleaned and hung for a few days in the refrigerator and then cooked on Christmas day, along with the mutton curry, dahl puri and rice plus assorted vegetables. No, we did not know of Christmas pudding instead we had black cake. The fruits – currants, raisins, prunes, bits of dried orange peel were steeped in rum for a couple of weeks before being oven baked, and eaten un-iced. To all intents and purposes this was a Christmas pudding. And the trees – well we had not one but two trees. The green tree was a branch chopped down, replanted in a pot with sand to keep it upright and then decorated with decorations the colour of the rainbow with matching fairy lights.

The second tree was a snow tree – this was a branch chopped down from a fruit tree which was then stripped of it leaves, painted white and just before the paint dried wrapped in cotton wool to resemble a tree with snow on it – hence the name. This snow tree was then decorated with only white, crystal and silver baubles and white lights.

On Christmas Eve the house was filled with beautiful smells of cooking and all the beautifully wrapped presents were put under the trees once the children had gone to sleep. The joy of awaking on Christmas morning and find that Santa had brought you exactly what you have been asking for weeks before having spied it in Bookers or Forgaty’s !

Now we know what minus five temperature feels like. We know how traffic is paralysed by a fall of snow; how trains cease to run to schedule because of leaves on the track and how air traffic is disrupted by freezing fog. What we have forgotten is what it feels like to celebrate Christmas in the warmth of the Guyanese sunshine. What we still have is the warmth of Christmas being celebrated with the family that we love around us - Sorojini, Norfolk UK 24/12/2006.


Top Photo: Camp Street Front House 1974
Bottom Photo: Selis, Raj, Indira in Camp Street Kitchen/Dining Room