Majestic Mutterings
Monday, December 1, 2008
Present and correct
Is it really December again? Sometimes, I really wish I could shake off the years and go back to that lovely time when I didn’t worry about Xmas. When it was just a sparkling time of crispy clear excitement, of cosily rosy cheeked choral harmonising and hoping that maybe I’d get a drum kit come the beautiful snowy morn. Because it was unsullied by trauma back then. Never mind my poor parents furrowed brows as they anguished over how to make a few old pence transform themselves into a Dalek. I didn’t notice, too excited. Or the screeching music teacher howling at her choir not to sing ‘Weee Wissshhhh you-a-merry Chrisssssmassss’, but to be subtle with our ‘s’s. Didn’t register, too hyped-up. Or that it probably only snowed once between my lost youth and now. Maybe twice. It was a magical time of potential joy, when I didn’t have to fret about getting anybody anything, just about what I might actually get. And being this Queenie, I feel I must just list my top 10 all time Xmas gifts, not in any particular order…..
1. 1969 - Captain Scarlet Outfit. The envy of all my little friends, especially Everton next door who offered to swap his Scalextric for it. No deal.
2. 1971 - Lunar Module Airfix Kit. The envy of nobody.
3. 1973 - Jackson Five’s Greatest Hits Cassette. My dad wanted to wrench it out of the car after 15 plays, though the ‘70’s technology did it for him with a chew up job going through the Blackwall tunnel, March 1974. Replaced with vinyl 1975.
4. 2007 - Queen Josephine & Friends Collage. On the wall in our boudoir. Wonderful. Thanks Ms Wildblood.
5. 1977 - Jeans. First ever real pair of denims. Cost £7.99. My mum was shocked to the core at this extraordinarily costly item of ‘workers’ clothing, and FURIOUS when I wouldn’t let her do hemmed turn-ups, insisting on letting them trail through the dirt creating mass fraying by January. Cut up, safety-pinned to the shape of my gorgeously drainpiped legs, and my punk favourites for…ooh a month or two into ’78.
6. 1970 - Bongo Drums. Would still have them if my brother hadn’t stuck a biro through them during the ‘ska era’ (early ‘80’s. I preferred proper reggae. There were deep family divisions).
7. 1968, 1995, 1999 - West Ham tops. You can never take the Hammer out of this Queen. Just the piss.
8. Money.
9. 1970 to Present - Books About Horses. These really should’ve stopped by now, but they are my comfort reading….
10. 1980 - Driving Lessons. Thanks granny, all other road users do not salute you.
And this year? Well, I’m not expecting much, it being credit-crunch-christmas and all. Hope I pick something to give that means something to somebody I love, even if it’s not through spending loads. Let it just be sparkling and hopeful. Worry free. Happy bloody Xmas everyone!!!!
xxxxHRH
# posted by Queen Josephine : 9:48 AM