Stockings or pillowcases lay upstairs next to the beds, of course ready to be filled with gifts if the child had been good. I was often threatened with a bag of coal or ash (no surprise there!). Each year the stocking contained a satsuma or tangerine orange, a real treat that only exists at this special time. By the way, my father, who owned the Cretney grocer on North Quay, had many cans of strawberries, because of course they were not available at that time of year, and for many people they were one of the main ingredients of the Christmas trifle, along with custard, cream, hundreds and thousands, moist ladyfingers and of course the obligatory generous portion of sherry! Also in the stockings or pillowcases, if you're lucky, you'll find chocolate coins, a selection box, small toys and at least one yearbook. Favorites included Dandy, Beano, Beezer, Eagle, Rupert, Judy, Topper, Brownies, Twinkle, Bunty, Sooty's, Jackie, Lion and many more.
Christmas Nostalgia Rekindled: A Look Back at the Isle of Man's Festive Traditions
