Genealogy Chat

This thread began with........What's that ridiculous GR Christmas Lunch survey all about???? And what has it to do with Family History, exactly??!!.....................but it has now morphed ......just read it...OK!............ Happy Hunting! Merry x ....... OOPS - NO TIP.............TIP: Begin boiling your sprouts NOW for 25th.

Merry, Did not even bother taking a look at it. Maureen

Perhaps they are starting an amusing deaths thread of their own - whose rellie was it who died after consuming a pie?

I think since ITV bought the site, they are going to use these type of responses to make programmes, or use to sell to other media such as newspapers - we have already seen them doing this in a small way, it might increase. Cheers, Horatia PS Seemed to be a survey to see how most people regard their family and extended family (are they close?).

Don't know about this question..........they can't have met my family?? Quite impossible to tick one box: What’s the main topic of conversation over the dinner table? What presents you received The true meaning of Christmas Family history/relatives no longer with you Politics The Queen’s speech Christmas TV My two children will be talking about the presents they received......my mum will talk about Christmas TV and how bad it is, followed by what's happening in the soaps, which takes her several hours without taking a breath...............Father-in-law will talk about his ailments and what's wrong with the world..........hubby will try and keep the peace.......... and I will get cross because somethings gone wrong with the Christmas dinner and someone has DARED to say those immortal words (uttered EVERY single Christmas dinner time that I've been doing the job, and that's 19 years consecutively).....the immortal words being....... ...................... ''Ooh, I have eaten so many snacks .......we needn't bother with dinner, need we????'' Followed by smug laughs all round and rubbing of full tummies.................. Well, ''Ha, b****y Ha''....maybe this year I won't bother!! LOL Merry!

Merry, LOL You've articulated just what Christmas means to me. Can't wait for 2.1.2006 when I can go back to hating everyone. Jean x.

last box i put ''on christmas morning at 8am we both run round the local park stark naked, waving the as yet uncooked turkey at the children riding their shiney new bikes'' Well, what did they expect us to say except 'No' (i didnt really - i wish i had!) Jess x

Ooh!! That's inspiration to fill it in, if nothing else!! Merry

Merry Well, they certainly never met mine either! Smallest daughter being sick, having consumed several Christmas Selection boxes on the quiet, aided and abetted by my Mum, who says 'Well, it won't hurt, its Xmas' Dad (born again health freak) saying 'Oh, God, just look at all that cholesterol' Granny crying for her long-dead husband (whom she hated so much, they only communicated by leaving notes for each other on the hall table for seven years). Brother with much younger new girlfriend practically having it off at the dinner table and feeding each other from their respective plates. Uncle saying 'Ooh, sprouts give me ever such wind' and proving it MIL taking a mouthful of my lovingly-prepared Xmas pudding, made the previous March and saying 'I always make my own' (hinting that mine came from the Spar shop) Me in the kitchen doing two hours of solid washing up and someone shouting 'Are you making coffee?' followed shortly by a loud slamming of the door - MIL and entourage going off in huff, someone has insulted her, but no-one will elaborate. Two weeks after Xmas, discovering that someone has topped up the Baileys with milk and its gone off. Monopoly with remaining assembly, accusations of cheating, someone tips the board on the floor.... Happy Christmas everyone! Olde Crone

I want to go to Marjories for christmas - sounds hilarious!!

Jess, A BRILLIANT idea!!! Do you know where she lives?? I'll pick you up on the way.... Lets just turn up.....Bring a bottle and I'll bring some chocs....that should do it !! .....I'll leave my lot with a couple of packets of cheese sandwiches to keep them quiet...... Merry

Well, this year its just going to be me and youngest daughter (now grown up). We are going to have Xmas in our pyjamas we have decided, hers piggies, mine teddies. We are having chocolate for Xmas lunch, a chocolate buffet in the evening and leftover chocolate on Boxing Day. We are going to watch stupitelly all day and eat off paper plates. One of the best Xmas Days I have ever had, a few years ago, daughter (above) was working Xmas Day in the Pub. The Landlord heard I would thus be on my own and invited me to become an honorary member of the Sad Bastards Club (him, and his other middle-aged divorced mates with no women). We had our dinner after the Pub closed - no roasties left, but never mind - and then we played 'Ducky Fuzz', no, 'Fuzzy Duck'. I was hysterical with mirth and drink and my disgusted daughter had to drag me away. At this point I found that my posing shoes, which I had kicked off under the table cos they hurt, no longer fitted me. The only footwear to be found in the Pub was a pair of Chef's trainers, size about one million - I take a ladylike size four. But I had to wear them. It was like wearing snowshoes, and the only way I could walk was to lift one leg carefully and place it flat on the ground a little way in front - looked as if I was climbing the Eiger, I should think. So, if you saw a Bet Lynch lookalike one Xmas Day, weaving her way home along the main road, carefully highstepping in huge filthy trainers, a a fake leopardskin coat and more diamonds than the Tower of London - it was me! Olde Crone

I'm SURE I saw you......Was it 19....um....Ooooh, can't quite remember the year?!! Will bring chocolate only this time then?? Can I bring a few bottles of Baileys???....Will that do??? Merry

Yes Merry, Baileys will do, just don't top it up with milk, I'm on to that.... Oh, and what about, when they have scoffed enough food to last them all for three weeks, they say disapprovingly 'You really are extravagant, there was no need for all that food,I don't know how your poor husband finds enough hours to work to pay for it all' (I, of course, used to spend my entire days laid on the sofa eating grapes and my kids brought themselves up....) Olde Crone

I am a suspicious and cynical old bag, and strongly suspect that GR surveys are all about providing GR with copy for publicity purposes. Or so that they can put some daft information on the home page like '80% of GR subscribers go crackers at Christmas', instead of a useful idea about tracing your family tree. nell ps Xmas with some of you lot sounds a riot! So unlike the home life of yours truly nell

That would be great Merry -- I've got a half eaten tin of Qulity street somewhere - we'll add that to the spoils. I've got a recipe somewhere for homemade Baileys - tin of evap milk etc-she'll not notice I am, by the way sitting here wiping the tears fom my face... I thought Nell was calling Crone a cynical old bag!

I am with Nell on this one - its a cunning ploy to sort us into 'target' groups for advertising shots. (And if I ever find out who decided I must be needing a Stannah stairlift, they are dead meat - I get at least one call a week from a syrupy-voiced woman who wants to know if I can still get up the stairs on my own. I usually retort that I can just about manage it on my bum) Olde Crone

Worry when its unsolicited 'tena lady' Crone, delivered by the postman

I have an out of date tin of Carnation, so I'll bring that too............. Tena Lady! LOL!!!!!!! Mum allowed a chap to come round to try and get her to have a conservatory.........he was so pushy, she didn't bother telling him she was on the second floor!!!!! Merry

Good!........... sort of thread I like........... nice and safe and hopefully with a drink or two! :-)