What my husband didn't see... (Family Party)

Member Name: sunbeam

Product:	Family Party
Date:	14/12/01 (257 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can't top it for fun...

Disadvantages: but it's only once a year...

#Hi...Ho sil-ver lining!...# Ah that song takes me back. Right back to being an ickle sunbeam. Now you may or may not have read my hubbys version of the party but you see I've been there since the beginning...

As I write this the sound of # Crystal chandeliers light up, the paintings on the wall...# is warbling out at me. I'm not even sure if they're the right words but that's what my family are singing. The tape that I'm talking about was recorded in 1987 when I was 10 years old.

I can remember giggling as my pap secretly recorded the goings on at our annual Boxing day party on an old tape recorder. Back then, the family were a lot livelier, would get up to all sorts. As I listen to my auntie launching into a passionate verse (rather slurry too!) of "Crystal chandileirs" I can picture them singing drunkenly in the kitchen. She wasn't aware we were recording her either..heehee. Back then there were about 14-15 of us at the party, and somehow we would all cram into my Nans kitchen and dance until we fell over. There was only myself and my cousin who were young enough to annoy everyone but the oldies would outlast us!

Picture the scene...

14 adults ranging from 30 to 60 dancing in a small kitchen. In the middle is my Dad playing DJ at my Paps (very) old record player. Not so strange you may think. Well add to that the fact that most of them are drunk, can't sing and that my dad is wearing a teacosy on his head (apparently that's what DJs wear..lol) and you'll have a pretty good idea of what made these parties a legend.

The cassette is still whirring around in the background and you can hear me giggling at someone. Thinking back, I'm sure that was the year that the men dressed up. I can remember helping my Nan in the hall put some hooped ear-rings on my Pap and dressing him up as a gypsy?! I'm not sure why we were, but it was funny! Imagine it, your Pap
dressed as a gypsy, your dad with a teacosy on his head and your Nan dancing on a chair singing "Hi Ho Silver lining"...great!

Did I tell you that the party usually lasts 24 hours? No? Well it starts at about 10am on Boxing Day and finishes around the same time the following day. We all gather at my Nans with our contribution towards the dinner. So far I've not brought anything, but that's not through want of offering! It's hectic first thing as all the woman gather in the kitchen and discuss oven times and prawn cocktail sauce. I tend to avoid the kitchen, too many cooks and all that...

When I was little I would have to stay behind when all the adults went down the pub. It used to drive me mad not knowing what went on, typical kid. I remember the first time I got to go, all excited because I was finally going to find out what all the fuss was about. I was bitterly disappointed when we got down there for the men to just gather around a table with a pack of cards!
I'd sit there with Dad trying desperately to understand the game and in my usual and kind helping way would end up revealing his hand to the others! After a few years of begging I was allowed to join in and most annoyingly to the men, would win all the money! In later years hubby would be there but he was there usually on the machine so didn't know how much I actually won. Erm..well I guess he will now!

Dinner used to be another bone of contention when I was small. We used to have a big dining table for all the adults and a teeny one stuck in the corner for the children. I didn't used to mind in the early days as there was my cousin to sit with me, but the year an old friend of the family passed away meant he got "upgraded" to the adult table. Being a curious child I used to feel I was missing out on so much sitting there. It didn't help with my cousin sitting smugly at the adult table...lol After 18 years of wanti
ng to sit at the adult table I finally got my chance. It wasn't as happy an occasion as it could have been because I only got the seat when my Pap passed away.

The Boxing Day party has happened every year for more than 20 years apart from one. The year my pap died. For once, I didn't miss the party. It's still strange now not seeing him sitting at the head of the table and listening to this tape is great as it takes me back to when he was there. I treasure that.

We no longer have a childrens table these days as the family has grown so much we now need two dining tables crammed together. The actual meal time has become as memorable as the rest of the party as most announcements have happened at it. We found out little Laura was going to be born back in 1987, hubby and I announced our engagement in 1996 and then our wedding date in 1998. Many births, marriages and special occasions have been toasted on that day and it's become tradition to guess the announcement each year. There won't be one from me this year, I can tell you that...lol

I'm sorry for babbling on but the Boxing Day party is the one day of the year I can honestly say I look forward to. I look forward to it more than Christmas day even, as it's the only day of the year when we are all together having fun.

Oh, Nans teas! Did I tell you about the teas? No? Well, after dinner, and the usual sleep, passing of wind and more sleeping has happened we have tea. It's not just a few sausage rolls. Oh no...it's like...like nothing you've ever seen! I don't know where it all comes from, pies, pizzas, rolls, cheese, cakes, chicken pieces..you name it! I don't know where it all goes either..lol

Family parties for some may bring arguments, fights and boredom but ours bring something new and exciting every year. My cousins wife was due to give birth at last years but managed to hang off until New Years Day!


Ah, it must be late now as the tape has got to the point where I'm starting to throw a tantrum. It makes me cringe to hear it but its all part and parcel of our parties. Ooh dear, I just got told off...lol

I'm going to leave it here as I've gone on enough. I don't know if I've captured the true spirit of our party in this opinion but if I haven't then blame it on the fact that I couldn't just post a soundclip from the famous 1987 party!

I dedicate this to Bonnie and Pap, the true stars of Boxing Day who are probably singing "Hi Ho Silver Lining" on a cloud somewhere...

Cheers.

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