Thetownend.com

I'm surprised nobody has put up a Christmas thread before now  :sherlock:

What you got planned for the big day? We are off out for a meal at a pub, first time ever for me on Christmas Day.

With any luck I'll have work to do.

Over in the very West of Ireland with the good lady and her 'rents and some other family members.

My first ever 'Midnight mass' on Xmas eve. Apparently everyone goes to the pub afterwards so I think I can maybe tolerate an hour or so in church. The guinness will taste even nicer than ever I hope!

All of the celebrations happen on the 24th here, along with a breakfast of lutefisk (Google it!), potatoes, bacon and blueberry soup. Got some mince pies and Christmas pudding to balance it out...

On a beach in Vietnam. Forecast to be about 30 degree centigrade.

No family, no presents. Going to be a bit of a strange one considering my first 21 were pretty damn conventional.

Christmas in the west of Scotland with the in laws.  Usually means a night out on the town on Christmas Eve, followed by early start a few hours later when the kids wake up at 5am.  Bloody Marys for breakfast...you get the picture.  Planning a bracing walk in the afternoon this year to set us up nicely for Christmas Dinner.

Wake up after a skinful in Old Town, bucks fizz and croissants, round mums for dinner. Back home for an evening of napping, grazing, TV, and booze.

Have you been to Nha Trang?

Redundancy looms, so I'll be job hunting.

I've not been to Vietnam full stop yet, only flying there on the 23rd. Think we're going somewhere between there an Ho Chi Minh though, possibly Phan Thiet. I should check this this stuff.

Vietnam is a very nice place. I'd gladly go again.

Spending Christmas in Vegas.  Booked in to Todd English's Olives in the Bellagio for lunch.  Can't wait!

Fucking hate Christmas, me.

Bah humbug!

With the inlaws

:suicide:

Yup. Then my side of the family at my Sisters in Lechlade on Boxing Day.

Do you lot have massive arguments over Xmas

My side, not really, I can guarantee the Out Laws will try to rip each other to shreds. Yay!

It is gruesomely attractive watching how other families behave.

My first wife had a younger sister (14) who still got undressed for bed behind the sofa in the living room!!

Is that why she is no longer your wife?

I'll be on the beach in Tenerife.

Should've toughed it out for another 2 or 3 years

Hope you have better weather than we did in Fuerteventura a couple of weeks ago.

I've got the parents and inlaws round on Chrimbo day with my sister coming after her shift finishes in the evening.

Same as.
Tedious and boring.

Why no smalahove?

because lutefisk is disgusting enough.

Isn't that the fish you soak in liquid until it starts to break down? I have a Norwegian mate who says it can be nice, but there is a fine line between nice lutefisk and disgusting lutefisk, 90% of the time it's the latter.

it's soaked in caustic soda, I'm not sure how it can be anything other than disgusting but I presume he's eaten it a bit more often than I have...I'm going to guess he's from north Norway?

Not sure.

will be spending it partying on the Reeperbahn, don't have anywhere else to go or spend it with so might as well enjoy it

Morning stroll around costs with the dog.place is deserted at Xmas and its ace to walk around there undisturbed. Then back home to sit and be served by my good lady. Inlaws will be round in the evening(I like mine)

Family Christmas at home usually but might be down at daughters for a change but still not certain about that as I do not get told too much!

Anyway as I have to pick mum up mid-dayish and drop her home in the evening means basically no alcohol during that time and later do not usually feel like it. That being said all the years I have been driving across Swindon the number of police on the road can be counted on very few fingers but not worth the chance of imbibing. That is why I always look forward to Boxing Day and a few beers then a taxi home. Would be even better if the Town had a home game.

 :pint:

Don't get me wrong, normally I get along with them fine. But they do enjoy a drink and when they do they turn into a different breed all together.

I'll get up - go to the parents for about 12 - where myself, mum, dad and my gramp will sit down and have Christmas dinner. For some reason (think it was the bang from the crackers) the dog would insist on going outside and sitting at the top of the garden whilst we ate dinner - which she isnt here to do this year :(

Then we'll open up the few presents we pretty much all picked out for ourselves anyway. Then for some reason we'll watch the Queen. My gramp will then go home - I'll be bored out of my fucking mind just with my parents and be home in my flat on my own by 5pm

Dull, boring, miserable, depressing. Waste of day. Think i'd rather go to bloody work....

Same here but it will be champers and bacon & eggs. Smashing day.

Ho Ho Ho!!

Usual family things on Xmas Day....i love Xmas.
Also looking forward to Malmesbury Abbey Xmas service on the 21st.....not overly religious but i try to visit a Cathedral over the festive period....Salisbury last year was brilliant and Canterbury a few years back was awesome....

 [url width=634 height=403]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/swindon123/twat.jpg[/url]

The Spirit of Christmas :D

We still need to decide, but if it is down ours, I won't be doing the cooking!  ;)

Normally go down to Cornwall or Christmas but staying at home this year for a quiet one. Then up to Colchester to see the inlaws on the 29th, I like them but not enough to sit in with them instead of going down the road for our Match  ;)

Spending it with my soon to be ex in laws for the sake of my daughter
Lets see how awkward this will be then!!!

Oh dear that doesn't sound great.  Both in terms of a marriage/relationship break up and the awkwardness of Christmas due to it.  Hope you get through it.

I'll survive
Bottle of whiskey at the ready!

 :D

Make sure you don't get too drunk and decide to tell the in laws some home truths!

Saw your post about sleeping in the shed a while back, and hoped it was an exaggeration.  Hope you're not past the point of no return.  Even if it seems pretty terminal right now, give it some time.  You never know.

Very popular with the yanks in the 60's & early 70's.

Any revolutionary ideas on how to break the day up a bit? The current plan is a long-standing classic:

1. Pick up Nan
2. Champagne
3. Presents
4. Snacks
5. Radio
6. Dinner (I cook everything except the turkey)
7. Cheese and port
8. Drink
9. DVDs/TV

I don't want to mess up the formula but am thinking of trying to get a pre or post dinner walk in there somewhere. Though I did suggest that last year and was laughed at.

Go for a walk with a portable radio, and take the snacks with you

Got to have a post-dinner walk, to make room for more food and drink throughout the evening...

I'd suggest changing the order to:

2
7
8

Then pick up (careful not to drop) Nan

Re: 1.  Will there be an Indian takeaway open on Christmas Day?

Also, re 6

Isn't uncooked turkey a bit of a health risk

Re 2

Try real pagne

I have two possible schedules for Christmas day:

1) Wake up
2) Start work
3) Finish work
4) Start drinking

or

1) Wake up
2) Start drinking

 ;D It's true, I may have to reconsider that one. Will be careful not to drop Nan.

You have missed out "drop off nan"

It'll save picking her up next year.

I think I might take her home on Boxing Day this year, so that my Dad and I can both get drunk.

Don't leave her behind the sofa

I think you really have one option and you know it

I'm actually hoping for option 1. I'm fookin skint.

You could all go to the STFC Carol Service at Christ Church (on the hill - Cricklade Rd) on Monday at 6.30pm..... :)  Apparently at least eight of the players will be there (if they are allowed off training!!)

Pedant alert: you're a couple of miles out.  It's Cricklade Street (not Road).

Hardly pedantic!!! Apologies.....a rural dweller's error!

At the outlaws in Abingdon.

Other half's Dad is home this year (worked the last few Christmases) so round her parents for the day. Should be able to pop and see my family at some point too as they're only down the road currently.

I'm there boxing day

You have the same inlaws?

haha, my inlaws live in Peachcroft Estate in Abingdon.

i hope you get out alive

It's not that bad! Abingdon is tame.

Baffled by that too.  Nothing rough about Abingdon at all, is there?

He's clearly jesting about getting away alive from the inlaws, not Abingdon.

Duh!

Oh.   :-[

nah, Peachcroft has a "rough" reputation in Abingdon, along with Saxton Road

also I would never ever say anything bad about in-laws ever

Saccy Road is mildly deserved. Peachroft is a housing estate, but from my experience, one of mainly new-build detached homes. It doesn't get much more suburban, the kids from there would shit themselves in Blackbird Leys or Barton or Rose Hill or Cowley, just like the kids from those areas would if you put them in South London.

Peachcroft is a fairly rough estate,i used to deliver there and though not terrifying it had his moments.
Nicely hidden away so the real Abingdon is not affected :D