…it’s already started.

Parents in law now coming away with us to Suffolk.
FIL is 90 MIL late 70s both love a good moan about anything.
I’m glad they’re coming as he’s not a well man and who knows what’s round the corner.
Though 4 days of moaning and listening to his so far left wing views I’m sure he’s a communist from the 1950s.

Better a leftie than spending Christmas with a Tory

Though 4 days of moaning and listening to his so far left wing views I’m sure he’s a communist from the 1950s.

Won’t be asking to watch the King’s Christmas Message then?

Better a leftie than spending Christmas with a Tory

Amen. I’ll swap you a brexity DM reading gammon FiL if yours is up for a change of scene.

I’ve decided I actually like Christmas (well, a festive winter holiday – baby Jesus can do one) – it’s presents, the buying of and receiving, that ruin it for me. And in particular the pressure that seems to build up right about now to think up ideas to give to other people and to buy yourself……that nobody needs. And if they do need, they could just go out and buy. I’ve not managed to get a unanimous “lets just not **** bother” sign off and there are limits to the unilateral refusal to participate that’s politically acceptable. It truly sucks.

Won’t be asking to watch the King’s Christmas Message then?

Ooh, forgot about that. I usually don’t bother with the queen’s speech, but might watch this one, then never bother again…

Looking forward to it. Not working for 2 weeks and spending 8 days in Ireland, what’s not to like? My dad can be a bit awkward though or maybe it’s me.

What I hate about Christas is how it starts in November. Even the moaning.

Luckily as I am backshift 24th – 26th December we have cancelled it this year.

So when will Whamageddon officially start? Already heard it on a tv advert about 2 weeks ago so hopefully before the official start? just CBA with it all

So when will Whamageddon officially start? Already heard it on a tv advert

From a marketing perspective, using that song is a very risky strategy for a brand to take, surely?

Looking forward to it, two weeks off, bit of cycling (if covid after effects fark off), and we’re hosting Christmas Day.

Got both SIL’s which makes about 9. Planning on sticking the hot tub on for Christmas – one thing wife and one of the SIL’s are looking forward to, until said SIL’s invited her daughter and two little kids to ours on Christmas Day evening without checking, so they can dive in the tub. MrsF wanted piece and quiet, not two little kids diving in and out ! Ah well.

Hopefully both nephews will turn up too, one is a top chef (works for Gary Usher), so I’ve got some work cut out – be nice for him to have a break for a change.

One of the benefits of single life.
I buy presents for my son and my mum, that’s it.
Some time with my son over Christmas, dinner at mum’s and a few days on my own to potter as I please, only real downside is new years eve on my own but am not too bothered about that as plan to be up early and on my bike first thing in the morning.

I’m quite looking forward to this year.

This Black Friday thing has extended the relentless, deafening barrage of unapologetic and cringeworthy advertising for at least a month extra.
Which absolute weapon started it anyway? 😡

Absolutely ‘kin hate it.
Completely horrible time of year to be around.

Love a few days off, love a wintery Christmas ride, love spending time with others free of work.
Hate the commercial side of things with a passion.

Also, please stop spoiling perfectly good food by insisting on putting a blummin orange in it or something. 😂

Usually it’s like herding cats trying to organise our kids but somehow managed to arrange all them and their partners plus grandkids to be here Xmas eve, so Xmas day with the in laws will see it all done and dusted in two days, thank god.

Just refuse to partake at all. Thats what I do. token pressies for immediate family otherwise they ge huffy. I have refused to join them at all over christmas and will not be doing any other celebration and will not have christmas lunch

Looking forward to it.  Me and Mrs bloke have had a fairly rubbish year healthwise, but we both enjoy Christmas.  Got my grown up kids, their partners and my elderly parents coming to us.  Yep, it’s a bit of a challenge keeping everyone sweet and the cooking, cleaning etc.  My dad can be a bit grumpy and cantankerous and my mum is getting very forgetful and anxious. On the other hand, despite my best intentions we never see as much of them all as we’d like during the rest of the year, so it will be great to catch up.  I’m also conscious that I probably don’t have too many Christmases left with my parents, so plan to cherish those that I do have. We’ve set a small limit for token presents to prevent a spending/tat arms race! Sorry to be so positive and upbeat!

Practical presents or concert tickets for us this year, minimising the spend.

Two weeks off. Bizarrely contemplating the Rapha 500….

Will be our first Christmas just the immediate family (other half plus 3 month old plus 3 year old who is very excited) in our new house this year so very much looking forward to that. Then, because we’re nearer these days and don’t need to rely on the delights of Christmas trains, it’ll be a day at each set of grandparents and that’ll be that instead of a 5 day extravaganza of sitting around and getting gradually more fed up with in-laws of various types and associated children.

Arrrrrghhhhh

MiL has been phoning daily just to remind us how she’s panicking about everything from what she’ll eat to what time I’m collecting them etc

I’m neither happy nor sad this is happening, my wife on the other hand isn’t impressed in any way. It’s adding unnecessary stress to an already stressful life !

Can’t wait to spend 4 whole days with them !

And today my dad who’s 89 phones and asks if he can come with us as he decided he doesn’t want go with my brother and his family to the alps skiing(he’s as fit as a fidel/looks about 65 but completely bonkers) said noway matey ! You’re on your own or go to my sister! Lol he said he’d be happier at home and will get a self invite to his lady friends family !

4 whole days of insane 1950s communist views/ 4 whole days of Mil moaning.
Shame we don’t live in the Netherlands if we did I’d be buying a massive bag of coffee shop special brew and let the time float over me !

The only one potential thing that could really annoy me is if I don’t get a good phone signal !

LOL the joys of Christmas. Working Xmas & NY so no awkward situations!!
Tbh, for a few years now we’ve told friends/family that we’re not doing presents and we now donate to charities.
It’s a win win in my eyes. We get no tatt now and charities need money now more than ever don’t they…
We also send a lot less xmas cards now, instead txt xmas wishes message and inform them of what charities benefit.
Some still send us cards, some don’t. Those that don’t send cards don’t txt either 🙂

We managed to get out of the presents circle some years ago though I have managed to get Santa to drop of a bike at my nephew’s son’s house. Presents are for kids. The rest of us can just eat too much and get pissed.

Presents are for kids. The rest of us can just eat too much and get pissed.

This plus 1000% It’s great giving gifts but the over-indulgence on food and booze is just sublime 👍

I will be with my late wife’s parents for Christmas. This is a good thing 🙂 They also said don’t feel the need to stay too long.

This is also a good thing as I love them dearly. But I have started a relationship with the most fascinating beautiful woman I could have ever hoped to meet!

There I’ve said it online and its not a moan 😀

Nice one MrO 👍
It (almost) makes me want to start a ‘Good Times at Christmas 2022’ thread,but that wouldn’t be very STW now, would it.
😆 🤣

Cheers fasthaggis 🙂 I’m on cloud 9

Not sure where it is but if you start a good times 2022 Christmas thread then I’ll be there with you 😉

Overshoot – that’s really great!!

Charges Dickens view of Christmas is on the idiots lantern shortly.

MrO! That’s great news to wake up to, very happy for you. Enjoy it!

This is the first Christmas I’ve had with my kids since I got divorced. Previously I’ve only had them briefly in the morning. Which means this is the first year I get to take them off to stay with my family, and I’m actually looking forward to it. Though not as much as my mum, who is super excited.

Youngest has just developed a really sore throat… let’s hope being ill isn’t going to spoil my uncharacteristic festiveness. (Though I’m still not festive enough to put up a tree).

But I have started a relationship with the most fascinating beautiful woman I could have ever hoped to meet!

There I’ve said it online and its not a moan 😀

that’s fantastic! Internet high five, hug or handshake for you. Cheered me up this morning to read that

I have managed to get Santa to drop of a bike at my nephew’s son’s house.

Cheers! 🥂

There I’ve said it online and its not a moan

Cheers! 🥂

Hannah, keep an close eye on him, loads of kids have strep A. Lady at work boy got scarlet fever, and his brother has jusy strep.

Having agreed to stop the pointless present buying we have regressed to another level of hell.
The fun, jokey present buying, because everyone loves unwrapping presents……
The rules, less than a tenner, from a fricken charidee shop.

Ok so the charity get a few quid but tbh, receiving someone else throw out is unlikely to be anything i really want or will use.
Howevet, this years foray intp mothball hell has yeilded, strap yourselves in..

Brand new, wrapped box set pf Downton abbey dvds, the first 5 series for £2

Some actually quite good noise cancelling AudioTechica Acb7 corded headphones for £8

A brand new wrapped jigsaw puzzle of some snowmen, for £2.

So thats mum and bro covered, just need sis and bil. Almost want to buy the most god awful thing in the shop to make the madness stop.
I will be booking a slot at the tip fot the 27th.

My only gripe so far is e-Bay scalpers.

My 5 year old daughter wants this particular toy that it turns out every other 5 year old seems to also want. There was loads of stock the other week, now there’s nothing. RRP £79.99 but there’s loads on e-Bay upwards of £200 with more than 30 odd bids!

I know it’s the result of capitalism & supply/demand but when you actually come across it it’s bl00dy annoying!

I’ll be waiting until January when there’s more stock and nobody cares, pretty sure I never got all the things I wanted when I was 5 lol

We have a proper ‘grown up’ Christmas coming – this weekend sees grandparents briefly gathering for eldest_oab’s 21st.

Then all three lads are working various shifts through Christmas. We are not visiting family down south until end of January.

And so we have a couple of weeks to fill with walks, rides, canoes and I think we may even see if there are a few friends fancy an evening in the pub…

No moaning from me.

Chef nephew is definitely coming, better get my game face on. TBH he’ll be glad for the break, and he usually makes something to bring along.

Shut my online shop on Monday, just standing by for the onslaught of ‘where’s my stuff’ emails even though they’ve all got tracking details…

Postie strike on 23rd and 24th means I’ve got a whole week off – hoping for dry weather for nice walks, bike rides and stuff.

Being on an island a long way from family means there’s zero risk at being bothered by them 🥳

I started typing some things I like about Christmas but then remembered the theme of this thread so to stay on target: I hate all the perfume ads. They start around mid-November and ramp up the frequency until Keira Knightley is all you see on the TV. And I fracking hate Keira Knightley. And if anybody wants to know why, it is 1. the daft fantasy floaty princess flowers tacky dream of women’s lives they portray. I mean I am constantly wandering about in a field with my four teenage model friends or on a 1960s Italian motorbike in empty Parisian streets, or having a bath in my gold dress in a weird-ass motel swimming pool with a bunch of male models looking at me 2. the horrible misogynistic male-chicken tease element of them all – who buys that perfume? Incels? And I mean YOU Keira Knightly for special mention in that regard 3. the perfume is ludicrously expensive for what you get, due to all the horrible expensive ads. If you have a football field sized perfume section at all major airports with many thousands to choose from, you are not a glamour product. So just shut up and F off Keira, Charleze and all of you!!

I started typing some things I like about Christmas but then remembered the theme of this thread so to stay on target

Good point – I am off to the positivity thread now 🙂

Oi! Leave Charlize alone. Her ads are a TV highlight.

I normally dread the actually day as my daughter spends xmas day with her mum and comes to me for boxing day. So xmas day itself is too quiet and flat (me and Lady Blackflag just go to the pub). But this year she is spending xmas eve and xmas day with us (well till 2pm) so i get to do a proper xmas morning. Plus parents are coming over and my mums alzheimer’s is getting worse so this may be the one of the last ones. Its defo time to push the boat out. Even bought a proper tree.

Blimey the usual complaint on here is that people shift to the right with age and have helped deliver an awful tory government. I’d be delighted to chat with an elderly gent who’d stuck to his right-on principles.
As for moans, our 1yo LG fridge freezer has packed up. The engineer wrote it off this morning and after 2 hours on the phone to JLP clearly nothing’s going to happen in a hurry. Soggy Christmas food will be hitting the bin over the next few days.

They start around mid-November and ramp up the frequency until Keira Knightley is all you see on the TV

I don’t really watch telly but if it’s wall to wall Keira I might have to start….

I greatly enjoy the annual christmas moan thread, but don’t you think it’s starting earlier every year?