I was born in the late 60s so none of my childhood Christmas memories involve digital technology. But a memory that stands out was the year that I got a telescope for Christmas.
I was maybe about ten. It was fairly average refractor on a wooden tripod but, growing up in an environment where things like that weren't the norm, I didn't understand that at the time.
On Christmas day my family, my aunts and uncles and cousins, would all cram themselves into my grandparent's small council house for Christmas dinner. Then the kids would play with their toys and try not to get stood on by the slighly tipsy adults. Too many people in too small a space, but I have happy memories.
When it got dark, that time, I took my new scope out into my grandparent's small front garden to look at the moon and try (unsuccessfully as I remember) to locate a planet. It was very cold, and people wandering past kept asking me what I was doing. I could hear everyone indoors talking and laughing. Eventually it started to snow very lightly, so I packed up and stood watching the snow for a while and then went back indoors.
That was amost fifty years ago, but I remember how my universe suddenly got hugely bigger that day. And the snowflakes coming down in the dark.
I passed the telescope on to five year old friend a few years ago. I don't know what she makes of it though: she can get images from the Hubble and James Webb on her tablet, if she wants.
I was maybe about ten. It was fairly average refractor on a wooden tripod but, growing up in an environment where things like that weren't the norm, I didn't understand that at the time.
On Christmas day my family, my aunts and uncles and cousins, would all cram themselves into my grandparent's small council house for Christmas dinner. Then the kids would play with their toys and try not to get stood on by the slighly tipsy adults. Too many people in too small a space, but I have happy memories.
When it got dark, that time, I took my new scope out into my grandparent's small front garden to look at the moon and try (unsuccessfully as I remember) to locate a planet. It was very cold, and people wandering past kept asking me what I was doing. I could hear everyone indoors talking and laughing. Eventually it started to snow very lightly, so I packed up and stood watching the snow for a while and then went back indoors.
That was amost fifty years ago, but I remember how my universe suddenly got hugely bigger that day. And the snowflakes coming down in the dark.
I passed the telescope on to five year old friend a few years ago. I don't know what she makes of it though: she can get images from the Hubble and James Webb on her tablet, if she wants.
Merry Christmas everyone.