I too would like to congratulate Diane on a great job and trust all the other listers will have a safe, happy and healthy festive season and lots of genealogical research luck in 2003. Michelle Nichols Christmas memories of long ago A story for Christmas from the Windsor & Richmond Gazette 24th December 1926, was compiled by local historian, William Freame early last century. It goes : The old mail coach, despite its limitations, was inseparably associated with Christmas holidays - when we were boys…the great lumbering, leather springed coach with three great lamps in front, drawn by four horses fresh from the last change, whose hoofs beat out merry music as we go over the bridge, under which "leaps the wild torrent from chasm to chasm." Those were the days, the good old days, "when the world was wide" and life was full of adventure. We turn the corner and glimpse the river, like a silver ribbon winding through the valley. Bump! Bump! Over a log; we hang for a minute over the valley, and reach the top and pull up at the Selector's Arms with its menu of lamb, sheep, ram or mutton. We are crossing the flat now…a tiny wreath of smoke looses itself in the timber, a bark hut looms in the clearing and two of its children bestraddle the slip rails, a bundle of newspapers cleave the air, "A Merry Christmas - A Merry Christmas" and their tiny voices are swallowed in the silence of the bush. We glimpse the township, we lose it as the road dips down through a gully, then winds again, over another bridge that spans a lazy creek, and up the street where stands in all the glory of its tin-roof "The Travellers Rest [North Richmond] with its generous supply of "am and heggs". We wander o'er the old mail routes and live again the days that are gone; phantom horses and drivers haunt deserted "Macquarie Arms" [Windsor] and "Royal Hotel" [Richmond] hide their weatherworn signboards in grey old barns; "Diggers Rests" delicensed these 30 years or more, have reached decrepit old age, and in their second childhood, dispense hop beer and brandy snaps and in an old slab shed remains all that is left for Cobb and Co. Dusty and rusty, its leather blinds all tattered, but what memories it evokes! Memories of other days and other ways, of friends and scenes long since passed away. They come back again…and once more we are on the road again… "Hark; the bells on distant cattle Waft across the range, Through the golden tufted wattle Music low, and strange" GORDON We touch the old coach again. Goodness! How all comes back again. Yes! It's Christmas times again, see the children? There they are, out on the slip rails, they are greeting the aeroplane. "Yes…Christmas is Coming" ================================================================ According to the Windsor & Richmond Gazette (now the Hawkesbury Gazette) 21 December 1889, "Yes, Christmas is Coming" Woodhill's & Co. a general store located in Richmond, advertised "Christmas presents for one and all". They were selling christmas fruits - raisins, currants, sultanas plus presents such as christmas vases made from bronze, porcelain & glass. They also had Woodhill's celebrated blend of tea, packed in 10lb boxes selling from 12/6. Toys were available for sale from 1d, which included whistles to Guinea Dolls. Other items on sale to discerning shoppers were silk handkerchiefs, Christmas Picnic hats, trimmed for 2s 6d and Christmas Suits to fit men and boys. Most importantly they had Christmas Trees in all styles! ================================================================ "After being baffled and teased for these last five days with contrary winds and Calms, and tacking backwards and forwards in all directions between the numerous Islands and Rocks with which these Straits abound, the Wind at length shifted round to the South West at 2 o'clock this morning, and blew a fine fresh Breeze driving us on to our destined Port at the rate of Five Knots an hour: thus we have at length a prospect of getting out of Bass's Straits in the course of 24 hours in case the Breeze lasts as it is now at Noon -- when we were going six Knots. ---The Wind continued all day equally good & fair. ---We sat down in consequence of this agreeable change in the weather, in very good spirits at 5 o'clock to our Christmas Dinner in Bass's Straits; having ordered a good Dinner with some Drink for the Sailors in honor of this holy and sacred Day!" _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 3 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail&xAPID=42&PS=47575&PI=7324&DI=7474&SU= http://www.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg&HL=1216hotmailtaglines_addphotos_3mf