CHRISTMAS is time for family gatherings with stories of past festive events recalled as different generations get together.

David Kindred

CHRISTMAS is time for family gatherings with stories of past festive events recalled as different generations get together.

Looking through the many thousands of negatives on file at the Evening Star I found photographs of events in the relatively recent past involving many youngsters, some of whom now have children of a similar age of their own.

An annual event in Ipswich involving hundreds of local schools was “Carols on the Cornhill”.

Each school group would take their turn on the Town Hall steps to entertain shopper.

Another annual event saw a few souls brave the cold water of Broomhill Swimming Pool, Ipswich, at breakfast time on Christmas morning.

Most of the larger employers in our area would have a party for employees' children often with a magician for entertainment after tea.

At schools, Nativity plays would see proud parents doing their best to get a photograph of their own “Little Angel”.

In many schools photography is now banned at these events.

With this nostalgic look at a few events of past Christmases I would like wish all readers of Kindred Spirits a very happy Christmas and for those in the photographs I am sorry if your own children laugh at your haircut and clothes featured in the photographs