Christmas2

All too soon I was rubbing my eyes. An overwhelming tinge of excitement ran through my body. It was Christmas morning! This special feeling felt by children the world over, comes maybe but a few times a year, another being the first morning you wake up in the school summer holidays! I tugged at my brother to wake up, and we ran into our parents room, begging them to get up, and let us see what Santa had brought! "Has he been?" asked my brother as we entered the living room. "Yes he has!" I exclaimed, my eyes searching for the pile of presents below the tree that belonged to me.

Did you ever play the game (even in your head!) of guessing what your present were, before you opened them? There were several familiar shaped packages that set my heart beating, fit to burst! I reached tentatively for the narrow, oblong box. Could it be, I wonder... I tore at the packaging to find an even prettier box within. BARBIE "Teenage Fashion Model Doll By Mattel". I whooped with joy! The white box was covered with beautiful artwork of the fabulous Barbie doll and her high fashion wardrobe. Which doll, what hair colour would it be? In my enthusiasm, I had not bothered to check the bottom of the box to find the answers. Slowly, I removed the box lid, and there she was! A delicious smell of fresh vinyl, straight from the facotry wafted up; such a distinctive smell that it would remain with me all my life. It was a Ponytail Barbie before me, a beautiful pale blonde "Swirl". I sat there, transfixed, not daring to remove her from her box. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life. She looked like all those ladies I had seen on tv in that far off land called America. Such a lovely hair colour! It was pulled back neatly into the most sophisticated of ponytails, held in place by a cute yellow ribbon. Her face was exquisite. She looked like a technicolour vision from the screen of my local "Odeon". Her eyes were the bluset of blue, with little white dots. Her eyeshadow continued this theme above dramatic black lids. The nose was cute and upturned, like my favourite actress - Doris Day, and as for the lips, well, let me tell you about those lips. Full, pouting, and in the deepest shade of red you could imagine! The other thing that I marvelled at was the dainty "pearl" earrings, just like Mummy wore. "This is fantastic", I thought. Tucked away neatly behind the doll was a gold coloured wire stand, and nestling at her feet

in a cellophane wrap, was that other great treasure, the fashion booklet. Not only that, but a pair of red open toed sandals. "Gary, open up your other presents, you're holding everyone up!" came the cry.

I reached out for two familiar shaped packages. These have GOT to be outfits! I thought. Off came the paper, and there it was. Hurrah! It was "Bride's Dream". How often I had gazed at this outfit on the toy shop display stand. I could hardly believe that it was mine. Every child wanted the wedding dress. It was the most expensive, and by extension in my childhood psyche, that equated with the BEST! The gown was the crispest, most beautiful white. The satin of the bodice shone, and the ruffled flounces fell beautifully down the centre of the dress. The gorgeous veil attached with a circular pearl headpiece, and there was the lovely white evening gloves and pretty bouquet, not to mention the dainty blue garter!

How I appreciated this attention to the smallest detail. This was a "grown up" world in miniature. Quickly, I made for the other parcel. Its contents spilled open to reveal "Ski Queen", a glorious array of sporting colour in cottons and jersey. How attractive the little outfits were in their boxes. I just wanted to rip them open there and then. In fact, I savoured the delightful contents for a few minutes. Royal blue anorak with a charming red and white embrodiered design across the top, fabulous white poodle fur around the hood, bright red satin goggles. Best of all, there were the brown skis and wooden ski poles with black straps at the top, and the brown vinyl straps at the bottom. The thought that they might be glorified cocktail sticks did not enter my young mind on that morning!

There was one more outfit shaped box in the pile, so I decided upon making a hat trick of the proceedings. Which would it be? Would it be "Solo in the Spotlight"? Oh PLEASE let it be. They know how MUCH I coveted that one! Holding my breath, I pulled back the paper. The first indication of the contents was the silver microphone. Oh WOW! It was! There was the black lurex evening gown, shining and sparkling like a thousand stars from the Arabian Nights. So curvy, so ADULT, so - in an adult's vocabulary - SEXY! I was simply fascinated by the gown. The way the layers of black tulle sprang out at the bottom. The delicious red rose accent. So bright, so red. The pink chiffon scarf and the stranded necklace. The long black evening gloves. I had never been so overawed in one spot, in my entire young life! Turning the box over, I perused the charming little story of Barbie and Midge's exciting lives, punctuated by tiny sketches of objects as word substitutes. Now THEY were easy to fill in!

Having waded my way through the mass of assembled gifts, there remained one last big present to open. As a child, I would often leave the biggest present to last. What could it be, I wondered? Certainly not a doll or outfit. I started to peel at the box wrapping. Oh, oh, oh! It was BARBIE'S FASHION SHOP!!!! This was just too amazing. The outside

was decorated as the exterior of the shop. What care I that it was mere chipboard! It was as good as, if not better, than chips and mortar, as far as I was concerned. I espeically loved the striped canopy on the roof, the circular mirror at the side, and the large window pane of glass at the front. The little shrubs that lined the "walls" at intervals looked so elegant! However, that was nothing compared to the INSIDE! I opened the structure out, and there was the most FANTASTIC miniature stage! Best of all, it had a tiny white curtain that pulled to reveal Barbie in her latest ensemble! I had a fixation with curtains and stages at that time; it was all to do with my desire to be a musical/pop star, and all the Sunday evenings I spent watching the "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" with my parents. Neatly wrapped in cellophane were pieces of furniture for the "customers" in the shop to sit and view the fashion show. There were two pink armchairs, a small coffee table, and a shop counter with shelves for millinery and accessories. Further items could be stored on a set of shelves mounted into one of the walls. In the large shop window was a cardboard mannequin with moving arms that could be dressed in any of Barbie's outfits for display, just as in a real fashion shop. Adjacent to the stage was a built in wardrobe for all the glamorous Mattel outfits, headed by an elaborate panel featuring the famous "Barbie" scripted logo, and the image of a Ponytail doll. As I sat there in complete wonderment, Mummy and a bemused Daddy asked "Do you like your presents?" "Oh yes! Thank you so much! I've got just what I always wanted!" (Cue for a song). A Christmas long ago, but one that will forever remain in the album of childhood that still lives within each and every one of us!

I hope that you enjoyed my Christmas story. This was a fictionalised account for your enjoyment, however, it has been written with many elements of the truth included.
My childhood Christmases were in reality every bit as magical as I have described here; and I had the most wonderful parents who did everything possible to make that time as precious and special as they could for my brother, sister and I. My younger sister Emma was born some years after this account.
Suffice to say, I DID collect vintage Barbie as a child, although under different circumstances, and not the particular items mentioned here. My favourite ensemble, "Solo in the Spotlight" came to me 32 years later, as did "Ski Queen"!
I would just like to say that whoever and wherever you are this Christmas, may it be a lovely and peaceful occasion for you.
Gary Alston, London, United Kingdom.