Perth

Sounds like more trouble than it's worth And since we may rent, at least for a while, a flat will probably suit us better. I do appreciate all the info though. It seems like the retirement parks there are nothing like they are here, and there is indeed no way to know this from how they advertise themselves on a website. Nothing like feet on the ground...so thank you!

mikelincs

This the problem with park homes, you usually have to pay a % of the selling price to the owner, and you usually have to buy your gas cylinders from them, and there are often lots more restrictive rules.

dontheturner

I think there are Laws to stop that in the UK, after all the trouble with ''Rachman''.
My friend who lived in a Park home, never had any complaints with it, whatsoever, and when she passed, they sold it for top money. It was very warm all year round.

jasper123

I just sent a Christmas card to a friend in the U.S. and it cost me £2 for the stamp at the post office, the card was just a regular size one and light too I could not believe it,

Bevm

I never go through the post office when sending Christmas cards. I put the cheapest stamp on them and off they go. I've never had a problem. I reckon with the bulk of Christmas mail they can't be bothered to nit-pick on weight.

Of course I send a light card, not some bulky monster!

Mind you, I'm going to give up on most cards. I'll send letters and images via e-mail as we're in e-mail contact with nearly everyone anyway. I already keep the prettiest cards to display year after year. It seems a shame to throw them away.

Bev

jasper123

Me Mum wont display any cards after 12 days after Christmas, she takes em all down along with all the decorations, with the cards she thinks its bad luck to display them ever again !!!! then the next year new cards, then on the
12th day all down again, but she keeps the special ones in a big shoe box for years

MERRY CHRISTMAS Bev and everyone else on here
Say anyone know if they have taken the word Christmas off of the cards in the States now, cause I just got a card from my friend in Seattle Wa and he wrote on the card ----- happy holidays so anyway it was addressed to me and Mum and so Mum looked at it and said what does he mean happy holidays? so I said people are getting brainwashed over there to believe its not politically correct to wish people happy Christmas anymore, so they say happy holidays so Mum said what a funny lot they are over there, she said happy holidays? how stupid she said ---- we are not going on a holiday, just a couple of days celebrating CHRISTMAS

fulwood

You can still find cards with word xmas on them. I make it a point to only look for cards with Christmas on them!

sallysimmons

No, but they sell cards with Christmas on and cards with holidays on so you can choose.

Personally I used to choose the 'happy holidays' cards simply because I have Jewish friends and I'm not going to send them a card that flies in the face of their faith. Nor am I going to buy multiple different types of cards just to keep everyone happy. I'm also an atheist so I prefer not to buy cards with religious connotations. 'Happy holidays' works for everyone.

I genuinely don't get the big deal about this. Isn't the important thing that I remember my friends at Christmas and stay in touch with them? Or do I have to conform to someone else's religion in order to make Fox News happy?

I like that we live in a world where you can choose. If you want to spread the joy of the baby Jesus in the manger, no one is stopping you. But if you are like me and don't believe there ever was a manger, you can still send a nice card and note to tell people 'hey, I'm thinking about you.'

rebs

I tend to think of the American custom of referring to the 'holidays' as being akin to the way the British talk of the 'festive season', and for as long as I can remember here in the UK, some cards have said 'Season's Greetings' on them rather than any specific christmas wording. I think of that as similar to 'happy holidays'.

Of course, the language of 'holidays' and 'vacations' can lead to confusion

between two worlds

I agree with Sally-- having several Jewish friends, I don't send them cards saying "Happy Christmas, " I send them ones saying "Happy Holidays," or ones blank inside so I can say my own thing.

But as a Christian (albeit a feeble one) and brought up in the beautiful traditions of Christmas and the Nativity story, I love cards with nativity scenes and saying Happy/Merry Christmas as well.

So I buy batches of different cards, with designs and greetings ranging from being simply about peace and the season to being religious, depending on the recipient!

Rebs is right, "season's greetings" has long been a non-Christian-specific way to send greetings in the UK. And "happy holidays" is rather like that for the Americans....

I think we can find a balance between, on the one hand, retaining the Christmas traditions and stories that are so important to our heritage, and, on the other, not offending friends who are Jewish or Muslim. (Though my Jewish friends would probably not be offended if I sent a "happy Christmas" card, they'd understand the spirit in which it was meant, but it wouldn't be appropriate).

Whatever, I refuse to buy cards featuring Father Christmas/Santa Claus--I think he has become far too big a feature of Christmas and it's confusing to children. Like my own mother before me, I couldn't lie when the children started asking "is it really Santa who comes down the chimney and fills our stockings?" At the beginning I was just evasive--"maybe", "it's a mystery," etc, while not lying outright, but eventually they twigged. I hate lying for any reason whatever, especially to children. Plus I didn't want them to be confused between the idea of God and of Santa Claus--who can blame a child who says, well you swore Santa existed, but he doesn't, so why should I believe you when you say God exists?
And Santa should only bring the stocking gifts--it drives me nuts when parents try to pretend all the presents under the tree are from Santa! The children don't learn to say thank you to their parents then.

Ah well--I'm ranting! I think I said all this last year.

Tina

Perth

LOL

Bevm

Or grandparents, or anyone else who sends something. I'm completely with you on this one. I don't know how common it is in the UK for people to pretend all the gifts are from Father Christmas. It wasn't when I was growing up, but in Canada, when our kids were small,it created a bit of a problem as they got older. "Why does Santa bring Lucas big boxes of Lego, but I only get a little one?"

The big one, of course, came later from us. That was when it was time to explain the reality, but they really knew.

Bev

Mummy in the foothills

Pet peeve of mine too, my friend here years ago took all the tags off the presents we had sent round for her children and said everything was from Santa, so they didn't know we had been out and shopped for them carefully and never said thank you as they didn't know. Rude rude on the mothers part.
We never pretended all presents were from Santa in UK, only the things at the bottom of the bed, things like a selection box a tangerine and maybe a book or puzzle.
The rest was from family with name tags on.

Jerseygirl

As kids we were told the adults sent gifts to Father Christmas...and he delivered them on Christmas Eve...so they were waiting for us when we awoke Christmas Day morning.

Fish n Chips 56

Thats a bit weird Pauline, I dont care for that at all.

I'm more with Jerseygirls way of thinking.

Christmas used to be for kids and I suppose it still is, but here in the USA its more about selling people more crap and especially cheap crap made in China, You name it, its imported from China, Christmas has gone by the wayside ever since I stepped on American soil, no week off, back to work Christmas Day night or Boxing day, and no great parties.

It also really bugs the hell out of me that it costs $7 for a Wife card, one that is Made in China, Hallmark seems to be the very worst at this, There has to be lots of profit in a card at $5, for any other occasion my $7 card would have been $3-$4, of course they know they have got a captive market and make the best of it, Its not that I mind spending $7, but Id love to have a decent choice and Id love to have a card that is put / stuck together correctly, after finding the right look and verse I picked though 6 poorly made cards before I found this one, they all had one or two faults, all the same card, even the one I bought wasnt 100%, but I was stuck, (My wife understood and thought it was nice) Huhhhh Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt everything in the Hallmark store Made in China.

Bahhhh Humbug Me. I was only commenting on Paulines post then I got all sour... Even so next year I will look for a American made card and not in the bloody hallmark store.