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Christmas pennies

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 The first Christmas I remember in detail is one of which I cannot possibly have any recollection. The festive season which lies behind that riddle was my second. I was aged 17 months and I received some wonderful gifts, not least 'Big Ted' who is still my companion! That Christmas morning I discovered him in the top of a big, Santa adorned paper sack. It was propped up in front of the TV and as a rosy cheeked, unstable toddler I tottered towards him and grabbed hold of the toy which was pretty much the same size as me. I know exactly what the rest of the family ate for Christmas tea, and can even describe the pattern on the china tea set brought out for the occasion. I recall all this with such clarity because it was recorded on my dad's new fangled cine camera. The footage was shown countless times over the years and most of it still exists even if it now in a digital format. Those old pennies are still shiny in my mind. Sixty years later I have spent the last three weeke