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Hidden Surrey - Christmas past and present

Preserve local traditions by visiting, volunteering and gifting this festive season

Losley Christmas and New Year gifts 1575

It's not uncommon to receive duplicate gifts on the big day. Perhaps the same pair of socks or more than one box of Christmas chocolates! But imagine receiving 283 capons (castrated male chickens)!

This was what Sir William More of Loseley, near Guildford (1520 to 1600), Member of Parliament and faithful servant of Queen Elizabeth the First, received in 1575. In fact, peacocks, pigeons, geese, boars and pigs were all considered excellent gifts for the aristocracy in Tudor Surrey (list pictured above).

More information about More and his decedents can be found in the Loseley manuscripts, held by the Surrey History Centre.

Send a gift to someone in need this Christmas

There are lots of local and national organisations looking for Christmas gift donations. If you would like to get involved, here is a list of organisations you can donate to.

Local

National

Godalming Christmas Shopping 1922

Did you know that Christmas shopping is not a modern phenomenon? In the Victorian era, Prince Albert was a champion for all things Christmas and brought many of his German traditions over to the UK. This was great news for Victorian entrepreneurs.

Shops would compete by putting on magnificent shows of their Christmas products. The advertising industry also went into overdrive to produce colourful, eye-catching handbills, catalogues and magazine articles. [Insert pic from Lauren]

Take a look at this film footage of 1922 Christmas shopping in Godalming.

Christmas Shopping, 1922, filmed by Mr W.G. Fudger

Courtesy of Godalming Museum Trust and Town Council from the collection of Screen Archive South East at the University of Brighton.

Christmas markets this December

Support local business this festive season by visiting one of the following Christmas markets.

Looking for the perfect gift for little ones this Christmas? Try The Thousand Year Tree Children's book.

Created by Surrey based author Lucy Reynolds and illustrator Katie Hickey, along with a group of budding book creators from Weyfield Primary Academy in Guildford, this stunning book celebrates ancient trees and how children can help to protect them.

Retailing at £8.99, the book is available to buy online and at all good booksellers. All proceeds from sale of the book go to charity.

Good causes at Christmas 1935

Tis the season for giving! Throughout the twentieth century, annuals were published specifically for the Christmas market to help raise money for local good causes, as is the case of Roundabout: the Guildford Christmas Annual, printed by Biddles Ltd in 1935.

Readers were encouraged to donate to fund a bed at the Royal Surrey Hospital, Guildford. To support the cause, the annual featured a 'day in the life' of a hospital sister accompanied by line drawings. The anonymous writer describes in detail her routines on the ward and the many patients and colleagues she encounters. This offers a fascinating insight into what it was like to work in a hospital before the establishment of the NHS.

Get involved in festive volunteering

Want to be charitable with your time during the holidays? Here are just a few opportunities to volunteer this December:

If you don't have much time this Christmas, try micro-volunteering!

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