In keeping with the festive season we thought it might be interesting to show a small selection of short Preston based videos to see how Christmas has been celebrated in three different decades, as compared with what we see and hear in the present day.

Over the years, Christmas seems to have developed from very simple times of family orientated celebrations to a more complex and demanding time where entertainment is king.

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It is quite noticeable, that from the first film of a 1950’s family from the Plungington/Fulwood area in Preston, how the family was paramount in enjoying the festivities; changing into a more commercially based time as the decades moved on.

Preston Lancashire Plungington vintage 1950 Christmas Day:

The above cine film was taken on Christmas Day 1950 in Hillcrest Ave Fulwood, the two girls with their mother are walking down Black bull lane & Plungington Rd to the Opticians which was at the top of Adelphi St near the roundabout.

Clouds disco, Church Street, Preston 1984 – The Clouds All-Dayer:

It is a good bet that there will be some of you out there that might not only remember this one, but may be in one of the shots of this slideshow from yesteryear. Did the girls really have those massive hair do’s?

The video uploader says: “Photos taken whist at the Preston Clouds Xmas Alldayer 1984. This funktion happened every year and every year it was amazing, many thanks to the regular DJs and the funkers from all over. The tune of the night were many but my fave was “You make me Happy” Hi Tension. Others include: Don’t look any further, Say Yeah, Rain Forrest, I found lovin, When you look in my eyes, etc.”

Fianally, a video taken in St. George’s Shopping Centre in December 1995 by Mr George Turberfield. The Christmas decor is a far cry from what you would see today and the whole of the rotunda floor, where Costa Coffee is now, was covered with animated characters from various childrens nursery rhymes.

St. Georges Shopping Centre, Preston. Christmas 1995:

It’s hard to believe that St. George’s Shopping Centre has changed so much in twenty years – and what about the ‘cross over’ escalators, do you remember those? The singing Christmas tree was a little weird too. As for the Three Blind Mice animation with the farmers wife cutting their tails off with a carving knife, what can you say about that, other than, ‘it is Preston and it is December’.

Seriously though, perhaps St. George’s was a little more traditional then; it was certainly very Christmassy, don’t you think?

Do you know of any Christmas videos made in Preston over the years? Let us know in the comments below.