An amateur home movie made by Betty Cook of a Christmas Day in 1983 with close family and relatives at home in Mandale Road, Middlesbrough. The group open presents around the Christmas tree, have dinner, and play Scrabble before falling asleep. Some parts of the film were re-staged the following July as certain family members were not available at the time. Betty Cook was the President of the Cleveland Cine Society and the North East Cine Society. Title: Christmas Greetings [on printed...

An amateur home movie made by Betty Cook of a Christmas Day in 1983 with close family and relatives at home in Mandale Road, Middlesbrough. The group open presents around the Christmas tree, have dinner, and play Scrabble before falling asleep. Some parts of the film were re-staged the following July as certain family members were not available at the time. Betty Cook was the President of the Cleveland Cine Society and the North East Cine Society. Title: Christmas Greetings [on printed greetings card] The film opens with presents arranged beneath the Christmas tree in a darkened room. In daylight, piles of wrapped presents are beneath a brightly decorated Christmas tree. A Piper-Heidsieck bottle of champagne is opened on a table decorated for Christmas dinner with Santa ornaments. The champagne and orange juice is poured into four champagne flutes (glasses) for a traditional Buck’s Fizz Christmas drink. Christmas cards are arranged on a mantelpiece. A glass of Buck’s Fizz is handed over at the dining table. Captain AW Cook takes a swig of Buck’s Fizz. A shot of the presents still arranged beneath the tree closes this sequence. Somebody switches on the Christmas fairy lights. The family begin unwrapping their Christmas presents. Adrienne Cook kneels down next to the tree and the G Plan sideboard, which displays more cards and a stereo record player, and opens one of her presents. Her father Captain AW Cook is seated in an armchair watching. She unwraps a pink dressing gown and tries it on, smiling. A woman (sporting 80s permed hair) then unwraps one of her presents, a crystal decanter set. Close-up of her examining the decanter. A male relative gets a briefcase. Shot of the Christmas tree. Another woman opens a gift and smiles as she finds a set of purple lingerie. She holds a purple bra up against herself. Captain AW Cook sits on the floor opening his present and receives a body warmer (gillet). The family group are then seated on the floor opening presents, the pet dog roaming around them. Captain AW Cook looks at a copy of the book “James Herriot’s Yorkshire” that he’s received. More gifts are unwrapped including a pottery sweet jar, a make-up compact, a Barry Manilow Magic LP, a covered serving plate, an Elaine Page “Stages” vinyl record, Harrods chocolates, a hooded sweatshirt. The Cooks’ son Martin unwraps an Osram lightbulb, and then finds he also has a flexible reading lamp as a gift. A woman receives a pearl necklace and tries it on as she is seated in front of rather garish green patterned curtains. A rumpled Christmas package addressed to “Wellington”, the family’s pet dog, rests next to a tape recorder. Wellington grabs his present in his mouth, and the special collar is then placed around his neck. Port is poured into a glass decanter. The decanter sits on a serving plate. The family are around the dining table, with Christmas dinner well under way. Then, a round Christmas pudding soaked in brandy sits on a plate on the table, and someone lights it with a match. Close-up of the colorful Christmas decorations and fairy on the tree. There’s another shot of the Christmas pudding. Next, the iced Christmas cake is on the table and family are still eating. Betty Cook unwraps a gift of Claret from Harrods Food Hall. Christmas cards are arranged around a different Christmas tree. The family group have a game of Scrabble. The Cooks’ son Martin has fallen asleep on the sofa with his wife at the end of Christmas Day. Betty Cook is asleep. The pet dog is also fast asleep laying across Captain AW Cook’s lap, who is also napping. A bottle of German Rheinhessen wine rests next to two glasses, one knocked over, with Scrabble letters spelling “The End”.