Is it even Christmas if there isn’t a party happening somewhere? For day 18 of our Heritage Advent Calendar, we are visiting our Photographic archive Leodis.net to look at some of the heritage images we have of Christmas parties from years past.

4th December 1984. A group of ladies in party hats enjoying mince pies at the Epiphany Lunch Club Christmas Dinner held in the Epiphany Hall of the Church of the Epiphany in Beech Lane. The dinner was followed by a Christmas show including a Victorian drawing room party with traditional Christmas songs. It was an opportunity for representatives of the Anglican, Methodist and Catholic churches to get together. The Epiphany Lunch Club was a weekly event, held each Friday. It provided a two-course meal, followed by tea and biscuits, for pensioners at a cost of 65p.

c1952. A group of adults and children pose for a photograph during a Christmas party at Bramley. The ceiling is decorated with balloons.

December 1944. Image shows R.A.F. personnel enjoying a Christmas party at R.A.F. Boston Spa. The Boston Spa camp was in the region of Chestnut Grove, Wickham, just off the High Street/Moor End junction. Its main function was as The Headquarters 73 Wing R.A.F. and it provided equipment maintenance, technical services and administrative support for early warning Radar Stations operating in the North East. The Christmas dinner menu included Minestrone Soup, Roast Turkey and Roast Pork with forcemeat, sage and onion stuffing, bread sauce and apple sauce with roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts. It was followed by Christmas Pudding and Rum sauce then cheese, celery and biscuits. There was beer or lemonade to drink and cigarettes provided.

See you tomorrow for more Heritage Advent Calendar revelations.