During Christmases of the 1950s and 1960s, Northern Irish children knew nothing of present mountains.
What we did know about was dancing and skipping for weeks in anticipation of the one present we knew we would get. This surprise sat tantalisingly below the tree for up to a week beforehand.
We didn't even dare secretly to unknot the twine and peek inside. It's funny to think of now but, in the past, children used to obey their parents rather than the other way around.
In my household, we were also excited by the arrival of a group
