Christmas “News” letters

Would it not be better to send cards to people you like

😂😂
Those things are so boring, I usually get at least three, look on them as free firelighters.

Yes to BOTH!

Oh yes the Christmas Round Robin. I get one every year from someone who has a perfect life, perfect children, a soon to be born probably perfect grandchild. The holidays they've had, how well they are all doing and what the cat had for tea.

Do yours come with a gap for the sender to add your name, Maw in a misguided attempt to make them personalised?

Or do you get the 'Dear all' opening?
😡

Kate1949

Oh yes the Christmas Round Robin. I get one every year from someone who has a perfect life, perfect children, a soon to be born probably perfect grandchild. The holidays they've had, how well they are all doing and what the cat had for tea.

They're always perfect with perfect children and grandchildren in these Round Robins.

Then you might meet up occasionally and they confess that their lives are not so perfect, they're quite normal like everyone else!

You are right Callistemon.

Kate1949

Oh yes the Christmas Round Robin. I get one every year from someone who has a perfect life, perfect children, a soon to be born probably perfect grandchild. The holidays they've had, how well they are all doing and what the cat had for tea.

Oh god yes - these things are all the same, aren't they? Are they supposed to make the rest of us green with envy or something? I stopped sending cards to the relative who sends them every year in the hope that she'd take the hint. Maybe this year...

That did raise a (wry) laugh, Maw - a friend of ours used to send a very long screed with his thoughts (or rather pontifications) on the state of the U.K./World. We called it The Thoughts Of Chairman Malcolm (not his real name).

An elderly Canadian relative of dh invariably sends 2 x A4 sides in a tiny font, detailing all the doings and ailments of 14 people you’ve never heard of, followed by every last detail of every holiday (a lot) that she’s taken since last Christmas - with every single ailment/fall/mishap encountered along the way.

They are so annoying Kate1949 I'm tempted to send one back saying it's been a bad year, husband in prison, kids on drugs and the dog bit the vicar.

I type a friend’s Round Robin letter every year. It is so boring! I send one out too, but to people I have sort of kept in touch with. I hope it’s interesting!

Blondiescot I'm not sure why they do it. To be fair, there's no harm in it and I'm glad they are happy 😊
It's not my way. I would assume that no one would be interested. Then it wouldn't do for us all to be the same would it?

soda

Thank goodness I don't seem to get any of these now. I have a select group of friends I keep in touch with throughout the year on Facebook and one that I exchange occasional emails with. Everyone else just gets a card.

One of the most boring (which is saying something) was the year one letter detailed the building of the new conservatory and decorating the hall and stairs
Then there was one where ‘Tarquin played in the First 11 at the 4th of June (Eton’s equivalent of “sports day”) while Hermione went Scuba Diving in the Red Sea with her (boarding, of course) school choir 🤮🤮🤮🤮.
There should be a competition for the worst !

We received one one year when the opening preamble was "once again our children make us proud to be their parents" where's an appropriate two fingers down the throat emoji when you need it! I only had to read those two lines to think "I hate you already" at the time one of mine had yet to reach his peak "behaving like a complete shit" then as he peaked I did hear through the grapevine that one of theirs was a late starter in that particular field, so from then on it was less about the children and more about their vegetable garden. Why do such people feel the need to regale people they aren't that involved with, with a load of minutiae about their lives.

I much prefer to have a letter( personalised preferably) than merely a card with a signature. If that is all I hear, year after year, I feel there isn’t much point.
I get about ten Round Robins each year, mostly on email now, and they are all interesting and relevant. There is no boasting, quite a few disasters. The only one I hate starts Dear ( blank).

I have a great one from a friend every year, last years started, well it’s been a b….y awful f….g year, what could go wrong has gone wrong with bells on it! Nothing too serious but she has a very witty way with words, not for her bragging about holidays, wonderful grandchildren, just about keeping the right way up.
I look forward to her missive very much each year😄

while Hermione

Could you leave Hermione out of this please!!
And she doesn't go to boarding school

Round robins a.k.a A boast through the post.

I’m such a curmudgeon these days I only get about 5 cards as I don’t send more than that !

Much prefer to donate stuff eg a tenner to the wonderful smart old gent playing the piano in the atrium of our cancer hospital. Brought tears to my eyes.

sodapop

They are so annoying Kate1949 I'm tempted to send one back saying it's been a bad year, husband in prison, kids on drugs and the dog bit the vicar.

😁

We get one from people we met once on holiday about 12 years ago. We used to reciprocate but last year we just sent a card. I really don't see the point

I wish now I had not been so scathing when my beloved late DH settled down to write his yearly letter. Never boasted and he genuinely loved to hear the doings of friends in America and people far away.
I’d give anything to see him sitting at the dining room table, pen in hand setting to to record another year round the sun😢

I often use them because it saves time but this year I can’t be bothered and I haven’t even sent any cards and possibly won’t.Just over it really.