CHRISTMAS past always involved an orange and a new penny. They were at the bottom of the pillow case in which my presents were stacked.

The shiny new penny was a phenomenon I never fully understood. According to my Uncle Eric, they were only obtainable from landlords of licensed premises.

They were so difficult to come by that, on several Christmas Eves, Uncle Eric had to visit very many public houses in order to obtain one. It was a long night’s work but someone had to do it and Uncle Eric was a specialist volunteer.

Memorable among those gifts of long ago, were two knights on horseback that I had long admired in the window of a toy shop in Thornton’s Arcade in Leeds.

Every Saturday during the bleak midwinter my mother took me shopping to the city, whether I wanted to go or not, and I would press my nose against the glass and stare at the figures: one white, one black. I had never seen anything so magnificent in those post war years of austerity.

Then, with Christmas fast approaching, they were no longer there. The sinking heart. The feeling of despair at shattered dreams. Of course, the reason they had gone was that my father had bought them, but I wasn’t to know that.

So it was joy unconfined on Christmas morn when I dug into the pillow case and found, among the boxes of Ludo and liquorice, and jigsaw puzzles and comic book annuals, the two magnificent knights. I was only 32 at the time.

Christmas Present has become highly technical. Children these days want Wii sets and computer games and mobile phones and Dr Who sonic screwdrivers and Ben 10 Alien Ultimate Ultimatrix (and no, I haven’t a clue, either).

It’s quite refreshing, in fact, to discover one of the top 10 best sellers this year is Doggie Doo, a game involving a dog that, well, poops.

Times are changing in other respects, too. Instead of a traditional family gathering where grandad roasts his chestnuts round an open fire, despite grandma’s protests, the pair of them are probably in Benidorm to avoid the winter.

Pensioners, apparently, are well represented among the 4.25 million Brits who have left the country ahead of the festive season. Some may even come home again, when the weather gets better.

This is indicative of our recession split society where some can still afford to go abroad or stay at home and deck the halls with expensive cheer while others struggle to make ends meet so the kids don’t go without.

It makes you wonder what Christmas Future has in store for us when all shopping will be done online and 3D TV-computers with pong-o-vision and screens the size of a wall will be the norm and presents will be virtual. One hopes the simple things will still appeal.

“Mum, Santa’s brought me Doggie Doo. It’s life size on the telly.”

“I know. I can smell it from here. Give it a rest until your Uncle Eric has had his breakfast. He was up half the night getting you a new penny.”