ANTIQUARIAN bookseller Jeremiah Vokes, in Coniscliffe Road, Darlington, has recently acquired a fine collection of local paraphernalia, including this copy of The Northern Echo’s Budget magazine published for Christmas 1937.
A “budget” originally had nothing to do with a Chancellor of the Exchequer. A “budget” was originally a French word, “bougette”, which was a little leather bag. In particular, when it entered the English language in the early 15th Century, it meant the collection of interesting and meaningful oddments that might be found in a little leather back.
From there it became the title of magazines where the editor couldn’t spell the word “miscellany” – they featured a collection of interesting and meaningful oddments to keep the reader entertained.
And so the Xmas 1937 Budget features long seasonal stories and articles about Christmas customs, plus puzzles, riddles and jokes.
Like: “A collector of antiques died recently and left 500 clocks. We hear that his executor anticipates a busy time winding up the estate.”
Or, more dated: “As he was about to leave for the office, his wife handed him a small parcel.
“What’s this, dear,” he asked.
“A bottle of hair tonic.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you dear, but…”
“It isn’t for you; it’s for your typist. Her hair is coming out badly on your coat”.”
Much better than the jokes are the adverts, which tell so much about life back in the day. In the run-up to Christmas 2023, we’ll be featuring some pages of Yuletide adverts from Christmas 86 years ago, starting with all the present ideas from Bishop Auckland.
A PAGE of adverts from Bishop Auckland traders taken from The Northern Echo’s Christmas 1937 Budget magazine. So who fancies a grand piano from Brotherton’s wrapped beneath the tree or, more worryingly, some “gas gifts” from the Bishop Auckland District Gas Company. What could possibly be a ”gas gift”? A couple of therms?
READ MORE: THE JOHNSON FILES REVEAL THE ROWDY DARLINGTON POLITICS OF THE LATE 1970s
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