Memories

Hello friends.

I often counter any offers of sympathy with references to my wonderful childhood. Some children live through hell whether disabled or not.

For that reason, I can actually call the good old days good. Is it worse now? Is it the epitome of misery to be dependent on so many things?

Some thoughts:

Steve

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Ah Steve. You’re killing me. I consider myself to be so very lucky to have been born in the beginning of 1960. With brothers and sisters born in the 50s,they’d all flown the nest by the time I was nine years old. I had so much freedom and learning in the outdoors. We kept hens in the back garden and I would spend hours digging over the ground in the run while theyd squabble for the worms unearthed. I’d climb on the shed roof and from there onto the house roof (when mother went on her bicycle to the shop). The views of the surrounding countryside was amazing. I had to call to the farm around the corner for the milk. We all knew milking time. Knock on the back door and old Etta,the farmer’s wife would ladle the still warm milk into the old washed sweet gallon we had. At home this was transferred to 2 big heavy glass jugs by my mother. The cream that rose to the top was for the porridge in the morning. Summer holidays for all the kids on our small estate meant faded shorts, cheap canvas shoes, tennis played against the gable end of the house, walks to the nearby disused canal and shingle beach. We didn’t have “proper” fishing nets to catch sticklebacks. Older brothers taught us to use bent wire coat hangers and someone’s mother’s old tights made adequate nets. Plenty of fish were caught. We didn’t have bikes bought for us. We inherited from older siblings and bloody, scabby knees were a badge of honour. Rite of passage. We returned to school in September with faces scrubbed clean of blackberry stains and a clear line on our thighs where the tan stopped at the shorts. We were so happy. Today my granddaughter is twelve. She finally got a mobile phone. My daughter, her mother, held off until now. She and her brother are the ONLY children in their year who did not have one. Neither of my grandchildren can ride a bike. I can only feel sadness for the world that is their’s. Thanks for the memories Steve.

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I loved reading your blog Steve , I remember having loads of fun climbing trees and making dens and falling off the rope swing into the river . Wonderful days. Thanks for giving us walk through your past. Michelle and Frazer xx

Hi Steve

Thanks for rekindling childhood memories that were down in my memories, I so enjoyed your blog.

I am sure life was better for children back then, glad there were no iPad, mobiles etc, they grow up too fast nowadays.

My big sister is visiting me from Australia at the moment and last week we went back to our local primary school that we both attended and spoke to the children about what their school was like back in the 50’s and the type of things we done then…there faces were a picture of horror telling them about no inside toilets and walking to the swimming pool etc! We both so enjoyed going back in time and sharing our experiences.

Hope your treatment is going ok, take care.

Pam x

Loved it. thanks for the chuckle and the great memories.