Memories From Childhood

[curlyfries81]

What lovely things do you remember from your childhood that you just don't see today?

I remember going out picking elderberries to make wine for the "oldies", going to the shop for a 10p mix and taking the bottle back to the cornershop to get some pennies back.

I used to hate christmas pudding but remember the elation when I found 20p in the pudding. 

I remember going outside to play and joining in with all the other kids in the neighbourhood with skipping games and so on and then eventually being called in for my dinner - sadly those days are gone.

What are your fondest memories of childhood that you don't see any more?

[bhg481]

I remember going onto the fells near my Ribble Valley home and picking winberries (bilberries to some people). You just don't see them anywhere to buy here in Berkshire.

[nailedit]

Going to the shop with 10p and coming out with a bag full of sweets, a bottle of Cola, a lucky bag, a bag of crisps, a comic and a packet of chewing gum.

Can't do that now...to many cameras!

[curlyfries81]

Naughty naughty, nailedit.

 

Do you miss living up North, bhg481?

[bhg481]

No swimming baths in my home town so we used to walk a mile to the Ribble and swim there (no parents, just a dozen boys). I also used to walk a mile with my mate to the local station on Saturdays, catch the Blackburn train, get off at Daisy Field and then to Belper St Baths. After the swim walk the mile into Blackburn and catch the train home.

[barry1010]

I live in a cul de sac backed by fields and a wood so the children do play outside, I recognise some of their games.

I miss thick toast cooked over an open fire, smothered in dripping.

There is not much I miss, apart from loved ones

[bhg481]

Curly - yes and no; a quieter life up there but 60 years down here means all my northern family are gone and all my close relatives are here in Berks and Wilts.

[-SharonA-]

A group of us used to go to the local swimming baths we had great fun. Also Saturday morning pictures. Our playground was the local bomb ruins of you'd find us tearing around on our makeshift carts, made from wood & old pram wheels.

[curlyfries81]

You reminded me, bhg481, of the river we used to swim in near my grandparents. There was a fairly big farm we used to have to walk past. The river was safe to swim in and we'd all take a picnic and towels to lie on to sunbathe. Those were the days!

I remember Saturday pictures too, -SharonA-. My mother would drop me off and arrange to meet me outside when the film had finished. Then she would take me to one of the town's cafe's for something to eat. 

[Bazile]

Being sent to the corner shop to  get some spam and the sound  of the spam cutting machine as it sliced milimetre thick slices from the block 

Can't say it was lovely - just a childhood memory 

[bhg481]

Yes, Saturday pictures for me too. A few of us caught the bus to the town centre and walked back home when the show was over. It's amazing what we used to do as under-10s with no supervision.

[naomi24]

Refusing to put my gloves on to play in the snow.  My mum said 'You'll cry when your hands get cold'.  I did.  I can still remember the pain.

[barry1010]

I was taken to school on my first day aged five and took myself after that.  

Camping with the Scouts is probably my favourite memory, it seemed as if we were miles from home but in reality it was about 20 miles.  Loved every minute of Scouts

[curlyfries81]

From the age of 6 I walked myself to and from school. We only lived over the road but you couldn't let your 6-year-old walk to school alone now. The Teachers would be all over it if you did. 

[naomi24]

I remember sitting on my teacher's lap - crying again - on my first day at school.  When the bell went for morning playtime I thought it was time to go home - and it wasn't.  Fortunately I soon got the hang of it and really liked school after that.

[bhg481]

like barry on the first day I was walked half a mile to school by my dad and then he went off to work. Unfortunately he didn't tell me he was going and I wandered off to find him, ending up back home where Grandma had to take me back.

Again, like barry, scouts were wonderful. We never camped locally though, first Scotland then Devon. The highlight was a fortnight in the International Scout Chalet in Interlaken, Switzerland. Thee's still nowhere in the world like it for me.

[pastafreak]

First I'll have to disagree about children not playing outside. I see plenty of groups playing outside where I am...and that's even with a lovely park within 2 minutes walk away.

I grew up in the States and I have fond memories of the aftermath of winter snowstorm...making snow angles or building a snow train with friends.

[curlyfries81]

I remember on my first day of school a boy was teasing me and I told him to shut up. He could barely contain himself and his arm went up like a rocket as he shouted out, "Miss, Miss".  He told her what I'd said and Mrs Matthias declared to the whole class that I was a rude little girl. 

I never really liked school but have fond memories of one or two of the Teachers I encountered along the way. 

[curlyfries81]

Bhg481, you're right, Interlaken is just beautiful. 

[barry1010]

Looking back the Saturday Matinees as they were properly called (the penny crush at the flea pit) was a bizarre concept.  All those unaccompanied children running riot in the cinema shortly before it opened for its very busy Saturday afternoon showing.  What were they thinking? 

We are the boys and girls well known as
Minors of the ABC
And every Saturday all line up
To see the films we like, and shout aloud with glee
We like to laugh and have a singsong
Such a happy crowd are we.
We're all pals together.
We're minors of the A-B-

 

[netherfield]

Saturday morning ABC Minors 6d downstairs or 9d upstairs, 6d either way in the bus, out of 2 shillings that left  3d to buy sweets or whatever took your fancy. Until we realised if we ran down through the path in the woods we could catch the bus closer to town two fare stages closer and have another 2d to spend. Couldn't do that in the return though, we'd to be back home on the bus to granddad's for a fixed time.