Happy childhood memories

[Onelife]

I have to say l enjoyed a very happy childhood and spent much of my play in the fields that were adjacent to our council estate. I can look back on many enjoyable ventures, one of which was walking miles to our dens....One  was in a place  called "the old cutting" not sure if that was the proper name but it was the name us kids used to call it. It was once the old railway track that passed through Henley-in-Arden. I recall there was a little stream that passed through the wood each side of the cutting and it was from this stream that us kids used to get our refreshing drinks.


We were out most of the day and knew when we got back home  we would get a good telling off from our moms...due to not letting them know where we had been.......fearing the repercussions  we always remembered to take something back as a peace offering.....This of course depended on what was in season at the time.....droopy bluebells, daffodils, and anything we could scrump.....September was always a good month as it was then that we helped ourselves to field mushrooms.....l can still remember the smell of freshly  picked mushrooms....can you?

I can also remember us  damming up the Brook in order to make a swimming pool...l couldn't swim but l do recall it was waste high...rope swing across the Brook and lollipop stick races down the stream, sledging down the mount... oh did we have fun.

But  if l could reenact one childhood memory it would be ( l know l've told you this before) running and skipping in a hay field surrounded by  a dust devil.

If you could reenact one or more happy childhood memories. ...what would they be?

[Manoverboard]

We didn't have any carpets when we got married nor, as kids, did we have sweets due to food rationing

[Onelife]

We didn't have any carpets when we got married nor, as kids, did we have sweets due to food rationing

Having no sweets as a kid wouldn’t be my idea of a happy childhood memory but looking on the bright side you’ve probably still got most of your teeth

[Manoverboard]

We didn't have any carpets when we got married nor, as kids, did we have sweets due to food rationing

Having no sweets as a kid wouldn’t be my idea of a happy childhood memory but looking on the bright side you’ve probably still got most of your teeth

We were extremely happy when we got sweets, they were a special treat rather than being an expectation.

[Onelife]

We didn't have any carpets when we got married nor, as kids, did we have sweets due to food rationing

Having no sweets as a kid wouldn’t be my idea of a happy childhood memory but looking on the bright side you’ve probably still got most of your teeth

We were extremely happy when we got sweets, they were a special treat rather than being an expectation.

I must have been one of those posh council estate kids because we were given a three-penny bit every week to buy sweets etc…. I saved mine up and bought my first ever book… ‘observer book of birds’…. still got it.

[david63]

we were given a three-penny bit every week

Eee there's luxury. I got a penny a month

[Onelife]

we were given a three-penny bit every week

Eee there's luxury. I got a penny a month

One 'gob stopper' a month then?

[Stephen]

I got bu99er all. I wagh sent doon t'pit at age of five doing a 45hr shift each day to earn my own money. Eeeee appy days

[barney]

Childhood memories are weird really.
I was discussing memories with one of my brothers recently and his are very different to mine although we were obviously bought up in the same household.
My recollections are much cheerier than his.
He recalls that we were quite poor where my memory is that we had all we needed.
I do remember telling my Dad one Xmas that I had my eye on a racing bike and he said, keep your eye on it because you won’t be getting your a*se on it

[oldbluefox]

I do remember telling my Dad one Xmas that I had my eye on a racing bike and he said, keep your eye on it because you won’t be getting your a*se on it

My childhood memories are good and bad.
Oddly enough it's the simple pleasures which stick with me - having a ride on the milk cart (horse drawn) , making a soap box cart and haring down hill, those long slides when the pavements froze over, sledging.
Not so good was that awful chocolate you got when rationing was on. It was a sort of mildly chocolate flavoured grease they made into Easter eggs or chocolate tool sets at Christmas. Awful stuff but it was the best you could get (and all you got!!). Winter was always cold with frost patterns on the windows. One year it was so cold the hot water bottle froze up and you didn't hang around so long on cold lino floors. Little lads all wore shorts in those days which meant when it was windy your legs got chapped and sores developed where the tops of your wellies rubbed. No gloves of course; you wore a pair of socks.
However w had some great days out across the fields, damming the brook to provide paddling pools and fishing for tiddlers. Happy, carefree days which didn't cost a penny. Good job really because we didn't have much. Christmas and birthdays were special because they were the only times you got toys so great excitement.

[Onelife]

I do remember telling my Dad one Xmas that I had my eye on a racing bike and he said, keep your eye on it because you won’t be getting your a*se on it

My childhood memories are good and bad.
Oddly enough it's the simple pleasures which stick with me - having a ride on the milk cart (horse drawn) , making a soap box cart and haring down hill, those long slides when the pavements froze over, sledging.
Not so good was that awful chocolate you got when rationing was on. It was a sort of mildly chocolate flavoured grease they made into Easter eggs or chocolate tool sets at Christmas. Awful stuff but it was the best you could get (and all you got!!). Winter was always cold with frost patterns on the windows. One year it was so cold the hot water bottle froze up and you didn't hang around so long on cold lino floors. Little lads all wore shorts in those days which meant when it was windy your legs got chapped and sores developed where the tops of your wellies rubbed. No gloves of course; you wore a pair of socks.
However w had some great days out across the fields, damming the brook to provide paddling pools and fishing for tiddlers. Happy, carefree days which didn't cost a penny. Good job really because we didn't have much. Christmas and birthdays were special because they were the only times you got toys so great excitement.

Pram wheels were much sought after on our council estates…I just hope the babies survived

[oldbluefox]

Loads of wheelless prams with babies intact littering the streets.............

[screwy]

We called them Bogy’s.

[Pam + Neil]

My childhood days were tough and yet amazing. Number seven of ten children my experiences were very different to my elder siblings. we had hand me downs but I remember someone commenting those children always have lovelyb white socks ( put that down to Fairy Snow!) There was frost on the inside of the windows. Relatives undertaking their national service in the merchant navy came home on leave with wonderful treats such as dates, catering tins of fruits with no labels so we never knew if wecwere having peaches or fruit salad. Great memories.

[Onelife]

Hi Pam/Neil

Your white socks story reminds me of my white shirts story. We were the average council house family making do through the good and I’m sure not so good times, but to be honest everything seemed normal to me as my parents never let on how bad things were. I do recall my father coming back with a branch and wrapping it in tin foil as our make do Christmas tree for a couple of years.

Anyway back to white shirts…I can’t remember how many white shirts I had but I do remember never going to school having worn the same shirt twice…indeed I think I was the best dressed kid in our class, this was evidenced when I was hauled in front of the class as an example to the other boys on how they should dress for school. I do remember wishing the ground would swallow me up at the time but when I look back, I think my mom set her standards and her kids benefited from them…thanks mom x.

And no, I didn’t get bullied because of it…well not after the first few fights I didn’t

[screwy]

It seems we all had the same upbringing...and look where we are now. older , wiser and still as daft..

[Stephen]

Hi Pam/Neil

Your white socks story reminds me of my white shirts story. We were the average council house family making do through the good and I’m sure not so good times, but to be honest everything seemed normal to me as my parents never let on how bad things were. I do recall my father coming back with a branch and wrapping it in tin foil as our make do Christmas tree for a couple of years.

Anyway back to white shirts…I can’t remember how many white shirts I had but I do remember never going to school having worn the same shirt twice…indeed I think I was the best dressed kid in our class, this was evidenced when I was hauled in front of the class as an example to the other boys on how they should dress for school. I do remember wishing the ground would swallow me up at the time but when I look back, I think my mom set her standards and her kids benefited from them…thanks mom x.

And no, I didn’t get bullied because of it…well not after the first few fights I didn’t

WHITE SHIRTS . Snobby little git.
All I had was a hand me down white'ish cardboard chest cover and collar under my thread bear jumper, half mast trousers and a bit of cereal packet shoved in me shoes to keep the water out

[david63]

a bit of cereal packet shoved in me shoes to keep the water out

Not that hard up then if you could afford cereal

[Manoverboard]

We had cereal once a week .....

[Stephen]

a bit of cereal packet shoved in me shoes to keep the water out

Not that hard up then if you could afford cereal

Found when going through the bins David. If I was luck y there might just be enough left in the bottom of box for a small breakfast next morning

[Onelife]

Hi Pam/Neil

Your white socks story reminds me of my white shirts story. We were the average council house family making do through the good and I’m sure not so good times, but to be honest everything seemed normal to me as my parents never let on how bad things were. I do recall my father coming back with a branch and wrapping it in tin foil as our make do Christmas tree for a couple of years.

Anyway back to white shirts…I can’t remember how many white shirts I had but I do remember never going to school having worn the same shirt twice…indeed I think I was the best dressed kid in our class, this was evidenced when I was hauled in front of the class as an example to the other boys on how they should dress for school. I do remember wishing the ground would swallow me up at the time but when I look back, I think my mom set her standards and her kids benefited from them…thanks mom x.

And no, I didn’t get bullied because of it…well not after the first few fights I didn’t

WHITE SHIRTS . Snobby little git.
All I had was a hand me down white'ish cardboard chest cover and collar under my thread bear jumper, half mast trousers and a bit of cereal packet shoved in me shoes to keep the water out

Thank gawd I wasn’t allowed to mix with kids like you…I bet you smelt as well…Pooo!

[Stephen]

Hi Pam/Neil

Your white socks story reminds me of my white shirts story. We were the average council house family making do through the good and I’m sure not so good times, but to be honest everything seemed normal to me as my parents never let on how bad things were. I do recall my father coming back with a branch and wrapping it in tin foil as our make do Christmas tree for a couple of years.

Anyway back to white shirts…I can’t remember how many white shirts I had but I do remember never going to school having worn the same shirt twice…indeed I think I was the best dressed kid in our class, this was evidenced when I was hauled in front of the class as an example to the other boys on how they should dress for school. I do remember wishing the ground would swallow me up at the time but when I look back, I think my mom set her standards and her kids benefited from them…thanks mom x.

And no, I didn’t get bullied because of it…well not after the first few fights I didn’t

WHITE SHIRTS . Snobby little git.
All I had was a hand me down white'ish cardboard chest cover and collar under my thread bear jumper, half mast trousers and a bit of cereal packet shoved in me shoes to keep the water out

Thank gawd I wasn’t allowed to mix with kids like you…I bet you smelt as well…Pooo!

You wouldn't have lasted five minutes.

[Onelife]

I can’t quite remember…how long did you spend at Borstal?

[Stephen]

I can’t quite remember…how long did you spend at Borstal?

Too cunning for that. You lived by your wits on our estate.

[Onelife]

I can’t quite remember…how long did you spend at Borstal?

Too cunning for that. You lived by your wits on our estate.

Stephen, joking aside I think most council estates have their rougher areas, ours did but nothing compared to some you hear about.
I have no evidence to support this but I do wonder if where your council estate is located makes a big difference to your life chances or should that be your attitude to your life chances? Ours council estate was in what was perceived to be in a nice rural area of Henley in Arden…mostly council with a couple of outlying roads of privately owned homes.
Compare this with council estates in not so nice areas, those that lie on the fringes of many of our larger towns then I think your life chances and attitudes get moulded by the area you live in…I’m glad to hear you bucked the trend and made good mate