05-03-2018, 12:30 PM
1
My unusual childhood!
If a film was made about my childhood, people would say it was just not credible!
My sisters and I often compare notes just to ensure we are not imagining it. Here are just a few of the high/lowlights!
Our home 'entertained' 13 Germans during WW2, they had left a lot of evidence of their existence, which was around for many of my childhood years. On the back landing were framed cartoons, which one of their number, an artist, had created. They are probably worth a lot of money now, and were part of our inheritance, but we donated them to one of the museums. We didn't think it right to do anything else with them. The pictures were harmless, unlike a lot of the stuff we came across. My bottom still stings from the thrashing I got when I was 10 after playing with a live grenade I found in the attic, which I had been forbidden to enter. The large attic hadn't been cleared for 100 years and contained loads of stuff, which would probably be worth a small fortune today. In 1961, my father had it all cleared out by his staff and deposited on our November 5th bonfire. A green box, they should have checked before adding it to the bonfire, blew up, it apparently contained bullets!
Strange activity of the paranormal kind was a big feature throughout my childhood. My sisters and I came up with the name 'Kelly' for our spook. It could be disconcerting, and even frightening at times. Still it had its uses when we had babysitters. We would relate some of the tales then tell the sitter were going to bed, nine times out of ten they would insist we stayed up until we heard my parents car coming through the gates, then we scarpered up to bed.
My primary school, (4-14 when I first went there in 1954) was something out of a Victorian horror film. The head teacher (who had been head when my father was a pupil, and a teacher when my grandfather was a senior boy) was a sadistic bully who beat kids from poor homes within an inch of their lives. He even beat one boy unconscious!
I didn't enjoy my time there, I was bullied as I came from a better off home than most. It was a relief to go to the private girl's school at the age of 11.Dad would cut up sheets of asbestos for use in his horticultural business. My sisters and I loved playing with the dust, which had a silky texture. I liked the taste of it too, it was like cheap muesli!
There were children with whom I played, but preferred to go off on little adventures on my own, most of which were a danger to life and limb.
I was taught to drive a small blue caterpillar tractor when I was five. It was great fun, providing you didn't touch the exhaust pipe at the side of it! Health and Safety wasn't something, which was considered in those days. I also drove the small motorised trucks well before I was ten. My father taught all his daughters to drive his cars from the age of 12, he went in for large ones. We used to drive them around our property. When I took my driving test at 17 the examiner looked shocked when he saw little me (5' 2.5" in height) and the size of the car I was driving. When the test was finished, he told me to come back in 6 months, and he would pass me, which he did, I was very miffed about that. I consider myself a good driver. My younger sisters borrowed a relative's Mini on which to take their tests.
One really amusing incident which stands out, was when I was 12 and my mother and I were invited to 'take tea' with the elderly lady who had bought the property just across the road from ours. She was a cousin of the Queen. My mother insisted I dressed up for the occasion, which didn't please me, I have always disliked dressing up! However, it was worth the effort, we were shown into the drawing room of the lady's house by the butler. The sofa and chairs had dustcovers on them and it was obvious the room was being painted. He explained that 'Madam' like to do her own decorating, Mum and I were gobsmacked. The old girl wasn't really up to the task, especially as some of the old paintings, which hadn't been removed, had paint splashes on them! There were probably quite valuable. Anyway the lady of the house put in an appearance and was quite entertaining. The butler brought in the tea, tiny cucumber sandwiches and cakes. All served on exquisite bone china.
Unfortunately my parents were religious, evangelicals who believed you had to get 'saved' or burn in hell, which was forced down our throats as kids. I wish I had never heard of god or Jesus. It was a great relief to lose my faith by the time I became an adult.
Whilst there were some aspects of my childhood which I didn't appreciate, my sisters and I were very fortunate, compared to so many of our contemporaries.
Have other posters got interesting stories to relate about their youth?
06-03-2018, 10:16 AM
9
Re: My unusual childhood!
Originally Posted by Muddy
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I have a friend who lives in Guernsey .Cute little place but it takes you hours to go anywhere owing to the narrow little roads someone always has to go backwards.
Funny people islanders present company excepted of course !
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