It’s that time of week when another blogger is going to be sharing their childhood memories. This week it’s Pippa from A Mother’s Ramblings.
Which decade were you born in?
I was born in the 1970’s, just, but it was a great decade to be born in!
What is your earliest memory? How old were you?
My earliest memory that I can date is actually the morning of my fifth birthday. I got a fishing rod and my Dad took me fishing at this beautiful spot. The sunlight dappled over the water and the grass blew lightly in the breeze. It was absolutely perfect and I even caught a fish! It was so amazing and then we went home to my birthday party, but I never went fishing again… Apparently five year olds talk too much for successful fishing trips!
What was your favourite toy at 5 years old? At 10?
At 5 I loved my playdoh, I would constantly make little cakes and treats and put them in what I pretended was my display window (it was my wardrobe). The hours spent playing with the playdoh was some of the best time I’ve ever spent! At ten my favourite toy was probably my bike. I used to ride around the estate I lived on making a map of the alleyways that connected all the houses. I really loved being on my own!
Saying that, I also loved my Sindy’s and Sindy house at both ages. I had a four storey house and it had it’s own light system which I used as a nightlight! I still have it now in my loft and get it down every so often to play with it with my children.
Do you still have any toys from your childhood?
Yes, I have a cuddly toy Bambi. He was given to my at my First Christmas by my Dad, when I was seven months old and he still has pride of place on my bed. My husband has learnt to love him too! I really wish I’d kept my Dusty Bin from a year or two later because he was wicked!
Who was your favourite pop group/artist as a teenager?
I loved Bros. I had a giant poster on the wall, which used to freak my Grandparents out when they stayed in my room, as it looked like two men were breaking into my bedroom to kill them. I’m ashamed/pleased to say however that I didn’t really do “pop music”, I was more a listen to classical music and the classics… My parents had me listening to Simon and Garfunkel, Abba, Dean Martin, Dolly Parton and other Country and Western performers. Honestly it’s probably why I can sing almost anything from memory!
What was your favourite TV show(s)?
I LOVED The Pink Windmill, it was my most favourite show. I also liked cartoons like The Flintstones and Dungeons and Dragons. I remember watching Knightrider and Blind Date reguarly too! My children still think it is amazing that we didn’t have 24 hour children’s TV available to us.
What was the first film you remember seeing at the cinema?
The first film I remember seeing is a rerun of Disney’s Robin Hood. I remember coming out of the cinema and it being dark and thinking I was really grown up. It was probably only about 5 pm however! I wish that Disney would re-release some more old movies at the Cinema, I’d love to see some more on the big screen.
Do you have any dodgy haircut/ outfit memories that you’d rather forget?
Why would you bring that up?! I had a black and fluorescent pink ensemble that I purchased from a car boot in the 80’s. I’m sure I thought I was absolutely beautiful but looking back now I hold my head in my hands! I also let my Mum talk me into having a perm when I was about 13. I had curly hair, but it was quite frizzy with a natural wave and curls and so the thinking was a perm would help my hair.
My hair was not helped. Instead I had tight corkscrew curls and my hair has been super curly ever since! The of course there was the time I accidentally dyed my hair bright yellow…
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a Teacher. I still do, but I’ve realised that I only like a few children and could never be a full time teacher! I also wanted to be an actor, but I wasn’t good enough.
If you could go back to being a child again what age would you choose and why?
I would go back to any age if I’m honest, and I didn’t have to stay there but when I was 13 I was doing something quite amazing. I was in the West End Production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat as part of the children’s choir and I would love to relive all that again. I was hanging out at the Palladium theatre, talking with grown ups who were doing a job I wanted to do (acting) and being treated as a grown up. If I was going back to change things however I’d be seven and instead of vowing that my new school would never change my messy handwriting, I’d work hard… maybe that would have made a difference to my GCSE results!
Thank you for sharing your childhood memories Pippa – how exciting that you were in Joseph! I would have loved that – I saw it nine times when I was a teenager!
If you enjoyed this post then please come back next week when another blogger will be Remembering Childhood.
