Let the memory live again

Driving to work last week, I was listening to the Chris Moyle’s show on Radio 1 and Dave Vitty was unexpectedly reading the story of Mr Bump. Happily listening to the tale sent me into a nostalgic bubble, reminiscing about the books I used to read when I was a child from Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, The Witches and The BFG to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Cat in the Hat and The Tale of Peter Rabbit. This has since prompted me to dig out some of those classics and re-read and enjoy them once more.

But it hasn’t stopped there because the books have impelled me to think back to other memories I have as a child. Playing Stony 123 and Queenie Queenie in my street with all my friends, or going into the dens behind our house pretending we were part of Robin Hood’s band of merry men fighting off outlaws passing by on the old train tracks below us. Not forgetting the stalls we used to set up on our front gardens buying and selling items including bikes, toys, games and ice creams with money used from my brother’s Monopoly board game.

Growing up in my street was so much fun. There was always something going on. Camping out in tents in each other’s gardens, playing football and tennis or cherry door knocking! Then there were the times we used to all run to the top of the hill and do a train back down together, some of us on bikes, some on skate boards and the rest on our roller boots. That was before someone, most likely one of the boys, would ambush us with water balloons prompting a massive water fight, and some rather annoyed parents who were unlucky if they got attacked! We also used to have sleepovers where we would stuff ourselves with sweets and chocolates and make indoor tents with blankets and duvets using the pegs off the washing line and then stay up late watching movies and get up early to watch cartoons.

Back then, kids TV was the best. Inspector Gadget, Raggy Dolls, The Racoons, Dogtanian, He-Man, Bananaman, Super Ted, Dungeons and Dragons…the list is endless. Of course being a girl, my favourites were The Care Bears, My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite. I even remember receiving my very own Care Bear with my name on it for my birthday and then my Mum taking me to meet them in my local shopping centre. My Care Bear always had pride of place on my bed alongside my Popples, Pooch and Glow Worm. I still have it today, although it now sits on top of my cupboard rather than on my bed!

Enjoying these memories again over the last week has been lovely. Who would have thought an off the cuff moment on the radio would trigger them but I’m glad it did because it’s been lovely remembering those days. I really hope they continue with story time because let’s face it, once a kid, always a kid!