Your growing up years

[PinkFinal]

Stamford Park boating lake ...that takes me back.

My parents divorced in 1978 and it left me quite traumatised. Of course divorce was quite rare then. I tried to hide it from my friends which obviously wasn't easy.

The 70s / early 80s was a fantastic time to grow up though. I'm grateful for that.

 

[TonyM]

Loved the 70s and 80s. I was lucky to grow up in a poor housing estate with a gazillion near feral kids. We were incredibly innocent and peaceful. No fights or bullying that I can remember but great imagination and adventures. And school was also wild and wonderful.

Behind it all though was a darkness where fathers were drunk wife beaters and teachers were abusers (mostly physically and mentally but naive rumours of being sexually too).

I loved it.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Were they great, something you look back on with deep fondness, or were they something you don't like to think about much ?
I often think about mine with a glow, I remember the places and the things I did along with the friends I had.
It's was all about Stamford Park and it's boating lake.
I guess I was lucky.

When winds were song and the summers long, when right was right, there was no wrong.

I can appreciate that. Mine was similar - but Boggart Hole Clough 'n Heaton Park. Crumpsall, Lower Blackley, Harpurhey 'n Moston were brilliant in the fifties 'n sixties! They were places that just buzzed. A shop of every conceivable kind and plenty which got yer nose pressed up against the window! We never had a pile, but made do and mended. A casey, a cricket bat made out of a bit fence, a guider. And I've made up in adult life of not having a bike when I was a kid!

 

[Zubrman]

Whilst growing up, I learned the correct use of apostrophes ;)

 

[give it to gordon]

My childhood was brilliant , I seem to remember a lot but some people say you cant remember things that young but I can as a very young kiddie of about 4 or 5 sitting on my dads bike crossbar he had a little seat and foot rest on the down tube where I would sit as we cycled around Didsbury and Burnage, he would take me to a boating pool (cant remember where). One day as mum was at work at the cakebox on fog lane I reached up unlocked the door and ran up Merlin ave and along to Parrs wood rd where a man asked my where I was going (I was 4 !) the cakebox to see my mum ! so he picked me up and took me across the road and to the cakebox shop on fog lane , quickly followed by my dad with both my brothers under each arm (2 and 6 months !) who was looking for me lol.
I don't remember much after that as we moved to Margate in kent , the only thing I remember was being left with a neighbour for the day. When my parents picked me up I moan that I was hungry mum said you should have aske for a buttie, I said I did but the neighbour didn't give me one ( I was 5 ), when mum asked the neighbour why she hadn't given me a buttie the neighbour said whats a buttie ..those where the days abck in the mid 60's !.

I was very lucky in having a great childhood long summer holidays 6 weeks at a time in cornwall loved it. I don't remember much from being a teenager . I do get feelings of guilt that I haven't been able to give kids the same happy childhood as me, what with a broken marriage and money not going far. But I hope the kids still have happy memoirs, I must have done something right as my eldest has lived with me since the break up (8yrs now ) and we are up to lots of matches, and my other two are round every weekend :)

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Were they great, something you look back on with deep fondness, or were they something you don't like to think about much ?
I often think about mine with a glow, I remember the places and the things I did along with the friends I had.
It's was all about Stamford Park and it's boating lake.
I guess I was lucky.

When winds were song and the summers long, when right was right, there was no wrong.

Down Dingle Dell in Stamford Park belting around on my pushbike, Ashton Moss playing football/cricket until it was too dark to see, first kiss on what is now the Ikea site which was a disused railway goods yard.

Being a kid was great.

 

[Sid C]

The opposite of what he said

Same as what you said.

 

[sir baconface]

Really sorry to hear that Karen.. I can only form an opinion of you from your posts and I just wanted to come on here before leaving for work to say that you come across as one of life's nice people.

You have time for many on here regarding their personal issues and from what I've read, have given out a lot of help and advise.

What I have picked up being on this site is that you are well loved by many on here which is a credit to you..

The past has gone and although you seem to be falling to bits with broken bones, hospital visits and a cupboard full of medication no doubt, you come across to me as being a caring person..

If that wasn't instilled in you by your parents, it just goes to show the type of person you have grown up to be..! x


Right, off to join the traffic queue..!

And that gracious post is a breath of fresh air, Bill the Blue.

 

[fulabeer]

Looking back at my childhood, i am amazed i'm still alive!
I've mentioned a few times how poor we were, so no point going over that as it never bothered me.
My mum was a battered housewife. I hated my step dad when he was drunk. Yet he was completely different sober. I couldn't figure out why my mum wouldn't just leave him.

The positives about my childhood was how much freedom i had. I was born in Withington hospital. Then spent the first five years in Gorton.
I spent my 5-10 year old life mainly in Doncaster. All i can say is wow. It was absolutely brilliant. Having no money meant we had to be inventive.

We would break into anywhere. Disused housing, railways yards. You name it, if it had a wall or tall tree we would climb it. We didn't really steal anything, it was more the adventure.
We did occasionally steal fruit/veg from farmers fields for my mum.
Apart from the normal go kart building from pram wheels, we would also make throwing arrows/catapults. We had access to airguns, and messed with shotgun cartridges.
We used to dig small tunnels underground. Looking back now i get cold sweats just thinking what would have happened if they collapsed!
My friend got run over by a train one day when we were messing at the local coal mine. We used to jump on and off the moving wagons. He lost part of his foot.
I seem to remember a lot of bonfires. Asbestos was normally thrown on to see it explode.

We had a goat and rabbits. Never saw that goat again after that big Christmas dinner???

We used to just hop on a bus and see where it went. Then randomly jump on another.
We also used to get up to stuff with a neighbours daughter. As i say, i've had bad times, but some good ones!

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

No money, no holidays, but always a home cooked meal on the table* every day (mainly potato based recipes, though).

Loved it.







*No plates!