Childhood memories..

[1955vintage]

I remember the school board man.. I think he would call on those who played truant..

Known as septic knuckles.

[Scrumpy]

Never heard that name for him..

[Silver Tabby]

My very first clear memory - as opposed to vague fragments or things I may have heard or been told - is of my 2nd birthday.  It was in January, I had been very ill and missed Christmas.  My father had put the Christmas tree lights up around my bedroom window and my older brother had bought me a book.  One of those with stiff card covers which had a girl doll on the front, and a boy doll on the back.  The pages in between had all sorts of clothes with tabs to attach them to the dolls.  The brother sat on the end of my bed and cut them all out for me.  The owners of the bakery next door sent in a birthday cake with pink marshmallow icing. And my lovely Auntie Chriss gave me a 'Magic' painting book - a wet paint brush swept over the pages revealed coloured pictures!

[Alex]

I remember those painting books! 

[Silver Tabby]

I remember those painting books! 

They were fun!

[Scrumpy]

Standing on a bridge when a steam train passes by.. Covered in steam.. Disappearing ...

[Silver Tabby]

Standing on a bridge when a steam train passes by.. Covered in steam.. Disappearing ...

Oh Yes - the brother and I used to buy 1d platform tickets and spend all day at the Railway Station at week-ends.

[JBR]

Standing on a bridge when a steam train passes by.. Covered in steam.. Disappearing ...

Reminds me of school, when one of the lads who had asthma would lean over the parapet over a railway line when a steam train was coming.  He reckoned that the steam would help his breathing.

[Mups]

I can remember going scrumping with my brother.   
I don't know who's land it was,  it was next to some allotments as I recall.

Do kids still scrump nowadays?

[Silver Tabby]

They are more likely to mug you for your mobile 'phone

[klondike]

I've been scrumping...

[1955vintage]

Growing up in Kent, you learned to scrump early.

[Mups]

Did anyone else eve have the liquorice sweets, too?

I remember they were loose in a little white paper bag.

I used to like the round ones, like a penny shape,  and they stained your lips and tongue black. 

[GrannyMac]

Pontefract (pronounced Pomfret) cakes?

[Scrumpy]

We had liquorice sticks  shaped like a straw and inserted into a tube of sherbet..