Welcome to year two of our weekly series of ‘link-up’ Posts which reflect on life’s journey, old memories and family stories (see below for more info).
Whilst I’ve noticed with resigned disappointment that the number of birthday cards has declined in negative correlation with the number of years I have gained, I still have the same kernel of excitement inside when a birthday is anticipated.
Funny isn’t it, how that little childhood butterfly of expectation never really leaves you? Sadly, with age, the presents do tend to dry up faster than the reservoirs in 1976 when one of these photos was taken..
My childhood birthday ‘teas’ were invariably at home. There was no ball pool or bouncy castle in those days. No laser shooting or quad racing for me. There was just me, half a dozen polite little girls and our rickety garden swing.
I was a child of the 70s. There were no mini pizzas; no McDonalds; no caterpillar cakes. Just triangular sandwiches (Mum only broke out the triangles for birthdays) and jelly & ice cream.
The several polite little girls were almost certainly dressed in full length skirts (this was de rigueur in the mid 70s of course) and white knee length socks (the ones with the ‘holey’ patterns) inside shiny patent leather buckle-up shoes. As you can see, The Dress was even forced to make repeat appearances more than one year in a row.
My memories of these parties are filled with Blind Man’s Buff, Pass the Parcel and Musical Statues. If you were light enough, you would be subjected to ‘The Bumps’ – a primitive tradition involving being picked up by your hands and feet and thrown repeatedly into the air, the number of ‘repeats’ always corresponding to the number of years of age you were.
All parties ended with the ageless rituals of blowing out the candles and tearing open those presents. Mothers all over the world are now tutting at the thought of picking up all the bloody paper, or, if anything like my Queen of Thrift mother, sorting out which bits can be salvaged, folded and re-used at future birthday events. A sign of the times in its own right…
The only saving grace about getting old? No one has the stamina for 46 ‘Bumps’.
Tell me about your memories. What can you recall about your childhood birthdays?…… Join the Linky or leave a comment. Nostalgia come in all shapes and sizes, so make sure you capture yours.
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