I have just watched Call the Midwife set in the hard winter of 1962/3. Lilbitbrit mentioned this in her blog after she watched the Christmas special as she remembered that winter. So do I as I was 12 years old and during the holidays, my friend and I asked the baker delivery man if we could help on his round not for money but just for the excitement of being out in the snow. We sat on the back of the van with our legs dangling and the doors fixed open. No health and safety in those days. I don't think it would be allowed today. My parents weren't at all concerned. We received Co-op chocolate as an unexpected reward.
It got me thinking how much childhood has changed in the last 60 years. In the school holidays there were no organized activities by our parents. My dad was at work and my mum too busy running a household of 8 people with no modern appliances to help. In the summer we spent all day over the fields or the park with our friends. If it was too wet or cold we played endless games of monopoly or amused ourselves with anything to hand. We never longed for the holidays to end and to be back at school because of boredom. I think too much organized activity is not good for children as they need to learn to entertain themselves.
Anyway I enjoyed the program this evening as usual.
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