What’s your earliest memory as child and what age

I also remember my imaginary friend Mrs Kershaw who was an oldish lady . She wore a tweed skirt , soft jumper and pearls . She carried an old fashioned handbag . I loved her . Can still picture her and smile . She was my best friend in the entire world .

gillybob that's what I wear . I can't afford these modern styles.
My first memory was being carried on the back of my uncle as he was swimming in an indoor pool in Cardiff. I've always liked swimming - but sea swimming is best.

Being pushed up the hill towards our house in the pushchair watching my older brother run along ahead. So I would have been about 2 or perhaps 3 years old.

Gillybob - your dad shaved your head because you played up at the hairdressers?!!!! That's awful - no wonder you remembered it! ???

My first day at school aged five.. I was frightened and I wet my pants The teacher stood me on a box at the front of the class and said 'look what this dirty little girl has done'.

I was just over 2 years old. I had my hat and coat on and I was standing by the bedside in someone's bedroom. I opened some drawers and it was a glass tray with dead butterflies that were pinned with their wings open. I told my mum of this memory over 40 years ago and she told me where we were and how old I was. She was a cleaner in people's homes and it was so cold I had to keep my hat and coat on. She said the husband collected butterflies.

I remember my first day at school ( November birthday so not sure if I was 4 or 5). I cried a lot as I had never been away from my parents before and a boy called Alan said, 'Don't cry, you'll make it rain'. I always loved school after that first day though.

Can't remember how old l was, but small, I remember running excitedly towards a swing in the park; I always loved swings. My dad was running behind me shouting, 'Stop' as I got kicked, accidently, by another child already on the swing! Also my dad asking children to play with me in the paddling pool because I was shy ( not any more!!) and running to greet him as he came home from work shouting, 'My daddy'.

All my early memories seem to surround my father who, I think, played with me the most. Mum was there in the background, but very much the housewife, and my nan lived with us and I think she was mum's priority. I let my dad down very badly towards the end of his life, as I wasn't there for him, so I hope he's forgiven me wherever he is now!

KatyK That's awful .
Thank God teachers nowadays are more sensitive.
I remember being accused of hitting a teacher, around 1942, when she shook me because I was 'cheeky'.

Fennel It was a Catholic school. Things didn't improve after that to be honest. Sadistic teachers, nuns and priests, with one or two exceptions.

I remember being about aged 3, I think, and our parents taking us over on a ferry to the Isle of Wight and for some reason I was grizzling. When we arrived where ever it was we were staying, apparently I fell out of my pushchair and had a mega meltdown and another massive grizzling session. I still have the small scar underneath my chin which my mother liked to point out to me at various stages in my life telling me how I was going through a difficult toddler phase at the time, although I think it was her fault because she hadn't strapped me in properly huh! Then at some later stage in the same holiday being put on a donkey and yep grizzling again! there was photographic evidence of that! I was clearly a fun child to be around, I can't remember any holidays for a few years after that one!

I also remember meeting up with our French cousins, when they came over to stay with our grandparents, I was probably a bit older maybe 3 or 4, I couldn't stop staring at them with my mouth open allegedly due to their speaking in strange tongues and clearly feeling

That is awful Katy - what an awful thing for that teacher to do

Yes indeed.

Oh Katy-my dear sister was smacked, aged about 5, cos she’d sucked the end of cotton to thread a needle-told she was a dirty little girl. We probably were grubby living in slums without bathroom. In later years we saw her in the local press as a president of something or other-would have loved to have confronted her. . .

Awful wasn't it Newquay We were grubby kids too. No bathroom, no toothbrushes, my head used to be alive with lice. When I was about 7, a nurse called me out of the classroom and without a word, took me outside where there was a large transit van. She opened the back doors, told me to get in and shut the doors. There were no windows and I was alone. When the van stopped, I was taken into a place that smelled of what I now know to be methylated spirits. They did something to my head (I know realise it was delousing), put me back in the van and took me back to school. No explanation. Happy days (not). Sorry to bring the thread down. More happy stories please.

Jeez Louise

My clearest memory is of my Dad holding me wrapped in my shawl by the back door at night, watching big flakes of snow coming down. I really don't know how old I was, one or two perhaps. The magic has always stayed with me.

Wonderful GrannyLaine

Well my Mrs Kershaw was probably around 50 when I was 4 which would make her about 104 now Fennel so it couldn't possibly be you I remember can it ? Also she spoke in a very posh (certainly not Geordie) accent.

Yes the awful things always stick don’t they CurlyWhirly ? I often wonder if he can remember it . I would love to ask him but don’t have the courage even now at my age. Silly isn’t it ?

Gillybob - I think you should ask him! You can always make it light-hearted. However, I suppose he will say he can't remember that it ever happened, parents do tend to deny any wrongdoing when questioned in later life! ?

I was sitting in my TanSad pram and Mum walked away from me to take a photo and I thought she was going to leave me and cried.

When Mum and I were talking about my childhood (I'd be in my 40's then) and recalled this, she went to fetch the photo and I look to be about 6-7 months old. I wasn't crying but I am frowning. No suprises there then

I can remember being lifted up at a big wall-my dear Dad was in hospital with kidney problems before my dear sister’s birth when I was 22 months old so can’t have been very old.
DH remembers being in his pram and snow blowing past his face. He was born end of August so can only have been a few months old.

I certainly remember starting school and being upset because we all had to lie on the floor on rush matting to have an afternoon nap.
But before that, I remember walking down a street in Plymouth where I was born and holdling someone's hand. This was before Plymouth was bombed in the war and rebuilt later. I remember the old buildings.

I remember my 1st birthday where we had a big tea-party. I was in my highchair behind the door and diagonally across the table was a big lady that I now know was my Auntie Lil. I must have been shy even at that early age because I nearly slid down out of my chair when everyone was singing and looking at me.

Being in a push chair.
Starting school at 4.
Hiding under a table with my gran as bombers came over inWorld War 2. Must have been about 3 or 4.

Much to my parents horror I was a dab hand at rolling cigarettes for one of our neighbours. I remember sitting on the step deftly making his fags with a wee silver machine! We moved to a new house before I was at school, so was probably about 3-4.