Scariest memory from your childhood?

My sister was nine years older than me and she really resented me. She had been an only child all through the war and had hardly known our Dad as he was away in the army. I was born just after the war ended (I must have been conceived during a period of leave - I hope!) When I was about two or three my sister and her friend took me to the park and then hid in the bushes. I still remember how terrified I was of being left alone. Another time they threw me in a pit of stinging nettles and she once told me to jump down the stairs which I duly did. Mum said it was only the siren suit I was wearing that saved me! I don’t think she ever really got over her jealousy of me but we did become slightly closer as we got older. Sadly we lost her many years ago now.

Your post Boheminan, reminded me of a similar episode in my childhood.
Mummy sent me to collect a parcel from her sister.
The parcel, wrapped in white paper was longish and heavy. I suppose I was about seven years old at the time.
On the short walk home I opened the top of the parcel. It was a huge tongue. I was very shocked and disgusted by it.
Of course this was in the days when housewives cooked and pressed tongue. Needless to say, I've never
liked it!!

A memory that I recall is when I was 7 years old walking down our street with my mum. There was a grassy bank one side and we came across a neat package, wrapped in newspaper and tied up in string. Mum thought it was a parcel someone had accidently left, so she, being curious opened the package. Inside was a chopped off cocks head, legs and entrails. The shock for me was huge, mum flung the package in the air and we run home.

Not scary with hindsight but upset me at the time. My Dad was an entertainer - comedian and magician. All his props were kept in the 'middle room' and I was also put in my pram as a baby to have a nap in there. On one shelf sat 'Dippy Duck', a wooden prop obviously in the shape of a duck with a moving yellow beak. I would look at Dippy and babble away to him. A few years later, I was 4 or 5, I went to watch my Dad in a summer season concert at a local seaside resort. There he was on stage and introduced Dippy to the audience. Dippy was supposed to pick the card chosen by a member of the audience. He got it wrong once, then got it wrong again. My Dad told Dippy that if he didn't get it right next time he'd be Sunday dinner. I broke down in tears at the thought of my pal being eaten. I was so upset and still remember it as if it was yesterday.

One really frightening riding accident caused by the stupidity of the riding instructor.
She lost her temper with my plodding old horse on the edge of our gallop area and gave him a terrific thwack on the rump sending him into a blind panic .
I lost my stirrups and was thrown forward as he galloped through the common and into the busy main road .
We were nearly hit by a van and a motorbike .
He finally stopped as we hit a tree .
My hat saved me .
I had a terrific headache and a bloody nose.

Sorry lost the ability to spell! 🥴

hollysteers

With my father, every day was scary…

Ditto Hollysteers! My father was a violent lunatic but got away with all sorts because he was a well-known known local business man. 😠

I would have been about 4. My hair was long and mum would spend ages putting it up in a bun with loads of ribbons. We were at the beach and unbeknown to my parents, the sea bed went down in steps.

I was paddling and suddenly went under and I can still feel the sense of panic. My mum and dad realised something was wrong when they could only see the bright ribbons mum had put in my hair.

My dad ran into the sea but luckily for me, someone else had seen what had happened and pulled me out. To this day I have a fear of water and hate to be out of my depth.

I had a similar experience, Primrose53. Walking home from school one day, I saw a woman who lived near us beating her dog with a walking stick. I told her to stop it or I would report her to the police. She promptly told my mother and my mother went absolutely ballistic at me for 'daring' to speak to an adult in that way! Never mind the poor dog.

My mad Father!🤔

Yes holly it does.

My frightening times were nightmares; as a small child I often dreamed of running down the garden, trying to escape from a tiger or lion. I was always running at slow speed - the big cat wasn't, and gained on me relentlessly. I would wake screaming; it went on for some years. Possibly due to seeing the beautiful beasts at London Zoo.

One evening when I was 9 or 10 I was stting in a tree on the edge of the wood, just enjoying the lovely evening. All of a sudden there was a loud bang & I looked out at the field & there was our neighbour with a shotgun pointed in my direction.
I yelled as loud as I could "Don't shoot, I'm not a bird!"
He lowered his gun & took off for home pdq.

He did apologise to my dad for scaring me & told him what I shouted, & the family all seemed to think it was a huge joke but although I probably wasn't in any real danger, it really scared me to see the gun pointing in my direction.

Kate1949

Mine too holly

Stays with you doesn’t it?💐

Mine too holly

Marmight my mother in law once told me how frightened she was as a child by the stuffed chihuahuas on her grandparents landing.

At my grandparents house, the loo was upstairs. Half way up the stairs, on the wall, hung a stuffed alligator. The house was always dimly lit and I hated climbing past this scarey reptile which, like the Mona Lisa, followed me with its eyes all the way up and all the way down which I ran at top speed 🐊

I was 12 my cousin was 10 . I stayed at my aunties house loads in the summer holidays and we were out on the fields together all day. On the way back for tea we were crossing a little road by the canal and had to use a small bridge. There was a man at the end of the bridge and we didn’t notice him until we were near the middle ( laughing and talking )

He exposed himself to us and I was so scared, I felt responsible for my cousin and I’d never seen a man’s body before . We ran like hell, I told my dad and he was so mad, not at me but at the guy. He went looking for him I think he’d have hit him if he’d found him

I once wandered down to the sea on my own during a family beach trip and when I started off up the sand again I realised I was surrounded by worm casts. I’d never noticed them before and panicked, thinking they were worms, and not daring to move an inch. Fortunately my dad noticed quickly and came to my rescue.

With my father, every day was scary…

Another swimming related story coming up.
I was sixteen and as a family we were visiting family in Yorkshire. It was in the summer.
One hot day several cousins and young friends took me to the open air swimming pool. I enjoyed swimming and was contentedly swimming along on my back when a boy swam up to me.
I suppose he thought it was a fun thing to do when he pushed me under the water using the palm of his hand. Once I was under the water he put his foot on my stomach and pushed me to the floor of the pool. He held me there until I thought I would drown. When he released me I accidentally scratched him as I fought for air.
The outcome was he told his mother that evening that I had scratched him. His mother told my mother and I was told off!!!!
No mention of me almost being drowned by the boy!!!
I've had a fear of water ever since.

Walking with my Uncle’s dog - a golden retriever - along a river bank on their farm one afternoon, just me aged about 8 and the dog. This was our usual afternoon routine walk.
Suddenly the heifers on the other side of the field charged at us, so we ran for the gate and just got through it before they caught up with us. I still think very carefully before going into a field with cattle in it.

I was about 9 and cycling through our very quiet village on my bike. I had recently learned how to ride with no hands so was developing my skills. 😉

A car was following me and when I stopped at the X roads this woman driver shouted to me to stay where I was. She then got out of her car and gave me a right ear bashing about riding my bike no handed. She asked me my name and where I lived and said she was going to tell my parents.

I didn’t think she would do it but when I went home about half an hour later she sat in our front room looking very smug and telling my parents what an awful child I was. As she was rather posh, my Dad was very respectful and polite and after she left I got another telling off.

Can you imagine that happening today. Snooty old cow.

Most of my childhood was frightening. I have related this on another thread previously. When I was 7 and at my strict Catholic school, a lady came into the class, called my name and said 'Come with me'. Without another word, I was led outside and put in a large, white van. Alone.

The van set off and about 20 minutes later it stopped, the doors opened and I was told to get out. I followed a woman into a sort of clinic where I was, what I now know to be deloused. ( I had always had nits). Still not a word was said to me and I was put back in the van and taken back to my class. It was never mentioned by anyone after that.

When my brother coaxed me into putting my tongue on top of the terminals of a 9v battery claiming that I wouldn’t feel a thing as it was flat……..he was fibbing 🤯