Memories Of Yesteryear.

My earliest memory goes back to the second world war. I clearly remember being on the porch of my aunts house. It was dark. I must have been well under the age of two. My mother was holding me in her arms, my aunt standing to our right. The grown ups were looking at the sky and I remember the drone of aircraft overhead. Were they our planes or enemy planes heading for Liverpool? I've often wondered. I can still hear the drone of those planes. I think the anxiety of my mother and her sister must be the reason for the memory imprinting itself on my young mind.

Oh, the misconceptions of early years! Aged 3, at nursery in the 1950s, I remember announcing that Matron's daddy often collected her at the end of the day - in fact it was her husband arriving to walk her home.

I was 4 years old and went to the dentist for the first time . I took one look at the dentist chair ,and the dentist in his white coat . They looked terrifying to me . I kicked the dentist , headed for the door ,and ran.
Still hate the dentist. Haven’t kicked him lately though

In 1951 or 52, I was 3or 4, I tried to rescue my baby sister from the (tiny) waves at the beach - we lived in the Seychelles at the time. I too got caught, but my parents were furious with me for trying to drown her. No one was interested in my side of the story. The injustice!
Story of my life - whatever she did was wonderful k few things I did were even good enough to mention without a sneer. The viscissitudes of a middle child of 3 girls..

Between ages 2 and 4. Having plaster casts on both feet following operations. They didn’t have plaster shoes in those days but two blocks (wooden, I think) on the bottom of each cast. I thought it was mean that I had to go out in a push chair, my DB thought it was mean that he had to walk.

One of my earliest memories was pre-school, so I would have been about 3 or 3 and half, I started school at 4, so 1952 approx. Each morning I would sit on the wicker chair that my Dad had bought for me and put my brown leather shoes on so that I could go to school like my older siblings. I would ask my Ma why I couldn't go to school and the answer was always the same, I was too little, until one day my big sister finally took me.
I must have been delighted!

Many thanks folks for getting back to me with your intriguing tales.
They can be bad or good Kitty, in answer to what you wrote.

Its just that I wondered if others could remember at what age they were and year it was when something happened that is still imprinted on their memory.

Its interesting to know what imprinted memory one has from childhood, as all the tales tell.

Ours were The Sisters of Charity. What a joke.

To many to mention. First day of school aged 5. I was so scared I wet my pants. The teacher stood me on a box and said to the class 'Look what this dirty little girl has done'.
Aged 7. A woman came into the classroom called out my name and beckoned me to go with her. Not a word was spoken. I followed her to a large white van which she put me in. I was alone and terrified. When the van stopped I was taken to a place where everyone wore white coats and smelled of what I now know to be methylated spirit. They did something to my head (I now realise it was delousing). I was taken back to my class, still no words or explanation.
This was 1956/7.

Sorry, I didn't realise it was bad memories.

Getting twin brothers was quite a nice memory! And, i have blocked out the (lots of ) horrid memories I have

Maywalk , that is a truly shocking experience you went through - sister of mercy !!!! Don't think so. Hard to comprehend such cruelty.
Vampire queen , you and the other children were treated so badly . Had my tonsils removed at 17 and remember the discomfort!!! I have no bad memories , how luck am I !?

What awful treatment children had to endure all those years ago.

My childhood friends mother died recently and she’s sorting out old photos and sending me some of us in the 1950’s and 60’s. Brings back lovely memories.

In 1952, aged 3 and living in North Wales, I was in bed when the door opened and the doctor walked in carrying a big black bag. Seeing me, he backed out.

When I got up next morning there were two baby boys in bed with my mum.

I was convinced he had brought them in his big black bag!

What awful treatment of you by a nun Maywalk

I was 7. I had to have my tonsils out and mam bought me a Jack and Jill comic to take to the hospital. I was so excited. Jack and Jill was really expensive and we never had the money for things like that. Sister Black ran the ward with an iron fist. She split the ward into two halves. Her really sick children and the tonsil children. She was a stickler for tidiness. I was in for three days but it felt like three years. She was an evil woman. On the day of the operation I reacted to the anaesthetic and kept being sick. She told me off for this as it was not only causing work for the nurses but, more importantly, I'd used all the clean pyjamas on the ward and she'd had to borrow some from another ward. She also threw away my Jack and Jill comic because she said it was making her ward look untidy. Her final sadistic shot was at breakfast on the day after the operation when we were due to go home. She told us we had to eat everything we were given or our parents wouldn't be allowed to collect us (there had been no visiting allowed). Then she gave me two shredded wheat with a smidgeon of milk. The dry shredded wheat ripped at my raw throat each time I swallowed but I had to eat it because I was desperate to go home. I hated that woman as only a 7 year old can hate and I still do to this day. Of all the things she did to me (and the other children) I think the throwing away of my wonderful Jack and Jill comic scarred me the most.

Maywalk what a dreadful experience
Mine is of going to my Grandma’s house and sleeping overnight in a huge double bed that I could hardly climb up. I loved going to her house (on 3 different buses) and have lots of clear memories of her and the things we did together. That would have been from 1952 when my sister was born, to 1954 when I started school.

I remember Queen Mary dying and watching the Coronation. I was 3 and a half. The following year I spent a week in hospital having my tonsils out. My parents couldn’t visit every day but I was perfectly happy with my teddy bear for company. I still remember the awful smell of semolina that pervaded the ward. I’ve never touched the stuff.

1954

You never said what year that happened Fiorentina51.

My earliest memory which has stayed with me, is of me and my cousin lying on our tummies on the step of the farmhouse door feeding corn to a flock of chickens.
Both of us had small pink ceramic bowls full of golden maize and my mum was standing nearby.
We were staying on my grandparents farm in Italy and I was about 3 years old.
Years later when we visited again, I found the little pink bowls in a cupboard. It brought back that lovely memory.

1955

What year was that Oopsadaisy1?

I was 3 yrs old, in hospital having my tonsils out and I remember sitting in a metal framed cot with bars, crying because no one would let me go to the toilet, I don’t remember if they eventually let me out to use the lo or not, but I still have my little Teddy that Mum and Dad bought me to have with me, it’ll be 66 this year.

Recently there was a photo on a FB page that I’m a member of, with a photo of the ward I was on, with rows of metal barred cots, so I didn’t imagine it!