Some small thing you longed for as a child, but never got. 🙁

Praise.

Failing that sunglasses and a straw hat.

Books. I had two books, one a Ladybird history book that my brother won in a school completion and didn’t like, and a truly beautiful book of Greek myths that an aunt bought me one Christmas. As an avid reader, I hoped every birthday and Christmas for more, but it didn’t happen until I was about 12 when (having had some kind of fit, I assume) my parents bought me four hardcover books for Christmas, including Oliver Twist and a modern novel with a heroine who shared my (commonly used for boys) name.

After that, I wanted a bookshelf!

I had, I should say, other gifts, including several of the things others on this thread have said they wanted. I think my parents just didn’t think books were an exciting or interesting present for a child.

I wanted a case , it was square with handle in the middle, all the little girls at school had one, my elder brother bought me one but it was the poor imitation so I never took it to school

I wanted singing lessons. I had piano, and tap dancing and ballet lessons, none of which I wanted, but was never granted singing lessons.

A pair of roller skates for myself. My sister and I had to share one pair.

I wanted a pony but knew that it was out of the question, but I did work on saturdays at a stable and got some riding that way, but there was one thing that I really wanted for some years, and when I finally got it was deeply disappointed!! We used to get a vanilla icecream in a cone for 3d, and occasionally if we were flush had a 6d one . But oh how I wanted to eat a Knickerbocker Glory! We saw other lucky people having them and they were tall glasses filled with icecream and jelly and the icecream were different flavours I think and sometimes even topped off with a little sparkler. Oh how much I wanted to have one. Then finally I think I was 11, and it was near my birthday and we went to Masarelli's icecream parlour. Oh I looked at it with wonder and could hardly make myself eat it. But oh dear!! It wasnt anything special , just the same sort of icecream and jelly but more of it. I can remember thinking "Have I been waiting all this time just for this" Of course I said Thankyou very much to my mum and dad for getting it for me , but it was a real disappointment and I never cared about it again!

A pony ! Never got one.

I wanted to go to boarding school, the Chalet School, to be specific. As we lived in an end terrace house in a small village in central Scotland, that was never a possibility. I used to play at schools with my dolls and pretend to speak in french and German. I did eventually become a teacher, but not in a boarding school

All I can say is Masarellis must need lessons, I LOVE Knickerbocker Glories!

I had to think quite hard about this one. When my bedroom was being redecorated in our new flat my father got a book of sample wallpapers but when I chose the one I wanted my mother said no, it was too expensive. I was so disappointed that I had to “make do” with one not so much to my taste! I had the ballet and riding lessons though and lots of other things that I remember much more often than that wallpaper. I can’t remember ever mentioning it again to my mother but I wish I could thank her for all the things she, and my father, did give me/did for me. 😢

Ooh no, not for me! 🤮

A sister or brother !

I must have been about 13 when I admired a yellow corduroy trouser suit in a catalogue (this was in the early 70s!) and asked if I could get it for Christmas. On unwrapping my gift, however, I found I’d been given it in a dark burgundy colour. I tried to hide my disappointment, but I think in that moment the truth hit me - I was a short, fat kid and my Mum in her wisdom had known how unflattering the yellow would’ve been. The fact I understood her small deceit at that age was probably like a stab to her heart, but I grew to like that trouser suit and laughed at my original choice. My Mum died a year later.

A sister.

Well, a bit like everyone else, a dog, had to be an Alsation nothing else would do, long hair in a ponytail, a bike ( not safe where I lived) a watch, and a little bag with an attached kids umbrella.😁

Germanshepherdsmum

I would have loved to have a pony.

Me too, but that would be quite large 😁

My great-uncle was always going to buy me one when he came up on the Pools.
He never did.

A pair of roller skates. My sister and I had one pair between us Arguments or one each.!

Why has that posted twice?

I always wanted a Tressy doll remember the advert „Her hair grows 🎼

witzend and Dannirae I remember the Kennards Arcade, too! I loved going there and I seem to recall that they had enclosures with other animals, but I can’t remember what animals they were.

Beddington Park also offered sixpenny pony rides.

My great-uncle was always going to buy me one when he came up on the Pools.

Callistemon You're lucky he promised you a pony. My GF was going to buy me a new wardrobe when he won the pools. I spent many years wondering why he wanted to buy me a wardrobe and what I would do with it if he did.

I would have loved piano lessons but we couldn’t afford it. Most other things I managed to get by other methods 😉 my friend and I used to go to a lonely field and groom the ponies and pretend they were ours. We rode them bareback. When we heard the owner arriving in his car, we chucked all the brushes etc back in the tack room, ran like mad and jumped over a high stone wall. He was probably glad they got groomed actually.
As an adult we have horses and although I don’t ride, I love being around them.

I adored books but apart from Xmas annuals never got one. So whenever a jumble sale was on I would go and buy a big box full of nearly new ones for a few pennies. They kept me happy for months!

Really nice clothes I bought for myself by working part time in a shop from 12 or 13, taking kids out for walks, babysitting etc.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way! 👍

One of those Cadbury miniatures machines, which you put a penny in (or was it a halfpenny?) and got a tiny bar of chocolate.

Also (can I have two please?) - a real, proper Sindy doll, not a poor imitation "just because Sindy clothes will fit."

Grandmabatty

I wanted to go to boarding school, the Chalet School, to be specific. As we lived in an end terrace house in a small village in central Scotland, that was never a possibility. I used to play at schools with my dolls and pretend to speak in french and German. I did eventually become a teacher, but not in a boarding school

Oh please tell us that you taught French and German! Grandmabatty

Ooh.. sea monkeys!!
The ads in the back of some comics showed them as tiny little monkeys which swam, and called them mischievous and cheeky.

Oh how I wanted some!!!