spouse of scouse

When you were a child, did you think or dream of other places, other places that were very different to where you lived?

I did, often, and mainly through my habit of having my nose stuck in a book at every conceivable opportunity. Living in a small house with 4 siblings, I'd usually take my book and sit under the wattle tree at the back of our half acre block. Always ended up itchy from the grass, and usually with ants in my pants to boot, but it didn't seem to matter.

Despite the vast amounts of books I read, it was a movie that really fired my imagination about another country. The movie was Mary Poppins and it depicted a world I'd never even dreamed about, let alone seen. Leaving the Edwardian times in was set in aside - it was 'London' itself that fascinated this approx. 8 year old. In particular, I remember the churches, taller than anything I'd ever seen, built of dark stone and so enormous, regal and dignified - and the people, talking in a 'funny' accent, and the vast difference between rich and poor. All of that was so alien to a kid growing up in Perth in the 60s.

Of course, Mary Poppins wasn't even filmed in London, it was shot entirely in a film studio in California. The most 'goosebumby' part of the film for me was the depiction of the bird lady, selling her bags of crumbs for tuppence. While the Feed the Birds soundtrack played, the camera panning up St Paul's Cathedral (didn't know it was cardboard!), the birds flying around, the semi-darkness and gloom, and the poor old bird lady, sitting on the steps in rags, looking after 'her' birds as best she could - I never forgot any of it.

I watched 'Feed the Birds' on YouTube a while ago. Blow me down if I didn't get exactly the same tummy butterflies and goosebumps as I did (mumblemumble) years ago. The tears in my eyes were a bit unexpected though.

Sentimental old ninny. Were you an imaginative kid? Did any particular books or movies fire your imagination? Were you going to be a super hero when your grew up, or a soldier or a nurse? Or did you dream of another place, far away, so different to your home and think - I'll go there one day.

Pollyana

When I was five I had a Teddy Bear Annual which had pictures of 'Christmas in England' and 'Christmas in Australia'. The English ones shpwed children opening presents by the fire, big roast dinner, snow outside, all the stereotyical stuff, the Aussie ones showed Christmas on the beach (of course!)
The Annual got lost over the years but I always rmembered the pics and always wanted to go to Australia for Christmas! Just before I emigrated I found a copy of the Annual on ebay, very weird seeng the pics again and thinking that I was finally going to Australia - even funnier when I tod the story of my 'dream' of moving tAus on here in a orevious thread and found someone else who remembered the pictures as well

And how did the reality compare to the imagining? Well, Christmas is either too hot or too stormy to go near a beach, and its not much cop on your own anyway Give me the English version anytime

spouse of scouse

What a lovely story Polly. I am so looking forward to my first Christmas in the UK!

Yes, the beach/sun/bikini thing was absolutely hammered, and I think to a large extent still is. Even if all of that is absolutely to people's taste, there's precious little time to enjoy it all after doing the 9 - 5 slog. Caveat Emptor

renth

When I lived in South America as a child we used to have calendars from the UK with pictures of lovely cottages and bucolic scenes. My parents also told me there was no crime in England.

I imagined a wonderful utopia where I longed to live.

Imagine my disappointment when I eventually moved to England and discovered most people lived in regular houses, it rained a lot (it NEVER rained in Peru) and it wasn't crime free as I'd been let to believe.

carolinephillips

I moved around a lot as a kid, until I settled in a rural village just before I was 10. My dreams mostly involved me flying or running away! I used to pretend I was a horse with my neighbour's eldest, and make jumps out of mum's peasticks and brooms. I often thought of myself as a brumby in the outback- there was a series of children's books about the Silver Brumby that I read and re-read. Closest I got to Australia for many years.

Molly Coddle

They are still some left Renth, little Yorkshire villages, dotted about, no crime, no idiots, just good folk and views to die for, I lived in one and I'll return one day. You have to see it to believe it.








@Spouse, I love the Mary Poppins film. The laughing scene I remember the most where the harder you laughed the higher you floated. Brilliant.

scrubbedexpat098

I always knew it, Renth aint your real name cos your real name is Paddington Bear

Mary Poppins was written in Australia, just up the road from us in Bowral, dunno if you knew that but it might make you smile one of my favourite films, but don't tell no-one ok???

carolinephillips

Watch the film "Saving Mr Banks" that will tell you more about it. A wonderful little film with Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thomson as P.L.Travers.

spouse of scouse

Hahaaa, those calendars have a lot to answer for (and so do parents!)

spouse of scouse

I haven't thought about the broomsticks for horses for years Caroline. thanks for reminding me

I used to think about flying away too, on a magic carpet. Not sure where I got the idea for that from!

spouse of scouse

Yes, it was a fantastic movie Molly. Must have been, for it to stick in our minds after all these years - less years for you though

spouse of scouse

Yes, definitely watch this Steve, it's a ripper. Hanks is good as Disney, but Thomson is absolutely wonderful.

carolinephillips

Just seen that the house I did most of my growing up in is for sale. 28 years ago Dad sold it for 58k, it is now on the market for 265k. Sadly, all the green fields around it have gone and now it is enclosed by noddy boxes. The beautiful magnolia in the front has also been hacked down, and the oak at the back.

Looking at it, it is hard to imagine a family of 5 growing up in what was a 2.5 bedroom chalet bungalow, but we managed- mainly by stuffing my little sister into a box room in the eaves too small to fit a bed in, and my parents sleeping in the downstairs "dining" room.

spouse of scouse

That does make you nostalgic Caroline, and sad too, if the place has changed a lot. People just made do then, and we all seemed to manage quite well didn't we?

We were 7 in a small 3 bedroom home (well, 6 when Dad nicked off with the local barmaid!) - my brother was the only boy so he had his own room, while us four girls slept in the 'big bedroom' (fancy schmancy master bedroom now) in a double bunk and two singles.

The house was on a big block with a huge shed down the back. Dad was a mechanic and did lots of private work on the weekends. I went back to see the old place a few years ago, like you I couldn't believe how small it looked. The block had been developed, Dad's shed was gone, replaced by a villa.

NigelWaring

This is one of the most fascinating threads that I've seen for a long time, you are all a great lot.