Did you all see Tim/Charlie (who could tell the difference?) in the latest Young at Heart Photo Album. Tim in his sweet sandals and socks, on his stripey deckchair, lapping up his ice-cream. A typical English summer scene.
Tim tagged me in this guess-the-blogger-as-a-child meme, and I found the above photo which, as Tim said, showed “Mum’s Gone to” not getting anywhere very fast, trying to paddle on the sand. The photo was taken in Majorca when I was nearly five years old. This was in the very early days of package holidays and my first time abroad.
My parents tell me that when this photo was taken they noticed a chap also taking photos of me by the water’s edge. My dad apparently went to speak to him to ask what he was doing. When he explained he was taking photos for a German magazine, that seemed perfectly acceptable to my dad. Over the years they often said, “Wouldn’t it have been nice to have had a copy of the magazine?” HELLO?!! God knows where those photos ended up but we never contemplated anything other than the explanation we were given. How times have changed.
The other thing that makes me smile about this picture is being amazed at how brown I was. In the late 60s and early 70s no-one really gave much thought to protecting children from the sun. If this photo were taken today, I’d probably have a big floppy hat and a sun-reflecting all-in-one suit, not an itsy-bitsy white bikini. Our family used to love getting tanned: Mum would slather on a Factor 2 now and again but otherwise I’d spend all summer looking nut brown. I would sit in the bath each evening admiring my tan lines: a few pink bits never bothered me as “they will turn brown eventually!”
Now have a little look at the bonny baby below. Don’t you just want to pinch those chubby cheeks? Who do they belong to? I think this little girl with her tiny bunny for company may now prefer her dogs and some cuddly lambs? But she probably still has ruddy cheeks due to all that bracing Northern air up on the farm.
I thought it looked warmer in that pic than on our annual holidays in Scarborough…. and you want to know why my body was so white?
Tis not fair…I've never been that brown in my life…
You look like you are having the most wonderful time! I remember my mother actually putting Ambre Solair on that was meant to make you tan quicker!!!!
You're absolutely adorable, I'm not surprised a german guy wanted to take photos of you..!! But you're right, who would allow that these days. And with all the nutter abouts I certainly wouldn't.
Love the baby photo too.
CJ xx
The Dotterel – indeed, quite a contrast in our colour! Though I'm sure you would have had some tan lines from your socks!
mummmeeee – but I bet you're not a wrinkled old prune like me now?
Tattie – yes, I think my mum used Bergasol too as a tan-accelerator!
CJ – I know! Innocence of that age!
Isn't that baby a cutie?!
I was never that brown – more lobster red which then peeled! You must be lucky enough to have the sort of skin that tans quite easily – damn you! Lovely family holiday photo!
I think the cute baby MUST be CJ!!
its amazing the differences these days, huh? i remember my mum slathering herself in tanning oil to make her go browner! Shudder.
@Diney – the cute baby…you may be on the right track haha!
@Heather – I think my mum also used neat coconut oil she got from the chemist. Must admit I still like getting a tan but slowly, with factor 15 a must!