When I was young

My memory of my childhood is hazy at best, but I do remember a couple of things.

Spending time with my friend Julie over the back - she was 5 or so years older than me, and she used to try to teach me to bake. One time, I went over to hers without telling my dad. Dad worked nights so when he woke up I just wasn't home from school and he didn't know where I was. When he found me, it was the first time I'd ever seen him cry. I don't remember Julie's surname, but I do remember she was in love with an older man (well, I say man, he was 19 or so) who was a window cleaner, and her parents didn't approve so she used to sneak out to see him. It all seemed impossibly glamorous to a 9 year old.

Being a bit of a wimpy mummy's girl - I literally used to hide behind her skirts if we bumped into someone she knew at the supermarket. My poor parents could never get time alone - I used to beg to go to stay at my nan and grandad's house, then around midnight or so dad would always have to come and pick me up because I would be inconsolable.

There weren't many kids who lived near enough to play out, and I wasn't allowed across the main road, so I had Mark and Paul Toney next-door-but-one and Jamie and Andrew Thorp from a few doors down. This photo popped into my head on the drive home tonight - the two boys are Andrew (at the front) and Jamie (behind me). We were thrilled to be allowed on my brother's motorbike - I think he might even have taken us on a quick spin! Jamie and Andrew emigrated to New Zealand with their parents at some point and I was gutted. Jamie was the first boy I kissed - I must've been around 6 or 7 and kiss-chase was great fun :-) It was such an innocent time!

I wonder about them from time to time - what prompted the move? Did they move to a better life on the other side of the world? Where are they now? Are they happy? Would they remember this photo being taken?

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