The Wonder Years

The yellow Dragstar bike - 9th birthday present. I had to pay half but boy was it worth it. Worth it for my parents too because they saved on bus fares for the next 8 years!

The photo with all the people in it - there was me the smallest one, my neighbour Desleigh behind me, my mum in the yellow on the other side, seated was Mip (couldn't say Mrs Smith) my neighbour and second mother, and behind her Midda Mip (couldn't say Mr Smith) who was her husband. I remember that was my all time favourite dress ever and when I grew out of it I was very sad indeed. Needless to say I wore it til it was skin tight.

My best day of the week was Saturday because in the morning Mip would do lots of baking and her family wasn't interested in licking the bowl and spoon like I was. A little bit of cooling and the delicious bakery items would be carefully placed into the 3 tiered silver cakes/biscuits/scones tin. Heaven!

Then on Saturday afternoon I'd go to Brownies up at Queens Park across from where my mother (Tottie) and her twin sister (Doris) grew up. Actually, I must have had 3 mums because Dor Dor was just as much a mum to me as my own mother. The kissin cousins (Wendy, Bryan, Noela, Lesley and Janelle) only lived a street away and weekends were full of scooter adventures and Girls Club activities.

Back to the Brownie photo, what can I say, I still look good in brown! Goes with the eyes. Maybe don't wear so many badges now but it was a good look in the early 70s. Never was the same when I went into guides - they can stick their pale blue and navy and making knots and folding flags. Give me Brown Owl, a toadstood and a situpon and I was in heaven.

Nads