Childhood memories

[YawnAndTheyWillYawnToo]

I’m 49 and can still remember my nans house inside and out, down to the dinnermats she had, one had a crab on it and I hated that one.
She always gave me a dark green plastic cup to drink my tea out of.
The squeak of the wooden airer being lowered from the ceiling in the kitchen.

Me too. In my head I can walk around both of my late Grandmother's houses. I can picture every room. I still miss them both.

We used to stay with my aunty for part of the school holidays and I remember the smell of her gas hob. We had an electric hob at our house, so when I smelled that gas smell I knew I was in a different place where I was free. I didn’t have to go to school and be bullied. I didn’t have to be judged and rejected by kids who knew me. I could play with a different set of kids and be treated like I was normal and they liked me. And I knew my Dad would have to spend time with me, he couldn’t abandon me and bugger off out with his friends because they weren’t there. I still feel comforted by the smell of gas and that’s why I got a gas hob in my own house. It’s quite sad really now I think about it.

Gosh yes. Every detail.

Maternal gran lived in fulham and when it rained the planes would go over every 10 mins. The long dark 'passage' - hall - from the front door with all the rooms off on one side. The lino. The slippy rugs. Her old hoover terrified me, lurking in the gloom. A kirby i think. The 'front room' where we never sat as it was full of all her best things. Her old telly with the ariel on top down in the bottom sitting room which needed tweaking a lot. The smell of peas cooking. Her embroidered table cloth. Plastic flowers. Bins with paper bags lining them. The outside loo with the weird wall paper!