To ask what irrationally scared you as a child? *lighthearted*

[liverbird10]

My mother insists I was terrified of the Chef from Sesame Street as a toddler, I would howl whenever he appeared on screen.

I was also petrified by the 2ft Bugs Bunny my brother bought me.

A few years later, it was the Gorgs from Fraggle Rock. I seem to have got over that fear though, my fella resembles a blond one slightly.

Was anybody else round here equally odd?

Ladybirds - I would refuse to go anywhere if I thought there might be one there.

The men that my brothers told me would come to the house and steal me at night - evil sods! Child logic told me that if I held on to the mattress they wouldn't be able to steal me without the bed, and stealing the bed would wake up my parents. I still hold the bottom sheet when I sleep.

The toilet monster that lived in the (downstairs) loo. If I wasn't back in bed by the time the flushing noise stopped it would get me.

The lighter for a gas cooker. I though it would hurt if it touched you.

Looking at this list, my brothers were horrible. Most of these fears stem from their stories.

Those rabies posters you used to see on the cross channel ferries.

My uncle had a bust of Beethoven in his study. Those blank eyes used to freak me out, I had to run past the doorway on my way to the loo.

The bogey man. My mother told me if I didn’t get in to bed the bogey man would get me. I still have to run to the bathroom if I need a wee in the night.

The casualty theme tune. It sends shivers down my spine now and I have to cover my ears if I hear it.

Large trees, especially if they had knobbly trunks.

Pylons, I think the advert warning children not to climb them had a big effect on me, I was only about 5.
The way the moon looked through the dimpled glass through the bathroom window.
Kenny Everett and his floppy legs routine, dressed as a woman, he terrified me.

The Wheelers from Return to Oz and these weird ghost type things (they were supposed to be the wind I think) in a cartoon version of Heidi, they still give me the creeps

Return to oz... the Wheelers were terrifying!! I also remember someone drowning in quicksand in that film too.

Ghost Watch, which was a bbc Halloween special. It really freaked me out even though my mum told me it was fake at the end. I can still see Pipes in the curtain in the children's bedroom.

Mirrors. I had to cover them up when I slept. I think I thought I would look into them and would see something behind me but she I turned around it wouldn't be there. This was possibly because I watched the Disney film The Watcher in the Woods which scared the crap out of me. And I think a cbbc series.. not sure which one but it might have been Moondial.

My parents didn't restrict what I watched on tv and I remember watching The Shining and the twins really freaking me out and the blood rushing through the hotel. It is one of my favourite films as an adult though. I also remember seeing some of the original Amityville horror which had blood seeping through the house.

My mum loved the TV show Taggart and I used to watch it too. I remember one episode had writing in blood on the wall from a murder victim and I used to have really bad dreams about finding blood writing on the wall. No wonder I slept with the light on!

When I was a bit older the Candyman films really freaked me out.

Have added a blurry Pipes image.

Two films
Never ending story with the big flying dog and labyrinth with Bowie. Hated them

Fraggle rock

Hearing the music still brings back the sensations from being a very small child

Oh and moomins

The loud noise of trolleybus. It was scary enough for me to cry when I saw its lines somewhere. I pestered my mum into finding alternative ways to get to our destination. I was about 10, when I stopped being afraid of it.

Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.

Dolls and I am still terrified. I can’t have hard bodied dolls in the house

"Quick sand. I was led to believe this would be a much bigger problem for me as a grown up than it has been"
Lol I can't think of an example but totally get this. There were plenty of things I worried about as a child which I later realised were quite niche

Kieran omg, yes, nosybonk!! Terrifying! Also my cousin who rode a motorbike & had beard & long hair! I hid behind the sofa when he called & apparently he loved kids & was quite upset...!

Flushing the toilet and running out quick also used to think sharks came out the filters in the swimming pool. Thankfully grew out of that

Alice in Wonderland

The Moomins

A glass jar in my grandmother's house

Anything horror -still won't watch it

The Humphreys! Watch out, watch out, there's a Humphrey about...*shudders...

Nuns. I thought they were witches and would get me.
My cousin and i sneakily watched a bit of a horror film with a faceless nun in it. Couldn't sleep for ages.
Churchy music too.
The gap between the train and the platform.
Escalators.
Proper spaghetti. Thought it was worms and would only eat spaghetti hoops.
The tapeworm picture in the wildlife enclyopedia at school. Ugh

Falling down into the toilet or going down the hole with the bath water if the plug came out

My Grandad’s eyebrows. They were HUGE and I remember hiding from him behind my sister and he kept looking at me. All I could see was his intimidating wispy brows!

Takes of the Unexpected. The theme tune still shits me up now.

Tales not takes for Christ sake!