Dicky99 wrote:kiloran wrote:In the 50s and 60s from the age of 8 or so, my mates and I would roam all over the place in Coventry. Climb trees, paddle in rivers, go to the canal, climb up the mining bings. In hindsight, the scary thing was that we had no mobiles in those days, indeed we didn't even have a phone at home, so no way of calling for help. I'm sure my parents must have been worried when I was late back for teatime, with no idea where I could be. But, that was the norm in those days.
--kiloran
Your childhood sounds something like mine in the 70s. When I think back to it it makes me shudder to think how I survived that time and how ignorant / unconcerned parents were in those days about their kids freedoms.
Some of the most dangerous were connected with climbing trees and buildings to steal birds eggs which resulted in a few falls which could have ended much worse.
There were impromptu swims in dangerous rivers and diving into canal locks. We broke into empty buildings, trespassed on dangerous building sites, climbed scaffolds.
In short we were little thugs but didn't see it that way. We were just energetic kids outdoors all day in the summer holidays looking for adventure.
I was born in 1960 and when I was young, I used to go out on a Sunday afternoon with an older friend. We went all around the countryside. My parents were snoozing after the big Sunday lunch and didn't worry. I remember walking along a high wall next to a canal, exploring empty buildings and looking through large holes in the floor, trying to get conkers from someone's tree and running like crazy when a lady told us off, riding my bike wherever I wanted, falling out of a tree and thinking I was dead...etc. I remember that I didn't have a watch but knew instinctively when it was time to go home.
Anyone remember the small 'I Spy' books? I think that Bill Oddie was running it for a while. Great fun collecting info, sending it in and getting a gold stamp!
Steve
