I took great interest in a comment my Mother made a number of times,
In passing...
She'd say,
"Oh yes, well... next door .." she'd tilt her head towards the neighbouring wall, "they told me they spent hours and hours enjoying watching you play".
Each time she mentioned it... I'd think about them...
They were an elderly couple when our family moved next door to them (Netherton)
Anyway,
I'd cast my mind back, through the years of play that I'd enjoyed in our garden when I'd been very young
(say .... from 3.5 years to maybe 11)
Trying to think, what had they seen that had SO interested them?
They were a very quiet couple, always polite
He was a good gardener and had subdivided his garden
Pleasure
Equipment
Structure
Growth
Waste
As I'd played my games involving Pirates, Gypsy Queens and little lost something or others.....
I'd watched with pleasure how pretty their garden was...
I can almost smell the scent of Sweet Peas, Lilac, Heather
I loved the Hyacinths ... blue was my favourite
(I think that's because it's a reminder of Bluebells)
He had a graceful arching silver birch that adjoined our garden.
I'd trace the bark with my fingers
Watch ladybirds open their wings...
I loved going to play out after the rain
The smell of fresh clean earth and sea on the breeze...
Richer colours
I'd look to the skies
watch how the clouds moved along with their shape and measure
take a big breath in and exhale slowly
No doubt my neighbours saw me do that often.
But had I done anything I might now find embarrassing?
Well... we did have a concrete path in the centre
Mum hung her washing from the line between the posts either side
In summer...
I'd make tents...
I'd wade into the closets, cupboards, suitcases... collect the selection that I felt sure Mum would allow me to have for this purpose...
Armed with pegs and determination...
I'd build my own tent and try to develop a range of ways to make it Bigger... BETTER, without losing the features I was already used to and enjoyed, about this game.
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