1/5
Apropos nothing.
At Whitsun 1972 we stayed in a damp cottage on the North York moors.
I was 7 years old and my holiday money for the week was 17½p.
Yes. 17½p.
Apropos nothing.
At Whitsun 1972 we stayed in a damp cottage on the North York moors.
I was 7 years old and my holiday money for the week was 17½p.
Yes. 17½p.
2/5
One rainy day (they were all rainy days) we went to Runswick Bay.
Today I would think Runswick Bay beautiful, even in the rain.
But at 7 years old, the only thing I found to be of the slightest interest was a small, pottery hippo in a shop.
I really liked the hippo.
One rainy day (they were all rainy days) we went to Runswick Bay.
Today I would think Runswick Bay beautiful, even in the rain.
But at 7 years old, the only thing I found to be of the slightest interest was a small, pottery hippo in a shop.
I really liked the hippo.
3/5
After a moment’s consideration of my finances, I decided that my only real option was to invest 15p of my 17½p in the hippo.
That was 85% of my liquid assets.
After a moment’s consideration of my finances, I decided that my only real option was to invest 15p of my 17½p in the hippo.
That was 85% of my liquid assets.
4/5
The hippo attracted considerable derision.
“It’s got nothing to do with Runswick Bay”, my siblings pointed out, meanly but not unreasonably.
“Well,” I spat back, “I could paint on it, ‘A Present from Runswick Bay’”.
I was deadly serious.
The hippo attracted considerable derision.
“It’s got nothing to do with Runswick Bay”, my siblings pointed out, meanly but not unreasonably.
“Well,” I spat back, “I could paint on it, ‘A Present from Runswick Bay’”.
I was deadly serious.
5/5
I never did. Of course.
It would have ruined the hippo. It is, nonetheless, the only thing anyone remembers from that holiday.
It sits on the shelf by my desk, 48 years later.
There is no uplifting moral to this.
Just a story.
The little girl in the photo is @Miridoesntweet
I never did. Of course.
It would have ruined the hippo. It is, nonetheless, the only thing anyone remembers from that holiday.
It sits on the shelf by my desk, 48 years later.
There is no uplifting moral to this.
Just a story.
The little girl in the photo is @Miridoesntweet
@threadreaderapp please unroll
