Sunday 30 September 2012

Sunday Social (17)

Linking up with Ashley and Neely for the Sunday Social


  •  What do you miss most about being a kid?
    Imagination. I am old enough that there were three TV channels, limited VCR and no video games or computers. We had whole worlds populated with imaginary casts and worlds which we played in - and they were as real to us as any video game! We were also lucky that we were allowed to roam the countryside playing - you'd never let your kids do that these days!
  • Did you have a nickname growing up? What was it? 
    My unusual name led to many nicknames - not least because my brother and I couldn't quite manage 'Natasha' as tots. My parents used to call me 'Pootle' after a character from the kids TV show 'The Flumps' (even though he was a boy!). At school I got called Gnasher after Dennis the Menace's cat (it rhymes with Tasha) or Mac (at private school they have a whole last name thing going). Mostly I was Tasha short for Natasha... which I hated and got people to call me Nat when I was older.



    The Flumps
      
    Dennis the Menace (just a paper cartoon when I was a kid!)

  • What was your favorite thing to do at recess?
    I think we used to play jump-rope and hopscotch. Always the precocious child I liked to talk to the Dinner Ladies supervising too!

  • What did you want to be when you grew up?
    Shall we start a list?! I wanted to be a ballerina (as does any girl who saw the 'Red Shoes') until I discovered I couldn't dance. I wanted to be an actress and a singer (none of which accounted for my terrible shyness). I spent a long time wanting to do something with horses (we did a lot of horse riding)! Finally I wanted to work with my Dad who had his own company... and I have ended up in the same profession although my Dad and I never got a chance to work together.
    Me about to ride Blackie
    Early attempts at stage-craft; second from left as 'King Louis'
  • What was your favorite toy?
    My soft toy I couldn't live without was a flat dog called 'Bart' (not after the LA subway!). As he fell apart he was patched up. His felt mouth was repaired with band aids and his failing body held together with a nylon stocking!

    I did have quite a lot of dolls, some inherited from my Mum but most given as gifts. I didn't mind Sindy too much (we weren't allowed Barbie, she was a bad role model!) - but most of the other dolls scared me a little. The exception was my 'baby doll' I got for my 9th birthday - so realistic my mother thought one she saw on a train was a real baby. She was called Julie as I got her in July and I was very attached to her!

    Me and Julie (dress by Granny Nita!)
    To play with I loved 'My Little Pony'... my cousin and I had quite the collection between us. I was also fond of StarWars (that is what happens when you have a brother).
    Some of the My Little Ponies
  • What is the funniest thing you did as a kid that your parents still remind you about.
    Oh dear. I was a frightful precocious show off from a young age. Apparently when I was about three my mother had a 'Mother and Toddler' Group at our house, and I came in from the garden to inform the adults having tea that it was 'absolute pandemonium' in the garden. There were also the numerous example of wandering off in John Lewis at Brent Cross Shopping Center (at the time the biggest in England) and bending the ear of check-out staff whilst my poor mother searched high and low. Another of my favourites is when I first started kindergarten and as many tots are I was horribly jealous of my baby brother, but I didn't want to go to kindergarten either, so I told everyone I wanted to stay at home to play with my baby brother. The last is another horrid precocious child tale (there is that word again) my kindergarten was attached to some developmental study and I remember (vaguely) going to some test thing where I was asked if I could count to 20; which I did so, in French. I'd hate me if I met me as a small child now!