If I were to tell you that my Dad:
- took us camping on Clapham Common when we were kids, because his friend owned a circus that was pitched there for the week,
- took us to Longleat, where another friend was the estate manager, and we bottle fed lion and tiger cubs in his house,
- took me, aged 5, to the London Palladium where another friend was the stage manager, so we got in for free and I sat on the steps in the stalls and watched Cinderella with Ronnie Corbett as Buttons,
- made a lion out of artex and hung it on the wall in the dining room (I think it's still there),
then you might not be surprised when I tell you that in his shed, amongst quite a lot of other stuff, he has a full size set of swing boats.
He used to take the swing boats to fetes but has decided that now, as he's nearly 83, that he wants to sell them.
Slight problem; he needed a photo of them in order to sell them and they couldn't find one. 'Never mind' said I, 'I'll help you put them up and we'll take another photo'.
This wasn't quite as easy as it sounded as
a: Dad couldn't remember exactly how they went together and
b: on our first attempt we discovered that several of the nuts were missing.
Dad was dispatched to buy more nuts and this weekend we had a 2nd attempt at putting them up.
Not easy, but I love a bit of problem solving, and we got there.
I'm immensely proud of my unconventional Dad, and the slightly wacky childhood that him and my mum gave us. Love you both.
9 comments:
What a lovely man he is, looks good too as do you. You and I both like Crocs in many colours...
I just came across your blog. I grew up in what was a small village at the time in Suffolk but it has changed over the years.
Love the shot of you and your dad. It must have been interesting to grow up with such a clever and inventive dad. Hope he has a sale quickly.
Take care.
Oh what a lovely post Su. It looks as if you and your dad make a great team. Just how big is that shed?
What a lovely post and what a lovely sounding man. I saw Ronnie Corbett as Buttons at the Palladium too!
Su, please do tell your marvelous Dad that absent the photographs in this post, I would never have known what a swing boat was...nor known what one looked like.
May these treasures find a purchaser who will apprecialte both their history and also the pleasure they will be able to give children for many more years.
xo
I hope the swing boats go to a good home - they are perfect for a vintage style fete or party.
Was your Mum the photographer? xx
I'm sure the swing boats will go to a good home, I remember them from my childhood. It sounds like you had lots of adventures with your dad when you were a child.
I saw Ronnie Corbett as buttons as well , my dads company ran trips at christmas x
What a fantastic Dad?!!! I love those swing boats!!! :-)
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