Winters in our little prefab were cold, and going to bed was a nightmare knowing that the only way to keep warm was not to put my feet on the cold lino. This humourous childhood story explains how that was achieved.
The living-room door would fly back on its hinges with a resounding thud as it hit the wall, sending a minor shockwave through the room and rattling the clock on the mantelpiece as I leapt into the air like some maniacal triple-jumper training for the next Olympics. Landing on one foot for the first time, with a loud stinging smack of bare skin on lino, I would immediately leap into the air once again, landing on the same foot again a short distance further on. By touching down on the same foot each time I was at least able to keep one foot relatively warm.
Three or four jumps later I was finally within reach of my bed. With one final mammoth leap I would hurl myself in its general direction. Occasionally I landed on the soft, welcoming target. As a general rule however, in my eagerness to get into bed and out of the cold, I would miss completely; landing in a crumpled heap upon the cold, hard floor.
Tugging back the bedclothes and scrambling into bed, with my pride and backside somewhat bruised, my expedition across the frozen wilderness was not quite over.
The white cotton sheets were freezing!
Myself, at the age of around 10, and Tibbs, who feature in the story. Note the Anderson air-raid shelter, provided by Dover Council, for use as a garden shed.
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Other stories in the collection include:
Further church, history and railway-related articles by Charles Moorhen
Overcome ‘Writer’s Block’ With Just One Word
Henry Bessemer’s Extravagant Attempt to Cure His Seasickness
Caravan and Motorhome Dealers Directory 2011
Fall and Rise of the Great Selborne Yew Tree
Lost Medieval Church Paintings of England
Origins of Traditional Wedding Customs
The Winding Country Lanes of England
12 Practical Tips For Safer Winter Driving
Did Charles Dickens Really Invent ‘Miss Havisham’
A Unique, Unusual and Fascinating Farm Gate
Bricked Up Heart and a Ghost in Woodford Church
The English Church: The Baptismal Font
The English Church: Exploring the English Churchyard
English Churches: Selborne Church in Hampshire
English Churches: Cheriton Church in Hampshire
English Churches: Brixworth Church in Northamptonshire
English Churches: Clifton Hampden Church in Oxfordshire
English Churches: Charwelton Church in Northamptonshire
She Became the Fastest Typist in Europe
Timothy Dexter: Emperor of America
Timothy Dexter: Farm Boy to Millionaire
The Popularity of the Railway Camping Coach
Origin of the ‘Humpty Dumpty’ Nursery Rhyme
The Tudor Origin of the ‘Mary Mary Quite Contrary’ Nursery Rhyme
The Intriguing Origin of the ‘Little Jack Horner’ Nursery Rhyme
The Great Little Brownie 127 Camera
Smith’s Crisps and the Little Blue Salt Bag
The Grisly Murder of ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’ (and the origin of the saying ‘sweet FA’)
Britain’s First Railway Murder
The Historical ‘Uffington White Horse’
London’s Unique Funeral Railway
15 Historical Railway Facts You Possibly Never Knew
Is This The Oldest Woolworth’s Christmas Tree In The World
Superstitions Surrounding Babies
Five Easy Steps to Improve Your Cycling Enjoyment
‘Pure White Crosses’: World War One Poem
‘Pure White Crosses’: (The Musical Version of the Poem)
‘They Made Me Stay Behind’: World War One Poem
‘I Believed You Honourable’: World War One Poem
* * * * * * * * * *
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