Yorkshire, the county of my birth where I lived until I was ten years old. That was back in 1986 when I was whisked away from friends and family to live in a country I'd never even heard of up until the year before when we'd gone on holiday there. Portugal. It seemed so far away from everything. I missed Yorkshire terribly... for a few months anyway. And then I settled into my new life, met new friends and slowly Yorkshire became a distant memory. I remember playing in Clifton Park in Rotherham with my oldest pal, Emma. We used to play in the Weeping Willows by the entrance to the museum. Other days we would don our rollerskates and skate through the park or down to the local chippy and eat chips out of newspaper outside. Sigh. Those were the days.
I went back a couple of years ago and could hardly believe how much it has changed. I hardly recognised the street where I used to live. But then we meandered over to Clifton Park and I nearly wept (!) when I saw the Weeping Willows were still there. I was so excited, I had to take a photo (this was before the haircut and weight loss!).
Quite a few years ago, I wrote a poem about this and made a video of it (cheesy I know):
Since moving to Portugal and holidaying in England, I've still never seen much more of Yorkshire, yet it's supposed to be such a beautiful county with rolling Moors and so much history. I hope to remedy that when I move back, although we're not moving to Yorkshire, we won't be too far away.
Have you ever been? What did you think of this lovely part of the world?
When I read this week's title, I immediately thought of that old 60s song, 'Barefootin' by Robert Parker. I know it's not exactly a YA topic but it kind of is for me. You see, when I was around 11 / 12 years old, my family and I used to go down to a couple of local bars (called The Bulldog and Natterjacks) in Armação de Pêra (a seaside town in Algarve, Portugal) every weekend. They used to have music quizzes, pool contests, darts, competitions, sexy legs and knobbly knees contests! Even though there was a lot of drinking by many of the adults (there was also the Yard of Ale contest!), there was a real family atmosphere. But my favourite part of the evening was the music. They played lots of Motown and 60s bubble gum pop and I just loved it! Whenever I hear songs like these, it takes me right back to when I was a Young Adult. Maybe one of these days I will write a fictional book based on my experiences.
Here's the song in Youtube and the lyrics are posted, below:
Memories of living in England (I'm the little 'un)
This week, us Indie Carnis are talking about our favourite childhood Halloween memories... Unfortunately, I don't have a single one! Living in England until I was ten, I don't think we ever really celebrated this spooky night. And when we moved to Portugal, there was even less chance as we lived (what I felt to be) right in the middle of nowhere so no trick or treating for me!
I've watched tonnes of (mainly American) movies and TV shows where kids get all dressed up and go out scouring for candy and I used to feel like I missed out a great deal. Especially the dressing up part! I LOVE fancy dress.
The memory I do have is of a special British 'celebration' a few days later, 5th November, Guy Fawkes night. My family and I used to head to the local park where there was a giant bonfire. I remember crisp cold nights, pink cheeks and red noses, woolly gloves and lots and lots of excitement. We would stand around the bonfire eating baked potatoes and toffee apples, there would be sparklers and these strange necklaces that when cracked would glow in the dark. And then, to finish the evening off, there would be fireworks! Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps. Winter was coming and that was always my favourite time of year in England... oooh I've come over all peculiar, I do miss England, I really, really do.
Want to read more Halloween memories? Then take a tour of the other Indie Carnis below...
PS. if you're curious about Guy Fawkes Night, visit Wikipedia to find out more.
The Fuji Mermaid Dani Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews Leopard Girl Patti Larsen Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, The Hunted Series and the Hayle Coven Novels Fire Breather Courtney Cole Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles Strong Woman Nicole Williams Author of Eternal Eden, and Fallen Eden. She is also a contributing author in the Glassheart Chronicles Champion Sword Swallower Fisher Amelie Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles Snake Charmer Amy Maurer Jones Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles Pretzel Woman Rachel Coles. Geek Mom. Book Reviewer Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms The Giant T. R. Graves T.R. Graves: Author of Warriors of the Cross Jungle Woman P.J. Hoover Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis Shape Shifter Alicia McCalla Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free Tarot Card Reader Heather Cashman Author of Perception Fortune Teller Abbi Glines Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys Knife Thrower Cheri Schmidt Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden Fire Dancer Lexus Luke Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga Fire Breather Suzy Turner Author of December Moon and Raven Dragonslayer K. C. Blake Author of Vampire Rules Elephant Trainer Gwenn Wright Author of Filter Ring-Leader Kimberly Kinrade author of Bits of You & Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind. Prestidigitator Darby Karchut Author of Griffin Rising and the upcoming Griffin’s Fire Lion Tamer Madeline Smoot Author of Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls Siren M. Leighton Author of the Blood Like Poison Series, Wiccan, Caterpillar, Madly & Wolfhardt & The Reaping Horse Whisperer Cidney Swanson Author of Rippler Flying Trapeeze Artist Heather Self awesome book blogger.