Ernie

It's odd the things you think about when you're making beads. Yesterday for example, I was trying to remember all the lyrics to "Ernie, the fastest milkman in the west". I think it was because the night before I was watching a programme on TV about a family living with just the technology that was available in the 1970s. I was interested in it because that's when I grew up. The connection between Ernie and the programme being that we had that record when I was a kid and I could sing it word-perfect.

What was worrying me a little yesterday was that we never got to find out what happened to Trigger, poor old Ernie caught the concrete hardened crust of a stale pork pie underneath his eye and I'm not quite sure who looked after the horse that pulled the fastest milkcart in the west after Ernie bit the dust. Ernie's rival, Ted drove the bakers van; he wouldn't have needed a horse, I hope Sue looked after him. As Bennie Hill is now dead, there's no-one to ask, alas!

Other notable things I was remembering from growing up was making the Christmas Pudding that we had on Christmas Day, 1973. We made it in a cookery class in the Autumn and had to store it cool and dark til Christmas. When the day came to eat it, I remember being so proud because my dad said it was the best Christmas Pudding he had ever eaten!

Talking about my dad, he loves pomegranites (runs in the family because I like them too - this time of year is great!) So when I was seven or eight, I decided he might like one for a christmas present. I was very organised with my christmas presents in those days (proof that some things DO change!), I bought it from my pocket money and wrapped it in October. By the time dad opened it two months later, it had gone all shrunken and hard ...! Good old dad looked delighted, thanked me profusely and said he was looking forward to eating it later :-)

Rightio, I'm off to make a load of recycled glass beads and try not to think about the clothes I used to wear back then!