Andrew Pritchard, my childhood memories
February 2, 2023
Of all the wonderful childhood memories I have of growing up, one stick's in my mind more so than any other. I remember being around five years of age and just like most of the kids at my junior school, I too had an obsession with Action Man. The blond-haired, eagle-eyed action figure featured a robust, articulated plastic body that was strung together with elastic. He stood about 12" high and wore a contemporary desert camouflage uniform. In addition, the toy manufacturer had come up with an ingenious idea, they decided to market a complete range of accessories, which included weapons, vehicles, and even a helicopter. All are carefully designed to feed the need of gullible children, whilst picking the pockets of their loving parents. Naturally being a spoilt little brat, I placed my parents under emotional blackmail. This came in the form of them buying me an action figure accessory every Sunday morning otherwise I'd sulk until they gave in. However one particular Sunday, my parents had gone through an extremely hard month struggling to pay the bills and put food on the table, the kind of thing that most parents tend to do for their children without a second thought. That Sunday morning they didn't even have twenty pence in silver between them. Yet I persisted to nag and whinge believing that if I continued I'd get my own way. At this point, mum was looking for a belt to give my backside hiding.
Needless to say, my father being the rational and considerate man he was, managed to come up with a solution. Every Sunday morning at 10.45 am the Changing of the Guard ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace. Despite of there being very little petrol in the family car, we drove to St James’s Palace, to see the Queen's Guard conduct a precision drill before marching down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, preceded by Regimental Bands playing stirring music. To top the day off my father bought me a soft whip ice cream covered in strawberry syrup...with a flake. That day learnt money cannot replace memorable moment spent between a farther and his son.
Needless to say, my father being the rational and considerate man he was, managed to come up with a solution. Every Sunday morning at 10.45 am the Changing of the Guard ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace. Despite of there being very little petrol in the family car, we drove to St James’s Palace, to see the Queen's Guard conduct a precision drill before marching down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, preceded by Regimental Bands playing stirring music. To top the day off my father bought me a soft whip ice cream covered in strawberry syrup...with a flake. That day learnt money cannot replace memorable moment spent between a farther and his son.
