Wow… doesn’t each birthday come around quickly? To think, that 40 years ago today my mum was cradling me for the first time. After raising three boys she was in total disbelief that she’d given birth to a little girl. She kept checking my nappy to make sure I hadn’t sprouted anything!! (So she told me – as I certainly can’t remember that far back!)
I’ve been going through old photographs – and seeing as you’ve popped in for a visit – do you fancy coming for a trip down Memory Lane with me? I’ve scanned some random photos to share with you…
Let me introduce you to my parents, Len and Grace. Don’t they make a lovely couple? They were both Londoners, in fact Dad was a “pure” Cockney – as defined by being “born to the sound of the Bow bells”. Dad was from Bow and Mum was from Dagenham. Dad was considerably older than Mum by about 15 years. They had my three brothers and then 11 years later, I came along.
Here I am at just Four years old, cradling my nephew; my eldest brother’s first babe. By this time my family had moved from Stevenage to a new town called Milton Keynes (in England) and we lived in the middle of a row of terraced houses. Can you see the washing drying on the lines in the background? Gardens were always a sociable place to chat to neighbours. In fact, my youngest brother married the girl next door!
Wow – check out the frilly nylon dress!! What a crack up! This is my very first school photo at age Five. I’ve never worn a school uniform in my life. At the time, the High School I went to was the only one of its kind in the country to not have a dress code. We called our teachers by their Christian names. It was the norm for us, and therefore never an issue. I was never a trendy kid so it didn’t worry me to keep up with fashion, and being shy as I was, it suited me to blend in to the background (yes by then I had ditched the eye-catching frilly purple number!!!)
I love this photo – what a scruffy little urchin! I had sensory issues when I was young and because I complained so much about having my hair brushed, my Mum would never allow me to grow it long. She wasn’t cruel, she was just saving the family (and me) from all the extra moans and groans. (A whinging Pomme? Me? Never!!!)
I’m jumping ahead a few years now to 1984. Here I am aged 12 years old, in the back garden again, cuddling my first dog. Our next door neighbours had two Yorkshire Terriers and I used to get paid One Pound each week for taking them out for a walk each day and grooming them. We went to dog shows and I won a ribbon on one occasion. The Yorkies had two puppies and I watched them being born. Have you ever had the experience of seeing an animal born? It’s so humbling. I desperately wanted to own one of the little pups and was begging Mum and Dad for one. In the end, my Mum relented and advised me to bring the dog home for my Dad to meet… she obviously knew my Dad well because he gave in pretty quickly after cuddling the pup himself!
I was at work here, and the wonderful staff made a big fuss of my 21st birthday. In my mid teens I lost both of my parents to cancer within 18 months of each other; when I started working at this place as an office junior, the older women in the office took me under their wing and mothered me. This was my first ‘proper’ job. After art college I worked as a trainee for a couple of photography studios but it wasn’t for me. I then worked in an Aged Care facility for a short time as a care worker, but got too upset when the residents passed on. So it was then that I decided to get some qualifications in Office and Administration work. I stayed at the same organisation for 12 years… working my way sideways and upwards until I found my niche in the Marketing department. I only left when emigrating to Australia.
But during the course of my working there, I was the regular “drummer” for the company dragon-boat team.
I joined the local town’s dragon boat team as well and was drummer there for a couple of seasons. Being of a quiet nature, the guys in the boat couldn’t quite believe how loudly I could yell at them! I think the pure shock of that alone kept them concentrating on keeping in time! I was also ‘poached’ on a few occasions for other teams when they couldn’t find a drummer. During one of the “finals” the Women's crew from British Airways grabbed me to drum as their lady had fallen in “the drink”. Lucky for me I never fell in, although I do remember being pushed by a sneaky team-mate on one occasion!
I also used to enjoy hill-walking. This is Scafell Pike in Cumbria.
If you ever get the opportunity to visit The Lake District in England, then I highly recommend it. Even if you don’t go hill-walking, the views and scenery are breathtaking. It’s one of my favourite places. Mind you, I was lucky with the weather on this occasion (above) – it’s unusual to see views like these from the top of the mountains. On some of my endeavours I couldn’t see more than a few meters ahead of me, like on this occasion at the summit of Ben Nevis (Scotland):
As I started approaching my thirties, I met Mr SUDs and life started to take a new direction.
Gosh we look so young in this photo! It was taken at a Christmas party back in 2002. Scott and I are both homebodies, but we would enjoy going away at weekends whenever we could. The UK is so small compared to Australia (are you impressed by my Geography?! ) so it wouldn’t take that long to drive to some place new. We took our travels to Europe on occasion and also had a lovely family holiday in Lanzarote with young Master SUDs. I love this next photo, how cute is my little man?!!! I just adore that sleepy world of contentment he’s so obviously in… worn out from a days’ play in the sunshine!
We moved out to Australia in 2004, and had our sweet daughter, little Miss SUDs, the following year.
Then, two years ago Mr SUDs and I made it official and after 10 years together, we decided to marry. It was a truly wonderful day!
These days I’m not climbing mountains or banging drums or cavorting to historic places in the UK! I’m usually found like this…
Surrounded by toys and covered from head to toe in children and pets!! If I’m sat down then nine times out of ten I’ve got “the two girls” on my lap! They appear from out of nowhere, battling for prime position.
In closing, here’s a few little quirky things about me:
- I was pulled out of the audience at the famous Blackpool Circus when I was 18 to perform some tricks with the clown - and my knees LITERALLY knocked together! (I thought that only happened in cartoons?!)
- I have skidded over on a banana skin in full visibility of everyone eating lunch in the school dining hall (just call me Wile E Coyote…)
- I have dined at a restaurant while my halter-neck dress had inadvertently slipped down to my waist, unbeknownst to me – but certainly beknownst to the teenage boy sitting on the opposite table. (If you need to ask… no I wasn’t!) That was the single-most embarrassing moment in all of my life!
- I believed myself to be a pure genius on receipt of my ‘A level’ school results and seeing two “A”s on the creased paper docket. My elation and pure mystification shattered on smoothing out the said docket and discovering that the A’s were in fact two “N”s (near misses)… ahhh… genius-ness is short lived!
- In the 1980s I collected erasers and I still have a collection of more than 1,000… the story was featured in the staff newsletter where this next photo is taken from:
On my 30th birthday my boss (and friend) had a card made for me using this image… and the punch line read:
“It will take more than a few erasers to get rid of all those wrinkles!”
Ten years later… and you know what I’m thinking? “No s**t , Sherlock!!!”
Happy 23rd May everyone! Hugs! Vikki xo
32 comments:
Happy Birthday my Friend! OMG now I really feel old....we are going to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary this year, OMG I could be your mother!!!!!!!!!!!!! I too love the lake district it's just so beautiful. How funny I was born 11 years after my brother too. Have a wonderful day hope you are getting spoilt rotten!! Big Hugs
Happy Happy Day! I remember my 40th birthday, 13 years ago!!! Hubby and kids thought it funny to place headstones they made in the front yard so EVERYONE trick or treating could see them. :o)
Happy Birthday! Thank you for letting us get to know you a little better! I would love to know you face to face! You sound like someone who is FUN to be around!
Happy birthday! S dnem rozhdenija!(russian) Palyu ynne syunnipaevaks! (estonia) Tomorrow 24.05 is my husband's same birthday (40!). :)
A Very Happy Birthday ,I enjoyed looking at your life in pictures great entry ...love Jan xx
How sweet. I enjoyed strolling down memory lane with you dear Vikki.
I hope all your days ahead are wonderful and bright. A very Happy Birthday to you.
Happy birthday, Vikki. I really enjoyed all the photos and titbits of your life. Have a great day!
Hugs
Val
Happy birthday Vikki! I enjoyed reading about your life. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Happy Birthday Vikki!! What a lovely glimpse of your life you've just shown us,may you have many more enjoyable experiences ahead for you and your lovely family :) Barb.
Happy Birthday Vicki. Thanks for sharing a little bit about you. Hugs,
Oh darling I just loved all those fabulous little snippets of your life!!!!
Hope you have a super fabulous birthday dear Vikki, because you deserve nothing but the best :o).
Huge love n hugs to you,
Joy xxxxxx :o)
Happy Birthday..... the 40's are wonderful... so fun to read this post....
Hugz
Georgeous!!! LOVED reading all that fun stuff about you :) Have a great 40th birfdee... wishing you big hugs and happy times
lots of love,
Cheryl xx
Georgeous!!! LOVED reading all that fun stuff about you :) Have a great 40th birfdee... wishing you big hugs and happy times
lots of love,
Cheryl xx
Happy Birthday
I hope you have a fab day
loved reading about your life
I will celebrate the big 40 on the 26th of this month so we are the same age
hugs Beth
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING GIRL!!! Oh I loved walking down memory lane with you, look how beautiful you are always - I'm so sorry about your parents sweetheart, that must have been a dreadful time for you. I'm still cracking up over your halter story - same thing happened to me, but not with a halter. I accepted an invitation from an out-of-town computer repair guy to go play racquetball. I had a zip-up top on. Our court was the one in front of the gym with the glass wall, an observation balcony, and I looked up to see the whole place PACKED, watching us. For a little while I was pretty proud, we must be pretty good, eh? Sigh. Glanced down and yes, my zipper had come undone, my shirt was flying in the breeze and NO, me either, lol. Good times, eh?
I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful 40th birthday sweetheart, big big big hugs to you!!!!!
Happy Birthday. My son is 26 years old on May 23, which will be tomorrow (Wed.)here in the USA. It's still the 22nd here as I write this. 40 is still young!
Happy happy birthday ! Sending you all the very best wishes my friend xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Happy Birthday! Life really does start at 40.
Wow Vikki =- thank you for sharing more of you life story. I can't belive you are 40, you definately look younger. I am so glad that your life adventure brought you to Australia and I am glad that blog land allowed me to 'meet' you.
Debra
Just when I thought I knew all there was to know about you Miss Vikki you surprise with me these little known facts. Who would have thought that out softly spoken Vik could beat the drum on a dragon boat!!
I hope you are having the most amazing day honey. Will call you later.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne xx
I enjoyed reading your story so much! Happy Birthday - may all your wishes come true!
Wedding photo is adorable :)
Hugs,
Tatyana
Happy Birthday Vikki!!! Loved sharing your walk down memory lane and can tell from some of the fashions that you're only a couple of years behind me in age! :0) And while your life these days may not seem as 'exciting', curled up on your couch with your 'girls' on your lap is a lovely place to relax to look back ... and also to look FORWARD to all the new adventures you still have in store! :0) May the coming year hold many wonderful times with family and friends, lots of new adventures and ... of course ... lots of FABRIC! :0) Birthday Bear Hugs! KRIS
Happy birthday gorgeous girl.40 is just a number to show us all what a wealth of gorgeousnessyou have and how big your heart is. It only gets better as each year passes although how you can become anymore gorgeous I don't know. You are such a special lady, its such a privlege to call you my friend.
Love ya guts. xxx
What a lovely post Vikki! Thank you for sharing snippets of your life. You certainly bring back memories of my life, way back when I lived in the UK! Happy Birthday Girl. We missed you loads. Don't take so long for another post.... beginning to get worried there!!
Happy happy birthday Vicki, I'm missed your smiling face around the net...!! Have a great day...
Lizzie
xxx
LOVED your trip down memory lane, Vikki!! Happy and blessed birthday my wonderful friend. You are loved, loved, loved!!
Hugs
Jenny
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Happy birthday from Italy!!
Monica
Vikki, you've absolutely made my day with this wonderful post. What a pleasure to read about your life - your adorable. Heartfelt birthday blessings to you and a giant Canadian hug!
Happy Birthday Vikki What a wonderful post, I loved reading about it all and you have a lovely day. It is great to see how far and how happy you are being a mum
XX
Happy Belated Birthday. Your's is a day after my daughter's who justed became a teenager, YAY!! and it was also my grandmother's birthday. Glad to see you're back on-line, now I just have to update mine - sooo busy, it's been since January - where has the year gone.
Anyway birthday hugs being sent your way even if they are late. Love your trip down memory lane - it made me laugh!!!!
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