Days Of My Childhood

A Memory of Birkenhead.

As young children my nanna would frequently walk my sister and I up to the Arno to play in the rough ground behind the rose garden. That was way back in the 1950's. She would sit and spend quiet time in the gardens whilst we ran and played like banshees. Later on we would go there with friends to play in the hills and bushes away from the watchful eyes of adults. My last visit as teenager was on the day we finished our A levels, when a group of us quite spontaneously headed up there. Perhaps it was a subconscious goodbye to a childhood that was so peaceful and idyllic and safe.
In 2003 I returned from Australia for my mother's funeral and was amazed and overjoyed to see it more or less unchanged. I can now appreciate the Rose Gardens and I sat in silence, enjoying the solitude and sanctuary, catching glimpses of so many happy childhood days. We were indeed blessed.

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