Go-carts made from old bits of timber and wheels were a feature of children’s play in post war Britain and Ireland. My father lived in Castle Street in Omagh and used his little home made cart to transport bundles of kindling wood door to door to help his mother financially.
Forethought and temperance are the virtues which produced thrift, and with thrift the economic progress of society. And those are the virtues which today are gravely compromised. ~Adriano Tilgher
Thank YOU!
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My 3 eldest brothers made their bikes from bits from the rubbish dump. String for brakes. There were 5 of us, and money was tight. I am the youngest by 10 years and so things were a little easier when I came along.
Brought up by a mum who had gone through rationing, and taught never to waste anything!
Just cleaning the seeds of my last harvested pumpkin, they will be roasted. Never waste anything!
Have you seen the price of pumpkin seeds in the shops? Big business charging us dearly for things most people waste if they buy pumpkin/squash.
Off subject totally Collette but relevant to your troll experiences.
I was speechless when I discovered that lovely Sir captain Tom Moore had received hate comments. His family had to filter his feeds as they said he wouldn’t understand. Neither do I! 100 years old, and a hero no matter what your views on the current situation.
What do you think?
I have a no tolerance stance on trolls…I open the hatch into cyberspace and cast them out!
Hi Colette! I’ve just found your YouTube channel and now your podcast and it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I feel like finding your videos soothes me and puts me at ease. I grew up in the 1990’s, running around in the woods and sitting on fallen trees, reading books. We didn’t make our own toys, but my dad tells me stories of when he did that, so I enjoy hearing you talk about it, too. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us! All the best to you and Jack from Ohio (ancestral Shawnee land), USA!
My dear Megan…Welcome, welcome…no advertisements on any of my platforms and nothing hidden behind paywalls…enjoy!
Just listened to your Feb. 14 podcast. How lovely. Listening to you while having a cup of tea I feel like I have an old friend here with me talking. I so enjoy your thoughts on everything from mother earth to advertising. Keep up the good work. Many of us are trying to plant more and do our part now too, with you as inspiration. Many blessings to you and Jack
Your words lift my heart XXX Bless you!
I built one of those bits-and-pieces go-carts when I was young too. I even got fancy and put a break on it, which had a disconcerting habit of tossing me arse-over-tit if I didn’t apply just the right sort of pressure at the right time. Not that I think on it, I was on the outside of that cart more than I was on the inside, but oh, what fun I had. 🙂
Ah, this made me laugh aloud and brought back memories too! Parents today would be fainting if their children were doing the same, but then the environment is crowded with cars!
Always good to hear you talk Colette. I am quite isolated these days with almost 50,000 deaths due to covid in my state of California. Even though by nature I am a Hermit and quite happy with my plants and trees for company, I also have 4 Box Turtles and they are not the cuddly type; I have found myself enriched, and somehow soothed by the sounds of your voice; which is lovely to hear.
So I listened twice whilst perusing my pinterest dreamland, I am Maggiefan there. At 13 your father must have been proud to contribute his share helping his Mom. I remember my boy at that age, and me a single mother. But the go-carts brought up so many good childhood memories. We also turned tricycles up-side down with the help of a neighborhood father, sitting on the platform formally used for standing, and putting the larger wheel up front. This created a ‘Chopper” we could ride! Childhood in the sixties was very different. When I was 8 or 9 I used to walk at least 5 miles with bags of apples & carrots through fields to get to an old horse stables just hoping someone would let me sit on one. Five miles back into town through nothing but rolling pasture land. By the time my boy was born, sending a child out into the countryside alone was unheard of. So I needed to make sure he had trees to climb, and wood to build forts with, and ground enough to tunnel through. At 13 he earned money shoveling truck-loads of compost onto our huge garden. I purchased this organic gold with peach pies I baked in Summer. No TVs in our home.
Thank You for the memories,
Sage
Hi Colette
All the boys on my youth built “boggies” as they were call in the west of Scotland auld pram wheels, crates, bakers trays or anything they could get their hands on never two the same that was in the days every one played outside no matter the weather. Sending blessings to you and Jack x
This was the original recycling!
Hi there. I love this idea. I love to hear your ideas and your days adventures. It’s like your books are coming to life 🤣🤣🤣
For those of us that are deep in winter (Nova Scotia) and are planning our gardens. With kitchen tables full of seeds and seeding trays ready. Soon ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for All the ways you get your thoughts out. For all the work you do to help motivate and teach us.
Enjoy Spring, all seasons 💜💜💜
Sandra Larsen
It’s my joy to do this work! Blessings XXX
Happy valentines to you and Jack too . I absolutely love your little podcasts Colette , I’ve decided to listen to them when I go to bed . So I can close my eyes and know that I’m not missing anything only listening 😄. I remember having a cart , I shared one with our next door neighbour . At the end of our road was a really steep hill and we used to go hurtling down it at full speed , at the bottom was a main bus route , how we never went underneath one amazes me 🤣. We also used to go flying down there on our roller skates and just before we got to the bottom used to grab hold of the lamp post . Ahhh happy days , happy childhood . Blessings Colette to you and darling Jack. Xxx looking forward to seeing you grow your vegetables 💜💜💜
Ah…memories of happy times before health and safety existed…it’s good we survived to tell the tale and probably stronger humans for it too!
Yes definitely xxx
Oh Colette, I LOVE that you’re doing podcasts! I work with my hands all the time, either in the garden or rag rugging, and it’s so good to have such an interesting audio to listen to, thank you! Especially as Auckland goes back into Lockdown 3 for a few days, grrr ….. And I particularly love that you’ve made it downloadable so I can put it on my iPod and make it portable. Win-win – much appreciated 🙂 ♥♥♥
Haha! Sure I didn’t have a clue about all that…I must have just pressed the right button! With me it’s usually have a go and trial and error, but it always turns out right in the end…must be the Goddess guiding me XXX
Hello Colette,
I enjoyed listening to your Podcast, I can relate to your childhood stories
I’m one of a family of 6 we also used to tear around on our home made
Go cart or trucks as we called them old pram wheels re purposing wood
Health and Safety didn’t come into it . Summer holidays spent all day most days of the week at the swimming baths .
Or in the local woods often the park parents not knowing where we were for sure but we always got home safely with tales of our busy full exciting days, a bath a meal and bed at the end of the day.
It’s a pity things aren’t always so easy for the children of today ,
The peer eliment is so unsettling no such thing when I was growing up,
There weren’t any girl gangs to intimidate us boys and girls had fun together sometimes there was an element of rivalry between us,
I was considered a tomboy by my Mum I preferred to be in the woods
With the lads bird watching or trailing after my older brothers ,
My haven of peace is still walking in the woods watching nature .
I’m also living on my own through choice .
Though I’m not alone, to some people it might apppear to be that way ..
Hugs and Blessings to you Colette and Jack.
🌹💚Linda MTEdwards.
Our true selves were carved out of experience, hardship, play and being adventurous…Happy days XXX
Hi Colette
How lovely to listen to your soothing dulcet voice..
I binge watch your videos daily I so enjoy walking your land and pathways with you and wonderful
loyal Jack.
Please do not pay attention to the rude jealous unhappy people.
We need your wisdom, compassion and company through your fabulous videos.
I have my own library of Bealtaine Cottage Calendars and all your books.
I would like to know when we can preorder your Book of Days
Blessings
Joyce
Canada
Oh Joyce…you are so thoughtful and supportive…thank you! I shall keep everyone in touch with plans and books XXX
Oh I mind my brother making these. We had hours of fun. The wee country school beside us used to give him an old chair and my dad always found old pram wheels when he was out in his lorry lol. Between the go kart, our tree house and dens we made in the winds ( gorse bushes) we had the best early 70’s childhoods. Xx
The adrenaline rush of all we did burned those memories into our DNA and made us more resilient!
I had my volume turned up 100%, but I could hardly hear you. I’m not technology savvy, so is there something else I can do? So wanted to hear you.
I really cannot help you there Dawn…can anyone reading this advise?
I can hear your lovely voice very well.
Thank you Vicki…it is usually a problem at the listening end…
Enjoyed the podcast especially hearing about your parents and your earlier life. I too grew up in the sixties and was hardly ever in the house. Even though I was an only there were always neighbors to play with and explore the great outdoors. There was a little creek that ran across from us and actually trinkled across the road. A friend and I were making mud pies and generally having a grand time until my boy cousin came along. We ended up throwing lumps of mud at each other. My mother was not happy to put it lightly. Good old days indeed! I’m fascinated and in awe of the British people during the war. I’ve read several things and rewatched a YouTube series, The Wartime Farm.
I hope I’ve become wiser with age. I do know that the things that used to bother me seem trivial now. I worry less and my needs are less. I am looking forward to retirement in the next few years. The only reason I’m still working is for health insurance.
Blessings to you and dear Jack. He really is a dear fellow.
Martha
Wisdom does come with age and in that wisdom is built-in forgiveness and letting go, so perhaps that is why we suffer less anxiety.
Please go for it with the podcasts Colette! Though I try to not overdo it with consuming media, hearing your voice and thoughts & wisdom that are shared with it are enjoyable & pleasant to me. Thank you for sharing your gifts! With appreciation from central Ontario, Canada,
James
Thank you James…I am happy creating the podcasts…so many more to come! If you have any suggestions of what you’d like me to talk about then drop me an email X
Happy Valentine’s to you too Colette (and not forgetting Jack).
Such a pleasure to listen to your soothing voice this early afternoon, whilst I knit. I love hearing all about your remarkable family memories; of your amazing, resourceful and resilient parents. Your stories conjure up similar images from my own memory. As a child growing up in the UK in the 70’s we were encouraged to play outside as much as possible, in unsupervised, friendship groups, either in local woodlands or on the quieter streets, returning home only when we were hungry. We had been taught about ‘stranger danger’ and I remember refusing sweets from an elderly lady waiting at the bus stop. I didn’t even talk to her, as it had been drummed into me not to speak to strangers, I just shook my head as she proferred her bag towards me. There were minor injuries from other rumbustious activities; I sustained occasional bumps and scrapes on hands and knees, but was glad of so much exercise and fresh air. Our toys were what we found lying around; we created hobby horses out of sturdy sticks and stuffed old socks, with button eyes and woolen manes. We rehearsed and performed our own improvised plays and songs outdoors for our parents and friends’ families. I realise now how lucky we were. I really look forward to enjoying more of your podcasts, when you can fit them in, and thank you for sharing with us in this way.
Blessings to you both, Anna x
Oh Anna, I remember the plays and the rehearsing and then charging other kids to be the audience…entrepreneurs all of us! Just reading your comment has stirred up wonderful memories!
Hi, Colette! Great podcast! Was great to listen to it while exercising ☺. I also love Pinterest and Weheartit. I also get really inspired while scrolling endlessly the pages haha. Jack does is a loyal dog and it feels really good to be helpful to another creature and receive their love. Have a great day!
Thank you Helena…I’m glad the Podcast is being received well!