It is interesting to see that one good thing that has come out of covid seems to be the family walk when families are in lockdown and that’s all they can do. Back in Scotland in the 1950s the family walk on a Sunday afternoon was the normal thing and we headed for the nearest woods, often parkland belonging to a former stately home or castle. Our favourite in Ayr was Craigie, our Sunday School outing was a bus run to roam the grounds of Culzean Castle where President Eisenhower once had an apartment with a sea view.
Back in Craigie Park my parents walked along together re-kindling their romance. It seemed to be a magical place when I was young especially when the snow was on the ground and the River Ayr froze for the first time in recent history.
The sense of freedom; being able to run freely and safely, collecting in season bluebells {see attd pic}, primroses, conkers ,(horse chestnuts) and acorns from below huge oak trees. Going home tired and happy.
Now it has become a golf course. I don’t know how much of the park is left.
W e are very fortunate here in Lake Macquarie to have many wonderful spots for the family walk and in many of them lie hidden painted stones which the children and adults can seek out as treasure, enjoy for a short time and then drop somewhere else to be discovered.
We didn’t have a television in those days to keep us indoors.
Maybe it would be a good idea for all the networks to shutdown on a Sunday afternoon to get everybody out and walking land discovering with excitement again.
This story made the Newcastle Herald in Australia.
Pwhich prompted nany friends to share their family memoríes.
This from Anne Backhousewhose family is in this photo above:
I grew up in North Anston:, our Sunday late afternoon walk was on to the A57 to the garage on the Worksop side of the village where we would have our weekly sweets treat! We would then sit on a nearby bench eating sweets and feeling sorry for the poor people who were stuck in cars on their way back from the seaside to Sheffield! We didn’t have a car! 😂
Julie Fletcher also wrote
Wow what beautiful memories you have!
I remember Dad taking us for walks to the bluebell woods at Dinnington and picking flowers for mum 💐
The kids these days are missing so much, although I do think the lock down has braught families together, I see lots of families having walks, I hope they keep doing it after lock down? When it was snowing it was nice watching the kids throwing snow balls at each other and the parents throwing snow balls for the dogs to catch, it was lovely to watch.
Mee Memoirs -and other stuff 