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Big ears
" Raymond, what big ears you've got! "
" All the better to hear a Shostakovich symphony with, m'dear! "
Ten years old here. Am I still the 'Grange Council' pissing champion? Don't be silly. I don't do childish things like that anymore. I'm a 'big boy' now, although I hope I'm never 'invited' by Mr John into a class of 40+ seven-year-olds to receive a public caning from him like a lot of the other 'big boys' have had to do.
Next year I'm going to the 'big' school; Cardiff High School. Mind you, I haven't sat the 11+ yet, but my mum says I'm bound to pass it and go there, 'cos I'm so bright. (God, I hope she's right, otherwise I'll end up in Ninian Park Secondary-Modern, where all the 'rough' boys go, who'll 'jump' me and stick me 'ead down the 'bog' and pull the flush or maybe pull my shorts and pants down and check me for 'inches' - (they'll be disappointed!), - and where I'll get the cane EVERY DAY!)
Still wearing those hand-made woollen jumpers. If those of you familiar with the darker side of childhood think there was something sinister about my mum sending me to school always with a long-sleeved jumper on, even at the height of summer, then you'd be right. But it all stopped not long after this photo was taken, and I've long since forgiven her. I guess my mum thought at the time she was doing the right thing by not sparing 'the rod' where my brother and I were concerned, and to be fair, the infliction of parental corporal punishment at home on kids in general was quite common round where I lived at the time. But even so...... well...... not everything was 'good' about the 'good old days' and I'm glad we have moved away from that situation somewhat since then, although I think we have still some way to go.
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