...aged 2 in tell me a story about when you were...

I’m going back in time now! I walked into the staff room at lunchtime and ran, slap bang, into a 7 foot tall Pudsey Bear which reminded me of this story.

My mum had taken us (big sis, big bro and I) to Flamingo Park in Yorkshire for the day. It was, in those days, a poor man’s theme park but it was fun. I vaguely remember going on a swing carousel and eating ice cream but my two main memories are of scary things.

The first was the helter skelter. It was huge, I swear it reached all the way up to the sky! Big sis couldn’t wait to go on it but I didn’t because there were mats and I didn’t know what to do with the mats. I watched big sis, the huge smile on her face, and I wanted to try it but there were those mats!

As we were walking around the park, Rupert Bear loomed at us. I’m sure he didn’t actually loom, but you try being 2 and having a grown man in a Rupert Bear costume approaching you! Big sis and bro were all excited to have their photograph taken with Rupert but he was very big and very… well, there! Mum tried to encourage me to stand with big sis and bro, to have my photo taken with him but this was another of the rare times that burying my nose in mum’s skirt was far more appealing than doing what was on offer.

Poor Rupert!