What is your earliest memory?

[GillyJ]

I have the vaguest memories of being under my Mum and Dad's bed when I was about 18 months old and my uncle Emrys coming  to get me out. I was told much later that Mum had come upstairs to find the cot empty and I must have somehow got over the side and crawled under the bed. I also remember very vividly sitting on my Grandma's knee when I was 4, having been sick while my parents were out at a dance. She cuddled me in my blue dressing gown with a pink cord, by a warm coal fire, until they came home. Also there was a food office next door and we collected the lovely government issue of orange juice - so tasty in a little bottle - some years after the end of the war.

[Gillg]

Ooh, I loved that orange juice!  Never found anything to match it since.  Rose hip syrup was pretty good, too, but top of my list was.....dried bananas - sweet and chewy.

I was three and sitting in our front room when my mother pointed out a little girl walking past with her mother.  "That's a new little girl who's just come to live here.  She's the same age as you and I think you could be friends", she said.  That little girl and I have been friends ever since that first meeting more than 70 years ago. 

[ReadyDale]

My earliest memory was of being at the local clinic, having the regular weighing that they do to babies. This one occasion stands out as I was being weighed in one of those oval-shaped metal bowls that greengrocers use to weigh spuds  . It struck so cold I can remember screaming the place down and the nurse saying something about forgetting to put the paper lining in.
I don't know my exact age, but it could only have been a few months to have fitted in that bowl.
Amazingly, last year my Dad was going through a lot of old papers my late Mum had kept and amongst them was my Baby Weight Card, listing all my visits (and each weight) up to the age of about a year. Weird to link the two.

[Treetotal]

I have the vaguest memories of being under my Mum and Dad's bed when I was about 18 months old and my uncle Emrys coming  to get me out. I was told much later that Mum had come upstairs to find the cot empty and I must have somehow got over the side and crawled under the bed. I also remember very vividly sitting on my Grandma's knee when I was 4, having been sick while my parents were out at a dance. She cuddled me in my blue dressing gown with a pink cord, by a warm coal fire, until they came home. Also there was a food office next door and we collected the lovely government issue of orange juice - so tasty in a little bottle - some years after the end of the war.

You forgot the cod liver oil 
Carol

[GillyJ]

Thanks for reminding me about the codliver oil and the rosehip syrup.

[halhawk]

I remember the orange juice, but not the cod liver oil.  Does anyone remember gripe water (I think that was what it was called.)

As for the rose hip syrup, I not only remember it, the small country primary I attended collected rose hips every autumn term - I can still remember going along the lanes and picking them from the hedges , and all the scratches!! 

[jaybelnz]

I remember Dinnefords Milk of Magnesia - was that the same as gripe water?

Yep, cod liver oil, and WORM SYRUP, ugh!  Then later as a teenage girl, Dr William's Pink Pills (for pale and Peaky People!  And Lanes Emulsion for my brothers!

Loved it when the Rawleigh's Man came around with his magical cases!  Mum bought orange vitamin pills I think, essences and spices, and the wonderful Rawleighs camphor ointment.   I remember some children at school wearing camphor bags around their neck in winter!

And the button up bodice under your clothes!   

And in spite of all that - if I had a sore throat  - a knob of butter rolled in sugar!

[jettejjane]

I remember a younger cousin having GripeWater

Jeanne I remember the "liberty bodice" whatever happened to them.  Also what we're they for, bit corset like and good for flattening budding breasts.

And who can forget navy blue knickers. Even came with a pocket in them Or nylon frilly knickers, both not good material to wear.

Jane

[Gillg]

Gripe Water - I remember there being a bit of a scandal as the original formula contained alcohol and some mothers took rather large helpings for themselves!