Saturday on the Couch… with childhood friends

Books and I have had a love affair from the earliest of days when my eyes first alighted on The Little Golden books series, (oh how I wish I had those now). My imagination took flight with Scuffy the Tug Boat, The Poky Little Puppy, Tootle and the Saggy Baggy Elephant just to name a few well-read tomes.

 I grew up an only child of a family who moved every year or so and therefore painfully shy. These books, the pages within were often my only friends. Every Christmas I would tremble with anticipation because I knew that come Christmas morning there would be several Girls Own annuals waiting for me under the tree. Oh bliss, oh joy.

From there my taste in books gradually matured and I graduated to my favourite author of all time, Enid Blyton. Lands of untold excitement awaited me at the top of the Magic Faraway Tree deep within the Enchanted Wood. There was the land of Do As You Please, (that sounded very appealing), The Land of Birthdays, The Land of Goodies, with Moon Face, The Saucepan man, Dame Washalot and so many other characters sharing the adventure with me. I remember too well those nerve-wracking moments as I willed the children to leave the land at the Top of the Faraway Tree before it moved away, perhaps never to be seen again. Whatever would become of Jo, Beth and Frannie if they were to become trapped forever…but they never did, every chapter they left in the nick of time, despite all kinds of adversity. Phew.

The Wishing Chair followed soon after. Imagine a Chair with wings that can fly and grant wishes. How wonderful, how exciting, how amazing. Of course, as I got older my tastes matured and I became engrossed in the Naughtiest girl series as well as the Twins at St Clare’s. Boarding school seemed so exotic and fun. I mean, they got to play Lacrosse.

These doorways to other realities shaped my childhood and were instrumental in developing within me the love of books, and all things bookish today.

 I remember vividly as I was playing with my dolls, I had them all lined up in “the hospital ward”. I would nurse them and care for them and then help them check out library books to pass the time while they were sick. My desire was to be a Nurse or a Librarian. History shows that nursing won out, and I have been caring for the sick for over 30 years… BUT… oh how I would have loved to be a librarian or a book shop owner as well. 

Late last year I was fossicking in a second-hand book shop and chanced upon an identical copy of The Enchanted Wood that I had had as a child. I was so excited. It was like seeing an old friend after such a long absence. I could not walk away without purchasing and placing it lovingly in my bag. A memory of wonderful, happy hours with words and ideas and adventure. One is never too old for that.