It's Friday, it's five to five and it's Crackerjack

It's Friday … it’s five to five and it's CRACKERJACK! I wonder how many of you remember that children’s programme on the television all those years ago. Now I’m not expecting lots of immediate answers from this blog but I am curious to know how many of you do recall said programme. What memories does it trigger for you? Some of you may well be wondering what I’m 'wittering on' about. There will be those of you rapidly trying to recall the names of the presenters. There may even be a few of you thinking that Crackerjack after school was just ‘the biz’ - long before the days of computers, X boxes and after school clubs!

Now why exactly that sprung to mind when I started to write my blog this week really has no rhyme or reason, it just happened. Honest! There was a blank page with no words and not knowing what to write about; I just decided to write something which started ‘It’s Friday’ and that’s what happened.

Fridays were always big days in our household all those years ago. By the time we got home from school the ‘grocery man’ had been and delivered the week’s groceries. The idea was there long before on-line shopping as we know it today! He visited lots of homes in the countryside and his little van was always well laden with groceries, fruit and chocolate. Although I suppose that might depend on when he called at your house, morning or evening. He usually got a grand order when he arrived at our house and my poor mum would ensure that everyone got a piece of fruit and a bar of chocolate as a treat. Such was the tradition when we arrived home after school on a Friday … just in time for us to settle down and watch Crackerjack.

Ahh … Happy days!

Look what I found, a link to Crackerjack, sadly no more!

A special bond

http://www.frasersfotos.com

Sometimes life has a habit of running away with itself and before you know where you are (or I am!) time has gone by and there’s been no blogging. It’s only now that I’ve managed to catch up. September has finished and October, a new month has started! Welcome October. I do love these autumn months, the colours, the change of season and the beautiful full moon in the autumn sky. Does time travel at a quicker pace as we grow older and wiser or is that merely an old wives’ tale. I’m hoping it’s a great untruth as I’ve got a lot of growing older and wiser yet to do!

I’ve been doing a little blog dipping, a good blogging re-start strategy for me and today I read Ann’s recent blog at Inkpots n’ Quills. I really enjoyed her post about time, travel and childhood memories. It triggered a few memories for me too. I had one of those too, a pipe smoking grandfather, a quiet and gentle man who even in his 80s could step dance with great rhythm and grace. He enjoyed his pipe and had in fact a selection to choose from. Occasionally, under supervision, I was allowed to take a light from the fire on a small slither of firewood. Slowly and carefully I would pass the light to my grandfather. He would light the tobacco and I’d watch him puff and blow when lighting his pipe. I watched closely as the little red glow died down and he puffed again and then the smell of tobacco would fill the room. Ahhh … I can almost smell it now. If I walk past a tobacconist shop I always look in the window to see if I can see pipes like those my grandfather used to smoke. Even today and despite being a non smoker I do enjoy the tobacco aroma, it takes me back to when I was a little girl and I think of our little ritual of lighting the pipe because that was exactly what it felt like, a special ritual between grandfather and granddaughter. I wonder if he ever realised how this would impact me as I grow older and wiser.