Down memory lane

When I think of the TV programmes that I used to watch as a child and that have marked me the most, the obvious and typical ones come to mind first: Sesame Street (Spanish version), La Bola de Cristal, El planeta imaginario, Heidi, Willy Fog y la vuelta al mundo en 80 días, Dartacán, David El Gnomo, Érase una vez…, Los diminutos, Los osos gummies, La aldea del Arce, Lucky Luke, Fragel Rock, Dragones y mazmorras, Candy Candy, Dragon Ball, Campeones, Ulises 31, La pequeña Lulú, Pixie y Dixie, Pumuky, el Bosque verde, and many many more (I am probably forgetting some important ones!)

I believe I can sing the theme tune to every single one of these programmes and even name the characters, tell you the plot of an episode and even recall if I ever cried watching them or not. The thing is, that it just happened that by pure chance I had a trip down memory lane when I heard the tune to Waltzing Matilda the other day. This was the tune to one of my most beloved TV programmes when I was little and I had completely forgotten about it.

Secret Valley was about a group of children in a holiday camp who were always getting in and out of adventures and other “fights” with the baddies. After that came Professor Poopsnagle’s Steam Zeppelin (which Jon says it’s like Chitty Chitty bang Bang, but I never saw the latter so can’t comment on that!) and away my mind went in fantasies…

As a child, I always wanted to go to one of those holiday camps. Due to my family’s business, I used to spend a lot of time on my own in our country house during the summer holidays. Don’t take me wrong. I loved the country house, the animals, the fruit trees, the mountains, the tiny swimming pool.. however, I was on my own most of the time. For me, being able to go to a holiday camp was like a dream, a dream fed by those TV series and films (The parent trap, anyone?) but it never got fulfilled. I tried and tried many a time to convince my family, but as with many other of my requests, it got ignored and I was asked to stop pestering them with the subject. In my town there was a similar style of summer camp and I used to see the groups of children around. I must say that it didn’t look as glamorous as in the TV programmes or films, but it was the whole “camaraderie”, the fellowship, the friendship that attracted me.

Here in the UK you find all kinds of activity groups for children, like the Scouts for boys and the Brownies  for girls. I don’t remember having anything of the kind when I was growing up. I am pretty sure that when I have kids I will send them to one of these summer camps if so they wish, as I believe they are part of good development of character. And, a great way of socialising!

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