Killing Time.

[Padders]

Back in 50s and 60s Men used to graft for a living, in the steelworks, building trade, railways, down the mines etc..

They would get paid on a Friday, and head to the nearest boozer, same on a Saturday and Sunday.. 

This process started again on the Monday (If you didn't knock)

But it seems in todays society men have time to kill.

When I was the proud father of 2 little girls, I could always find the time to read them a bedtime story, usually the "The very hungry caterpillar"

Experts are now saying that very few parents read their children a bedtime story, mainly because their busy killing time..

Let me explain..

 

I've been for a haircut today, and I was sat next to a 30 something chap at the barbers, he'd come inside, not for a haircut, but to have his hands manicured?

He didn't appear to be gay!

In fact, because he talked at some length about his forthcoming family skiing holiday, we can presume he has young kids.

So whats his excuse for not reading them a bedtime story?

"Sorry Octavia, there's no Hungry Caterpillar for you tonight, because I've spent half the day having my fingernails oiled"

Can you imagine the likes of Cuttsie and Slinny knocking of at 4 on a Friday afternoon and saying "We'll just pop to the hairdressers and spend an hour or two having exotic creams rubbed into our thumbs"

And it gets worse, because on the barbers shelf there were a million Badger-Hair shaving brushers. Who buys them?

How empty does your life need to be before you think, "No, I wont use a disposable razor and some foam from a can..If I use a brush and whip up some lather of my own, I can make this shaving malarkey last for hours"

 

I was in town last week, when I saw a prosperous looking man in a Bakers shop agonising  over what sort of plumped up, crusty, almond-infused loaf he should buy, plainly he was killing time.

Some men will drive to London where you can buy tailored shirts and shoes made from the soft underbelly of a grey seal,

A friend of mine actually flew to Siena to buy a selection of silk contrada flags that were then used as lining in his next bespoke suit.

Everywhere you look these days you see people paying a fortune to kill time...

Even in Sheffield, a city we were told would wither and die when all the steelworks closed, not so, among all the out of work steelworkers, there are still plenty who have that much spare time to kill, they spend half of it, wearing their £200 hand knitted super-soft golfing jumpers playing what's essentially an expensive game of marbles..

And shooting, way back the only people who blasted away at Pheasants were the Tories, the idle rich and the blue bloods, not anymore, now, for four months of the year, every wood in the land is full of people stomping about in the rain...

I personally think that not reading your child "The very hungry caterpillar" has nothing to do with a lack of time, or a hectic schedule, but everything to do with the fact that "The very hungry caterpillar" is the dullest and most stupid book in the history of literature.........

 

 

[carosio]

There is no answer to that.

[Mister M]

I loved The Hungry Catterpillar story at Primary School. In fact it's only a little while since its creator Eric Berne (?) passed away.

[cressida]

I used to read 'The Faraway Tree' to my sons,  they loved it and all the characters,  Saucepan,  Dame Wash-a-lot and Silky and  Moonface. 

[XPertByExperien]

I loved the Hungry Caterpillar story as well, way back when my Brother's kids were little I actually bought them the book.

 

I used to read the Faraway Tree books as well, by Enid Blyton, and most of the old Roald Dahl books, back in the 80s I used to read proper books a lot more than I do years later.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by XPertByExperien
More detail.

[XPertByExperien]

Anyone ever read the "Famous Five" books? Wasn't it shocking when the George character turned out to be a girl?  

 

 

[Anna B]

4 hours ago, cressida said:

I used to read 'The Faraway Tree' to my sons,  they loved it and all the characters,  Saucepan,  Dame Wash-a-lot and Silky and  Moonface. 

You forgot Dick and Fanny.

[cressida]

8 hours ago, Anna B said:

You forgot Dick and Fanny.

Its been a long time

[cuttsie]

9 hours ago, Anna B said:

You forgot Dick and Fanny.

And ,  I hope your dough nuts turn out like Fanny,s .       

[cuttsie]

Good un Padders , You would be never.  have caught me and Slinney wearing them gloves that building workers wear these days  , our hands were like a road map WI deep dried up cracks , the lasses loved em . 

As to reading books  have read from five years old when I first enrolled in Manor Top library and passed that on to kids and grand kids . 

I bought em  comics on way home from work Beano and Dandy etc, 

Then pretended I was only reading desperate Dan and Keyhole Kate to them when in fact it was just as much for me .

A Good companion is a book .