I hear so many people say, 'I can't let my kids do that, there are so many bad people about', but seeing todays kids I just don't know why they feel this way! When I think of my childhood I realise that although we had very little, I could go anywhere I wanted, and do anything that was apt.
One place that tickles my memory is the Fairly Moors just outside Dalry in Ayrshire. It was just 'up the road' from my house. It was a place of magic and mystery. We even had an old turret up on the moors. It was a relic from the war, and had been used for the defence of the relm, many years before I was born. Just something my dad had to tell us about.
My big brother and I used to walk over the moors at weekends for hours and find something to do or play with. Once we were exploring an old barn and found a cat and it's kittens. We used to go every week to see if they were still well, they were always fine so we left them alone to do what wild cats do, whatever that was. Other days we would go to the turret and play 'winning the war', which we always did do, and eventually go home as dusk was casting its shadowy light on the moors.
My Gran and dad didn't mind if we were back when we were told, and that was before we had watches or mobile phones, we just kinda realised we had been out for a long time. If the breeze was blowing in the right direction there was a posibility of hearing the old church bells in the town.
Now, very sadly the only time I venture up on the moors is to scatter ashes of some friend or relation, knowing that their spirits have a beautiful view over the sea to Arren or the Cumbries. I just wish that todays kids had the same freedom as we had.
Memories by Kathleen Bates
