"... But His Shoes Were Far Too Tight!"

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@owlwings (43897)
Cambridge, England
January 2, 2017 5:46am CST
One of my earliest memories - and certainly my earliest appearance on a stage of any sort - is of sitting on a small, blue cushion with a hat on my head and (I think) a false beard made of paper on my face. I imagine that I was, perhaps, aged 2 or 3 and I remember being strictly instructed by my sister (who is 9 years older than I) to sit quite still whilst the poem was read. I was in the character of Uncle Arly, sitting on a heap of barley. On my nose there was a Cricket, in my hat, a Railway Ticket. The memory came back to me in some detail as I tried on a pair of shoes I had bought. Even though they were size 9, they were rather narrow and far too tight! I shall have to take them back later today and get my money back (since I don't think that Tesco will have anything as a suitable alternative to offer).
19 people like this
18 responses
@allknowing (153530)
• India
4 Jan 17
I was in my teens then and had my eyes on a pair of coat shoes with pretty high heels. They had an ornament of sorts to highlight their black colour. They were indeed too tight but my age did not see it and I suffered no end but wore them all the same. Anyway your age will advise you differently
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502491)
• Italy
2 Jan 17
Bring the shoes back, it is horrible to walk in too tight shoes, I made the mistake when I was a teenager, I will never again, no matter how much I like a pair of shoes.
2 people like this
• Greece
12 Jan 17
Not the best way to encourage a little brother to tread the boards. I hope that next time you got a speaking part...
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
12 Jan 17
My younger brother and I continued the tradition of putting on family shows. Then we became musicians and played to wider audiences, he in jazz and I in folk music.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
12 Jan 17
@41CombedaleRoad There are a couple of tracks from our first record here
The Cambridge Crofters - Liberty (1976) Written by George Weir & Roy Williamson Published by Barleycorn Records Recorded at Spaceward Records Studio, Cambrid...
1 person likes this
• Greece
12 Jan 17
@owlwings I enjoy folk music. Would that be the English 'Strawberry Fair' type of more country western?
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
2 Jan 17
i remember a news story last month about some students buying their classmate two pairs of shoes because what he was wearing was 3 sizes too small. i can't imagine wearing and walking that all day every day.
2 people like this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
16 Jan 17
There is nothing more painful than shoes that are too tight, too narrow, or too small for your feet. I hope you returned them and found a comfy pair at a good shoe store.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
16 Jan 17
I returned them without a problem but I haven't found a suitable new pair yet!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
16 Jan 17
@owlwings Keep looking! There must be a suitable pair for you somewhere, someplace!
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11134)
• United Kingdom
3 Jan 17
Tesco clothes and shoes sizing is often a tad bizarre. Or I'm just a lot fatter than I think I am!
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
3 Jan 17
Tesco's customers seem to have very slim feet, at any rate! I know that I've always had rather broad feet and that, when I was a child, we always had to buy Clark's shoes because they had a wide fitting (and an X-ray machine where you could see the bones in your feet fitting into the shoe!)
1 person likes this
• United Kingdom
4 Jan 17
@owlwings I worked for Clarke's the summer I was sixteen. I was rubbish at measuring children's feet!
1 person likes this
• Pamplona, Spain
17 Jan 17
Is´nt it lovely to have memories like that? You have a very vivid and good memory too of that part you played. I did not like hats in any form specially ones with Ribbons on. Tesco ? No don´t think they will have more sizes in than what they have got but you never know trust to luck and go back and see if they do have any.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
9 Jan 17
It's funny how certain things will spark a memory.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154103)
• Canada
7 Jan 17
I guess you need to buy shoes in a wider size, not longer.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
2 Jan 17
I wonder what triggered the memory, so were your shoes too tight then too?
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
2 Jan 17
Tight shoes - poem by Lear - memory of being 'Aged Uncle Arly'
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24026)
• United Kingdom
8 Jan 17
As I am on my feet most of the day I always buy good shoes. They are so important. I am not one for fashion I leave that to others and their bunions!
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
21 Jan 17
I'm sorry they don't fit properly. Interesting memory of an early acting career.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (4427)
2 Jan 17
I take it Uncle Arly's shoes were too tight, as well?
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
2 Jan 17
A poem, by Edward Lear. Read by Brad Craft.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
4 Jan 17
What a nice memory! I hope you find a nice and comfortable pair of shoes
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189874)
• Boise, Idaho
2 Jan 17
Wearing heels is like wearing shoes that are too small. Hope you find some comfortable shoes. Maybe a wide size would be good.
@rebelann (117238)
• El Paso, Texas
2 Jan 17
A cricket on your nose and a railway ticket in your hat, what a funny line. I hope Tesco surprises you with the exact size and style you need.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Jan 17
You never know when memories will pop up. Things you haven't thought about in years jump into the forefront.
1 person likes this
• Trinidad And Tobago
3 Jan 17
Why did the shoes trigger that particular memory?
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
3 Jan 17
I see that I should have put a link to the poem. See the link that I left below in my comment to Ali Canary!
1 person likes this
• Trinidad And Tobago
5 Jan 17
@owlwings Sorry, I didn't see of find any link. Or if it's there I could not recognized it. I am not very good with computers.
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
5 Jan 17
@Gita17112016 Here it is again
A poem, by Edward Lear. Read by Brad Craft.