Freedom - Trip to Nan's - Peter of the 7A

The 7a at Mill Lane

I get it parents worry about their kids I was with mine but at some stage, you have to trust them to take those tentative first steps alone. Unlike this morning when I nearly tripped over two mums who were sneakily watching their kids as they waited for the school bus to take them to secondary school.

Parents talk of dangers but they have always been there but back in time, we didn’t have such a disreputable press putting the fear of god into parents that behind every wall, door or bush is danger. Life was simpler back then I was told never talk to strangers or get into a car so easy to remember.

At around the age of 11, my mum trusted me to take the bus across Cardiff alone to go and visit my Nan. It was a journey we made many times and doing it alone held no fear to me nor mum as by letting me go it showed she trusted me. I enjoyed the journey and the freedom it gave me from the walk over the bridge to catch the bus, to arriving at nans. It felt like an expedition to me like Scott of the Antarctic but without the sad ending.

I loved sitting upstairs at the front of the bus because as a rule when I was out with the family we would sit down stairs. Through the town centre and on to Splott all the while fascinated with what I could see out of the windows. The houses around nan where being knocked down and at one point her house was the only one in the street occupied.

I would like to believe I allowed my kids some freedom growing up. Everything is at a fast pace and kids have more stuff, like mobile phones and other valuables that make them targets. We had nothing in my day worth stealing! Maybe a pea shooter or a spud gun. The world has become so materialistic and a must have society kids want to become grown up to soon.