SNOWMAN IN A COOL TIN BOX...

Remember when houses had a floor-to-ceiling cupboard in

the kitchen that served as a larder?  The kitchen of the house in

which I now live used to have one, but it was removed when the

property was refurbished back in the mid-1980s, when my family

and myself were living somewhere else.  When we returned over

four years later, the larder was gone.  Y'know what?  I miss

it - it somehow gave the kitchen character.

In this larder used to be a square-shaped tin with a picture

of a boy on a raft in the middle of a river.  Beside the boy was a

dog - a Scottie, I think.  The lad may've been HUCKLEBERRY

FINN or TOM SAWYER, but he was definitely in that mould.

I wish I could find a replacement for that old tin, as even just

thinking about it returns me to a long-vanished era.

This tin (a biscuit tin) used to reside in a drawer in the

kitchen of my previous house, and also, I'm sure, the kitchens

of the two homes before that.  Then, I merely took it for granted,

but in this house, it acquired the status of a link to my childhood,

which is sort of what happens to most items that have been around

for a good long while.  At first, they're just there and we're only

dimly aware of them, but eventually, we somehow come to

notice them more and grow to cherish them.

At least, that's how it is with me.  Like a lot of things, the

tin eventually disappeared, and I have no idea how long it was

after it's disposal before I first noticed its absence.  However, the

tin is not the central point of this post;  no, it's a little chalk 'snow-

man' that, after a few years as a Christmas decoration, was con-

signed to the tin when he eventually became a little the worse-

for-wear.  That was the tin's purpose you see - to store

various items until they were required again (if ever).

Close to 30 years ago, I saw the snowman's twin in

JOHN MENZIES, amongst an array of 'cake-toppers' on

a shelf, and immediately snapped him up.  Like the tin, I can no

longer recall (if I ever even knew) when the original vanished, but

it may have been around the same time as the tin, which could've

been the mid-to-late '70s.  So whenever I look at that snowman

today, I'm reminded of past Christmases in four houses, as

well as the tin which I'd dearly like to own again.

If by some chance you have one of these tins, get in touch

if you'd consider selling it.  That's the snowman at the top of

the post, although, as he's got a flesh-coloured face, maybe he's

meant to be an Eskimo kid in a snowsuit for all I know.  Anyway,

I just felt like a bit of shameless reminiscing, so hopefully you'll

forgive my self-indulgence.  Is there anything you miss from

your youth that you'd like to own again?  (Aside from your

youth, obviously.)  Tell your fellow Criv-ites.

Posted in: Cartoons