Again I was four. I remember our pre-school Christmas Party/Concert, at least the occasion. Our teacher Mrs McDougal was ancient. Lines made road maps on her face but she was always smiling. When she laughed her huge bosom would wobble up and down like jelly. She controlled us kids by the tone in her voice. She had no need for punishment, maybe occasionally standing in the corner, certainly not rods, rulers or hands.
We had practiced for weeks for the concert. All the parents were going to come, but better than that Santa was also going to attend. And there was the food. There is nothing in the world like a spread put on by country women in Australia and having a particular liking for sweet things, I looked forward to the cakes and slices that would definitely be there.
What I didn’t know at the time was that one of the children’s father ran a recording studio and our concert was going to be recorded for posterity on vinyl. Jon Mison with his frog, a couple of other children and myself had solo parts. Despite my standing ovation for my rendition of Silent Night a recording contract was not forthcoming.
But I was four, what did I care? I was tucking into the slice with the biscuit base, white custardy middle with the red jelly on top that wobbled in a similar fashion to Mrs McDougal’s bosom.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Reblogged this on Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) and commented:
Coming up to Christmas this throwback Thursday’s choice to reblog seems an appropriate one.
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That would be the most unusual video I’ve ever seen, Irene ! {grin}
I heard that you had your own Dennis the Menace … what fun !
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Congratulations M-R (or would you prefer to be L-L now/). You are the very first to listen to that incredibly well edited recording on vinyl with the overlay of stills. Deserves a
👏 and a 🏆. Didn’t you just love the control she had over us.
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You need to revise your bio to state you started your career as a recording artist! Wow–that vinyl is just so amazing because it’s not a common thing to have from childhood! Love your description of Mrs. McDougal, too!
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Thanks Charli. Mrs McDougal was someone special. Perhaps I will have a new bio for special occasions. 🙂
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I’m sitting outside a cafe in balmy 22 degrees and I click play. I’m not sure Lake Wanara was quite ready for that audio experience. Dead cute and all but the seagulls have started mobbing me. I wonder if most of us had primary school teachers who controlled with an eyebrow. Mine was Mrs Pritchard who I remember mostly for the way she pulled Her cardigan around her waist. Not a good sign that. I also remember her praise when she stood in for our form teacher and had us listen to a radio story before answering questions. I loved that. Ah always a sucker for praise.
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Oh dear Geoff. Your companions will soon not be having coffee with you – firstly the spluttered food and then the mobbing seagulls. I’m sure that Wanara enjoyed the audio. Funny how those that controlled well with either the hitch of a cardigan or the raising of an eyebrow had praise that really made your chest puff out. Yep! we all love praise.
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This is just wonderful Irene, I adore your memoir posts from your time as a little girl! Wow, you a recording artist at four year’s old! I just loved hearing your sweet little voice ringing out for Christmas! Wonderful description of your pudding and Mrs McDougal’s bosom, priceless 🙂 I am reminded of Miss Parr, but I wish she was as wobbly as Mrs McDougal. She was every bit the Victorian school head mistress. One look from her and that was it and unfortunately she did believe in punishment. She once lined a few of us up by her desk and rapped us across our knuckles with a ruler because we had been running when we were told not to (this was outside in the playground I might add!). I was so happy the day she left for obvious reasons 🙄 The new headmaster was young and ‘with it’, he was great, just like this wonderful post my friend 🙂
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Thank you Sherri. I’m so glad you enjoyed my reminiscenses of Mrs McDougal. Your Miss Parr sounds a bit frightening and your new headmaster sounds as though he may have been your first crush. My first crush was my third grade teacher. Amazing how much harder you work when you are trying to impress. Trouble was, so was everyone else vieing for his attention so our place in class didn’t do a corresponding shift upwards. 🙂
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Haha…you know, now you have me thinking Irene, maybe he was! He taught guitar lessons after school for a group of us, let us take part in gymnastics awards and also took us on field trips. I did like him… alot… 😉 Maybe, like you with your third grade teacher, that’s why I worked so hard at everything, wanting to impress…but also like you, my place in class didn’t shift either 🙄 Ahh…what amazing memories we share my friend 🙂 I hope you had a good weekend, we got our tree up at last. Hoping I can keep with a couple more blog posts before signing off for Christmas…and now I’ll be catching up with you here 🙂 ❤
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I have been very sluggish with Christmas this year. Putting a tree up would put me in mind of it I feel so perhaps I’ll do one today.
Funny how we can share memories despite not sharing them. It is the emotion behind them we share and makes our experiences common. Will be in touch before Christmas but have a wonderful lead up to it my friend. Cheers Irene 🙂 ❤
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Same to you my friend..be in touch soon… 🙂 ❤
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