Footling memories

One of the more interesting aspects of the current de rigeur meme splattering the interweb - what’s your first political memory? - is finding out how old various bloggers are. Such is the anonymous timelessness of the digital age.

As a silver jubilee baby, born in ’77, the first news story to make an impression on me was the 1981 marriage of Charles and Diana - mainly because my parents bought a new colour telly especially for it. (I can still remember my mum criticising the number of creases in the train of Princess Di’s Elizabeth Emmanuelle dress.)

I was an arch-royalist back in those days - indeed, I even compiled a scrap-book to commemorate the occasion. Aged four is probably about the right time to grow out of it.

My first political memory is kinda sketchy, and hard to date.

For some reason, Michael Foot had made a big impression on me, so I suspect this must have occurred after his controversial sporting of a donkey jacket at the cenotaph in November 1982. I cannot think what else would have motivated me to grab one of the old-fashioned dish-mops in my grandparents’ kitchen, lean out of the window, and shout, “It’s Michael Foot.”

Which was harsh judgment on one of the most distinguished Parliamentarians of our age. But that’s kids for you.

(Two pictures, left, as an aid for younger readers.)