“Mum! Do I have to wear a flower?”

I’m sure that those of you who have read my posts about my childhood during the dark days of World War II and the years of rationing and deprivation, will have a mental picture of a scruffy little urchin from the grimy backstreets of South London.

Well, how about this for a change of image ? …

Yes, the tiny ‘toff’ in this wartime wedding group is me, all dressed up in my Little Lord Fauntleroy ‘Sunday best’.

My mother (in the spotted dress next to the bride) must have spent all our clothing coupons on my outfit, and how about that cap? I suspect that it was borrowed or ‘handed down’ from one of my older cousins.

I remember ‘inheriting’ a very smart set of clothes from an older cousin, consisting of a coat, breeches and large flat cap, all in a rather bright green tweed fabric. I hated it ! and can only recall wearing it once, when my mother made me wear it to school, where I must have stood out like some ‘posh’ prat amongst all the other little tykes in their grey patched ‘hand-me-downs’. I decided to camouflage myself with mud from head to toe. I don’t think that my mum was too pleased, but I never saw that outfit again.

In the photograph I appear to be clutching something in my right hand, as does the lady in the ‘Robin Hood’ hat. I suspect that it was confetti, as valuable rice …  

… would have been reserved for a pudding.