Unaccompanied

Today

Yesterday saw our first Hallow e'en in Oakhill. Despite the lashing rain we had a couple of visits from children who were excruciatingly polite and one tiny lad who seemed to think he should give Paul his treats!

What we have noticed is that the kids are generally accompanied by parents or responsible adults, even in these little close-knit villages.

In My Day

Of course there was no trick-or-treating when we were small but there were other occasions when you had cause to knock on doors.

We all went carol-singing. We were pretty musical and could hold a tune and, with help from choirboy David, some harmony as well. We lived on a main road in South London but as far as I an tell, were permitted to wander off in the dark evenings before Christmas, singing good cheer at strangers' front doors. Many of the houses were large Victorian piles divided into flats and you couldn't be sure who might open the door. I'm sure we met some Scrooges and got to know which doors produced the best pickings.

I think we gave good value and were rewarded with gifts and money. Beatrice took a dim view of gifts, once saying loudly in earshot as we left one house "What, no money?" We hustled her off. In fact, I think it was from that house that we received a beautiful full-colour geography book which I read again and again.

But the point is that there was no suggestion of being accompanied by parents, however much they kept in the shadows.

Was the world safer then? I doubt it. I think it's some other malaise that makes us more over-protective. And I have no idea whether that is better or worse for our  children.