CAMPING

Camping has changed a lot since I was a child in the 70s.  No solar panels and electric mod cons like a fridge and TV, lights and computer games in those days.  Entertainment was making daisy chains,  watching the wildlife, or dodging the cowpats as you played a game of rounders.  Having fresh milk for breakfast meant walking across the fields to the dairy to get a jug of milk fresh from the cow, still slightly warm!  After dark the only light available was from a Tilley lamp. These fascinated me as a child; how the  fragile mantle once lit would get brighter and brighter as the lamp was pumped up.  When these were turned off at bedtime there was just the light of the stars.  
My main tag this week represents some of my  memories of camping as a child.    I found my first 4-leaf clover whilst camping so I made my tag in the shape of a 4-leaf clover.  This is actually a postcard from Mallorca; the shape was just perfect.  The four leaves have pictures representing some of my memories: branches against a starlit sky, the jug to get the milk, a cow in a Dorset landscape and a Tilley lamp.  The Union Jack represents the destination which was always in the UK.  This is surrounded by a circle of daisies. 

My Dad used to be a 'Campaigners' Chief.  This is an Evangelical Uniformed Youth Organisation, similar to Boy Scouts or Girl Guides. My parents organised Summer Camps every year, and the whole family would join Campaigner groups of all ages several times each year.  My Dad encouraged many of the Campaigners to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh's Awards.  

The two smaller tags joined to the large one show the Campaigners' badge and motto, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme logo.

My second tag started life as a cheeky birthday card.  On one side is a cow with a few wise phrases about outdoor living that I found on a site called inspiredcamping.com.  The thin paper ribbon attached to the tie says: "don't be afraid to get lost - you may find yourself". 
On the other side of the tag is the full list of inspired camping phrases.  I couldn't resist adding the cheeky catchphrase from the original birthday card!

I have enjoyed the camping theme; it's the nearest I am going to get to sleeping under the stars now. I'm glad I've got these memories to look back on.  

Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments;  I'm off now to take a look at all your beautiful tags.


Love Jane xx