Member-only story
About Me — Mike Zeidler
From 0 to nearly 60 at 6.5 years a minute
Age 0–5 (1965–1970): The Swinging Sixties
The nursing home where I was born in Wimbledon was kept open just for me. I was the last child delivered there and soon afterwards it was demolished to make way for a new mansion block.
Memories begin in a house in Flackwell Heath, 28 miles West of my parents childhood homes in London. Looking for my mum in a terror when big brother and his mate warned me of monsters at the end of the garden. Throwing a dart at a dartboard hung on an apple tree, but the dart going into my brother’s calf. My mum looking like a stranger when she once wore a wig. The excitement of a sixpence to spend in the local shop. The wonder of a Punch & Judy stall in our own house.
Age 6–13 (1970–78): The Feral Years
The Punch & Judy stall was a gift from my Dad’s mum. Grandmama was the funny one who rode a motorbike in her youth and taught us card games with gambling for smarties. There was an ice rink just along the way, and we also learned to skate. Granny & Gramps were on the other side of Richmond Park. Theirs was a quiet house with an enormous Grandfather clock that tick tocked in the hall. Good manners were appreciated, and I did my best to be well behaved.
