Freewritng – word sketching the objects. Completely unedited writing associated with the objects.

Cold / small/worn

I can recall egg and soldiers and some lousy cabbage and liver but not eaten with these. They may be Jayne’s, there is always a blurred line between what is hers and mine, both physically and remembered. The pieces that were my children’s were shared also; we keep what is still useful for the next child even before they are conceived. The sugar tongs make me smile; Nan (in law) gave them to me just before she died. She said that they should be mine since no one else would know what to do with them. This was a swipe at my mother in law, her daughter in law who we had a mutual feeling of uncomfortable dislike. It was funny how we never said it out loud but I knew that she knew and vice versa. As if I had a use for sugar tongs! I haven’t seen a sugar cube in years, not since we visited holiday cafes as a child and I would sneak a whole one into my mouth to suck away the corners until it dissolved and I had furry teeth.

Sharp/smooth/bony

I have thirty six in total, incisor, molars and whatever those square ones at the front are called, the biting ones. Biting tearing and chewing, that’s how we remembered their names. It’s really about the myth of the tooth fairy. If I’m going to tell my children lies then at least I can be honest enough to keep them rather than throw them into the rubbish. That makes no sense really as either way they weren’t carried away in tiny sparkly fairy arms to be ground into magic fairy dust for spells. They have been sat in my drawer with the toothbrush chargers until the time when all baby teeth had fallen and they got moved to the loft. Nosey children looking for nail varnish and make up has found them before and said they knew long ago that it was all lies. I knew when I was little because mum gave the teeth back to us, I can’t remember the yarn that she told us that meant we could keep both money and tooth but in any case little me thought I could make some money by putting the tooth back under my pillow over and over to get some money. Obviously it didn’t work so that’s when I knew that the tooth fairy didn’t exist.

Cool/Soft/Damp

Really hard to attach anything to this except for the moment which comes after the birth of your first child. The rush of visitors and gift bearers. Make the most of every moment – You wait – before you know it – life will never be the same. All true but not in any way the way you imagine. It’s different for everyone of course and a lot depends on the support, or lack of that surrounds you. I don’t remember who wished us well with this gift. It’s still in its box but looks old now having been stored away in an airtight box. Very squashed. Jack was completely bald for the first two years of his life and who would use a silver plated brush in any case. I have no idea why I kept this, not useful, not beautiful, cant attach to the giver of the object. I can only assume it is to remember the fireplace covered in flowers and cards and my disbelief that I had made another human.

Frayed/Yellowed/ misshapen

I was in the choir, in secondary and primary school, something which I was proud of and enjoyed. In primary school I sang descant, that a bit higher than everyone else if you didn’t know. Still proud obviously! Mrs Meredith ran the choir and I loved it so much. I used to learn all of the words to all of the hymns so that I could sing without reading, what a girly swat. I lay on my bedroom floor on my back with my legs facing upwards against my wardrobe (not a fan of chairs a kid) singing as best I could out load, no embarrassment all evening until I was s called for tea… Followed this at secondary school with Tom Sawyer and Joseph’s Technicolor dream coat. Many many happy hours had by Julie Cardew of 3PLYM.