‘What’s something that absolutely screams ‘British childhood’ to you?’ – 23 things that will touch the soul of anyone who grew up in the UK

An intense need for a Mr Frosty Machine. The joy of the toy section in the latest Argos catalogue. Going to the corner shop for a 10p mix up. If you grew up in the UK, you’ll be very familiar with the small joys and huge disappointments of the average British childhood.

They’ve been delving into this shared past on the AskUK subreddit after user Quantum_Toast422 posted this:

What’s something that absolutely screams ‘British childhood’ to you? Could be anything from, Wagon Wheels, MSN Messenger, CBBC, or being forced to do cross country in freezing mud. For me it’s tuck shops, nothing beats those rice paper spaceships!

Plenty of people who’d grown up in the UK had their own memories, good and bad, to to share.

1.

‘The dread of hearing the Heartbeat theme tune.’
–Spadders87

2.

‘Looking over at the peasants on the floor when you’re in Year Six and now get to sit on the benches in assembly.’
–hdjxjks

3.

‘Watching the TV be wheeled in to the classroom at the start of a lesson. You knew it was going to be an easy skive.’
–SexyMuthaFunka

4.

‘Whacking a load of petals in a bucket and mixing in some garden hose water, stirring it with a twig and expecting it to smell like perfume.’
–Ok-Humor-8632

5.

‘For the slightly older crowd: You played Granny’s Garden on a BBC Micro computer at school.’
–811545b2-4ff7-4041

6.

‘Rough blue paper towels in the school toilets.’
–Thistlebup

7.

‘PE in vest and knickers to BBC radio programme Music and Movement.’
–Choice-Standard-6350

8.

‘Learning to play Three Blind Mice on the recorder.’
–ckl85

9.

‘Punching each other on the arm after your BCG jab at school.’
–insertitherenow

10.

‘Byker Grove. Spuggy, PJ and Duncan and the man, the myth, the legend… Geoff.’
–No_Cut5297

11.

‘Miming the songs in assembly instead of actually singing, because of course, you lived the thug life and cared for no one!’
–MrExcellent1

12.

‘Taping the Top 40 on a Sunday. Fingers hovering over play/record, so as not to get the DJ talking on your mix tape.’
–MrsMcFly1