I caught the back end of a Radio 4 programme last night, it was something about sounds which instantly take you back to another time. There was a woman saying that the sound of an old push along lawnmower takes her back to memories of her father in the garden when she was a very young child and he was only about 25. I thought – how strange to remember your dad being just 25, my first memories of my dad, he must have been around 40, and that was old in the 1960s.
Anyway, when they played the sound of an old lawnmower, so much nicer than the violent noise of a Flymo, I was back in my childhood garden where I spent plenty of time cutting the grass, I could almost see and feel that big circular dip in the middle where the ground had sunk, presumably a previous gardener had had a round flowerbed there.
By coincidence Chris Evans played the original 1960s Doctor Who music on the radio early this morning. I knew that the music had been re-arranged a few times over the years, but I thought that it was just age which had sort of inured me to that sound. It doesn’t seem nearly so scary now, however when I heard the 1960s version it all came back, if I hadn’t already been under the covers, I would have just about been hiding behind a sofa, my usual position when Doctor Who started! Have a listen, I think the first version is by far the most menacing one. What do you think? I am just old enough to be able to remember all of the Doctors.
Wow that is so cool! I didn’t realize there were so many different Drs. When my boys were little we watch Dr. Who with Tom Baker on the PBS station. They loved it and still prefer the old ones to the new.
Peggy Ann,
I preferred the old ones too, but I did like David Tennant as the Doctor, but I suppose that’s my Scottish bias as I liked quirky Sylvester McCoy too. I’m also not happy about Daleks being able to hover upstairs – you’re not safe anywhere now!
Like Peggy Ann, I like the older Tom Baker Dr. Who best.
There are two sounds that take me immediately back to my childhood, both soothing sounds to me. We lived near a military air base in the 1950’s and the sound of propeller driven planes takes me there. Also, baseball on the radio! My father’s idea of babysitting was to take me along to his hunting club where all the guys sat around listening to baseball, buying me ice cream, and letting me play with the hunting dogs. Like Proust for the ears!
Joan,
I’m thinking that we (Peggy, you and I) were all a similar age when Tom Baker was the Doctor, I really liked him too and was not at all happy when Colin Baker took over from him. I’ve never heard of a hunting club, it sounds like a nightmare to me but that one was obviously a treat to be in!
For me it’s the sound of wee two seater planes flying over our house on their way over the crags to Stirling, it meant it was summer.
The push mower puts me in mind of my grandfather’s front porch, as he mowed the little strip of yard between the house and the vegetable garden. The sweet smell of fresh cut grass + pipe tobacco does the same thing – olfactory memories are the strongest for me. Tangerines and pine = Christmas. Aftershave = Dad.
David Tennant remains my favorite Doctor, although Matt Smith is doing a respectible job. I gave Bud the first Doctor on DVD – B&W and hilariously amateurish “special effects” (far worse than the early Star Trek episodes!)
I never thought of Dr Who as frightening, though. Probably because I didn’t start watching ’til I was an adult.
If I haven’t done so already – I highly recommend the movie “Life of Pi”. Fascinating story, beautifully executed. I loved every minute. And see it in 3D if at all possible – best use of the medium to date.
Pearl,
It’s much the same for me but Christmas always meant cigars for my dad too.
Doctor Who was first shown in 1963, the night after JFK’s assassination actually, and the BBC almost didn’t show it because of that. So it came 3 years before Star Trek but Auntie Beeb has always run things like that with chewing gum and bits of string!
We’ll probably go to Life of Pi – don’t know if I fancy 3 D though as I suffer from three day long migraines without 3 D.