A talented observer of like and song writer too....Irish singer, Val Doonican died "peacefully" recently at a nursing home in Buckinghamshire. His music was an important part of my childhood and growing up and will always take me back in my "mind's eye" to those special years in my life.
Doonican reached Number 7 in 1965 with, "The Special Years" - a song he wrote himself, no doubt as he watched his own two daughters grow:
"From pigtails to wedding bells; from pinafores to lace.
And in between are the special years, Time never can erase".
Even though it was written with little girls in mind, this song reminds me of my own happy childhood, boyhood friends and good neighbours.
Our neighbours - and they still live in the same house - were great Val Doonican fans and more often than not it seemed that Val's songs were playing when we were there.
There were no mobile phones (we didn't even have a telephone in the house), or computer games (we didn't even have calculators never mind computers), Radio 1 hadn't been broadcast and, while I wasn't usually allowed to stay up that late, TV finished before midnight.
We played outside ALL DAY with friends, our toys and our imagination.
Doonican reached Number 7 in 1965 with, "The Special Years" - a song he wrote himself, no doubt as he watched his own two daughters grow:
"From pigtails to wedding bells; from pinafores to lace.
And in between are the special years, Time never can erase".
Even though it was written with little girls in mind, this song reminds me of my own happy childhood, boyhood friends and good neighbours.
Our neighbours - and they still live in the same house - were great Val Doonican fans and more often than not it seemed that Val's songs were playing when we were there.
There were no mobile phones (we didn't even have a telephone in the house), or computer games (we didn't even have calculators never mind computers), Radio 1 hadn't been broadcast and, while I wasn't usually allowed to stay up that late, TV finished before midnight.
We played outside ALL DAY with friends, our toys and our imagination.
Hopefully my images of children help their families remember those Special Years
The Special Years (Lyrics by Val Doonican)
From pigtails to wedding veils
From pinafores to lace
And in between are the special years
Time never can erase
From play toys to college boys
From little girl to wife
And in between are the special years
You remember all of your life
The special years are filled
With sweet promises and pain
But love will never taste
Quite so wonderful again
So slow up, don't rush to grow up
You'll be a woman before long
So stay awhile in the special years
Their magic will soon be gone.
From pigtails to wedding veils
From pinafores to lace
And in between are the special years
Time never can erase
From play toys to college boys
From little girl to wife
And in between are the special years
You remember all of your life
The special years are filled
With sweet promises and pain
But love will never taste
Quite so wonderful again
So slow up, don't rush to grow up
You'll be a woman before long
So stay awhile in the special years
Their magic will soon be gone.
Just stay awhile in the special years Their magic - will soon be gone...
Anyone else remember The Val Doonican Show on Saturday nights?
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