On Saturday, June 27th, I had a letter published in the Yorkshire Post.
I had been prompted to write by opinions expressed the previous week on the comments by Naz Shah MP about Scarborough. She had some justifiable unhappy memories and was criticised for them.
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/scarborough-defence-mp-naz-shahs-holiday-comments-yorkshire-post-letters-2896710
Dear Sir
The views of Scarborough from the childhood experiences of Naz Shah MP are valid and should not be ridiculed. People should be careful of criticising her. The majority of emotional and mental health problems in adulthood, arise from holding on to out-of-date feelings and thoughts from childhood.
As a 14 and 15 year old London schoolgirl in 1963/4, I visited Yorkshire on two school holidays. I enjoyed staying in Bridlington, visiting Whitby, Goathland and York. One very wet day, with early closing, we visited Scarborough. Nothing was open and I thought it was the most miserable place I had ever visited and would never return. I kept that promise, avoiding it when bringing my children for a Yorkshire holiday in 1986 and unexpectedly moving to York in 1994.
One day in 1996 I had to go to Scarborough for a meeting on South Cliff. It was a beautiful summer’s day and the view from the Esplanade overwhelmed me. I had made a judgement on one experience as a teenager and the result was my loss. It was time to form an opinion as an adult. In 2007 on a visit to a friend, we saw a house for sale and since 2010 have lived extremely happily in Scarborough enjoying its wonderful position on the coast and bordering the National Park. Our grandchildren will hold lifelong happy memories of their holidays here.
Yours Sincerely
Rita Leaman (Real name)
As a PS: Around the same time I was never going to eat tomatoes or wear a skirt below my knee again. Fortunately I didn't keep to either vows!
I have written a number of times about holding on to old thoughts and feelings from childhood, which in adulthood are well passed their sell-by date. These articles can be found on this blog using the word search and also in the books 'Wise Words' by Rita Leaman and 'Are you Chasing Rainbows?' by Alison R Russell.
©AlisonRRussell2020
