Fir Cone

This simple object brought back such happy childhood memories, growing up on a farm and the freedom my brothers and sisters (I'm the youngest) had during the 50's and 60's.
On Sunday afternoons during the autumn we would all take an empty hessian sack and walk to the forest of fir trees where we would fill the sacks up with fir cones that my mother would use as fire lighters during the winter months. The sacks were too heavy to carry home so my dad would come along later in the afternoon with a horse and cart pick up the overflowing sacks and five happy and tired children and then we would make our way home to a tea of toasted crumpets, home made fruit cake and mugs of hot cocoa. If I was good I was allowed to sit on the horse at the base of its neck and feel and smell the warmth as I snuggled into her head. Those were the days!