#wcartistgroup mrfrosty argos workingclass

[wcartistgroup]

Mr Frosty

There were only ever three books in our house. One was a giant, well thumbed, creased, stained and battered copy of An A to Z of Great Britain that sat underneath my Dad's seat in hired cars, posh motors loaned for driving holidays to Wales that lasted forever and not long enough. Sight seeing the places Dad was stationed, fear inducing trips to slate mines and one nighters in cheap B&B's with curtains that matched the bed spread - all in places I still can't pronounce. The other was an Oxford dictionary - pristine, bound and hard backed, with the density of a bible and the paper quality of school loo roll. The dictionary was only ever there to appease my constant questioning - dictionaries are for inquisitive children. If I had a question Dad would tell me to look it up - my reluctance was never measured, dyslexia wasn't a thing ...and even if it was it was a thing, it was a thing posh kids had. The third and final book was my favourite, our most collected as a family. A universal book that offered every answer. A book that was seasonally replenished with anticipation. One your neighbours asked if you'd seen the latest copy. A book that was used to barter your behaviour, that kept the window ajar on warm summer nights and one you read cover to cover before you were asked what you wanted for Christmas. The Argos Catalogue. Hours spent dreaming about the possibilities of possibilities. Circling 453/565 and hoping that blue biro could fool Mum into finally buying you a Mr Frosty so you could finally invite your friends in and give them a cup of dayglo ice that was no where near as brilliant as a Slush Puppy from the Newsagent. Saturday mornings spent highlighting the stuff you couldn't possibly live without but you knew was unlikely to get. This book offered us a space to dream of the unreachable at arms length. Where hearts are first broken and wishes first made ...until the next edition is published and you do find other things on other pages to set your heart upon.