The Haunted Generation

Slowly, we’re getting a room-by-room reconstruction of Keith Seatman’s 1970s Southsea home. A little while ago on this website, Keith talked us through an unsuccessful 1978 attempt to photograph the extensive collection of Star Wars and Doctor Who magazines laid out on his bedroom floor, a bold conceit that captured more of the brown and orange bedroom carpet than it did the actual publications themselves.

Now, Keith has unearthed two earlier photos that tell a wonderful family story. A story of immersive play, of sibling rivalry, of… well, of sulking all day because you didn’t want your photo taken then tramping mud into the house after getting your Thunderbirds toys into a godawful mess in the back garden.

Over to you, Keith…

“In the very early 1970s – possibly even 1970 itself – a small version of me made the decision to play with his Thunderbirds toys and his not-to-scale-with-his-Thunderbirds toys spacemen.

I was sure this was going to be a Right Good Space Adventure, lasting all through the afternoon, maybe even until after tea and through to bedtime. And I vaguely remember it being decided (this was out of my hands) that my dad would take a picture of me playing with my Thunderbirds toys on the table because ‘it would be fun’. My sister Belinda would also have her picture taken, playing with… well, whatever she had on the table.

Firstly, I did not want my photo taken. After all, I was in the middle of a Great Thunderbirds Space Adventure.

Secondly, Thunderbirds did not go on top of the table. They went under the table. It was part of their base. Tracy Table Island = the table + lots of cushions as mountains. I remember protesting about this and being told to ‘get on with it’ and that I was was ‘spoiling it now’. So my sister had her photo taken first, and I somehow (on purpose) mischievously managed to get into shot. This did not go down well with my dad, who repeatedly asked me to move to the left.

Which I did, but I still managed to be in the picture. The tension in the room increased and I was asked in a very loud 1970s parent way to ‘get out of the bloody way’. Which, finally, I did. It was then my turn… but, as you can see, things had gone very wrong. For the rest of the day there was a silence in the house because I had ‘ruined it all’.

After this, the Great Thunderbirds Space adventure did not last the afternoon. And it definitely didn’t continue after tea – it was over and done with. I remember spending the rest of the day trapped in my room with all my books and toys… I never understood being sent to your room as punishment, my bedroom had lots of good things in it. Then, some days later, I ended up in the garden with my Thunderbirds toys and my not-to-scale spacemen playing out a rather good adventure which, this time, did actually last all day. All made even better by the fact that the night before it had rained, and the garden was a tad muddy.

So… Thunderbirds Swamp Jungle Planet adventure. With myself, Thunderbirds, the not-to-scale spacemen and my welly boots all getting totally covered in mud. Before being informed by my mum: ‘you will have a bath before tea’.”

Thanks, Keith – and Belinda. The Dark Room is a collaborative effort. If anyone would like to contribute their own childhood photos from the era, I would be utterly delighted – please drop me a line using the “Contact” link at the top of the page. Thanks so much.

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