Childhood Memories: Hot Water Bottles

Here in the Southern Hemisphere winter is almost over and signs of Spring are emerging all around us. Fortunately it hasn’t been a bad winter, rather wet but not as cold as we were expecting. As part of my writing group’s memoir writing exercise, I’ve been recording thoughts about winter. My chosen focus for this year of memoir writing has been my childhood in the 1950s – yes, I’m that old!

Winter back then meant many things to me. One particular memory is of having a hot water bottle, or hottie as they were fondly called. Climbing into bed on a cold night didn’t have quite the same comfort for me as it does now with warm flannelette sheets, a thick duvet on top and an electric blanket beneath me. I had thin cotton sheets, covered by two or three thin blankets, not enough to immediately warm a thin, cold body. Often I would huddle beneath the blankets, clutching my knees up close to my chest, so as to warm myself. Then I’d stretch my legs down the bed slowly, trying to warm it inch by inch.

Imagine my delight when my parents decided I was old enough to have a hot water bottle. I guess until that day they thought I’d somehow allow the water contents to spill into the bed. Or maybe they were afraid I’d burn myself.

Image via Wikipedia

Once the rubber hot water bottle had been filled with close to boiling water, it was thrust between the sheets, first in the centre of the bed to warm that up for me. Then, having climbed into bed, I’d push it further down with my toes. At this stage it was still very hot, too hot to actually put my feet onto it. But, it certainly made winter bedtime a lot more enjoyable. Once my feet were warm and the hottie had cooled a little, I’d bring it further up my body, hugging it until the heat had disappeared. By then I was warm enough to fall asleep and could throw the now luke warm rubbery object onto the floor.

About this age, my auntie taught me to knit. I became an enthusiastic knitter and one day stumbled across a pattern for a hot water bottle cover. This seemed to be the perfect answer to control the heat of the hot water bottle immediately after it was filled. I don’t remember my first hot water bottle cover, but I do remember the joy of experiencing a more controlled heat, with less likelihood of burning myself.

I can still remember the hot water bottles we had in our family. They were usually pink or blue rubber with a black screw top. Once I was old enough to fill one myself, i used boiling water straight from the jug. This no doubt hurried the breaking down of the rubber, causing the telltale cracks that the life of that particular hot water bottle was almost over.

I enjoy my electric blanket these days, but for children anyway, a hot water bottle seems a safer and more economical option.

Other 1950 childhood memories:

Sibling Rivalry: The Red Dress

The Girl Who Wanted to Look Like Cinderella

Solitaire, an Old Game with New Popularity