IT IS testament to our shared memories as children that a photo from the 1960s can create such comment from a diverse range of people.

People who would have thought that they didn't have a lot in common. Went to the same primary school in the city of Ipswich.

Not all at the same time. But certainly have a shared recollection of a time when they were young and carefree. When they roamed the streets during the day and wandered into their kitchens at sundown to sit down to a meal of steak and three veg.

No mobile phone in pocket to connect them to their helicopter parents.

Not a care in the world except what was on the plate in front of them. Perhaps if they could get away without doing the spelling homework that their teacher had set them to learn by Friday.

Bikes thrown down in the driveway. Neighbours told they would be seen in the morning or the next afternoon for another adventure. When hopping the fence and swimming in Mr and Mrs So and So's pool was a sport.

Skinned knees and dirty clothes a normal occurrence, to be expected from rough and tumble boys of that era. No Pumpkin Patch or Osh Kosk begosh was part of their vocabulary.

Designer clothes were unheard of for children.

We were of the children should be 'seen and not heard' generation. We were not 'mini me's' to be dressed up and paraded in our finery to coffee shops and shopping centres.

We were free as the wind, riding on our bikes from sunup to sundown. Little adventurers setting out with not a care in the world. No thoughts of 'stranger danger' or the likes.

We were tough, resilient and just ... kids.

I think that is why when we see a photograph of something from that carefree period of time it strikes a common chord.

Last night , I'm not sure why I posted a photo on my primary school facebook page. It showed the local Olympic swimming pool and the primary school in the same frame.

Each on one side of the same road. There are cars in the photo. Old model cars from the 60s. There are crowds of people at the pool for a swimming meet.

The pool is long gone, demolished as the upkeep was too great. But in taking away that pool they took away some great memories from my generation. We had spent many hours in that pool.

Learning to swim, training and racing. Having fun. First kisses behind the registration shed....one 'old boy' shared last night on the page. We reconnected over shared friends, shared memories and shared regrets that this old icon had gone.

I don't live in the city anymore, but those who do still get a funny feeling when driving past the big open space where the pool used to be (so they tell me).

The daily routine in those days for my sister and I was to get up at 5.30pm and head to the pool for training before school.

Home for a hot cooked breakfast and then off to school. We walked across the road in the afternoon to go to training.

Swimming club was on Thursday night. This was a social event in itself. If you were lucky you might get a bag of lollies from the canteen or a hotdog if Dad was feeling generous.

We had a 'stay at home Mum' so fast food was not part of our diet. In fact probably not anyone's at that time. It just wasn't around.

Families gathered on the grassy bank or in the little 'grandstands' beside the pool to cheer on their children during the races. The results of the events hitting the local newspaper a few days later. We didn't get the Queensland Times (QT)at our house so I had to go over to the old lady who lived next door to get it when she had finished reading it.

I still have the cuttings in an album from those days. When I read the names I can immediately see the faces of those kids who I shared a moment in time with. We are parents now or even grandparents (perish the thought). Sadly,some are no longer on this earth.

As I said I have been blown away by the response to the photo. It is from my father's slide collection. I scanned the slides into my computer over the Christmas vacation.

Thought I would share it on the school page. Something different to the school photos that people have been sharing.

It won't bring the pool back but it does make us think of those times when we were kids. When life was simple and we didn't have a care in the world.

Or is that just the soft focus of our memory? I guess as we age then we are allowed to remember the good times and retell them to our children and grandchildren. Ahhh the good old days:)