Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Snowy Day in Primrose Hill

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, for the best Get Sleepy experience, be sure to check out our supporters feed Get Sleepy Premium for ad-free listening, weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire catalogue. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make the free version of this show possible. Want to travel the world? International Experience Canada provides opportunities for young Canadians to get a work permit in over 35 countries and territories. Visit Canada.ca.iec, a message from the Government of Canada. Do you have little ones in your life? Whether you're a parent, teacher, aunt, uncle, grandparent, babysitter. We all know that keeping kids calm and entertained can be difficult. That's why I want to introduce you to the newest show by Samba Studios. It's

Starting point is 00:00:56 called Snuggle and it features calming stories for kids of all ages. Whether it's for bedtime, nap time or just for fun, Snuggle offers a calming world of imagination. You'll find original stories where we swim with mermaids, visit old toy stores and try out magical wands. And you'll hear our modernised renditions of classic tales like Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. Just search Snuggle in your podcast player and be sure to follow the show. I'll see you there the next time you and your little ones are looking for a cozy story to snuggle up with. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thanks for tuning in, it's so lovely to have your company.

Starting point is 00:02:04 Before I tell you about tonight's story, I just want to mention that we have a new Get Sleepy Listener survey for 2024 to help us understand what you're all enjoying most about the show and where we can improve things. That way we can better shape the future of our content to best serve all of you wonderful listeners. So if you can spare a few minutes in your day tomorrow, or sometime this week, it would mean a lot to the team and me if you'd give us your feedback. It's mostly multiple choice questions that don't take long to get through. And there are a couple of opportunities for you to give some more detailed feedback and

Starting point is 00:02:49 ideas should you wish. You can find the link to the survey in the show notes for this episode. And I've shared the link on our socials too. Thank you all so much for continuing to listen and support Get Sleepy. Now then, in tonight's story, we'll follow a memory, all the way back to 1960s London, when Lucy, her nanny and her cat Mittens experienced a wonderful snowy day. It was a day when everything seemed to come to a standstill, and the whole city turned into a magical winter wonderland.

Starting point is 00:03:40 The story was written by Mercia, and will be read by Jessica. As we prepare to hear our wintry story, lie any tension from the neck, shoulders, or wherever you might feel it in your body. Now, close your eyes and take a moment to think about snow. It's softness, how gently it melts on fingertips, how it crunches underfoot, and the way it sparkles like a million stars when sunlight shines across it on a clear day. Let your mind empty of all other thoughts. Imagine the unique pattern of snowflakes. How amazing that something created by nature can take such a magical shape. Staying in these snowy scenes, allow your body to relax and prepare for sleep, counting

Starting point is 00:05:39 snowflakes instead of sheep. Imagine those sparkling crystals tumbling softly from a cloudy night sky. colors, colored green, blue and red by the glow of city lights, and see them gently land on a frosty window pane. This is what you do. mittens on their snow day. When people think of London in the 1960s, what might come to mind are its quirky, colourful fashions, the invention of the miniskirt, and the birth of a very special brand of British pop music. But for Lucy, what she remembers most from that time when she was a little girl is one magical morning when it snowed so much that she didn't have to go to school. That day, all of London seemed to turn into a sparkling snow globe. A winter wonderland full of endless joy and adventure. Even now, every time the first snow falls, Lucy thinks back on that wonderful day. The morning was white and quiet.

Starting point is 00:08:16 She woke up at the same time as always, and from her bed she could see out the window. Feathery snowflakes were already whirling outside against the ice-blue sky. In the kitchen downstairs, Lucy could hear the soft whistling of the kettle. The smell of warm toast and milk slowly heating on the stove made its way up the stairs to Lucy's bedroom, beckoning her to get out of bed. Nanny was always up very early, preparing for the day, getting ready to walk Lucy to school. It was a Wednesday, and that day Lucy had a presentation in class. She was going to talk about Saturn and its moons.

Starting point is 00:09:18 Together with Nanny, she had made a paper mache model of the planet, its rings and its many moons. Each part was a different colour. Blue Moon, Green Moon, Pink Planet, Purple Rings and a few scattered golden stars. Lucy poked a foot out from under the covers. The air was chilly, but it was warm in bed. With her foot dangling off the bed, she slowly searched the floor for her slippers. They had been a birthday present from when she had turned ten years old a few weeks earlier. The slippers were soft and comfy, made with buttoned bunny eyes and embroidered bunny whiskers. With her left foot, she found the right slipper and slid it across the plush baby blue carpet

Starting point is 00:10:41 towards her other foot, which she had now also pushed out from under the covers. Nanny always said, if the feet, Lucy could hear the quick jingle of a little bell coming closer. It was her cat, Mittens, a beautiful, fluffy, white Persian cat with large almond-shaped sea foam green eyes. The door was only slightly open, but Mittens squeezed through the narrow slit with her soft body, purring as she rubbed against Lucy's legs, and jumped onto the bed next to her. legs and jumped onto the bed next to her. It's snowing, Mittens, did you see? It's the first snow of the year," Lucy said, pointing out the window. The cat, who was seeing snow for the first time, looked in that direction, curious about the fluffy flakes

Starting point is 00:12:07 coming from the sky. Mittens proceeded to hop over to investigate. Perched on the sill, the cat pressed her pink nose against the windowpane, her tail gently swaying as it dangled below her. Both the snow and mittens were the same soft shade of wintry white. Lucy ran her fingers through mitten silky fur, the cat purred again. A familiar sweet sound. The bedroom was quiet and serene, bathed in the frosty blue light coming through the window. The doorbell rang downstairs. Lucy could hear Nanny talking to somebody. Even though she could not distinguish from the muted sounds what was being said in the hallway,

Starting point is 00:13:13 Lucy seemed to pick up an element of surprise in Nanny's voice. Curious to see what was going on, Lucy headed downstairs, with mittens in tow, the cat's little bell tinkling along with their steps. By the time Lucy and Mittens were downstairs, Nanny had already closed the door and was back in the kitchen, setting the table for breakfast. Pouring steaming warm milk into Lucy's cup and stacking pieces of toast in the metallic, shiny toast tray, Nanny said that it had been Isabella at the door. Isabella was the slightly older girl who lived next door. She went to the same school as Lucy, and her father was the principal. Isabella's

Starting point is 00:14:18 family was close with Lucy's, even though the girls were a few years apart. Apparently, because of the snow, there would be no school that day, Isabella had said. Lucy could not believe what she was hearing from Nanny. It was the sort of thing that every child hoped for, that somehow school would be cancelled, if only for a day. Looking out the kitchen window onto the square outside, Lucy, Nanny, and Mittens could see that the snow was coming down in even thicker worlds of milky white. It was beautiful. The kitchen was warm and cozy, and it reminded Lucy of the snowy scenes in her favorite animated films, featuring cute animals and magical snowy days.

Starting point is 00:15:34 Take your time with breakfast, dear," said Nanny, smiling. Looks like we're not going anywhere today. Nanny looked out the window, sipping her tea. But perhaps we could take your sled to the park, she said thoughtfully. The words made Lucy's heart flutter with excitement as she buttered her toast, all golden and crunchy, and took a big sip of the sweet foamy milk. Can we take mittens? Lucy asked enthusiastically. Nanny replied by shaking her head gently and giving Lucy a warm smile. A snowy park was no place for a curious house cat.

Starting point is 00:16:29 After breakfast, it stopped snowing for a little while. It seemed like a good time to head to the park. While Nanny packed some snacks and a thermos of hot chocolate for the outing, Lucy went to get dressed. She put on thick, grey, woolly tights underneath a pair of blue jeans. She paired them with a navy and cream-colored striped turtleneck. Over the turtleneck, Lucy put on a flee, wondering which of her friends would be at the park. Surely, all the children from school would be there playing now that they had a day off. Waiting for Nanny in the hallway, Lucy put on her outerwear, a tartan coat with yellow

Starting point is 00:17:48 and purple checks, which had a pretty pink, silky lining. It was the 1960s after all, and everybody was wearing kaleidoscopic colours. On her head, she put on her favourite black velvet beret, which she tied onto her chin with its soft, smooth ties. Lucy's winter boots were also black, with a silvery grey fur trim. Moments later, Lucy and Nanny stepped out of the house and onto the front steps overlooking Chalcot Square. The 19th century residential square was surrounded by colorful townhouses in different colors.

Starting point is 00:18:48 Vanilla yellow, stormy lilac, baby blue. In the middle of it all, there was a single cherry blossom pink house. This was where Lucy and her family lived. While Lucy was used to snowy days in winter, she had never seen anything quite like this. All the bonbon coloured houses were capped with puffy mounds of soft snow. The park in the middle that was framed with black Victorian railings looked as if it were covered in the sweetest Italian meringue. The kind that Nanny made, which was much gooier and chewier than the crunchy kind.

Starting point is 00:19:48 Lucy felt ecstatic at the sight of this unexpected landscape. It is a special kind of joy that snow can inspire in the heart of a child. Walking down Regent's Park Road toward Primrose Hill, Lucy could already hear the shouts of excitement, the infectious laughter, and the swishing sounds of racing sleds coming from the park. She dragged her sled along behind her as she walked with increasingly quicker steps, eager to join in the fun. Nanny followed along with slow and steady strides. The streets were covered in several feet of snow. There were no cars around. All the vehicles were snowed in and barely visible beneath their white blankets.

Starting point is 00:20:59 Aside from the happy clamour coming from the park, it seemed that a veil of gentle silence had settled over London, such as the city had rarely seen. There were no honking buses or growling cars to be heard anywhere. There was only the snow and the glass dome of a snow globe. Lucy entered the park through the wrought iron gate. Primrose Hill looked like a pearly white sand dune in some fairyland, a round hill of powdery snow dotted with old Victorian lamp posts and roving children. All the youngsters were running up or sliding down the slope with their sleds, their cheeks

Starting point is 00:22:21 red from the cold breeze. The grown-ups, meanwhile, sat on the benches at the foot of the hill, chatting and drinking hot beverages from their thermoses, sitting on newspapers or folded cardboard sheets to keep warm and dry. Once she came to the top of the hill, Lucy could see all of London spreading out below her. It looked like one of those paintings of water lilies they had shown in class once, where there were no clear lines, only soft colours and flickers of muted light.

Starting point is 00:23:15 The rooftops of the old city were a dove grey colour in the distance, shrouded in a sort of purplish haze that was a mix of snow clouds and chimney smoke, this little corner of London had turned into a perfect winter wonderland. It was time to take a first ride down the slope. For a few minutes, Lucy observed the other children. With their sleds, they had carved out various tracks. One seemed to go awfully fast down the steepest part of the hill. Another was a bumpy ride over some knotty routes. And a final one was a smooth track down to what would normally have been the promenade, had it not been covered in snow. She could see Nanny sitting with some other ladies at the bottom of the smooth track and decided to try that one first. Lucy sat on the sled with a leg on each side. She positioned herself firmly in the seat,

Starting point is 00:24:39 holding on tightly to the rope at the front. She pushed off from the top, using her legs to propel her forward. Off she went, flying down this sparkling hill. It was a marvellous thrill. The world dissolved around her into flashes of winter colours, powder blue, sugary white and iridescent sparkles of gold and silver. She barely felt any resistance from the snow beneath her. The motion of the sled had the smoothness of ice skating on freshly polished ice. She felt light as a feather, as though she was gliding across the winter sky. Before she knew it, she was at the bottom. It was time to climb back up and try the other routes. After riding down the different tracks a few times, Lucy felt a little tired. Coming down the fastest, steepest slope of final time, Lucy saw a group of her friends from school. They had started making a snowman over by Shakespeare's tree.

Starting point is 00:26:20 It was an old oak tree, which had been planted a few years earlier to mark 400 years since the writer had been born. Lucy had recently turned 10 and could barely grasp the enormity of someone having been born 400 years earlier. She left her sled with Nanny, who was chatting away with the other ladies and went to join her friends. The children rolled, needed, and the Finnish snowman was quite spectacular. It was almost as tall as some of the older children. Lucy and her friends had shaped three perfectly round balls of snow to form his body. One of her friends had brought a bag of marbles from his house. They chose the prettiest amber marbles for his eyes, and the metallic iris marbles for

Starting point is 00:27:38 his buttons. Another one of the children had brought a bucket along to the park. It was a pink bucket with daisies painted on it. That became the hat. The children all agreed, in the words of their older teenage siblings, that this was the grooviest snowman they had ever seen. Around this time, many of the children began to disperse and head home. It had started to snow once more.

Starting point is 00:28:25 Nanny asked Lucy if she was ready to return to the house, but Lucy asked if they could stay a few moments longer. Very well, but no more than fifteen minutes, said Nanny in her firm but loving tone. And Lucy knew she had 15 more minutes and that was it. There could be no bargaining for additional time in the park. The final thing Lucy wanted to explore before heading back to reunite with Mittens The final thing Lucy wanted to explore before heading back to reunite with Mittens was a snow castle that somebody had built. They'd made it up by the campfire on top of the hill. Lucy headed there one last time with her sled in tow.

Starting point is 00:29:23 There was practically nobody left at the top when she arrived. The laughter and chatter from earlier in the day had faded. Now there was just the ground, the crackle of the glowing logs, and chiming bells that rang out somewhere in the distance. Crawling on her hands and knees, Lucy borrowed borrowed her way into the snow castle. It was perfectly peaceful. A quiet palace made of snow just for her, it seemed. She lay down on her back, making a pillow for herself using her scarf and hat, and looked at the icy ceiling, which had turned glassy in the cold. From outside, the soft, evening glow was reflecting on the icy walls, turning the inside of Lucy's snow castle at times a pinkish red or a peachy orange. To Lucy, the whole day had seemed like one long scene from a snowy fairytale.

Starting point is 00:31:10 seen from a snowy fairytale. Back at home, as she was pulling off her boots in the hallway, Lucy started to realise how tired she really was. The days were very short now, and it was already dusk outside. Lucy could not wait to slip back into her cosy, soft pink bunny slippers. Lucy made her way to the living room, where it was nice and warm. Nanny had disappeared into the kitchen, and Lucy could hear the reassuring homely jangle of pots and pans as she prepared dinner. Lucy sat down in the large armchair by the window, covering herself with a wool blanket, and switched on the spare heater that was placed in the room. It made a calming buzzing sound as it started heating up. Middens came into the room, returning from some hiding place, no doubt, and got into Lucy's lap,

Starting point is 00:32:28 curling up in a snugly little ball of warmth. As she stroked Mittens' soft, silky fur, Lucy thought about the wonderful day she had had. Lucy thought about the wonderful day she had had, the fun rides on the sled, the groovy snowman, and the magical snow castle. If only all days could be like that. After dinner, it was time for bed. Lying down among the soft pillows and covers, Lucy could still feel the winter breeze on her cheeks. She imagined the air whooshing around her body as she rode down the hill on the sled. And she felt the softness

Starting point is 00:33:29 of the snow in her hands as they had made the snowman. All of it had left her feeling tired, but in a blissful sort of way. in a blissful sort of way. The more comfortable she got in her bed, the more relaxed she became, and the more the day's excitement started to ebb away. Looking out the window now, where she had seen the white winter sky earlier in the morning, she now saw a clear night sky. There were only a few scattered clouds left, and it was no longer snowing. But up there, beyond the clouds, Lucy caught a glimpse of something moving. A falling star. She closed her eyes to always remember this day, and another to always go sledding, even when she grew up. Lost in thoughts of wishes and shooting stars, Lucy got sleepier and sleepier and drifted of her own. నినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినినిన� you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Snowy Day in Primrose Hill

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