The time I dressed up as Aladdin to get something I badly wanted…

I have a very vivid memory of when I was in primary school and for world book day, our school ran this competition that required kids to come dressed as a book character. I remember it was around that time when I really badly wanted to buy a FunFax filofax. It was one of those really popular organisers that everyone seem to have (apart from me). I wasn’t allowed one at the time (because I had already spent all of my pocket money on books!)

In any case, the winner of this competition for ‘best dressed boy’ (as a book character) and ‘best dressed girl’ would win a voucher that allowed you to get any book from a book fair (that was taking place at the same time). I had my heart set on getting that filofax that I wasn’t allowed to have.

World Book Day had arrived and I came dressed up as the only asian book character I could think of (as a 10 something year old boy). I wore my baggy shalwar trousers that I’d use to go to mosque in the evenings, and then stuck a little waistcoat on, and a purple mosque cap on the back of my head.

Dressing up as Aladdin would cause me total humiliation, but it would get me the book that I wanted. The perseverance paid off in the end.

Thankfully this was before the age of social media, so there are no pictures as evidence..at least I hope not.