The Games We Played
Many and varied were the games and pastimes we played during the halcyon times of childhood.
I have described some of these elsewhere in these pages, but I feel they deserve a separate entry of their own. Below I attach them, not in a chronological order but as they spring to mind as I sit here at the keyboard. Who would have thought that fifty + years on I would be able to list them in this way. Computers, far less Internet, were something out of HG Wells if he ever thought possible.
Football - kicking around a tennis ball that was never designed for such use. Many professional footballers learned their craft from controlling such a small ball. How many of today`s pro-players have sharpened their skills in this way?
Headers - throwing a tennis ball up in the air and attempting to drive it past a goalkeeper by directing it from a glancing strike by your head as it dropped.
Dodgie - standing in a circle with outstretched legs and feet touching a playmate on either side of you, the ball was dropped in the centre of the group. The person whose legs it rolled between retrieved the ball as the others scattered. The retriever then threw the ball attempting to strike a retreating player. That person was out if the throw was successful. Conversely, the thrower was out if the ball was caught in full flight by the victim. the procedure was then repeated until there was a winner.
Cricket - played with the same type of ball on a wicket that consisted of concrete or slate paving slabs. The stumps being marked out in chalk on the wall. All bowling was underhand.
Conkers - chestnuts that were pierced by a nail and a piece of string threaded through them. As the chestnut dangled from your grip on the string, your opponent tried to break your one by striking it with his own. Many sore knuckles were sustained as your opponent attempted this. Often the strings became entangled.
Cuddy Hunkers - two teams of undetermined participants. A member of the first team would stand with his back against the wall and cupping the head of another in his hands as that person bent forward at the waist.. The next and so on would then tuck his head into the buttocks of the person in front. The idea was for the second team to run forward in turn and leap frog onto the backs of them. The best jumper went first as he could not re-adjust from the spot he landed on. Hopefully all the leapers would succeed without falling back.
Peevers or sometimes known as Beds (Hopscotch)- played with an old shoe polish tin on a chalked drawn bed on the ground. The peever would be guided from a push by the outside of the foot towards the designated area of the bed. Then the participant would hop around the area avoiding the section the peever was on, halting on the way to pick it up. Another variation was the `Home` to `London` type.` This was played mainly by the girls.
Diabolo - again played by the girls in the main, a cotton reel was skillfully balance on a piece of twine slung between two sticks and spun backwards and forwards before being tossed aloft. The art was in catching it on the drop and repeating the process. Never ceased to amaze me at the deftness of the skill shown.
Peeries or Spinning Top and Whip - The peerie would have a thong, tied to one end of the whip,
wound around it. Holding the pointed end of the peerie to the ground, the whip would be pulled back releasing the peerie to spin freely. At intervals the peerie would be whipped to continue its momentum. Occasionally the peerie would be painted or chalked in vivid colours to create a colourful display as it revolved.
Kaleidosccope - a threesided tube with mirrors in which coloured particles would create different illusions when peered in from one end.
Skipping Ropes- either individual skipping or a long piece of rope held at either end and cawed. As the rope reached its highest point, a jumper would move in from one end and skip each downward movement of the rope before moving out clear at the other end. I could never do this. I had to stand in the middle before the rope was propelled. The girls were great at this.
Plainy, Clappy, throw the ball Tobaccy, High man, Low man (Sorry, can`t remember it all) the art of bouncing a ball off the pavement onto a wall and catching the return. All the time the hands were performing various exercises. Rolling them, clapping them both in front and behind you, sometimes turning a complete revolution whilst the ball was in motion.
Thanks to Valerie O`Grady from Australia, here are the words as she remembers them.
Plainy, clappy, rollio, tobaccy, right hand, left hand, high satoush, low satoush, touch yer toe, touch yer heel, through ye go, big burly o. Then do each one twice then thrice and so on until you drop the ball.
Bools or Marbles - a boys` sport. The girls could never plunk, i.e., flicking the bool from between the thumb and forefinger.
Shops - mainly for girls. The shop was drawn out on a flat piece of pavement. The goods for sale was champed up pieces of various colours of rock. The cash was pieces of glass or china that was always present in the crevices of the granite setts in the roadway.
Scraps - The girls would collect and swap their scraps that they kept between the pages of a book. Their most valuable being ones of angels and Santa Claus. They came in various sizes.
Statues - with one person `het` (one elected to chase or seek) the others would prance around as a number was counted down. When this was completed everyone would stand stock still in the position he or she was at even if on one foot. Then the `het` person would go around trying to detect any movement, facial included. Anyone showing movement was deemed to be out.
Tying Doors - sometimes devilment crept into our games. We would often tie a cord onto a door knob and secure it to another opposite. Then we would simultaneous knock on each door. We would wait on the landing below to hear the result of the doors being opened with a resultant cry of annoyance. Great fun.
Cigarette Card and Comic Swapping - needs no explaining.
Fishing for Minnows with Nets at Puddocky - stretch of the Water of Leith behing Warriston Cemetery.
Crab Fishing - done at the Shore with a bent nail attached to a piece of string.
Snaring Pigeons - with a running noose at the end of a length of string. The noose would be laid out in the centre of the road with some maize in and around it. Once a pigeon ventured into the noose, a tug at the string was sufficient to tighten it around the legs of the bird. I can truthfully say that no harm came to the bird. We always let them go.
I hope some if not all of these examples our our childhood pastimes have stirred your own thoughts on your games from this period. Please let me know if I have missed any out.
