The first of two programmes on BBC TV earlier tonight which tells the story of children's outdoor games in 20th-century Britain began by looking at British children at play between the 1900s and the mid-1950s.

'It is a journey into a secret world of adventure and imagination that blossomed in the nation's streets, back alleys and playgrounds. The children's songs and games were passed down from one generation to the next and remain an abiding memory for most grown-ups. Playing on the streets was the defining feature of a working class childhood.'

The Great Outdoors link and video