Leek/North Staffs 1950s early 60s

'Two ball' played against the wall. Under and over throws and up in the air throws and 'bouncies' ie hitting ground before wall and another one where it hit ground after wall and one where it just bounced to the ground and back. Can't remember all the names. A solo game or one in which the balls were taken over by the next in the line.Chants to go with.

1
One two three O'Leary
four five six O'Leary
seven eight nine O'Leary
ten O'leary
catch the ball.


One to three and over

four five six and over


….


One two three and bouncy

etc

2
S T A R
Grace Kelly is a star

3

Nebuchanezer the king of the jews
Bought his wife a pair of shoes
When the shoes began to stop
Nebuchanezer bought a shop
When the shop began to sell
Nebuchanazer bought a bell
WHen the bell began to ring
Nebuchanzer began to sing

Can't remember the ending

4 Skipping, turning rope twice for one jump had a name, something like 'hobbles' aka 'doubles'

The best game was when it was snowy which was basically every year; you found a slope and rubbed the snow with your foot till it melted then froze as ice and you would have a slide, with a queue at the top, you'd go down then back up for your next turn. Dangerous. One year the waterfall froze and we tried to climb up it. One year we made the walls of an igloo from snow but we could not figure how to do a roof. Snow isn't what it used to be IMO.


Dangerous. In the summer we kept away from what we believed was 'sinking sand' but I doubt it was, only a boggy bit by the edge of a stream.


We were basically sent out or went out to play all day and roamed and explored and climbed trees and stuff. Sometimes we would take the pet dogs with us. With wellies on jumping in 'cow pats' was fun (nice squelchy noise, sense of devilment).

At a cousin's house some miles away, we would eventually get to 'marl holes', these were massive holes in the ground, and supposed to be dangerous, grown ups would shout at you if you went near to them.

We called the foam on the canal 'polio' and believed it was dangerous (which it probably was).

Dock leaves cure nettle stings. We called stuff 'cuckoo spit'. I remember 'ladysmocks' in the fields, and wild foxgloves, which we had been told were poisonous, so were scared of. We called another plant 'scabies' and were a bit scared of that too.

There was a game called 'kerb or wall' which I never understood the point of, a sort of running game. 'Statues' was fun too.