Jubilee street party and clackers, childhood memories

[mum67]

My dd is watching Drake and Josh (hate this programme, so much over acting) ugh, anyway they have a pair of clackers and it brought back childhood memories for me. We had a neighbour who ran a shop of bric a brac, everything you needed he had it and I remember the queens silver jubilee street party when he brought all of us kids; clackers, bubbles and a bag of sweets. My mum thought he was the best man ever for that, she kept saying how much it must have cost him to do it for the whole street.

I was telling my daughter about us all playing with them and how big a fad it was but that as usual they banned them because of the "danger to children" code, they could choke, they bruise their hands, you know the list that goes with 'the code of not allowing childhood fun'.

My eldest son then mentioned conkers on a lace and how much fun him, my 2nd son and his mates had with them. before I knew it we were in a full blown convo on old games; kick can, ralivo, paper chase, the whole street playing rounders or cricket (the wire bin on the fence was our wicket) in the local school until we were all slowly one by one called in for tea.
My kids are amazed at the fact the whole street played together. I remember the older brothers and sisters brought the younger ones out with them and made up teams or took us all on a bus to heaton park, conker paradise, belle vue fairground ( no money between us though we a had to sneak on a ride which wasn't easy or the lads running it would let us have a sneaky 5 mins for free until they got busy)

How sad that doesn't happen today.

I'm bored is all I hear from kids, my house is full of toys, arts & crafts, game consoles, baking ingredients/equipment, they have bikes, footballs, oh the list is endless and they are BORED.
When did it stop being cool to have fun and be a child, their memories won't have the family names of the whole street in them like mine do and the hours of fun, arguments, making friends again after an argument, collecting conkers and making a game from them ( I have tried with the younger two they're not interested unless it comes in a box with instructions)

I can only take comfort in the fact my 12 yr old dd still likes to play with dolls, make me cards with I love you on it, write me letters with an home made envelope telling me how much I am her world and best friend. The innocence won't last too long I know so I am loving every minute of it while it's here.

What childhood memories or games do you all have

[mum67]

Oops sorry didn't mean it go on that long...memories hey

[bunyip]

Oh don't get me started on childhood..............

.......though I do remember we used to be called "naughty" by our parents without us having a mental breakdown or being taken into care and our parents arrested.

Just checking: I am allowed to say "mental breakdown" ??? Am I ????? I think I hear the distant wail of sirens..................

[mum67]

Think your ok if you say "mental breakdown as long as you put people at the end of it"

[Mouse]

Oh don't get me started on childhood..............

.......though I do remember we used to be called "naughty" by our parents without us having a mental breakdown or being taken into care and our parents arrested.

Just checking: I am allowed to say "mental breakdown" ??? Am I ????? I think I hear the distant wail of sirens..................

Not only were we called naughty by our parents, but by any of the adults in the village, who were also more than happy to give us a clip round the ear if we needed it!

I've turned out just fine

[mum67]

We were taught to call our neighbours by their family name Mr and Mrs Smith etc, my mum was mortified when the younger generation starting calling her by her first name. She soon corrected them that she was Mrs **** to them.
The local bobby would clip you round the earlobe as well and everyone was scared of him.
I remember taking my eldest lad to the police station when he was 8 yrs old because I was told he was playing with lighters. The Sergeant sat him in a cell alone for no more than 10 mins, went in and asked him if he wanted to spend longer there, he cried his eyes out and said 'no' which was disguised in an unrecognisable blubbering of snot and tears.
I thanked the Sergeant and my son and I both walked home blubbering in snot and tears

Years later I found out it was the son of the mother who told me about the lighters that had actually been playing with them and when I asked my son why he never said anything he replied "I was with him so I thought that's why you took me there", but thanks mum because I think I would've got into trouble in other ways if I hadn't been left in that cell for hours" (poor lad he thought 10 mins was hours, I left him thinking that)

[lilac_dragon]

Oh the joy of playing in the street with friends!
There were about 15-20 of us between the ages of 5 and 15 in our road, and we all looked out for each other.
We climbed the trees that lined the pavement, chalked on the pavements, and had a competition whereby we used wooden lolly sticks to ease up the mossy growth that grew between the paving slabs - the longest unbroken line won!
We played football and cricket and even tennis up the middle of the road, obviously a LOT less traffic in those days, but the traffic that did come along was going at a speed conducive to us moving out of the way and then continuing our game. What's more - the drivers didn't fume and swear at you!!!!
A note here on one of the biggest differences between then and now - those that owned cars used them for work so the cars weren't parked in the road during the day, there was usually only one car per household not one per adult - at the moment I have 4 cars and a van parked outside my own house and on the drive!!

We juggled 2 tennis balls against the side wall of the corner shop, with various chanting games -
"PK(a brand of chewing gum)
penny a packet,
first you lick it ( lick the back of your hand while still juggling the balls against the wall)
then you crack it (stamp your foot)
then you wipe it down your jacket (wipe hand down front of tshirt)
PK penny a packet.
There were many others!

We played Weasel, It, Bulldog, skipping games, marbles, conkers, jacks, roller skates,Hopscotch - and many, many more games but this post is now VERY long so I'll stop.
I wish our children could still do this.
I NEVER EVER remember being bored.

[Mouse]

I NEVER EVER remember being bored.

That is so true! I can't ever remember being bored.

When I think back, all the memories I have are of playing outside. I don't think I have any memories of playing indoors. I must have had toys indoors because I remember the toy boxes we had in the conservatory, but I don't remember playing in there.

[Kiddleywinks]

Oh this is a very dangerous thread - memories of our youth I always had no skin on my knuckles thanks to conkers and clackers (Think it's a big cheat with clackers these days with the balls being fixed on two triangular strips of plastic... Where's the fun in that?! )

In addition to all those listed above, I have introduced to my mindees the joys of:
Cats cradle
Kerby
Handstands against the wall
And two tennis balls - 1,2,3,4, bounce, 1,2,3,4, under leg, etc

[AliceK]

Oh gosh we used to spend all our time playing out with whoever was out there playing or people would knock on your door asking if you could go out and play. Our parents usually couldn't see or hear us, we could be playing at the other end of the estate, we just came home when we got hungry or before dark. We were scared of some neighbours as we knew they would go and tell our parents if they saw us misbehaving and any grown-up could give us a clip around the ear. We used to make go carts out of anything we could find and go hurtling down the hill (usually into the bush in the garden at the bottom of the hill). We even tried to start a camp fire once . I remember holding a kite and climbing on to the roof of a parked car to try and fly. We used to climb trees and climb onto the roof of the garages in blocks. Nobody came to too much harm lol. I too don't remember much playing inside, we were always playing out and yes we were called naughty and yes ocassionally we would get smacked, I'm not damaged by any of that. Sometimes I pity the current generation and wonder what the future holds in store for them, sad really.

xx

[mum67]

I'm so glad this thread brought back many good memories for you all and I'll bet a smile on your face whilst remembering and typing.
Have a good weekend y'all

[JKL]

Made me smile reading all these. I think the main reason we don't remember being bored was because we weren't technically allowed to be!?! We were expected to think for ourselves, use our initiative and imagination and either play games we knew or make up new ones!

I spent many an hour playing Kerby with the "older" ones as I wasn't allowed into the road (I must've been about 5!) and when I speak to my hubby he still fondly recalls many an hour spent as a goalie. His mum had the rule "you're only allowed in the road when you're as big as a car" and the poor love didn't have a growth spurt until he was about 17! Haha!

When we were kids we were told off for being naughty, we regularly had to entertain ourselves and we were expected to play outside and not sit in front of the tv constantly. Although in fairness, we were the first family on the entire "block" that had sky (oooh, imagine that!) and the kids channels (we were very posh!) and so our house regularly had kids stood outside the window peering in if we weren't allowed out to play!

I really hope I can pass on some of my childhood to my own son without the constant need for the latest xstation or playbox

xx

[FussyElmo]

I wonder who changed it though.

Are we not guilty of changing the way children play?

I bet most of us have more than 1 tv, more than 1 games console, more than 1 car when was the last time you let your children go out for a lick about, cricket without adults being present.

Why is it because we perceive this danger that is out there that our children are safer inside.

Yes we have fond memories and I have lots too my children will have lots of fond memories too they will just be different to mine as mine are to my mums

[bunyip]

I wonder who changed it though.

Are we not guilty of changing the way children play?

I bet most of us have more than 1 tv, more than 1 games console, more than 1 car when was the last time you let your children go out for a lick about, cricket without adults being present.

Why is it because we perceive this danger that is out there that our children are safer inside.

Yes we have fond memories and I have lots too my children will have lots of fond memories too they will just be different to mine as mine are to my mums

Fussy, I'm sure you're right. But I can't test your theory as we have just the 1 TV, no games console, and ban children from the pc.

I have a lot of clients who think it's great that their children spent so much time outside with me and "just wish they had the time to do the same." But then when I suggest they make the time, and start by locking away the remote control and leaving the car at home, they just look at me like I'm insane. How can they possibly have less time these days than people used to have? All those time-saving devices (washing used to be a whole day's job for our mums, not an automatic machine which switches itself on overnight on Economy7) - and they can do a week's shopping in 5 minutes in front of the internet then have it delivered to their kitchen table.

I too think children's imaginations have gone stale and their attention spans are almost non-existent. It's the result of too much screen time (including the government's enthusiasm for preschoolers using ICT) too many new toys, too often, and which leave too little scope for imaginative play. I'm amazed by how much the lo's need me to play with them. As a child, if I'd had access to half the play and craft resources I now own, I would not have needed an adult's input for the next 5 years.

I get sick of seeing my new starters' child information forms (section on "what are your child's interests?") consistently filled out with no more than the names of heavily-marketed film and character names. They all seem to arrive here knowing they only like Hello Kitty, Disney Princesses, Ben 10, Spiderman, Fro-s0dding-zen, etc. etc. Ok, so your child likes Peppa Pig: but what does your child like to do, apart from watch Peppa Pig DVDs and beg for more pink plastic Peppa Pigs every time you go into town? Even so, I only have to take them out to find sticks or build dens and they're far more engaged and happy than they are with all those branded, marketed, plastic character toys.

[Happy Bunny]

I got into a discussion last night about things from our past:
Rubix snakes, old maid card game, and the game where you put a tennis ball in a pair of tights and bashed it around yourself up against a wall.

I still do conkers with my kids (and minded ones) at least once a week go and build a den up the park, hunt for bugs under logs.

Yes I have 3 tv's 2 games consoles and various other electrical devices in house, but I must be the worse childminder/parent ever - in 8 years of minding I have used the tv twice lol . With my own kids nothing gamewise is allowed on whilst I am working.

[hectors house]

Remember being on a camp site near Lynmouth when I was about 16, word went round the site that we "our family" could do the Rubix cube - there was a queue half way across the campsite after breakfast one morning - all the kids wanting us to proof it! I got into trouble later that year when I started a weekend job in a hotel, part of my job was cleaning the owner's apartment and I spotted a half done Rubix cube and had to finish it - the owner, Mr Jones, accused me of taking all the stickers off and sticking them back on again - so I had to do the cube again from start to finish to prove I hadn't cheated. Wish I could remember how to do it now - there was a particular sequence you had to use to complete the 3rd row.

Also remember on holiday playing Mastermind - who remembers the game with a board with rows of 4 holes in and you had a hidden area with a combination of 4 different coloured pegs in and the other person had to guess the correct order?

Games of Monopoly - my family against my cousins family - they always played by their own rules! Paper rules from box mysteriously lost.

[Happy Bunny]

Remember being on a camp site near Lynmouth when I was about 16, word went round the site that we "our family" could do the Rubix cube - there was a queue half way across the campsite after breakfast one morning - all the kids wanting us to proof it! I got into trouble later that year when I started a weekend job in a hotel, part of my job was cleaning the owner's apartment and I spotted a half done Rubix cube and had to finish it - the owner, Mr Jones, accused me of taking all the stickers off and sticking them back on again - so I had to do the cube again from start to finish to prove I hadn't cheated. Wish I could remember how to do it now - there was a particular sequence you had to use to complete the 3rd row.

Also remember on holiday playing Mastermind - who remembers the game with a board with rows of 4 holes in and you had a hidden area with a combination of 4 different coloured pegs in and the other person had to guess the correct order?

Games of Monopoly - my family against my cousins family - they always played by their own rules! Paper rules from box mysteriously lost.

I still have the mastermind game in my cupboard lol

[Kiddleywinks]

We still have mastermind - my original one from the 70's too lol
Lexicon was another favourite with me and mum on a Saturday night after the obligatory trip to the pick n mix at woolies, to be eaten during our evening viewing of Jim'll fix it, Doctor Who, Starsky and Hutch etc

We were talking about 'the good old days' not so long back and I introduced my own children to the joys of 52 card pick up hee hee - they've still not forgiven me lol

[Happy Bunny]

my nan used to get us to play a card game called newmarket with pennies
Shame I can't remember how to play it now.

[hectors house]

my nan used to get us to play a card game called newmarket with pennies
Shame I can't remember how to play it now.

We used to play a card game called "Stop the bus" and use matchsticks for points, but can't remember how to play that either now. Our Mastermind game was the big deluxe version - when we used to play it on wet days in the caravan, we used to slide down in our seat pretending to think about what the combination of pegs was but really we would be looking underneath!