Childhood Games

[Gnomie]

I was reading Ged`s intro in his book "In A City Living 3" he is telling us about games he played as a kid. it was a great read and got me thinking of my own childhood games. it really brought it all back to me. I had a chat with Ged telling him a few of my own memories. its a great topic, so has anyone got any old memories to share?

here goes...

curby was very popular as was sardines and Hide and seek. I remember playing football in the dark, you could not see a thing. we also had Childwall woods with the Old Childwall house. a wall still stood and we of course called it a Castle. it had a moat as well. i remember a gravestone in Childwall woods to a Dog? i wonder if its still there and what the story was? We also played in All saints church( though always had respect). around aged 12 you would sign up as a helper at Childwall riding stables. you would clean horse poo all day for a few free rides. i liked it so much i was still working with Horses aged 26. and Wheathill farm was amazing. we would run through the Cornies(corn field. not sure if it was corn like?) it was about 6 feet in height and you would run for ages and then fall over on your back, we felt like we where in an american movie. we would fish for the sticklebacks in the farm ponds. one year we built a raft(loonies i know) it lasted all summer.

In the holidays i would stay with my grandparents for a couple of weeks. they lived in Northumberland Street in the Dingle. all my cousins lived in the area so i had ready made mates. i loved to watch the ships on the river. we would go to the Albert dock. all downtrodden then. i still remember playing on most of the things there. The docks where full to the top of some horrible sludge and had dead pigeans in them. i remember playing in the Piermasters house, it had no upstairs. we also played in the Dingles Bombdies.

School days out where Southport, Ness Gardens and once they took us to York.
I was Tiny Tim in one school play and the Artful Dodger in another. Right show off i was(still am)


I was laughing with Ged about Birmingham bags trousers and spooney shoes.

c`mon give us some memories

[The Gardens]

We used to hide by the flyover in Hunter Street and tie an old purse to a length of cotton. People would walk down Hunter Street on their way into the tenements, look around, and seeing the coast was clear bend down to pick up the purse. We would then yank it away with a tog on the cotton (as long as a car didn't drive over it at the crucial moment!). It was only then would they see us hiding, who needs Trigger Happy TV?

[MissInformed]

I love this thread!

I used to play curby as well! Also red rover where you would be in 2 teams and have to break the barriers!

we used to play shadow tick in the street when it was sunny and also used to play football in the summer on the astro turf on upper warwick st.

[Kev]

LOL, u learn something new every day here and correct misconceptions - I always played Kirby as I thought it was called .

[theninesisters]

British Bulldog was a fav in our school. No one actually knew the rules, just two lots of groups trying to make it across the yard to each other's side.

The more kicks you gave in the melee the better

[Gnomie]

We used to hide by the flyover in Hunter Street and tie an old purse to a length of cotton. People would walk down Hunter Street on their way into the tenements, look around, and seeing the coast was clear bend down to pick up the purse. We would then yank it away with a tog on the cotton (as long as a car didn't drive over it at the crucial moment!). It was only then would they see us hiding, who needs Trigger Happy TV?

Very Naughty, but very cool

Kick the can..... imagine asking kids now to play with an old can

[victorialush]

LOL, u learn something new every day here and correct misconceptions - I always played Kirby as I thought it was called .

I played what I called Kirby too

I also played nick-knock.... knocking on peoples doors and running away, found that very funny in my youth...

[Gnomie]

still see some kids playing curby. but too many cars now and in some roads the tarmac is up to the curb

[FKoE]

Erm... *finks back.... Footy, Kerby, Wallee, playing war .. pram/go-cart races... (we had a black one with a swastika painted on the side)... and best of all.. mass stone fights ...

[Gnomie]

Off ground tick...statues.

Drawing goals on walls and fences.

Ollies or marbles( i thought that was poo)

throwing sticks for conkers...scrumping

we played on the old loop line"The Ralla" at first the track was still there and we would put our ears on the track to hear the train coming.(cool little indians) but off course the trains had gone. making rope swings and ending up in the brambles or nettles at the bottom of the ralla.

having races up the stairs to the top of the high rise flats. i could`nt do it now.

I remember once we heared there was a reward for the Yorkshire ripper and we went to catch him in Childwall woods( i was about 10 ok )

having to pick a grand national horse for your Tanner each way bet.

washing cars in summer for money to go to southport, got as far as the sweet shop. by the way what the hell was a nutty bar, i see its now gone.

The youth club disco...yaaaaay what a hoot. all the girls dancing and the lads laughing or running through the dancing girls. and if you dared to do a slowey you would get ripped by your mates.

[bobbymac]

'Kick the can' a great game until some sod put a brick in the can.

[theninesisters]

For all those that played in Childwall Woods, did you also go frogging in Jackson's Pond?

Picture here!

[Gnomie]

where was the pond? i only knew the ones on wheathill farm. but i always heard of jacksons field

[theninesisters]

Head up Barnham Drive and there used to be a massive pond on the left hand side just before Escor Road by the CLC Line. I'm too young to remember it personally

[lindylou]

What's Kirby ?? Don't know how come I havn't heard of this game !!