Street Games Website

[Redfraggle]

Hi all, as you all know I've been gathering information for my traditional street games website. I only just got the site made live yesterday and you can all have a wee looksee at it - though there's nothing in it so far. Now the hard work really begins.

http://www.belfaststreetgames.co.uk

[chazzie]

Looks good .... I'm really looking forward to reading all about the "Tricks and Pranks" ...... think it will take me back a bit Hope it goes well

[Redfraggle]

If there's anything you think you be on there - shout away! I know it's about Belfast but Im quite sure that many things from childhood are similar - no matter where you're from!

[LAT]

Yes, looks great Fraggle. Best of luck with the next phase!

[chazzie]

When I think back to my school days - the bit I always remember is the free time after school and before dinner.... when I could get on my bike and go down to the park at the end of my road - which had a fantastic little wooded area with great slopes and bumps - where all my friends also turned up on their bikes...... probably todays skateboard park.....but it was the freedom/being allowed out alone..(even though it was the first place parents would search!!)...that made it special

[Redfraggle]

I love that memory Chazzie. We weren't allowed to play in the park because about 30 years ago a boy was abducted from the park but we all went there and played in what we called the monkey trees. It was great. It was even better when the park ranger gave us a chase on his bike - we shouted 'Yogi, Yogi, Yogi' and he called us little 'b*****ds

[Bunnylump]

Looks great, Fraggle, and it's a really exciting project. We used to love skipping games and "it". Oh, and hopscotch, and clapping games...oh yeah, and cat's cradle. I was surprised to find my 7 year old niece is really into the "new" craze of cat's cradle!!

[Bunnylump]

...You've got me reminiscing now. Who remembers "clackers"?

[LAT]

I used to love playing Chinese skipping. (and hopscotch too)

And I got very bruised wrists from clackers!

[Bunnylump]

They were really dangerous, weren't they? I liked "What's the time, Mr Wolf?" as well.

[chazzie]

Clackers were banned at my school

[LAT]

I think they were eventually at mine too. But I think I still have mine somewhere

I also like playing jacks. I still have them somewhere too.

[Bunnylump]

I always used to envy the girls who the boys wanted to play kiss chase with. They never wanted to play kiss chase with me, but my friend Michele (white blonde) was always being asked. Boys are so shallow.

[giraffe]

What the heck are clackers?

[LAT]

two hard plastic balls on each end of a piece of cord, tied in the middle to a small ring usually. You held the ring and shook it up and down in a certain rhythm so that the balls bounced into each other alternately above and below. If you got it wrong they hit your wrists instead. Hence the bruises. They made a nice clacking sound.

[Bunnylump]

You're too young!! They are hard balls on strings with a stick, which you had to wave up and down so that they hit each other above and below your hand. And sometimes they hit your hand instead... They made conkers look positively safe.

[clvrlad]

i remember them .....

[giraffe]

They were probably banned in my area then! I certainly don't remember them I'll have to google them as I can't quite see what you are describing.

edit: Just looked them up. They were described as Acryllic balls of death! and there was a picture of someone with a black eye, labelled clacker eye.

[MBH]

LOL - I remember that 'Clacker Wrist' was a recognized ailment at the local hospitals at the time.

I my last visit to Hamleys there is a now toy involving balls on strings but they seem to have taken some of the dangers into account. [Spoilsports!] Now where did I put my Bolas ???

[Redfraggle]

Hi all, I've been working my socks off trying to get stuff uploaded onto this site but Im missing something that you might be able to help me with. Do you know any 'rude' rhymes from your childhood?

I only have one called Diarrhoea!