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My Aunt received this message from an old neighbor. The memories would be from the early 1950’s.


“You know Josie every child should have a Layfield street. When we left and went up Brunshaw, the kids there didn't play games like we did. They hadn't heard of tops and whips, hopscotch, fag packets. We made all our own fun. Chain tig was my favorite; we would be playing in the dark apart from one gas lamp and would stretch the full width of the street with probably every child on the street playing. We made our own toys, bows and arrows, catapults (from blue bell wood) trolleys do you remember them, we would bore a hole in a plank of wood with a red hot poker for a bolt to go through, then using old pram wheels with nails bent over the axels. We would spend hours chalking our tops to make them look good when we spun them. If you got hold of a good skiddy stone you were untouchable at hopscotch. How you girls could jump in and out at skipping always impressed me. Bonfire night was always some thing special too. Did you go bomb-ying with the lads pinching wood from Richard Street? We got our money for fire works by going around singing and mummying at Christmas ( I was playing in a snooker comp and we were down to the blue pink and black when two children came in, blackened up and started to brush the table, it was really funny ).Any way, we didn't have televisions we didn't need them. Did you go into the sack yard playing hide and seek.
Even though I left Layfield st when I was eight we went down every week to my grandma's at no 12, my uncle and aunty were at no 22, I think. I went for my dinners every school day to my grandma's from 11 to 15yrs. I would go to the chippy near you every Wednesday on my way to p.t. night school at Burnley wood. St. Mary’s had no gym. We had to go to Burnley College for wood work and the old grammar school for metalwork.
Did you used to catch the bus for school at branch rd / parliament st? I remember buying a 1x this meant you could return free. How about 1p bag of brocken biscuits from across the main road at gannow top (there is a famous book called brocken biscuits depicting life in our time, and locality).What memories.”

I know exactly what he is talking about, ah happy days.

Stephanie.

I used to love skipping, oh and hopscotch. There seemed to be seasons of games at school. I remember two ball up against the wall, and the rhymes we used to sing to it.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

What rhymes did you sing Gloria?

I found this link for Jump rope songs and rhymes.

Did you sing any of these?

http://www.homeschool.co.uk/resource/sk ... songs.html

By the way, what are brocken biscuits? Is this a brand name or is it “broken” biscuits?

I remember singing this to two ball up against the wall
Nebukanezza the king of the Jews,
bought his wife a pair of shoes.
When the shoes began to wear,
Nebukanezza began to swear.
When the swearing began to stop,
Nebukanezza bought a shop,
when the shop began to sell,
Nebukanezza began to spell.

I think we then spelt out Nebukanezza, doing whatever stage you were at.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

You couldn't beat swinging on the arm of a gas lamp...

Does anyone remember 'tiggin out tig', a team variation of tig (or tag). As practised at Heasandford Juniors (and maybe Infants), c. 1950.

Showing my age again..

Rex

What was 'mummying'?

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

I remember when I was little, my uncle who was in his teens and was living with us at the time, went 'Mummying' on New Years Eve. He blacked his face and hands with soot from the chimney, dressed in my Mum's old clothes ( mummers were portrayed as female) put on a pinney, tied a scarf around his head (like Hilda Ogden used to do) got a duster and went round from house to house dusting away the old year in preparation for the new year, they also had to be mute,if spoken to they never replied, they just made a mummmmmmming sound as they went about the ritual.
I remember the first time I saw him do it, it frightened me to death, because of course I did'nt recognise him. So it was a New Years Eve tradition, but whether it stems from Lancashire or from Durham I cant be sure, as my Mum and Uncle were both geordies by birth.


Stephanie

Thanks Stephanie. Never heard of it!

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Here's something about mumming - an ancient and widespread custom: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A655526/

And a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my Briercliffe friends

Charon

How interesting! You learn something new every day.

I hope you all got what you wished for. Merry Christmas.

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!