Tania – I work at a school now, and the children often play ‘it’ (one of the few games that this ‘cotton wool’ generation are allowed these days as it happens), anyway, when we played this game, I seem to remember that it was called had, cos that was what we called out when we tagged someone…can anyone else remember this or am I just going senile

Rennie -No you’re quite right Tania, we called it both depending which school you were in. Talking about playground games… is Bulldog still played?

Tania – Hi Rennie…and thanks for replying to me. Regarding Bulldog, well the kids do play it nowadays, but at our school, it is banned because it is considered too rough!

David – I remember the ‘it’ but I don’t remember the ‘had’. I do remember that when picking who was to be ‘it’, to start off we would stand in a circle and someone would point at each kid in turn whilst saying……..Dip dip, dog sh**, you are not it! That person was then eliminated and so it went on until there was only one person left – who was, of course, ‘it’. I went to a quality school! Laters

Johnny7 and Chad Valli – Hello Boys and Girls, I remember creating long links of kids who ran around the playground with their arms interlinked, if one fell, we all fell. Then you would get up,stick the flap of skin back on your knee with the blood and do it all over again, Happy Days CHAD

Tania – I remember the ‘dip dip’ thing, and also pigeon steps – where two ‘captains’ would stand a distance apart and then pigeon step towards each other – the one whose foot ended up on top ot the other persons foot won. Incidentally, I went to a rough school – I have no regrets however, as very little shocks me now – going to Queensmead was a baptism of fire!

Rennie – lol ahh it’s all coming back to me now. Anyone remember potatoes? where you held out your fists ..trying to remember the next bit………..

Tania – Yes…I do remember potatoes Rennie – my goodness!

Jack Regan – My step daughter still plays IT. The games I can remember were playing football inthe playground with anything we could find, quite often it was the top of a box of tic tacs, until we moved playgrounds and were allowed a proper ball.

Tania – Is that Queens mead school in South Ruislip? Do you teach there now or were you a pupil? Our friends son and daughter go there. He has a bright green mohican but is a very nice lad honest. I even took him to his first gig Alice Cooper a couple of years ago.

David – Well, you can’t beat a rough school, Tania…… The ice cream man would appear outside the school at lunch time and sell cigarettes in ones (we could not usually afford a whole pack).

My drama teacher appeared in a mens magazine posing with a vegetable (don’t ask) and one kid found it in his dad’s collection (the mag, not the vegetable). Drama was never quite the same after that.

My English teacher got busted for drugs.

Most teachers would come to school in jeans and tee shirts.

One kid blew up the gym (I kid you not – he did something to the gas boiler and the gym exploded and burnt to the ground one evening – still, boys will be boys).

Happy days – David

Tania – Well Jack Regan – yes, it is that Queensmead! What a small world we live in eh? I was a pupil there back in the 70’s – I’m now a teaching assistant at a school in Chesham working with junior age kids!
Incidentally, how wonderful are you, taking your friends son to see Alice – wow, I would love to see him live!

David – how I laughed when I read the bit about the ciggies – the local ice cream guy around here is reputed to sell drugs! There is something about him that makes me strongly suspect that there may be something is this rumour! Someone set light to the powder paints in our form room once (and yes, they are banned in schools nowadays), and my husband blew up the 9th hole of the golf course at his school in Chorleywood! Incidentally…would that vegetable be a cucumber per chance or is that just wishful thinking?

The potato song: One potato, two potato, three potato four, five potato, six potato,seven potato more…ooo, I’ve forgot the rest…sorry Rennie!”

David – Blimey, Tania – you should be a detective. It was indeed a cucumber (and it hadn’t been sliced!). When I typed that I made a mental note not to answer any questions about it. It’s lucky that James Blast hasn’t been online – he’d have gone into melt-down.
There must be something dodgy about ice cream men – They should stick to Zooms, Fabs and 99s.
Happy days. David

Tania – Mmmm…detective, no David, just a vivid imagination! Haven’t encountered Mr Blast – he is evidently legendery upon this site then? Btw, was it a normal cuc or one of those one of those bitter nobbly ones?

Tiger Feet – Hiya Tania What a small world it is. Queensmead school is just around the corner. My daughter’s best friend goes there. I think it still has a bit of a reputation btw.

I don’t know if you know this but The Sweet’s Mick Tucker also went to Queensmead school as he lived in Ruislip Manor so your bum could have sat on the same school seat as him

BTW I remember it being called ‘Had’ as well. The kids call it ‘IT’ nowadays. And I do recollect a bunch of kids all linking arms and racing round the playground. I wasn’t one that joined in I don’t think but I do remember others doing it.

We used to play ‘salt, mustard, vinegar, peppar on the steps at school. One person stood in front while the others stood at top of the stairs and each step represented a salt, mustard……etc so when that was shouted out everyone had to jump to that step. Then if the person shouted out home (or something similar) everyone had to run past him and try not to be caught. Happy Days.
David “LOL, Tania. Now I can’t really remember (it was way back in 1976 after all). The only thing I can remember for certain is that she definitely wasn’t making a salad……….
Nuff said?

David

Rennie – Talking school teachers… my elder bro insists that Arthur Brown as in the Crazy World of Arthur Brown was a teacher at our High School, Leyton Senior High.

Tania – Hi Tiger Feet

Yes, I knew that The Sweet were local to us although I didn’t realise any of them actually went to Queensmead – in fact, a memorial plaque for Brian is just a few feet away from my parent’s one at Breakspeare Crem. – it’s very noticable as it has his image in relief upon it.

David – I shall resist the temptation to say anything at all about tossed salads!

Tiger Feet – Hi Tania
Yeah we’ve been to visit Brian’s plaque a number of times. Pretty cool. A number of Sweet fans contributed to it and there was an uncovering of the plaque ceremony back in Feb 2000. The Sweet were all local to the area. Steve was in Hayes, Andy was in West Drayton, Brian was in Hayes, Denham and Gerrards Cross, Mick was in Ruislip. It’s weird actually living in the area they grew up in cos most people we bump into seem to have known them in some shape or form.

Fab band and are playing the Robin in August and are currently doing a carpet slipper tour at mo with Rubettes and Showaddydoddy.

Does anyone remember the clapping game ‘A sailor went to sea sea sea……………..?

Awombleforever – Hi Tiger ,yes I remember that Clapping game.Think I only remember the first verse.
There were loads of others.When Suzy was a Baby etc.
We also did one about the Esso Sign means happy motoring.Was an Advert I think.

Rennie – A sailor went to sea sea sea
To see what he could see see see
And all that he could se see see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea sea sea

Ahh they dont write them like that anymore

James Blast – just a quick post to let you know I am always watching

Tania – Wow…Tiger Feet, you certainly know your stuff about The Sweet. I did like them, but was, and still am, essentially a Queen fan.
The clapping game, yes I remember it, but not the words.
Do any of you remember juggling two balls against a wall (no double entendre now) – I used to do that, and have showed the kids at school, but I can’t for the life of me recall any of the accompanying rhymes!
Incidentally, I can juggle three now…and without any chanting whatsoever!

Tiger Feet – Hi Tania,
I remember playing two balls against the wall, I think girls had a better knack at it than boys for some reason. Could never manage 3 balls though however hard I tried. Trying to think of the songs we used to sing whilst doing it and something like ‘mother’ something or other rings a bell but cannot think exactly what we sang. Kids don’t seem to play these types of games anymore.

Tania – No they don’t Tiger Feet – they are always pretty fascinated when I start to juggle them though – I keep meaning to ask my big sis if she remembers the rhymes. Think one went;

Mathew, Mark, Luke and John,
Next door neighbour carry on.

Then you would pass the balls on to the person next to you without stopping…if you were good that was!

Tiger Feet – That rings a bell Tania. Now you got me thinking of those rhymes. Come on get your thinking caps on all of you
I remember one. It went

1, 2, 3 O lairy, my balls down the alley
don’t forget to give it to Mary on a Monday morning.
Ta da

Tania – Tiger Feet – that one definitely passed me by!
I shall try to remember to email my sister tonight and see if she can remember any of them.

lullabelle – Yes I remember playing ‘it’, and later on ‘had’. I hated being ‘it’. Felt like I had some kind of lurgy or something.

“Rennie wrote:
A sailor went to sea sea sea
To see what he could see see see
And all that he could se see see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea sea sea”

Ahh they dont write them like that anymore

Yeh, I def remember that. We used to continue the rhyme like this:-

A sailor went to chop chop chop
To see what he could chop chop chop
But all that he could chop chop chop
Was the bottom of the deep blue chop chop chop.

A sailor went to mow mow mow
To see what he could mow mow mow
But all that he could mow mow mow
Was the bottom of the deep blue mow mow mow.

Awombleforever – I always loved 2 baller and could do 3 as well.
We did so many rhymes.
This is a funny one,forgive me for any miss spellings or words that don’t make sense.This is how I remember it.
Number 1 I ate a scone(or whatever rhymes for number 1 lol)
Going out to sea
I jumped aboard a Chinamans ship and the Chinaman said to me
Go orye orye chicorye chorrye
um pom pony
french ploney
walla walla whiskey
Chinese chunks
Then of course number 2 I buckled my shoe etc etc.

Tiger Feet – Another clapping game which you just reminded me of was similar and went as follows:-

I went to a Chinese Bakers to buy a loaf of bread, bread, bread
he wrapped it up in a ten pound note and this is what he said, said, said
My name is……………….

Eli Eli, Ickily ickily, hong kong doodle, ulla whalla whiskey, chinese chopsticks, indian chief (then make the sound of a red indian)

Glam-Rockette – Talking balls, does anyone remember putting a ball in a stocking and bouncing it up the wall and inbetween your legs (or was i just kinky even as a child lol)
Glam xxx

David – I’m off to try that one right now……. David XX

Jack Regan – Anyone play tic tac top football?

Talking of Chorleywood, thats where Mick Tucker is buried Tania. Both Tiger Feet and myself often pop down to pay our respects and sit on the bench which The Sweet fans contributed towards

Awombleforever – I remember the ball in the stocking but we used to throw them as high in the air as they would go,hoping they came down safely.We would also try and get them wrapped around the telephone wires.

Glam-Rockette – “David wrote: I’m off to try that one right now……. David XX”

Be careful you dont get it wrapped round your zimmer frame David lol Glam xxx

Bolan-Ette – “glam-rockett wrote:
Talking balls, does anyone remember putting a ball in a stocking and bouncing it up the wall and inbetween your legs (or was i just kinky even as a child lol) Glam xxx”

I remember us playing that together Glam when we were kids

Rennie – Tic Tac Football?
I can remember playing the footie table top game with the coins. Flicking the 10p player onto the penny ball.