school games in the '40s
The 1940s were a decade before computers, cell phones, video games and television. Life was much simpler.
Many children did everything within the confines of a few blocks and attended local neighbourhood schools.
The schoolyard was the focus of unreleased energy and simple games. Even though girls and boys usually attended school together, the sexes were sometimes separated into different spots on the playground.
Girl Games: Some of the games girls participated in have made their way into the 21st century including skipping rope, hopscotch, tag and jacks. Red Rover was played between two teams holding hands.
Each team would shout out the name of someone on the other team, and it became that child's goal to break through the chain of interlocked hands.
If they were successful, the girl picked someone from the opposing team to join hers. If she could not break through, she remained on the opposing side. The team lost that ended up without any players.
Boy Games: Many boys used the playground to work out their frustration with each other by fighting. When boys were not trying to settle disputes through hand-to-hand combat, they participated in imaginary fights and played Army or Cops and Robbers.
Both were played pretty much the same. Pretend you are shooting at each other and fall down "dead." Marbles and playing with a Slinky were more subdued games.
Games Using Balls: Two classic games used balls during the 1940s. Both games consisted of two teams and used a red rubber ball, about 14 inches in diameter.
Kickball was similar to baseball, except rather than hitting the ball with a bat, a player attempted to kick the ball and run around the bases. The goal was to have as many children as possible make it "home" and score a point.
Two teams lined up against each other in Dodgeball. Each team would take turns throwing the ball at a member of the opposite team. If the ball hit a player, he was "out" and had to sit out of the game. However, if the opposing player caught the ball, the player who threw the ball was out.
Hand Clapping Games: Hand clapping games were played between two children. Each child stood across from the other child. Both partners clapped their hands at the same time and recited a rhyme such as "Miss Mary Mack" or "A Sailor Went to Sea."
The game involved four steps. First each child clapped her hands together. Next both children reached out and clapped their right hands together, followed by clapping their hands together again.
Finally, they reached out and clapped their left hands together. The steps were repeated until they finished reciting the rhyme. Variations could be added or subtracted depending on the rhyme.
Many children did everything within the confines of a few blocks and attended local neighbourhood schools.
The schoolyard was the focus of unreleased energy and simple games. Even though girls and boys usually attended school together, the sexes were sometimes separated into different spots on the playground.
Girl Games: Some of the games girls participated in have made their way into the 21st century including skipping rope, hopscotch, tag and jacks. Red Rover was played between two teams holding hands.
Each team would shout out the name of someone on the other team, and it became that child's goal to break through the chain of interlocked hands.
If they were successful, the girl picked someone from the opposing team to join hers. If she could not break through, she remained on the opposing side. The team lost that ended up without any players.
Boy Games: Many boys used the playground to work out their frustration with each other by fighting. When boys were not trying to settle disputes through hand-to-hand combat, they participated in imaginary fights and played Army or Cops and Robbers.
Both were played pretty much the same. Pretend you are shooting at each other and fall down "dead." Marbles and playing with a Slinky were more subdued games.
Games Using Balls: Two classic games used balls during the 1940s. Both games consisted of two teams and used a red rubber ball, about 14 inches in diameter.
Kickball was similar to baseball, except rather than hitting the ball with a bat, a player attempted to kick the ball and run around the bases. The goal was to have as many children as possible make it "home" and score a point.
Two teams lined up against each other in Dodgeball. Each team would take turns throwing the ball at a member of the opposite team. If the ball hit a player, he was "out" and had to sit out of the game. However, if the opposing player caught the ball, the player who threw the ball was out.
Hand Clapping Games: Hand clapping games were played between two children. Each child stood across from the other child. Both partners clapped their hands at the same time and recited a rhyme such as "Miss Mary Mack" or "A Sailor Went to Sea."
The game involved four steps. First each child clapped her hands together. Next both children reached out and clapped their right hands together, followed by clapping their hands together again.
Finally, they reached out and clapped their left hands together. The steps were repeated until they finished reciting the rhyme. Variations could be added or subtracted depending on the rhyme.
what they do?
Champion Basket Carrier Steals the Show at Covent Garden Market London Giclee Print
Nowadays you can find a Cockney in any job or career but traditionally they were often market traders or costermongers. This is probably where their reputation for having the gift of the gab and for quick repartee comes from.
Market Traders
If you go down to Petticoat Lane Market (Middlesex Street, nearest tube station Aldgate East) on a Sunday, you will usually find over 1000 stalls, many of them run by genuine Cockneys of all religions and racial backgrounds.
The market has been in existence for centuries and got its name from the petticoats and lace sold here by Huguenots in the late 17th and 18th century.
You'll still hear the kind of sales 'patter' that I heard when I was taken there occasionally as a child. "'Ere look, missus. I'm not asking you for £20, I'm not asking for £15, I'm not even asking for £10, you can 'ave the lot for just £5." If people looked away and started moving, he'd add, "AND I'll give you this and this and this as well, all for a fiver.
I can't say fairer than that, can I?" As he said this, he'd start putting more things on top of whatever he's trying to sell. You'd usually get somebody holding up £5 and then more people would buy as well.
You'll hear them 'calling their wares', that is shouting out, almost chanting, what they've got but you'll probably have trouble understanding them because they've done it for so long that the words run into each other. It's probably something like "Bananas, lovely, ripe bananas."
Black Cab Drivers
The black cab drivers are licensed taxi drivers and this is another job that Cockneys have often done. To drive a black cab, they have to pass the 'knowledge'.
This is a very difficult examination, taken over months or years. You'll see men and women going round London on low-powered motorbikes with a clipboard stuck on the handlebars.
They are doing the 'knowledge', ie learning every street and landmark in Central London and the routes between them. It sounds impossible but that is what they have to do to get their licence.
It means if you get a black cab in London, you will almost never have to give directions to the driver if your destination is in Central London. Not only do they know the main routes, they know the shortcuts and alternative ways to go if there are traffic jams or other problems. They usually know all the hotels, restaurants, pubs and other places of interest.
Stock Market Traders
When the London Stock Exchange abandoned tradition and embraced technology, it also opened the door to what are often described by envious people as 'East End barrowboys' (barrowboys means market street traders). They had the street smarts to do well in the cut throat business of buying and selling stocks and shares and many of them made a great deal of money.
Nowadays you can find a Cockney in any job or career but traditionally they were often market traders or costermongers. This is probably where their reputation for having the gift of the gab and for quick repartee comes from.
Market Traders
If you go down to Petticoat Lane Market (Middlesex Street, nearest tube station Aldgate East) on a Sunday, you will usually find over 1000 stalls, many of them run by genuine Cockneys of all religions and racial backgrounds.
The market has been in existence for centuries and got its name from the petticoats and lace sold here by Huguenots in the late 17th and 18th century.
You'll still hear the kind of sales 'patter' that I heard when I was taken there occasionally as a child. "'Ere look, missus. I'm not asking you for £20, I'm not asking for £15, I'm not even asking for £10, you can 'ave the lot for just £5." If people looked away and started moving, he'd add, "AND I'll give you this and this and this as well, all for a fiver.
I can't say fairer than that, can I?" As he said this, he'd start putting more things on top of whatever he's trying to sell. You'd usually get somebody holding up £5 and then more people would buy as well.
You'll hear them 'calling their wares', that is shouting out, almost chanting, what they've got but you'll probably have trouble understanding them because they've done it for so long that the words run into each other. It's probably something like "Bananas, lovely, ripe bananas."
Black Cab Drivers
The black cab drivers are licensed taxi drivers and this is another job that Cockneys have often done. To drive a black cab, they have to pass the 'knowledge'.
This is a very difficult examination, taken over months or years. You'll see men and women going round London on low-powered motorbikes with a clipboard stuck on the handlebars.
They are doing the 'knowledge', ie learning every street and landmark in Central London and the routes between them. It sounds impossible but that is what they have to do to get their licence.
It means if you get a black cab in London, you will almost never have to give directions to the driver if your destination is in Central London. Not only do they know the main routes, they know the shortcuts and alternative ways to go if there are traffic jams or other problems. They usually know all the hotels, restaurants, pubs and other places of interest.
Stock Market Traders
When the London Stock Exchange abandoned tradition and embraced technology, it also opened the door to what are often described by envious people as 'East End barrowboys' (barrowboys means market street traders). They had the street smarts to do well in the cut throat business of buying and selling stocks and shares and many of them made a great deal of money.