1948 Kids play at Priory Row Colliery
Looking back to simpler times in the children’s playground, Blantyre children, like many in Scotland would play games with chalk marks in the pavement and playground. Games like hopscotch, flipping pennies and marbles would complement the most popular pastimes of football and skipping ropes. Children would make up rhymes and chants to set their own games aside as being different from others. Sometimes they would be very personal to people in Blantyre and could often be rude. Some of the localised children’s rhymes included the following aimed clearly at playfully mocking teachers of the time in the early 1900’s:
Nessie’s School, a Bonnie Wee School,
Its buildit up wi’ plaister,
Only thing that’s wrang wi this school,
is its baldy heided maister!
Ringa ringa roses, cuppa cuppa shell,
The Dug’s away tae Hamilton tae buy a new bell,
If ye don’t tak it, ah’ll tak it masel,
ringa ringa roses, cuppa cuppa shell.
Did YOU have a school rhyme for playtime? Can you remember it? Please share with us.
(c) Blantyre Project
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