1950s Children at Caldervale

Continuing a look at children’s playground rhymes. In this article, we look at more broad Scottish rhymes of the early 20^th Century, which were popular not just in Blantyre, but throughout Scotland as a whole. There are probably many different versions of these. Hopefully this will remind some people of a certain age of their school years.

Ally Bally, Ally Bally Bee,
sittin oan yer mammies knee,
Greetin’ fur a wee bawbee,
tae buy some coulter’s candy.

Beewbaw babbity, babbity, babbity, beebaw babbilty,
a lauddue ur a wee lassie.
Ah widnae hiv’ a lassie o’, a lassie o’ a’ lassie o’,
Ah widnae hiv a lassie o’,
Ah wid rather hiv’ a wee lauddie.

Oh dear, whit can the matter be,
Jenny McLafferty’s locked in the lavatory,
She’s been ther fae Monday tae Saterday
Jenny’s sae lang at the fair.

Bobby Shafto’s gone tae sea,
He’ll come hame an’ marry me,
waitin’ faithful, here ah’ll be,
Bobby, Bobby Shafto.

No last night, but the night before,
Three wee monkeys came tae the door,
Wan wi’ a penny, Wan wi’ a drum.
An wan wi’ a pancake stuck tae its bum!

Can you remember anymore childhood rhymes to add to this?

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Hannah Mcaleenan ma maw says av tae go wae ma fathers dinner o champit totties stew and steak wae a wee bit currant cake

Mary Sitters That is so funny I had that in my mind this morning as I swept thw kitchen floor. My mammy used to say it often.

Hannah Mcaleenan Mary Sitters there more to it mary came tae a river couldnt get across paid ten bob fir an auld tin horse dont be weary jist be cheery were awe gon hame

Helen Williams Hannah Mcaleenan was trying to remember the one about a budgie up the leg of her drawers, lol but can’t get , bugging me

Sharon Mackie Auntie Mary had a canary up the leg of her drawers, she pulled the string to make it sing, but doon came Santa Claus

🙂

Hannah Mcaleenan Helen Williams is that it sharon put on

Helen Williams Ma Maws a millionaire, blue eyes an curly hair.
Sitting among the Eskimos, playing a game of dominoes. Ma maws a millionaire.

Hannah Mcaleenan was trying to think of that one there helen

Davy Thomson Did you ever see yer grannie in the water? Down by the auld mill stream, she piddled for an hour and a quarter, and ye coudnae see her bum for steam

Hannah Mcaleenan no heard that wan beore

Davy Thomson Georgie porgie pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry, when the boys came out to play, Georgie porgie ran away

Jeanette Allardyce Ward Mrs McGuire peed in the fire, the fire wis too hot so she peed in a pot, the pot was too wide so she peed in the Clyde, an awe the wee fishes swam up her backside.

Etta Morrison Archie ball ball ball..king of the Jews Jews Jews bought his wife wife wife a pair of shoes shoes shoes etc etc etc

Marion Anderson There was one about Peter Manuel, but I can’t remember it!

Marion Anderson Three craws sat apon a wa’

Tracy Stirling MA Aunty Mary had a canary……..

Tracy Stirling Keek Bang and Toly Fart went Tae the public park. Keek Bang coodny swim so Toly Fart blew him in

🙂

Ann Boyd Doh ray me when i was wee i used to peel the tatties noo i’m big and i and i can jig and i can kiss the laddies

Betty Frame Rollie Mrs white got a fright in the middle of the night
Saw a ghost eatin toast haf way up a lampost

Etta Morrison I’m a little girl guide dressed in blue..see all the actions I can do.. salute to the king bow to the queen..turn around to the boys in green..

Helen Lawson Taylor Here she comes there she goes peer heels and pointed toes look at her feet she thinks she ‘s neat black stocking and dirty feet
Helen Lawson Taylor Not last night but the night before 3 wee monkeys came to the door one with a fiddle one with a drum. and one with a pancake stuck to its bumper..

Tracy Stirling Mrs Red went to bed. In the morning she was dead. Policeman came and took her name and told her not to die again.

Etta Morrison Miss Polly had a dolly that was sick sick sick..she phoned for the doctor to come quick quick quick etc etc

Irene Agnew cannie shove my granny aff the bus
can shove my other granny cause she’s my mammy’s màmmy !!!

Joy McLennan Sadly, even the English nursery rhymes are not sung to babes anymore…Humpty Dumpty etc. Babes learn the lilt and the rhythm of language so much faster when they were spoken to in song!!! As a kindergarten teacher, now retired, you do your babes a favour by carrying this tradition on…. Here in Canada…my grandma, my mom, and now I sing to my grandbabies…Mother Goose, which include Georgie Porridge, Hot Cross Buns….some funnynones here..new to me. lol!

Marianne Stark Aitken Aye
When I played balls
Stoatin two balls of a wall while singing a rhyme
‘Maria Viola semolina creamola ‘
Ha!

Hugh Nelson dial 999 pery mason fell in the bason dial 999bety grable fell aff the table dial 999 n others

Hugh Nelson a sent her for ham and she broot back spam oh the world is comming tae an end a sent her for cheese and she fell an skint her neese oh the worl is comming tae an end oh aye oh aye

Johnstone Purdie Jane Oh, the big ship sails on the eely, ally oh, The eely, ally oh, The eelly, ally oh, Oh the big ship sails on the eely, ally, on the ( I think), the ninth day of September….perhaps someone could correct the last line?

Johnstone Purdie Jane I had a little monkey, His name was Charlie Sim, I put him in the basin to see if he could swim, He drank all the water and ate a bar of soap and he died last night with a bubble in his throat!

Johnstone Purdie Jane Wee chookie birdie toe low, low, Sat upon the windie sole, The windie sole began the crack and wee cookie birdie went quack,quack,quack!

Johnstone Purdie Jane I’m Popeye the sailor man, I live in a frying pan, I ate all my spinach right up to the finish, I’m Popeye the sailor man, poop,poop!

Johnstone Purdie Jane I love a sausage, a Bonnie, Bonnie sausage, a pit it in the oven fur mah tea, I went doon, the loaby teh see my uncle Boaby and the sausage cam effter me!

Johnstone Purdie Jane Last night there wiz murder in the fish shop, a wee dug stole a herring bone, a big dug tried teh take it aff it so I hit it wi’ mah tatie scone! Ah went doon tae see ma Auntie Sarah, ma Auntie Sarah wiznae in, so a peeked through a crack in the door, …See more

Johnstone Purdie Jane Frogs eggs and snotter pie, All mixed up wi a deid dug’s eye, Mix it well, Mix it thick and wash it doon wi a cup of sick!

Johnstone Purdie Jane Two we chookie birds sitting on the wall, One called, Peter and one called Paul, Fly away Peter, fly away Paul, come back Peter, come back Paul. Two wee chookie birdies sitting on the wall! ( Played with bits of paper stuck to your cheek and blown away then brought back)

Anne Grogan I remember them. Sing some of them to my American grandkids.

Sandra Laird Ma maws a millionaire blue eyes n curly hair sitting amongst the Eskimos playing a game of dominoes culdny get up to blaw her nose ma maws a millionaire lol

Hugh Nelson vote vote vote fur ruth the mooth whose that chapin at the door if its rooth the mooth then let her in and weel through her in the bin and weel no vote fur rooth any more 2 4 shut the door ,,,,,,,,,

Jackie Hughes oooh aah I lost my bra, I left my knickers in my boyfriends car