Playing Out
 

Just thought id share this memory that keeps flashing in my ead. Playing out when i was a kid down the "planny" "plantation" or as its now known Foxhill bank nature reserve. I remember goin out about 10 in the mornin and gettin screamed at to come in about 8pm thats about 10 hours , no xbox, no playstation, no tv etc just a rope swing some mud some water and lots of big sticks and stuff. Why cant kids do that these days instead of spending all day skinning up and staring at a tv screen im now off to bed before i pass out:hidewall:

Re: Playing Out
 

Did BILL DASH ever catch you on the lodge.

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Well he caught me on more than one occasion, it was always a case of Bill, dash:D

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Was he the official water baillif or just a pain in the bum?

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Yes we used to run away but the kids of today would not. They would put two fingers up and say " You cant touch me. F off"

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Iwent to school [Rhyddings] with his grand son Harry Sumner [Harry Muck].

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i worked with Harry fer a few years he was a moulder at "Raistricks" church, was a good supping mate fer a while.:)

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Kids today play out..... not heard that one: how does it work again:

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My 2 play out in the garden when the weathers fine :D

I used to play out, even when it was raining we used to huddle in the lobby and wait for it to stop and then were back out again (thats when we actually bothered that it was raining) Used to have to come in when the street lights came on though lol

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He was the official water Bailiff, he lived in a house behind the old St Mary's school on Moscow Mill St, which was owned by the water board, right at the corner of the lodge. always had a fag in his gob, he was a real character

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Used to go down there at dinner time from Rhyddings Tech as was. Do you remember that so called perv that no one actually saw, Fresh Air Freddy. Always in the bushes but had just run off! Wonder if there ever was one!

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When I reported my flasher to the police in 1972, their response was 'It was probably fresh air Fred' - that was a stones throw from Foxhill Bank.

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I used to play down Foxhill 63/68 proper Romanie Gypsies used to camp in old horse drawn carriages, i spent a lot of time skimming slate across the water but if parents heard the Gypsies where there we wern't allowed down there.

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Only just seen this post Margaret, I remember F. A. F. used to go Freddie hunting at nights, once bumped into to women on Haworth street Ossy they were plain cloths plod after te fresh air one:rolleyes:

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I've only just seen this but I remember the Planny and the Flasher!
I was once walking home from the town Hall and he made an appearance, then I saw him again on Stanley st, Ossie.
My brother said I went looking for him!!
Also I daren't tell you about how the policewoman asked me to describe what I had seen (I could hear my mum giggling in the kitchen!!.)
Did they ever catch him?
Does anyone remember that old house on the Planny. I can remember that to be part of a gang(can't remember whose!) we had to be brave enough to go into it and bring some kind of proof that we'd been inside.
Bill Dash almost caught me once and I never did get into anyones's gang.
We used to go tickling carp there as well. I think they were carp, anyone remember?

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That was my stamping ground when I was young, can actually remember when it was inhabited. The Gang that used to rule the roost in that area was Jack Johnson's, he lived in the second house from the left hand end of Spring Terrace, Alan Turner lived in the end one, Pat Stains also live on Spring Terrace and in fact she still does, in the same house. There were trout in Tinker brook, they used to find their way into the brook when the Res overflowed, the Top res was restricted to Accrington Anglers in those days who used to stock it with trout every year, the reason I know was that Father Smith, who was perish priest at St Mary's at the time and was a keen fisherman was a member of Accy Anglers

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not carp. only perch & roach in lodge.

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Playing out was all the rage in the 1950s. You couldn't wait to gobble your tea down and call for your friends. On Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwistle, a big group of us used to play out, children/young people aged from about 2 to 14 - skipping with the big rope, etc. When I was about 9 I used to play with a few girls - all sorts of games - "May I", "Mary, Mary, may I cross your golden water", "What time is it Mr. Wolf?" We used to play "Tracking" by chalking arrows on the pavement for others to follow. Of course you could go in Rhyddings Park and play on the swings, "death plank", roundabout, umbrella and slide. At Hippings Methodist School we used to play games in the school yard, e.g. "The big ship sails through the alley-alley-o". On May Day we used to dance round the May Pole in the school yard. Girls wore their best dresses - it always seemed to be nice weather. The younger children danced round to "Dancing round the May Pole, merrily we go". The older children did a more complicated dance to "Come lasses and lads" - somehow the ribbons ended up plaited, if you got it right! We used to play ball games in Hippings Methodist school yard, but woe betide you if the ball went over Mr. Whalley's back yard wall (school caretaker)! In the church yard we used to look at the "moving statue". There were always crazes for different games - yoyos, hula hoops, etc. Every year we had a bulb show and had to grow hyacinths or daffodils for an exhibition in Ossy Town Hall. At Christmas we had a great time - Monday was school concert, Tuesday was party (with green jelly), Wednesday was carol service in the old chapel - remember Mr. Chapman and Mr. Sanderson, the Methodist ministers? On 24th May we celebrated Empire Day. One of the "big girls" dressed as Britannia.

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I used to play on the swings on Spring hill terrace across from the Paddock House.
A crowd of us would go over to Pendleton Ave. to the clough there and play in the brook. I remember one of the lads made a rope swing it was great. We also used to go in the orchard of the big house off of Arncliffe Ave and steal apples until the owner came out with his gun and chased us away. I remember he had some horses at one time. I lived on Arncliffe and all the kids on the ave used to play with each other, it was great.
I'd go up to Holy family school and play tennis at night. there was always something to do, sometimes we'd go the the lodge up Fern Gore or follow the "Iron Brook".

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Happy days

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Bill Dash was the officially paid water bailiff and caretaker of several lodges,sluices and waterways around Church & Ozzy.....he lived at no1 Lodge House, with his wife Mary and( as mentioned.his grandson Harry 'muck' Sumner)..right beside the lodge that is now a housing estate.The other lodge on the other side of the railway is now a housing estate too.Dash could make anything....fix anything,particularly watches and loads of people would bring their broken watches or fobs and even 'clocks to him to be fixed.He could do tricks and was a real artful dodger at stacking a deck of cards!..the house stood on it's own beside the little stream that still runs ....opposite was rists cable factory,over the wall was the pickups pub bowling green and a couple of plots.Other side was the school and the drill hall club/house and barracks house...they had bonfires by the lodge and Bill Dash used to light rockets and let them go off in his hand !They flew the Union jack at half mast at the Church Con Club when he died on 28th janruary 1968 aged 70.

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Me thinks you knew Bill very well:rolleyes:

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ya aint related to me owd mate Harry? are ya shall bid?:confused:

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And now there is Playstation:eek: Sheesh ... kids have lost a lot.:mad:

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And now we have Playstation ... kids have lost a lot.:mad:

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There's almost an echo in here.:D

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There's almost an echo in here:D:rolleyes:

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Yep...his younger brother.......hes still alive and kicking and living in Church.

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I was raised and played out on Hornby St and Rhyddings Park.
Ken Hargreaves lived nearby on WatsonSt.
We kids felt sorry for him because his mum would never let him play out.
We did call for him sometimes but he never could.

PS when I met Anne Widdecombe she was very amused that I knew Ken when 'he was in short pants'

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Ya Margaret old May used to keep in tied to her apron strings, and its just the type of thing that would amuse the Widdows, JKH in short pants:D

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Tonight (mon 24th Jan) on BBC4 at 7.30 is a programme about old style playground games.
It clashes with Coronation St but you could watch later on BBCi player:rolleyes:

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I had not heard of Fresh Air Freddie. I am reminded of a man with loads of convictions for 'flashing' He got locked up again and the polioceman relaised it was his 60th (?)birthday. He said "Why not retire and call it a day now?" He replied, 'No, I think i'll stick it out for another year" -

Playing out for me mostly meant football. I spent hours with George Plumpton in the light of Foster's chip shop window in Persia st. The street lamp was a goal post. I used to like gang warfare on Nelson Square and climbing on t'coits.

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So now we know where the rot set in....gang warfare, machine guns, crackcocaine.....it's all down to you, Bob.

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Be careful Tealeaf or Bob will be round to make you an offer you can't refuse:D

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Hey Bob, we used to come from Ossie to near Persia St. to steal (or should I say borrow!) wood for Bonfire night. If I'd known there were 'gang bosses' like you I'd never have let the Ossie lads persuade me to go on these raids.
(Obviously, it was the girls who had to steal not the 'mincing' males hiding behind us.
Oh happy days!!

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Who was borrowing your bonfire wood when you were borrowing from Persia Street?

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We used to call it raiding SA not borrowing:D

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I seem to remember a bit of a bully boy who lived down Monarch street way[terrorised us younger kids],who was good at Raiding at bonfire time.:D:D:D
But that was all part of the game!

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Not me mi Lud, I was always in Pete Parkers Gang:D:D:D

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Not guilty plea rejected,guilty as charged!

The offender is guilty until proven innocent.:D

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You've lived with the crims in Auss to long SA:D

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No crims here mate,SA was proclamed in 1836 by free setlers.
Non of your convict rubbish here! [ not from Ossy anyway]

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You'll tell us out:D:D

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You can take the boy out of OSSY,but you can,t take OSSY OUT OF THE BOY:tongueout [30 YEARS THIS YEAR, IN SA]

Re: Playing Out
 

You've been missed:D

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A very nice reply,thank you.
Did my family miss me?
I think not.