Dryburgh Primary School in Lochee, was visited by local journalist David Phillips in 1972.He was informing the youngsters what kids from his childhood got up to for fun, including demonstrating the Gird & Cleek, a metal hoop toy that never made a comeback with later generations!
The school headmaster at the time would either be Mr Soutar or Mr Harvey, not sure of the exact year in the early 70's the change took place.
Same goes for the jannie, so it would either be Mr Kidd or Mr Simpson.
I have no names for the pupils, but I'm sure someone out there will recognise one or two!
there's someone in the 2nd row , (6 in) wearing a crackin' pair oh baseball bates :)
ReplyDeleteBrand spankin' new. Look at the pristine white laces. I can't believe that the bloke is trying to get the bairns interested in such an auld toy. Mind you, I was about their age in 1972 and probably would have thought it was great. It was probably covered in lead paint too!
ReplyDeleteHere's 2 playground games from primary school I can remember.
ReplyDeleteGirls first -
2 girls would stand opposite each other holding hands, and a 3rd girl would stand in the middle of them. The 2 girls holding hands would then move one set of arms together to the front of the girl in the middle, then repeat the action at the back of her to form a tight arm clasp, then they would spin the girl over in a somersault move!
The rhyme they chanted was -
Wash The Dishes
Dry The Dishes
Turn The Dishes Over.
The boys had their futba cards of course.
A game of swaps we played was called "Same or Diff".
A boy would spin his card onto the ground, and who he was playing would say either "Same" or "Diff", then he would spin his onto the ground. If he said "Same" and the card ended up the same way up (face up or face down) as the first card, he kept both. If he said "Diff" and it ended up different to the card on the ground, he would keep both. If he shouted wrongly, the first boy kept them.
There was also a multiple version - throwing a few cards down in one go.
We also had a version the same as "Pitchie". Whoever threw the card nearest to the wall, won the lot!
Im sure the lad facing the camera is Barry Craddock, which means I'm in there too somewhere. I cant see many of the other faces, so its a bit difficult, but second along from Barry, looking at the hoop I think thats Gary Wilson and possibly David Martin next along.
ReplyDeleteStandy-up ledgie! Knocky-doon wins!
ReplyDeleteAnother primary playground game I can remember was Japs & Commandos.
ReplyDeleteA couple of boys would get together, then commence to wander around the playground chanting "Wha' Wants A Gemme O' Japs And Commandos?", and if anybody fancied joining in, they'd run over to them and continue with the chant. Once they recruited about a dozen boys, they'd split into 2 groups and play soldiers! Lots of machine gun noises and bombs exploding sound effects!!!
We played that too in the late 60's in Plymouth.
DeleteYep I remember wandering around Dryburgh PS playground shouting 'who wants a game of Japs and Jerries, most of playtime was spent wandering with no much time playing.
ReplyDeleteMost of the boys could do quite a good machine gun noise - sounding a bit like "doof-doof-doof-doof-doof...." similar to mimicking the sound of drums.
ReplyDeleteBut occasionally an oddball would come out with "uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh...".
Nothing like a machine gun!!!!
not as bad as "rat a tat tat" like in the commando books , gotten himmel retro!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletehigh tig, low tig and king ball the first game up on a wall or ledge and you were safe the kids caught would join the tiggers and so it go more difficult to avoid being caught, the second game sitting or lying on the ground would have the same effect as getting high in the first game nasty to play in the winter time. the third game as far as I can remember was played with a tennis ball, one player started as the thrower, two bases were marked out with all the other players in one base and had to get to the other base while doing so the thrower would throw the ball at the if one was hit h would also be a thrower, the throwers could only move whilst they were fetching the ball to throw. this would continue till only one non thrower was left 'the king' who if time permitted would restart the next game as the thrower. many a bruise was gained playing this but it was bloody good fun.
ReplyDeleteTHE BEAR
I'm not familiar with your "It's a Knockout" version of King Ball.
ReplyDeleteThe King Ball we played was with a football and basically we just chucked the ball at each other and had to catch it using clenched fists only. If you dropped it, you were out, and so on till only the one remained - the King.
Seems a bit wimpy compared to the one you played!
Our machine gun noise was g'digga-digga-digga-digga-digga-diggaaaah
ReplyDeleteA more convincing machine gun noise, I think you'll all agree.
That's a road works drill!!
ReplyDeleteNot meaning to hog the comments but while on the subject, I once broke my collarbone in the school playground at primary.
ReplyDeleteWas winter in the mid 60's, we made a brilliant slide, really long & dead icy. We were doing the slide "limbo dance" style, 2 kids holding a scarf halfway along the slide and ducking under it while trying to stay on our feet to the end. Well, I come a cropper. Skited aboot, lost my feet, fell awkwardy and SNAP!! Then it was off to the DRI to get it bandaged up.
Got a couple of weeks off school mind you, so wasn't all bad!!
Did 2 of your mates not hold your hands as you crouched down then ran for a bit along side you on the slide then when enough momentum was gained they would let you go flying , you were then doing a " Wee Mannie" :)
ReplyDeleteThat's right - we'd slide along like a curling stone!
ReplyDeleteI went to the Joeys and broke at least two windows playing fitba, but not with the ball but with slip-on shoes shooting off in mid shot, the shame of it all.
ReplyDeleteHa ha - classic!
ReplyDeleteThere was a wee prank we'd play when we were together as a class moving around school, going to the TV room, going to assembly etc.
When a kid was in front of you, you could use your foot to make contact with the heel of their shoe and their shoe would come off when they were walking. They would then have to stop, undo their laces and take a bit of time to put their shoe back on, so being left behind. A really good "hit" would be the times when the kid with the shoe problem got into trouble fae the teachie for straying from the rest of class!!
skiffies was great (standy uppers and nea knockie doons)
ReplyDeleteI was at the Clemmies in 72 and i remember this bloke visiting us as well.
I remember being at Dryburgh Primary in the late 70's and I was in the footie team that won the league and cup. We were the first team to win anything for 16 years!! Still remember the story was in the Tele along with oor team photo. Brilliant. Still trying to this day to get a copy of that article though!!
ReplyDeleteso was i, we won all the cups that year, mr donachie was our manager.i got the belt on many occasions for going on the roof tae get the ba
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly certain the boy looking at the camera is Campbell Etchells. This would have been the P7 class. The tallest girl is Jennifer Lamont and the next tallest is Fiona Soame. The boy leaning on his knees at the left of the group could be Sandy Carse? Davie Phillips used to live around the corner from us in Quarryside.
ReplyDelete5th from left Franky Fairfield then Campbell etchells
ReplyDelete