As I was getting older I used to be puzzled by the gossip I heard from neighbours who visited my home, and also the people who my mother went to see, taking me with her. My sisters were 12, 10 and 8 years older than me. The talk was usually about the girls now away from home getting 'into trouble'. 'in trouble' I discovered was to come home with a baby, or something to do with it. How I dreaded the time when one of my sisters came home for a short holiday. What had she got in the box? Or in the parcel? A baby? What a relief to find only clothes, many given to her by her good employer.

In this district there were some noted black spots into which we boys were forbidden to go. While Monkeys Ruck (or Wrights Buildings) were not very salubrious, and even Tommy Shop Row (Jubilee Terrace) was not forbidden, other parts such as 'The Sump' (Church Street), 'Gas-us lane' (New Street) - Oakengates, 'Hell's End' (Lincoln Road) at Wrockwardine Wood and 'Shilton Alley' at St. Georges, and the characters from these places had to be avoided at all costs.

How the names of these orginated I do not know. I can only suppose that the Sump meant at the bottom of the hill, and 'Gas-us Lane' was where the gas works was situated.

Oakengates Scout Troop 1919

Cats were a very favourite household pet and really a necessity as the rats and mice thrived in the many places which harboured them such as the bone mill, the horse-slaughters yard near Mumpton Hill, and also the disused canal tunnel which ran underneath the A5 by the Greyhound. Also, quite a lot of people reared pigs and poultry and these harboured the rats. One person near to us also bred little dogs, a kind of wire-haired creature, as well as pigs and fowl and she had several cats. Her kitchen was a haven for them. She had a broody hen in one of the kitchen-piece drawers, sometimes a litter of pigs would be by the fire-place, also an ugly old parrot in a cage. Sometimes you would see an ailing cat or kitten in the oven put there to keep it warm. I used to run errands for this woman but whenever I went into her cottage I always had to be very careful where I put my feet as the animals were not at all house trained.

Cats in the main had very short lives; sometimes they became victim of the vermin they had sought to destroy. The catawailing of the cats on their nightly prowls was often mercifully ended by the visit of the Night Men who came to empty the lavatories. Even if you did not hear them you would know that they had been by the trail of the disinfectant from the toilets to the carts which had been waiting for the foul contents. The lavatories were emptied with a bowidish at the end of a long pole.

One of the means of discipline commonly used in the home was'Father's Strap'. I used to wonder why some men wore belts with huge metal buckles and also braces. I was to learn about these later.

When you were told you would have your 'bottom warmed' it meant father giving you several lashes with his belt. If your crime was very bad and his temper was really up then you were threatened with the 'Buckle End' - next time remember - and that we did. Warmed buttocks meant discomfort for quite a while., especially if your trousers had been pulled down, and it proved a good deterent.

GETTING A JOB

As some of my older friends reached the age of 13, they found jobs. Some worked as delivery boys on the bread vans, in the flour room at the Co-op, some in the local works and in the coal mines. Here they were taught 'Pit talk', too lurid to write and too profane even to think about. The jobs they had to do were really gruesome. Two of my own friends met with accidents; one was killed when a pony ran away with the tubs while he was 'riding the chains'. The other had his leg broken in several places and a life-long cripple. This type of accident was not uncommon. To deal with casualties from the Lilleshall Company mines and works, there was a small hospital in Albion Street, St. Georges.

Taking evening papers out into the street to sell was another way of earning a few coppers. I was never big enough to do this job - always too small.

GAMES PLAYED BY CHILDREN

Spinning a Top:

This was a mushroom shaped device, made of wood, about 2" - 3" long. You wrapped string around the leg of the top, then sharply threw it to the ground and it would start spinning. Then with a bit of a whip you could hit the top and send it a yard or so.

Guiding a Bowler:

This was a kind of thin steel about 1/2 " thick and about 2' diameter which you guided along with a little piece of bent material (iron) called a pot hook. The idea was to run along the road guiding the contraption.

Cigarette Cards

Collecting these was a pastime in itself. There was a grand collection of interesting things such as "The Cries of London" with a picture of a man in a costume representing some place and giving vent to some particular cry, associated with that city. Playing with them - you placed one by its edge against the wall (about 2' high), then dropped it. Then your opponent following, doing likewise. The winner was the one who could drop his card on the top of any other. What cards were on the ground at the time, he won. Another game was to hold the card between the index finger and the next finger and flick it so that it would fall on the ground about 3' away. The idea was to keep on doing this until you or your opponent covered another with the one you last flicked, what cards were on the ground you won.

Marbles:

Little round pieces of glass or hardened clay. Some glass ones were called "Pritnese" worth many others. One game was called "roll-up" - from a distance of about 4' you started rolling (alternately)against the first one rolled. This was called "dubbing off". The idea was to hit one of the other marbles, when you did this you were the winner and all on the ground you won. Bull-in-the-ring - To play this you made a chalk ring on the ground about 3' diameter, rolled a marble into the ring and then you tried to "shoot up" to it, to try to hit it. This was done by putting the marble on your first finger, near the first and second joint, with your thumb at the back of it, and with the back of your hand on the ground. Then you sharply flicked the marble with yourthumb, tryingto hit one of the marbles in the ring. When you did, you had another go trying to "shoot" the other marbles out of the ring - all you knocked out you had. Of course your opponent had alternating goes.

Conkers:

This was played with "Banicers" (horse chestnuts). A small hole was made through the "B" then a piece of string with a knot on the one end and about 12" -15" long was threaded through the hole. One of you held it up and your partner attempted to hit the conker by swinging his conker to hit the one suspended by the string. The idea was to break your opponents "conk'. Usually it finished up with the striker breaking his own. Soaking the conker in vinegar to harden it was not allowed.

Tin Can Murky:

Several could play this, you got a tin can in a chosen spot and one of you was "on it". That meant one of the group playing had to kick the can some distance, the one "on it" had to fetch the can, put it back in its first position. While he was doing this, the children ran off to hide. Now the one "on it" had to go and find them, but having to be careful lest one of those hiding could come out and kick the can away. If this happened then the one "on it" had to start all over again. If the one "on it" found the children, then the first one found had his turn to be 11 on it".

Jack Show Your Light:

This was played in the dark. One of your group went off with a lantern after counting up to an agreed number, the other had to find him, shouting "Jack show your light". Now the crafty one with the lantern had to do his best to lead the searcher, showing his light, but doing all he could to avoid being caught.

Piggy on the Mop Stick:

One boy stood with his back to the wall, another then bent forward, putting his head, well tucked in, by the other's pelvis, then another boy would bend down, putting his head as far as he could by the others buttocks, holding the other round the thighs to keep firm. This was repeated by whatever number of boys playing the game. Now the idea was for the boys turn it was to "have a go" to take a good run, putting his hands an the buttocks of the first boy in the chain and leap as far as he could on the backs of the boys who were bending down. Then he had to balance himself and shout "Piggy on the Mop Stick", Gee whoa up, how many fingers do 1 cock up" - pointing so many fingers in the air to the boy against the wall (The Mop). Which one of the boys called the right number of fingers cocked up, it was his turn to have a jump.

Football with a Rag Ball:

Made with old stockings, stuffing the foot of the stocking until it was hard, shaping it until it was round, then tying it with string and foling back the stocking round the ball, tying it again and then stretching the remaining ends to the Ball. The group of boys would then pick a side and play would begin on any waste bit of ground, back yard, or even the road. A pig's bladder was also used, when available.

Tip Cat:

This was 'played with a stick about 2' 6" long and a small piece of wood about 4" long and 1 1/2" diameter, sharpened at both ends. With the stick, the player would hit one of the ends of the "cat", which would rise in the air, then the player would strike it with the stick and try to drive it as far as he could. The one who drove it the furthest was the winner.
Buttons:

Usually played by the girls. Throw out into a marked out ring, aiming at the centre. The one nearest to the centre had the first go at picking up any other buttons thrown in. The method of picking up the buttons was to wet the pad of your thumb and press it upon the button. All that you could pick up, you could have.

Five Stones:

You place 4 stones on the ground, holding one in your hand, then you would toss this in the air about six inches to a foot high, grabbing a stone off the ground then catching the failing stone with the same hand. First one to complete catching the four stones was judged the winner.

Tick:

Played by boys and girls. One boy or girl was "on it". That meant they had to run after one of the other children who were playing, trying to touch them. If you did so, you were no longer 'on it" and the one whom you had "ticked" took your place.

Hop Scotch:

Both boys and girls played this, but mainly the girls and it was one game for wearing out your shoes. A flat piece of tile, about 3" square was used. This was put in one square marked out on the ground. Then you hopped on one foot, trying with your toe to knock the tile into another square, or sometimes a circle. There would be three or four which were numbered circles or squares. You went up one side and down the other. The idea was to complete this in one go. If you knocked it onto a line, you were out, and next turn you started in the square you finished on.

Grand Old Duke of York:

This was a communal game of marching up and down and created great fun.

In and Out the Windows:

The participants would form a ring, hand in hand, then lifting them up as high as they could, each child would endeavour to go beneath the raised arms.

Oranges and lemons:

Oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clements was another communal game, singing a little ditty going round and round.

Playing Houses and Mothers and Fathers:

With all the innocence of child love, you marked out your house in a certain place, or under some bush. The the boy would pretend to go to work usually seeking broken pitchers (cup and plate) which were the wages. Coloured'pitchers served as silver, very pretty pieces served as a gold sovereign. There would be a little shop where you could buy mud pieces of cake and bread for your pitchers.

Dancing Round the Maypole:

This was a seasonal game. A pole about 6' high with ribbons hanging from the top. Usually a child sat on a stool holding the pole, while the girls would take the end of the ribbons and dance in a circle around the pole singing a little ditty as they did so. "Dancing round the maypole, merrily we go".

Cowboys and Indians:

This was always popular as was the skipping rope with a variety of motions

Copyright:  Estate of  Moses Evans