The games we used to play and the songs we used to sing

From the series Almonds and Sunday Dresses

by Margaret Sullivan and Nelcia Marshall Robinson

SINGLE WICKET CRICKET was a favourite game during recess and lunch break. It was coconut bats, breadfruit balls, and some sticks or an old tin for the wicket. In our class, there was a physically disabled boy. Yes, school was very integrated then. “Foreman” as he was nicknamed, was a very good batsman, who had Runners. We used to compete to be Foreman’s runner, and it was an honour to be chosen by him. The long August holiday saw many Test Matches being played, and we would journey to Camden Park, Clare Valley and Roucher Bay to enjoy those lovely community cricket games.

Then there was Rounders, Hop Scotch, Skipping and Pitching Marbles. These was no sexual division to participating in these games, as both boys and girls played with passion and enthusiasm. I loved the skipping – jumping in and out of a swiftly turning rope, and having to be alert for a signal to turn ‘Pepper”. The rope-turners would beat furiously at 90 miles a minute, and you the unsuspecting skipper had to either keep up or fall flat on your face. Our rope was the thick vines or lianas. Searching for it was an adventure, and wearing it thin through skipping was an achievement of which we were proud, as we ran off to find new ones.

Our school had an appreciation for the Arts. We were always singing. “When morning gilds the skies”, was one of the songs to open our school day, which we closed with “Now the day is Over”. How earnestly we sang for God to ‘guard the sailors tossing on the deep blue sea”.

We were introduced to classical songs like “Down yonder green Valley, where streamlets meander” which we interpreted as ‘stream lets me ander”; The Ash Grove, and ‘Tis the last rose of Summer. Other favourite school songs were –

Lead Us Heavenly Father Lead Us, O’er the world’s tempestuous sea Guard us, Guide Us Keep Us, Feed Us For we have no help but Thee AND Lovely Isle with Verdure Clad Tropic Clime to make hearts glad Scenic View a Charm to add St Vincent.

These songs instilled in us Love of God, and Love of Country.

We eagerly looked forward to the Easter Play – looking on with awe at those brave girls playing the three Mary’s, and the boy who would play Jesus in the Tomb.

The Christmas Season was a joy with the lovely Christmas Carols – Star of Wonder, Star of Night, O Holy Night, One in Royal David’s City, Away in a Manger, When the Crimson Sun was Set, While Shepherds watched their flocks by Night, We Three Kings of Orient are, Good King Wenceslas looked out,

In the Bleak Mid Winter, to name a few, ranging from slow somber tunes to quick and lively joyous notes.

We were awakened around 4.00 a.m. to the singing of Edcel Williams and the Westfield Boys, as they came caroling. It was ‘Nine Mornings”, and my Mother would go and give them a penny after they had sung ‘Glooooria, in Excelsis Deo”, ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night”, and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. As the day dawned, older brothers and sisters would go strolling, ending up at Questelles or Clare Valley Beach.

The Christmas Play with Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus, the Shepherds and the Three Wise Men, was not just an enactment, we fully experienced Jesus coming to earth to save us from our sins. Joyously we celebrated Christmas, and the generosity of our parents and community people who fed us sumptuously, and added in a whole JU-C, and a tiny glass of black wine!

In Standard Six, we had to perform one of Shakespeare’s Plays. In my year, it was the Merchant of Venice, and I was Portia. Imagine learning all these lines, and saying them with expression. It seemed impossible, but as my Father said practice Makes Perfect”.

General Knowledge was actually a game, as we quizzed each other. There was a large blackboard in the school hall where the Head Teacher put all the current news – local, regional and international. We knew the names of all the world Leaders, for example Patrice Lumumba of the Congo, and that the Prime Minister of England lived at No. 10 Downing Street. We had great fun with the Proverbs. One would say “Wise Men Think Alike”, one would respond “Fools seldom differ”, or ‘Many Hands Make Light Work”, “Too Many Cooks Spoil The Broth”.

We could not be caught off guard with questions, and our diction was perfect. We could speak dialect as often as we wished, but we had speech training in standard English. Our Teachers would say – “Read with Expression”, and we would have to repeat the text until we got it right. We emerged as educated and intelligent children.

Looking back, the games we played, and the songs we used to sing encouraged healthy competition, and built a spirit of community and sense of awe of God.