Boy's fun

There was an entire amusement arcade full of them in Gosford Street in the 1960s. I misspent many an hour in that place. The owner's first name was Tom, but I don't know his surname? He also worked a stall at the fairground when the fair was in town. Pictures of Coventry The shop to our left of it was Green's the chemist and the oddly named 'Jordan Well Post Office' is extreme right.

Spent a few hours in there myself, Dutchman, and a few pennies. Also the chippy when I went to the Cov Boys Club over the road. Bit posher now, it was only a wooden shack when I went. It's a wonder we never met.

Although I did play tippit as a boy our main games were marbles, five stones and conkers in the season. We all had our secret ways for making the conkers harder. My secret was to soak them in vinegar overnight but I don't think it made the slightest difference. Five stones. There were several stages involved, onesies, twosies, pick up and snatch, unable to recall the rest. There was hopscotch and skipping for the girls. Les

I never used the club myself scrutiny although I was a friend of the Carson brothers whose dad helped run it (along with Superintendent Pendleton). The only chip shop I can remember was the Friar Tuck which was built on the site of the Curtis Warehouse. There may have been one before that a little closer to the traffic lights but I don't remember it? Planning records as usual are as clear as mud on the subject.

The chippy was up from the amusement arcade towards the traffic lights. Not overly clean, and I can remember Superintendent Pendleton. You were not allowed chips in the club but I think they turned a blind eye when it was cold. It was a friendly place, you missed out Dutchman, never any trouble.

Hi LesMac, I reckon it depended on the rage at the time, one term it would be five stones and another (for the girls) french knitting. There used to be a conker tree at the park, Waste Lane is it? My mother in law used to collect hundreds of them when walking the pooch for my lad, Next thing the whole street were into conkers. Yes, they even tried the vinegar trick. Every year since 1965 they hold the championships in the village of Ashton in Northamptonshire, men, women, and children take part. Most likely promoted by the Butterfly Inn in the village.

We also used to make men from the cotton reels, too bit like the plant pots, now Bill and Ben May I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year New Year Fireworks!

FIVE STONES. We played this everyday, and now I have forgotten how it was played. I can remember having them in my hand, then chucking them up, then catching them on the back of my hand. Anyone remember the rest?

That was a lovely card, Morgana, thank you.

You threw them up onto the back of the hand and had to try and catch them all, if you dropped any you would have to use one and throw it into the air and pick up one by one the others up which you had dropped on to the floor, while catching the one you threw into the air, some people used a ball which bounced which made it easier. Then progressed by picking up by two at a time or threes etc if you had dropped a lot. Thank you, Dreamtime, so pleased you enjoyed it, I just thought it cute

Now I have it, morgana, thanks. I remember the ones made of metal and kind of spikey, I was never very good at it, but I suppose it passed the time. Thanks

Yes they were metal, looked like a sputnik certainly passed the time of day, along with marbles too, which I use to get a good hiding for making chucks in my mum's garden for making holes with the back of my heel for the marbles to roll into. Do you recall these too, only ours was black, no coloured ones then. pic off the net

These were more a girlie thing Morgana, were they used for keep fit?

Bottom of Owenford Rd, Radford, years ago in the grounds of Joseph Cash School there was a hut which rented them out, bit like a youth club, outside boys and girls hired them, also hired footballs, stilts, bats 'n balls. Yes they were used for fitness too.