tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post3702359075306011770..comments2024-03-27T15:59:11.066+00:00Comments on Prometheus in Aspic: Hooptedoodle #354 - The Obstacle Course GameMSFoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-83088616272653052662020-02-22T22:23:24.993+00:002020-02-22T22:23:24.993+00:00Like your family we had a maiden, actually more th...Like your family we had a maiden, actually more than one as we were never lucky enough to have one of the clothes driers you winched up to the kitchen ceiling. My abiding memory is that you could have so much fun with a Maiden (steady down at the back there), they could be used to make a ridge tent or a castle wall by the simple addition of a couple of blankets and some imagination. Try doing that with a tumble drier. Elenderilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05950182992274113214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-25966186192926024462020-02-10T11:52:58.689+00:002020-02-10T11:52:58.689+00:00Excellent - I've noted down a few ideas for ne...Excellent - I've noted down a few ideas for next time the Church Roof Fund Committee come round for sherry.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-23545254669346769192020-02-10T11:50:21.789+00:002020-02-10T11:50:21.789+00:00Inflict, inflict...Inflict, inflict...MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-14143973136975909792020-02-10T11:50:01.193+00:002020-02-10T11:50:01.193+00:00Posts like this are probably best written in the s...Posts like this are probably best written in the same state - unfortunately, for some reason, I seem to have stopped drinking for the moment. Don't know why - just don't fancy it. Usually I am driving anyway - if I'm at home, my wife hardly drinks at all, and the idea of drinking on my own gives me the horrors - obviously symptomatic of something unspeakable, and if I drink the entire bottle of wine myself after dinner (as at Xmas) then I regret it. I decided not to go to see the GP about this...MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-71956624957610649152020-02-10T09:14:42.531+00:002020-02-10T09:14:42.531+00:00Wonderful Tony, I think I did see it coming but pr...Wonderful Tony, I think I did see it coming but probably only because the story mirrors my own childhood and family games at parties. May I share a couple of the 'highlights' here with you?<br /><br />You must imagine the scene, lots of barrels of Party 7 and gin going down, carpet rolled back and chairs assembled all around the room, all of the adults did a 'turn' and my fathers contribution was a popular favourite "The Old Man Had a Fiddle". I think you can guess the level of humour already, Dad would appear through the door (They all went into the hallway so they could make an entrance), wearing an overcoat with a false arm and waving a walking stick, the other arm was inside the coat from where at each chorus he would thrust out a large carrot towards the ladies faces to guffaws of laughter. The chorus went "The old man had a fiddle, the old man had a stick, the old man put his fiddle where he should have put his stick" <br /><br />Cultural highlight of the evening though was "Kissing the Blarney Stone" picture this:<br /><br />All of the ladies were sent into the hallway.One by one they would be led into the room blindfolded, one uncle would put out out both arms tight together and the lady would be asked to kiss the lucky blarney stone at which point my Uncle John would lower his trousers with arse slightly exposed, and as the blindfold was removed he would position himself in front of the lady in the act of pulling up his pants, you get the picture I'm sure, shrieks of laughter from the ladies as each in turn was led in. I'm sure my Uncle John got much pleasure from this. Best bit was seeing my Nan led in for the ritual! Obviously a one off form of entertainment, but every party they would come up with something new.<br /><br />There were many more but I won't bore you here. Working class family entertainment in an age before technology. Don't try this at home kids.<br /><br />Hope you don't mind me sharing, but it's very much on theme Tony!'Lee.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02728400013024811279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-68076346432859630802020-02-10T02:41:47.853+00:002020-02-10T02:41:47.853+00:00I'm glad no one in my extended family didn'...I'm glad no one in my extended family didn't think something like this up, I could esp see my father's side enjoying this.Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053555991679802013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-9487537336304863002020-02-10T01:22:25.129+00:002020-02-10T01:22:25.129+00:00Great stuff, best ingested when moderately drunk a...Great stuff, best ingested when moderately drunk and really nostalgic, which obviously I am. Probably why I don't talk to my family much, come to think of it. Chris Gricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08578412472163593374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-10249650268876985892020-02-09T19:24:08.659+00:002020-02-09T19:24:08.659+00:00Cruelty was an important element of apprenticeship...Cruelty was an important element of apprenticeship of any form - there was a (sort of) wisdom in that unkind practical jokes were designed to teach you not trust anyone, which sounds like a philosophy of despair to me. My granddad's great joke with little kids, when he was having a cup of tea in his armchair, was to get the child to come and stand in front of him, and watch how he could wag his ears. The child would stare (in vain) for this wonder, and the sting was that granddad would burn the back of their hand with his teaspoon, which had been in his boiling hot tea. Cue helpless laughter. Discuss.<br /><br />Some tough world, as I say. These traditions lasted - I was brought up to believe that the kids at school would pinch my possessions if I took any. Maybe they would. When my dad saw me off on the train, to go to university, his big life-message was "always try to do without people - they'll only let you down".<br /><br />Now, for sure, THAT is why I grew up bitter and twisted! The irony about trust here is that, when he saw me off to university, I was intending never to come back - that's one way to do without people.MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-7171125771636382152020-02-09T19:12:33.469+00:002020-02-09T19:12:33.469+00:00The game design is brilliant - no idea where that ...The game design is brilliant - no idea where that came from, or whether it was traditional. The final pinch is so subtle that it seems wildly out of character with the people who were staging the event! MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-76226350845751263762020-02-09T19:10:26.560+00:002020-02-09T19:10:26.560+00:00Thanks Jon - these events no doubt shape us - this...Thanks Jon - these events no doubt shape us - this must be why I grew up bitter and twisted....MSFoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470241067504971068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-2852029809224281452020-02-09T18:13:07.437+00:002020-02-09T18:13:07.437+00:00Splendid...
I am sure there must be someone in the...Splendid...<br />I am sure there must be someone in the wings waiting to say this was all wrong... and cruel...<br /><br />Kids today...<br />Just don’t know when they have been teased and been safe...<br />A lovely memory indeed.<br /><br />All the best. AlyAly Morrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12178180028439005095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-40178944960378149862020-02-09T17:32:37.032+00:002020-02-09T17:32:37.032+00:00Outstanding! I never saw that (the empties room) c...Outstanding! I never saw that (the empties room) coming. But I guess that was the point. Being super-competitive at that sort of thing I would have made a right part of myself!<br /><br />I bet compared to previous periods of history when folk migrated from ancestral homes, it is a lot easier to track extended family members down now. And easier for them to come together.nundankethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12895608927860103442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111053985478999734.post-74267577988701166312020-02-09T15:14:52.238+00:002020-02-09T15:14:52.238+00:00Excellent recollection of one of your childhood Ri...Excellent recollection of one of your childhood Rights of Passage! Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.com