Opie collection of children's games & songs

Recording of children demonstrating songs and discussing playground games with Iona Opie (part 2 of 2)

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  • Type

    sound

  • Duration

    00:14:54

  • Shelf mark

    C898/67

  • Subjects

    Children's games; Children's songs

  • Recording date

    1974-04

  • Is part of (Collection)

    Opie collection of children's games and songs

  • Recording locations

    Chelsea, London, England

  • Interviewers

    Opie, Iona (speaker, female)

  • Speakers

    unidentified (children)

  • Abstract

    Part 2 of 2. [00:00:00 - 00:14:54]. This recording continues on immediately from the C898 67-01 recording, made at a public play area in Chelsea, London, in 1974. Iona Opie is with a group of schoolchildren who perform a selection of rhymes, jokes, riddles, ball game rhymes and skipping songs. The recording begins with schoolboys reciting counting out rhymes for Iona. They chant: 'ip, dip, dog shit, who stood in it?' This is followed by: 'racing car number nine, losing petrol all the time, how many gallons did it lose?' [00:00:00 - 00:02:20].  These are followed by a selection of ball game rhymes, recited by the children.  Iona asks the children where they play these ball games and one girl remarks: 'you can play it on the bog loo, anything' [00:02:23 - 00:03:46]. The children also perform the rhymes 'One, Two, Three and Upsy' [00:12:00 - 00:12:22] and 'Upsy Mother Brown' [00:13:50 - 00:14:00]. One schoolgirl performs the singing game 'Kookaburra Sits On the Old Gum Tree' for Iona [00:05:05 - 00:05:37]. This is followed by the skipping song 'Jelly on a Plate' [00:13:03 - 00:13:17]. For the remainder of the recording, a selection of children tell jokes, riddles and rhymes to Iona. A girl recites the rhyme: 'there was an old man called a Grig, he had a pig called Tig, and Tig was as fat as butter, he made it run, just for fun, and Tig lay dead in the gutter'. The girl is adamant that she made this rhyme up herself [00:04:43 - 00:05:03]. This is followed by renditions of 'Charlie Chaplin Went to France' [00:11:52 - 00:12:00] and 'Knees Up Mother Brown'. The girl sings: 'knees up mother Brown, knees up mother Brown, don't be silly, pull your willy, knees up mother Brown' [00:13:30 - 0013:37].

  • Description

    Item notes: Recording of children demonstrating songs and discussing playground games with Iona Opie. Speakers' notes: Group of Chelsea schoolchildren. Recording notes: Slight L/R imbalance, variable throughout.

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