‘READING GAMES A Collection of Reading Games and Activities for Intermediate to Advanced Students of English Jill and Charles Hadfield‘Addison Wesley Longman Limited Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JE, England ‘and Associated Comparies throughout the world. © fil Hadlield and Chares Hadfield, 1995 ‘The moral right of the Author to be identified has been asserted. Designed by Tony Richardson ‘This edition published by Addison Wesley Longman Ltd 1996. ‘Third impression 1996 ISBN 0-17-556891-X Printed in China NPCCINs Permission to copy ‘The material in this book is copyright. However, the publisher grants permission for coples ofthe pages in the section entidled "Games ‘material to be made without fee as follows: Private purchasers may make copies for their own use or for use by their own students; school purchasers may make copies for use within and by the staff and stucents of the purchasing school only. This permission to copy does not extend to additional schools or branches of an institution, who should purchase a separate master copy of the book for their own use. For copying in any other circumstances prior permission in writing must bbe obtained from Addison Wesley Longman Led. Acknowledgements ‘The authors are very grateful to the staff and students of South Devon College for inspiring, trying out and commenting (on these materials and to Sally McGugan and Maria Stebbings for their skilful, patient and good-humoured editing Texts The publishers are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material. They have tied to contact all copyright holders, but in cases where they may have failed will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements atthe fist ‘opportunity Rodgers, Coleridge and White for extracts from The Book of Heroic Failures by Stephen Pile (Game 3). Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd for extracts from No Time to Weave ‘Goodbye by Ben Wicks published by Bloomsbury Publishing -td, 1989 (Game 7). Virgin Publishing Ltd for extracts from The Return of Urban Myths by Pil Healey and Rick Glarwill published by Viegin Publishing Ltd (Game 8). BAA Communications for their advertisement ‘Watch Your Body Language’ (Garme 10). ‘The author for extracts from Ordinary Lives by Carol Adams (Game 11) ‘Oxford University Press for extracts © lona and Peter Opie 1359. Reprinted from The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren by lona and Peter Opie (1959) by permission of Oxford University Pross (Game 12) Sunday Times Syndication for extracts from ‘A Life in the Day’ articles in The Sunday Times Colour Supplement (Game 14). ‘Oxford University Press for the Frog Maiden’ from Burmese Folk Tales by Martin Htin Aung (Game 21). Routledge and Kegan Paul for ‘Beauty and Pockface’ from Chinese Fairy Tales and Folk Tales by Wolfram Ebethard (Game 21), Foulsham and Co. Ltd for extracts from Old Moore's Dream ‘Almanack (Game 23). Harper Collins Publishers Ltd for extracts from The Politically Correct Dictionary by H. Beard and C. Cerf (Game 24) Photographs The publishers are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce photographs: Stuart Boreham Photography, The Hulton Picture Company. “The Hutchison Library, Nelson ELT, Rex Features Limited “The Sunday Times/Marie-Sara Bourseiller/Maya Angelou/Rosemary Henderson. Mlustrations Phill Burrows (Game 24) ; Tok (ER Meee EL Re Ee Breer es len io -" tee fen ‘ER EK SR (Ch Th Gh GE KL mam me = ur © ch me Tm.By. Contents List of games ii Introduction v Teacher's notes 8 Games material a Index 144 Level Function 1 Parlour games intermediate giving instructions 2 Successful failures intermediate narrating past events 3° Heroic failures intermediate narration 4 Punch lines intermediate narration 5 Myfirst valentine intermediate narrating past events 6 Postcards from John intermediate describing scenes and past events 7 Evacuees intermediate narrating past experiences 8 Urban myths intermediate narration 9 Famous last words intermediate reporting what other people said 10 Body language upper intermediate describing customs 41 Time warp upper intermediate talking about life in past times 12 Curious customs upper intermediate describing habits and customs 13 Village gossip upper intermediate narrating past events 14 Alife inthe day upper intermediate describing daily routines 15. Guilty secrets upper intermediate narrating past experiences 16 Loose morals upper intermediate narrating a story 17 Roots upper intermediate talking about past events 18 Ghoststories upper intermediate narrating a story 19 Murderin the library upper intermediate narration, hypothesis 20 Believe it or not upper intermediate defining and explaining, justifying, giving reasons 21 Trouble with men, frogs, shoes and sisters upper intermediate narrating a fairy story 22 Horoscope exchange advanced talking about character and emotions 23 Dream merchants advanced narrating past events, predicting the future 24 Politically correct advanced finding euphemismsapis ere a eS Se a es Se SNe ee Laura, Jessica and RoryThe activities inthis book all require the reading ofa text and the communication of the information it contains, sometimes in order to solve a puzzle or complete a task, sometimes in order to do a roleplay All the activities consist of two main phases: 1 READ ~ EXTRACT INFORMATION | | 2 COMMUNICATE ~ SHARE INFORMATION ‘These phases may be organised in different ways. For example, in the first phase, students may be divided into groups and each group given a different text to read. They complete a worksheet and/or discuss the text in their groups. Phase 1 AK BB AR BB Text TeaB Text In the second phase students are regrouped to share their information, in order to act out roles or to complete a task or solve a puzzle Phase 2 The above diagrams show groupings for an activity involving three texts, but activities may involve from two to six texts Alternatively, every student in the class may have a different, short text to read Phase 1 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO Pete In phase 2 the students mingle freely and communicate their information in randomly constituted small groups. ‘This activity may have a time limit set by the teacher, and the aim sto listen to as many people's stories as possible (.¢. to obtain as much information as possible) n the time allowed Phase 2 () q or In this type of activity a worksheet or questionnaire is handed out after phase 2 and the students try to complete {as much as possible using the information they picked up in the second phase. ‘though not an integral part of the ‘read and retell activity, ‘[Link]’ and ‘follow-up’ activities have been suggested in most cases to provide further integration of skill. The ‘leadin’ activites are based on discussion or listening to an anecdote told by the teacher; the ‘follow. up’ activites are suggestions for written work. list of ‘problem vocabulary’ - words that may be ‘unfamiliar to the students is provided in the Teacher's ‘Notes for each game, to enable the teacher to be prepared for queries. Students should be encouraged to read as fluently and selfreliantly as possible, trying to guess or deduce meaning where possible, using Englsh-English dictionaries where this fais, and turning to the teacher for guidance if either of these resources fail The Teacher's Notes also give indications of level - the ‘majority of texts are intermeaiate/upper intermediate level, but where texts are easier or more difficult than average, thisis indicated. The time required is also indicated. Most activities wil ast an average lesson. ‘Shorter activities can be extended to fill lesson by doing the follow-up activity in class. Longer ones can fil a double lesson, or a single one ifthe texts is given to the students, inadvance, or the information ‘share phase’ allowed to ‘un on into homework. ‘The activities provide practice both in reading skills end in oral expression, training students in the ability to extract essential information from a text and to give an oral summary ofits contents. They provide a stimulus for natural and meaningful communication: giving both a reason and a motivating and enjoyable context for sharing information. When integrating skil in this way, the reading skill feeds directly into the speaking skil: new words and expressions are often absorbed almost effortlessly from the text by @ kind of osmosis and students’ fluency and confidence in speaking are improved. ‘Although the activities are quite simple to set up, classroom management needs to be detailed and precise, and you will need to be very clear in your own mind about \who is going to do what wien ~ and where! Some points to bear in mind: ‘© arrange desks and tables into groups in advance possible for the first phase. I it's not possible to move the furniture in your classroom, give the same texts to students at adjacent desks, and work out how they can turn their chairs round to talk to those siting near or behind them, if ‘group discussion is required in the first phase.1® The regrouping of students for the second phase is best done by giving each student a number, e.g GroupA Group B Group ¢ [Link] [Link] 1.23.4 ‘Then ask ‘All the ones’ to go to a certain area of the room, “All the twos' to another area, and so on. If students are notin groups, but moving about freely for the second phase, make sure in advance that you have {an area where they can do this, by having the desks in a U- shape with the central area free, or ifthe tables are arranged in groups, by making sure that there is plenty of free space in the central area. If you cannot move your furniture, and your classroom is cramped, you will need to ‘modify this activity, so that students begin by talking to the person next to them, then swap seats with other students to talk to a different partner. The seat-swapping had probably better be directed by you if space i limited! 18 The teacher's role changes constantly during one of these activities, and you will need to be quite a chameleon, During the initial setting-up phase, and the changeover from phase 1 to phase 2, you will need to be a very clear instruction-giver. During phase 1, your role willbe that of guide and problem-solver. You may need to be very quick ‘on your feet here if you have a large class. I the students are working in groups, try to train them to ask each other for help first before turning to you - they can often solve teach others’ problems. During phase 2, your role is as 2 resource and guide, helping students if they are stuck and don’t know what to say, or are unclear about what to do. You are also a monitor and evaluator, listening to what the students are saying and noting mistakes and areas of difficulty, which may form a basis for subsequent teaching Itis a good idea to carry a pen and notebook, or an OHT ‘and OHP pen if you have one, and to note down any persistent problems or errors. © The longer texts have an accompanying worksheet to direct the students’ attention to the main points and to help them read for gist. With the shorter texts, the instruction is simply to memorise the details. I is important that the students understand that they are not expected to memorise the text and reproduce it word for word, but 10 Understand and remember the main points and retell the story in their own words (though of course they may use words and phrases from the text if they remember them). With stronger groups, or students, its 2 good idea to remove the text at the end of phase 1. Weaker students may like to keep the text as a prop, but you should try to ensure that they do not simply read from the text! Ask them to tum it over and only peep at it if they are absolutely desperate, or in the activities which invoWe retelling the story a few times, let them retain the text at first, and ask them to give it up when they have told the story once or twice and are feeling more confident. ‘© The introductory and followup activities are there as suggestions only. You may have your own ideas for introducing or following on from the ‘read and retell’ activities, but in general some sort of warmup activity should be included as an introduction, to awaken students’ Interest and provide a context for the reading text. A follow-up writing task is a valuable activity, partly to ‘fix in ‘more permanent form the new words and expressions the students may have learned during the reading and speaking activities, but also because writing is easier given a context and a reason, and that is precisely what these activities provide. ER EL-EK~ ER EL: GE“ IEeNEL: BR~JEL~ EE ~ Bh~ EL ERY ELSE -EL~EL IER ~ ELEMIS ELS ELE ELC ELBE AEE) ~vu TEACHER'S NOTESTeacher's Notes 1 Parlour games ‘Type of activity jigsaw in four groups then groups of four reading instructions and explaining how to play a game Lovel/Time required intermediate/average Games material Texts: A Botticelli, 8 The parson's cat; C Crambo; D The adverb game Function practised giving instructions Structures imperatives, present simple, must Lexical areas famous people, adjectives, adverbs Problem vocabulary A Botticelli recalled, guess, cues, identity, restrict 8 The parson’s cat: take turns, version, round [Link]: clue, rhymes, guess D The adver game: adverb, missing, recalled, guess, perform, according to How to use the activity Make enough copies of text A for one quarter of the students to have a copy each, and the same for texts B, C and D. ‘The texts in this activity are all instructions for how to play Victorian parlour games, @ popular evening pastime in the days before television. Lead into the activity with a briet discussion on what students’ families do for enterainment. Divide the class into four groups, A, 8, C, and D. Give everyone in group A a copy of text A, everyone in group B a copy of text B, and so on, Give them time to read their text and discuss any problems (or misunderstandings with their group. Tel them that they will have to show other people how to play their game, and warn them that you will take the texts away. They can make Notes if they like. ‘When you are confident they have understood how to play their game, take the texts away and regroup them into fours, 0 that each new group contains an A, a 8, aC and a D. The object of the activity isfor each member of the new {group to show the rest of the group how to play their game. Follow-up: /sk students to write a set of instructions for playing a game familiar to them, 2 Successful failures ‘Type of activity jigsaw in sx groups then groups of six ‘eteling the history of a successful person and completing a questionnaire Level/Time required intermediate/average Games material Texts: A Author; B Actress; C Footballer; D Pop singer; E Cartoonist; F Actor Questionnaire Function practised narrating past events Structures past tenses Lexical areas work, books, acting, football, pop music, at Problem vocabulary ‘A Asuccessful author: dead-end jobs, degree, senior lecturer, ego, took off, paratrooper, kidnap, motivation, put me dow, on your side BA famous actress: voluptuous, audition, agent, burst into tears, troupe, modeling, misery, obligations CA successful footballer: trial, rejected, contract, on loan, reluctant, establish, confidence DA ssuccessful pop singer: settle down, disbanded, ‘keyboard, tick, on the dole, yel, breakthrough, released, risks E A successful cartoonist: commercial, sold out, desperate, hellon earth, potential, reviewed, genius F A successful actor: cope with, aucition, registrar, ‘convinced, encouragement, principal, therapist, evaluate, realised, establishment, scaring, literate, pedlar How to use the activity Make enough copies of text A for one sixth of the students | to have 3 copy each, and the same for texts BF. Make ‘enough copies of the questionnaire for the students to have cone each, ‘You might lke to begin with a short discussion of success and failure. Ask the students to think of and write down the names of one person they think s a success and one person they think i a failure (not necessarily famous people). When ‘they have written down the names, they should get together \with a partner and explain why they chose those people and ‘what they mean by success and failure (in whose eyes, by what standards, etc) Divide the class into six groups, A, 8, C, 0, E and F. Give text ‘Ato each student in group A, text B to those in group B, etc. Give each student a copy of the questionnaie. Give them time to read their text, while you circulate to deal with problems and queries When they have finished reading, ask each student to work with a partner from the same ‘group. Ask one of them to imagine they are the ‘successful failure’ and the other to imagine they are the person/one of the people who told them some years ago that they wouldn't make it They meet again at a party and begin to talk, When the students have finished this first role-play, regroup them so that each new group contains, as far as possible, an A,aB,aC, a, anF and an . Ask them to tell their stores ‘to each other. ‘The object of the activity is to decide who was the biggest failure and who is the biggest success. Ek EAL SEL EL. ER Ge eh ieee ee ewe. JED PLBL TBR BE MG TRL PLL OER PR ORE GLEE eyKey: Answers to the questionnaire will vary for each character. character the day they were told they were no good. ‘Alternatively, pin up a set of pictures of men and women, ‘Ask the students to choose a face that they lke. They should ‘then imagine and write a similar falure/success story for that character, 3 Heroic failures ‘Type of activity ‘whole class mélée then groups of four retelling a story and answering a questionnaire Level/Time required intermediate/shorter than average Games material Texts: A The crimes that were easiest to detect; B The least wellplanned robbery; C The least profitable robbery; D The most unsuccessful prison escape; E The \worst bank robbers; F The most unsuccessful atternpt to \work through a lunch hour; G The least successful attempt to meet a relative at an airport; H The least ‘successful animal rescue; | The least successful bank robber; J The worst tourist Questionnaire Function practised narration Structures past tenses Lexical areas ime, office work, tourism Problem vocabulary ‘A The crimes that were easiest to detect: dazzling, logic, inevitability, barge, dock strike, craft B The least well-planned robbery: raiding, cash, premises, ‘masks, getaway car, sped, screeched to 3 halt, omitted C The least profitable robbery: unique, tactic, til, trolley, goods, snatch, undeterred, getaway, raid, scream The most unsuccessful prison escape: convicts, quded, genius, courtroom, sentenced, judges, jail The worst bank robbers: stuck, revolving, sheepishly, cashier, practical oke, disheartened, gang, barely, awkwardly, clutching, ankle, getaway, trapped F The most unsuccessful attempt to work through a lunch hour: seta record, uninterrupted, clambered, adjoining, stared, charged, retreated, steadily, scattered, stacks, heifer, chew, elaborate, pulleys 6 The least successful allempt lo meet a relative at an airport: facilites, wandered, smothered, cuddling, enthusiasm, hospitality, modified, ushered, amiss, slumped, kidnapped H The least successful animal rescue: rescue, strike, valiantly, ‘emergency, retrieve, trapped, haste, discharge, duty, grateful, fond farewell | The least successful bank robber: hold-up, cashier, bemused, gil, fled J The worst tourist: assumed, delayed, heavy traffic, ‘mentioned, tracking down, modernization, brushed aside, Iandmarks, benefit, tongue, bref, brilliance, siren How to use the activity ‘Make enough copies of the ten texts, A), forthe students to have one text each, with as much variety as possible in the class. Make enough copies of the questionnaire for the students to have one each. Explain to the students that they are going to read a story about a disastrous experience. You might lke to introduce the activity with an amusing disaster story of your own, or by eliciting tales of personal disaster (funny) from the students Give out one text to each student and give ther some time to read their text, asking you for help if necessary, and to memorise the main points of their story. Then ask them all to stand up and circulate, retelling their story in their own \words to as many people as possible. ‘The object of the activity is to hear as many disaster stories as possible. ‘You can put a time limit on this part of the activity if you like ‘After a certain time, ask the students to return to their seats and give thern each a copy of the questionnaire, Ask the students to complete as much as possible by themselves, ‘then move them into groups of four and ask them to share their information to complete the questionnaire. Go through the answers to the questionnaire with the whole ass, clearing up any misunderstandings and filing any gaps. Students will probably want to soe all the texts. Note: With a strong group you can remove the texts when they have read them and ask them to tel the stories from memory. With weaker students | often let them keep the ‘texts as support to begin with, then remove them after they have retold the story a couple of times and are feeling more confident. Key: 1 The prisoners’ tunnel came out in the courtroom. 2 There was a dock strike and his was the only boat moving fon the water. 3 The Post Office had closed down. 4 There ‘was les in the til than the £10 he had given the cashier. '5 The robbers got stuck in the revolving doors. 6 A cow falling through the roof. 7 She thought a total stranger was her brother. 8 The firemen ran it over. 9'I don’t have a ppaper bag,’ 10 He got off the plane during a fuel stop bbecause he thought he had arrived. New York Follow-up: Students could write their own disaster stores, either from experience or imagination. Try giving some titles: The worst charter fight, The worst holiday, The worst piano recital, etc4 Punch lines ‘Type of activity whole dass mélée retelling jokes and finding the person with the punch line Level/Time required intermediate/shorter than average Games material Texts: Jokes 1-15 Punch lines Function practised narration Structures past tenses Lexical areas various 1: vicar, parishioner, parrot, ribbon, hymn, perch crumpled, elephant, proves penguin cautiously, crept survey, colonel, achievement scrambled canary, cuttl fish, wedged, swing, bird seed &: bumped into, bitterly, pregnant, hiccups 9: anxious, apologeticaly 10: to the point, romance, royalty, mystery, religion, task, pregnant 11: speech, faultless, deafening applause 12: achieve, conductor, proposed, free of charge 13: weedy, lumberjack, axe blow, crashing 14: architect, poltcian, rb, chaos 15: tycoon, Mair, specialist, prematurely, worn out, ‘transplant surgery, legal, ridiculous 2 3 4 5 6 7 How to use the activity Make enough copies of the fifteen jokes forthe students to have one joke each, with as much variety as possible in the class. Copy the same number of corresponding punch lines. Give out one joke to each student and one punch line to teach student. The punch line should not correspond to the joke the student has! Make sure that somewhere in the class there isa punch line for every joke. if you have more then fifteen students, do the activity in two groups Students should read their joke and walk around the class telling it until they find the person who has the corresponding punch line ‘The object of the activity is to find their own punch fine and to give away their original punch line, When they have done this, they should sit down. When everyone i sitting down, students can tell their complete jokes to the whole class, Key: The punch lines are printed together on ane page in the same order as the jokes appear. Follow-up: Students tell jokes they know ~ in English! 5 My first valentine ‘Type of activity hole cass mélée then pairwork/small groups retelling an anecdote and completing a questionnaire Lovel/Time required intermediate/shorter than average Games material Texts: A Rabbi, B Pin-up/singer; C News presenter; D Sportswwoman; E Whiter; F Novelist 1; G TV presenter; H Novelist 2; | Politician; J Seriptwriter Questionnaire Function practised narrating past events Structures past tenses Lexical areas childhood, love Problem vocabulary ‘A Rabbi: glamorous, upset, out of reach 8 Pin-up/singer: promptly, teased, dish, lipstick, jealous, boasting, annoyed (C News presenter: unforgettable, violets, checked, spots D Sportswoman: sik, propose, depressed, ignore, signed E Writer: humiliated, thriling F Novelist 1: idealistic, garfanded, trimmed, lace G TVPresenter: hideously, crucllest, waded, tadpoles H Novelist 2: puzzled, marvellous, liar | Politician: anonymous, dressing table 4 Scriptwriter: knock, incredible, do the trick How to use the activity ‘Make enough copies of the ten texts, J, forthe students to have one text each, with as much varity as possible in the lass. Make enough copies of the questionnaire for the students to have one each ‘You might lke to start with a bref introduction of your own about Valentine's Day: explain the history, customs, tell anecdotes, etc, or, if you have a class who are familiar with Valentine's Day, elicit information and/or anecdotes from them, Give out one text to each student, ensuring that as far as possible everyone gets acifferent text. Ifyou have twenty or ‘more in your clas, itis probably best to do the activity in two groups, ‘Ask the students to read their text and to memorse the information it contains, in order to be able to tell the story to other students, While they are reading. circulate and deal with quecies. When they are ready, ask them to get up and walk around the class, telling their story to other students. The object of the activity isto listen to as many stories as possible in order to complete a questionnaire later. You might like to give a time limit for this activity. With a strong group, you can collect in the stories. With a weaker (group, you may lke to let them retain the stories as support TA fe RRL ER. R= mn, at 40) ER ER TR KR URL ER ERinitially but collect ther in when they have retold their story fonce or twice and have more confidence \when the students have finished or the line fit fs up, 23k them to sit down and give each student a copy of the ‘questionnaire. Students should try to complete the ‘questionnaire individually, but when they have got as far as. they can on their own, they can help each other in pais or small groups, Key: 1 A figure with a red heart. ‘ll be loving you’. Yes, he's her husband. 2 Frou-Frou. His secretary. With a lipstick kiss. He opened it. 3 He waded into a pool to get her tadpoles. 4 Two. 5 One. 6 Her first love - a family friend. 7 Seven. A handsome boy. A boy with spots. 8 It asked her to propose to him, Follow-up: Write your own Valentine anecdote ~ real or imaginary. Design a Valentine's card 6 Postcards from John Type of activity cele class mélée then pairwork reteling news from a postcard and potting a journey on amap Level/Time required intermediae/shorter than average Games material Texts: Debhi:B Kathmandu 1; C Kathmandu 2; D CGleuta;£ Mandalay F Chiang Mai, G Hong Kong; H Bali | Syelney Route map Function practised describing scenes and past events Structures past tenses, present perfect, present simple and ‘continuous Lexical areas foreign travel, landscapes, cityscapes, etc Problem vocabulary ‘A Delhi: immigration, curfew rots, demonstration, stuck 8 Kathmandu 1: helish, wing (ofa house) palace, arested, smuggling, mistaken identity, freed, case, trekking C kathmandu 2: trekked, temple, yet, sherpa, scutling, grabbed, torch, creature, al fours, rucksack, tr D Caleta: ashamed, perspective, mugged E Mandalay ruined. temples, crocodile F Chiang Mai tie, ethnic, costume, trek, ili kidnapped, bandits, opium smuggling, cr war, queria, jungle camouflage. armed 6G Hong Kong: wandering, supe, bustle, stopover H Bali: tropical, paradise, cobras, heaven froze, Scream, stroke ofuck, pounced, grabbed 1 Sydney: wheelchair, knocked dow, ribs, osn, plaster How to use the activity Make enough copies of the nine postcard texts, Al, for the students to have one each, with as much variety in the class ‘as possible. Make enough copies of the route map for the students to have one each You might lke to begin by asking what isthe longest journey any of your students have undertaken. Then give everyone a postcard and a route map. If you have fewer than nine students, give sorme people more than one card. Ifyou have ‘more than nine but fewer than eighteen students, explain that some cards will be duplicates. If you have eighteen or ‘more students, play the game in two groups. Tell the students that they have all received cards from 2 ‘mutual friend called John who is travelling in Asia. Ask therm to read their card and to plot on the map the section of the journey he describes. They should also mark the map with the appropriate symbol for the adventure that took place in that country. Go round the class and help as required. ‘When they have finished ask everyone to stand up and move around talking to other people to find out news about John, ‘The object of the activity is to plot John's journey on the map and mark each country with the appropriate symbol. AAs they finish ask them to sit down with a partner and to ‘compare maps. Kathmandu (yeti; Calcutta (passport); Mandalay (crocodile) Chiang Mai (guns); Hong Kong (bath), Bali snake); Sydney {hospital bed), Follow-up: Ask students to write one more postcard from John from an interim town in one of the countries he visited, ‘Alternatively, bring in old postcards of your ovyn with blank paper glued to the back. Ask the students to look at the picture, imagine what fohn did there and write the card 7 Evacuees Type of activity whole class mélée then pairwork/small groups reteling an evacuee's experiences and completing ‘extracts from their letters home Level/Time required intermediate (though introductory passage is harder)/shorter than average Games materi Texts: Introductory text; A: B; C; DE; F;G:H Worksheet Function practised narrating past experiences Structures past tenses Lexical areas war, domestic feProblem vocabulary Introductory text: urban, threat, rural, idyllic, hel, evacuation, masterpiece, profound, uprooted, gas mask, dispatched, amounted to, cockney, manure, come in for my share of, take someone in, halcyon, city sicker, vuinerable, air raid, inkling, momentous A. pilchards, wallop, dish up B: spots, eventually, nod, bairns C peacocks, billets, vicar. gear-lever, swastika, bobby, interrogate D: fortunate, viaduct, rail, sigh of relief E: greasy, plait, braid, scullery, consent, allowance, treated F: tortoise, put to sleep, bravely, vet, cargo, forced, sorrowdully G: bolted, crawled, straw, dashing H: devise, insist, unsealed, deposited, accommodated, overjoyed How to use the activity Copy an introductory text and a worksheet for each student, Make enough copies of the eight texts, AH, for the students to have one each, with as much variety as possible in the class. Use the introductory text and pictures to stimulate discussion ‘on evacuees: How did the children feel? How did their pparents fee! as they saw them off at the station? What problems and difficulties would there be for the host. familes?, etc Give out one text describing an evacuee’s experience to each student, ensuring that as far as possible everyone gets @ different text. f there are more than eight in your cass, do the activity in groups. ‘Ask the students to read the text and assimilate the information, while you circulate and deal with any queries. When they have finished, ask them to stand up and walk around the cass, teling their story. They should tel the story asif they were the evacuees and the events happened to them. With a strong group, the texts can be collected in as soon as they have finished reading: weaker students may find it helpful to retain the texts until they have retold their story a couple of times and are feeling more confident. ‘The object of the activity isto listen to as many stories as possible in order to be able to complete a worksheet. ‘You can seta time limit for this part ofthe activity if you like When they have finished, or the time limit is up, ask ther to sit down again and give them a worksheet to complete. They should try to complete this individually as far as possible, but ‘may work in pairs or small groups to help each other when ‘they have done as much as they can by themselves, Key: 1 a tin of plchards and some bread and water..for the bbuter...wallop round the head, 2 we were two plain litle girls wearing glasses. 3 him. .his son. 4 the train came off the rails and we fll into the water undetnesth. 5 pait..braid it..5 pim....money comes from our parents..we get ‘medicine. 6 the vet...older..the tortose...vet...put him in the park. 7 outsde...the chicken house...she brought me in...Noles coat. 8 our letters from home and insisted on reading our letters..wrote to tel our parents we we ‘unhappy. .the door locked and our belongings in the garden seafront...ady with a dog...1ve could go home with her. Follow-up: Students can imagine they are one of the evacuees and write a letter home to thelr parents about their new ie 8 Urban myths A Type of activity hole class mélée or groups of eight reteing a story and finding the person with the ending Level/Time required intermediate/average Games material Texts: Take a break: B A nasty sotto; CA low note; 0 Phone home; Signed, sealed and delivered: F An unfair cop; G Tow job; H Fitted up warcrobe Endings 12 Function practised narration Structures past simple, past perfect, past continuous Lexical areas ime, ariving Problem vocabulary ATake a break laden down, scruffy, punk, fuming, ‘gathering up, storming out 8 Anasty setto: mates, cement mixer truck, thle him to bits, softtop, ist, brim, shrug, bie CA low note: chattering, veering, windscreen wiper dented, wing, witnessed D Phone home: double-glazing, receiver, whispered E Signed, sealed and delivered: trenchcoat, dog-eared, ‘squinted, scravu, barrel, thrusting, shoved, holdall, booty, baled, track down F An unfair cop: joyriders, serial killers, flashed, ajar, poke around, flustered, ciggies G Tow job: speedchecks, taken aback, summons, crucial H [Link] wardrobe: keep an eye on, chaps, rack his brains How to use the activity ‘Make enough copies of the eight texts, AH, and the eight endings for the students to have one text and one ending each, with as much variety as possible in the cass Explain the meaning of ‘Urban Myths’ - apocryphal stores, usually beginning: This happened to a friend of a friend of mine...” and told to you by acquaintances, or sometimes complete strangers, in bars Give each student 3 story and an ending, The ending should Not correspond to their story! (I you prefer to play the game in small groups of eight, instead of as 2 whole clas activity, divide the students into groups first and then give each {group eight stories and endings to be shuffled and dealt out randomly.) ‘Students should read their story and try to write @ sentence to-end the story. ‘The object of the activity isto then find the person with the real ending to their story. #2, ER ER ER ER ER ER ER EL ER ER FR FR Eh ER. Pha CisEbwPk~ Cee ek ee whee eee ene eeTo do this, the students should walk around the class retelling their story until they meet the person who has the real ending. This perzon zhould give them the slip of paper with the ending on, ‘When they have found their own endings and given away ‘their original ones, they should sit down. When everyone is sitting down, students can tel their stories to the cass, comparing the endings they wrote, with the real endings. Key: The correct endings are printed alongside the stories in the photocopiable Games material section Follow-up: This activity can lead into a discussion on Urban ‘Myths - are there any such stories circulating in the students’ ‘own cultures? 9 Famous last words ‘Type of activity whole class mélée then groups of four retelling anecdotes about famous wittciss and filing in speech bubbles Level/Time required intermediate/shorter than average Games material Introductory cartoons Parker, Coward, Wilde, Whistler cartoons Texts: A; B; C; D;E;F; Gi Hs J: K: Ls M; N; O: P Worksheet Function practised reporting what ather people said Structures past tenses, reported speech Lexical areas social occasions, at, music, theatre Problem vocabulary Parker, Coward, Wilde, Whistler cartoons: disaster, genius, good shot, feigning, dim-witted, impresario, blew his brains out, featuring, prodigy, engage in, would-be, insulter, foyer, rotten, customs officer, scintilating A: nosey B: threatened, legal action, sue bust D: son of a gun, snapped, exception E: get the better of, later, enclosing F potty G: courteously H: rebuked, intoxicated, sober k:ilreceived, stage, cabled J:hostess K: fone-deaf, orchestra, dominoes LE: would-be, pompous, scribbled M: despair of, disconsolately, easel, masterpiece, perspective, alter IN snapshot ©: afford P: cabinetmaker, sketch How to use the activity ‘Make ane copy of the introductory cartoons for each student. Make enough copies of the Parker, Coward, Wilde, Whistler cartoons for one half of the students to have @ copy leach. Make enough copies of the sixteen texts, A?, for the students to have one text each, with as much variety as possible in the class. Make enough copies of the worksheet for one quarter ofthe students to have a copy each. Begin by giving everyone a copy of the introductory cartoons ‘and talking about them together. Find out ifthe students know viho the people are (Sir Winston Churchil, war leader and oneliner extraordinary; George Bernard Shaw, playwright, critic, socialist; Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist, sculptor and ry wit; Groucho Marx, US comic, maker of snappy remarks) and give them a little background if they don't. Ifyou have an overhead projector, you may prefer to copy the introductory cartoons onto an OHT for this discussion, rather than hand out copies. Put the students into pairs and give each pair a copy of the Parker, Coward, Wilde, Whistler cartoons. Ask the students to workin pairs to match the stories with their last ines, When they have done this, give each student one of the sixteen texts, AP. If you have fewer than sixteen students, give some students two texts. If you have more than sixteen students, some students will have the same text. Ask them to read and memorise the details of the story so that they can tellit to others. When they are ready, ask them to get up and walk around the class telling their story to other people. You can put a time limit on this part of the activity if you ike. When they have finished or the time limit is up, regroup them into fours and give each group a worksheet to fil in. ‘The object of the activity is to see how many exchanges. they can remember and fill in. \h, 2c, 3i, 4g, 5d, GF, 7b, 8a, 9e. Worksheet 1 "How ‘much are you paid?" ‘Oh, | don’t get paid in dollars. The lady of the house just lets me sleep with her." 2 "Your ttle, A Night in Casablanca, is too close to our title, Casablanca.’ sue you for using the word “Brothers” ’ 3 What do you think of the latest Victor Mature/Hedy Lamar film?" “You can't expect the public to get excited about a film where the leading man’s bust is bigger than the leading lady's’ 4 You ld son-at-a-gun, you probably don't remember me.’ ‘I never forget a face but in your case I'l be glad to make an exception.’ 5 ‘One for yourself and one fora friend ~ if you have one.’ ‘can’t make it, But can | have tickets for the second night ~if there is one. 6 ‘Afterall, they say he's potty.’ ‘They say he can't hear either.’ 7 ‘Ihope to photograph you again on your hundredth birthday.’ “i don’t ssee why not. You look reasonably fit to me.” 8 "You're ‘ Ene Ihave Patiodto dacate: cat a) beta Tae PIC alee tte© 0g mistaken tors oun gardener one day, a nosey woman asked Groucho Marx how much he was paid. ‘Oh, don’t get paid in dollars,’ he replied simply. “The lady of the house just lets me sleep with her’ ‘And asked what he thought of the latest Victor Mature/Hedy Lamarr film, Groucho Marx answered, ‘You can’t expect the public to get excited about a film where the leading man’s bust is bigger than the leading lady's. (eee ee yourself and one for a friend — if you have one." ‘Churchill wrote back, saying he couldn't make it, but could he have tickets for the second night ~ ‘Hf there is one." @ re eung man who photaphesnmnon he Botroray a eae n s do the same on his hundredth. ‘I don’t. see why not," said Churchill. ‘You look reasonably fit to me. On the subject of an illreceived play, the newly successful Shaw was cabled by a producer now Offering to stage the same work he'd earlier rejected. Shaw cabled back; ‘Better never than late.” Shaw, once a music critic, was in a restaurant which boasted a tone-deaf orchestra. Its leader recognised him and sent a note asking what he ‘would like them to play next, ‘Dominoes,’ replied Shaw. Picasso, like Whistler, despaired of poor design, in his case his own. A visitor once found him staring disconsolately at a painting on the ease so, to cheer him up, sid ‘it's a masterpiece 'No, the nose is all wrong,’ Picasso said, It throws the whole picture out of perspective.’ "Then why not alter the nose?" ‘impossible,’ sighed Picasso. can't find it.” ‘Asked why he had none of his own paintings on the walls of his house, Pieasso replied, ‘can’t afford them.’ i Haded and Charles Hadeld 195 § © rarer Brothers tiveatened legal action over the Proposed title of his next picture, ‘A Night in Casablanca’, arguing that it was too close to their ‘own ‘Casablanca’. Groucho Marx told them,‘ sue you for using the word "Brothers.”” A drunk lurched up to Groucho Marx, patted him ‘on the back and said, "You old [Link], ~ you probably don’t remember me.’ Groucho snapped, ‘I ever forget a face but in your case I'llbe glad to make an exception.’ rare visits to the House of Commons, an MP remarked of him, ‘After all, they say he’s potty.’ ‘They say he can’t hear either,’ muttered Churchi And to a female MP who once rebuked him for being intoxicated at a dinner party, Churchill retorted, ‘And you, madam, are ugly. But | shall be sober tomorrow | soit ata gry, shaw was noted saning alone in a corner. His hostess anxiously enquired if he ‘was enjoying himself. ‘Certainly,’ he replied. ‘There is nothing else here to enjoy.” | @ arvorrer would be hostess sent Shaw the pompous invitation: ‘Lady Blank will be at home on Tuesdey between four and six o'clock. Backit came, bearing Shaw scribbled reply: 'Mr Bernard Shaw likewise” ‘An American Gi told Pieasso he didn't ike modern paintings because they weren't realistic, then went | nto show him a snapshot of his girfriend, ‘My, is she really as small as that?’ asked Picasso. © Picasso went to see his cal cabinetmaker fora new wardrobe and drew a quick sketch of what he wanted ona sheet of paper. He gave the sketch tothe cabinetmaker and asked how much it would cost "Nothing at al’ replied the craftsmen. “ust sgn the sketch” Sind ed eo ed ek ee ime we me1 ‘How much are you paid?” 2. ‘Your title, A Might in Casablanca, is too close to our title, Casablanca.” | 3 ‘What do you think of the latest Victor Mature/Hedy Lamarr film?” | 4 "You old son-ofa-gun, you probably don't remember 5 ‘One for yourself and one for a friend if you have one." | ' 6 ‘Afterall, they say he's potty.” | | 7 ‘Thope to photograph you again on your hundredth birthday. | 8 ‘You're drunk. ‘Reading Games, © Jil Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995, Worksheet 9 ‘Iwill stage your play.” 10 ‘Are you enjoying yourself? 411. ‘What would you like us to play next?” 12 ‘Lady Blank will be at home on Tuesday between four and six o'clock.” 413 ‘It's a masterpiece’ “Then why not alter the nose?’ 14 ‘I don’t like modern paintings because they aren't realistic.” 415. ‘Why don’t you have any of your own paintings on your walls?” 16 ‘How much wil it cost?”Bopy LANnGuaGe BODY esa eres petal Bre sinm LANGUAGE look at some of the deadly, but a I'm never bored at airports. Quite the reverse. I unintentional, visit them like other people go to the ballet. To a Saffes that can so Manwatcher, there’ nothing more fascinating than observing citizens of different countries easily occur when mingling and exchanging body signals, cultures collide at And nowhere is the performance so enjoyable as at Heathrow, the world’s top international Heathrow, the airport, 5 . Day and night they pour in, a cast of 36 world’s premier million a year from every corner of the globe. international Where else but Heathrow could you airport. hope to see Brazilians rubbing shoulders with Brahmins, Poles with Polynesians, Madagascans with Minnesotans and Neapolitans with Nepalese? Intelligence or stupidity? It depends whether you’re Dutch. Each nationality has its own language of Posture and gesture, But since these body-lingos are often mutually incomprehensible, an innoceat gesture made in an airport lounge may well be an unwitting insult. To find out pull, the ear-tug, and the celebrated Greek ‘moutza’, now read on... Aeaoing Games, © ill Matield and Chaves Hadhetd 1995 more about the eye- | SR RE BW ey ep ome ee ce ceBopy LANGUAGE Sate LL ad In America this Happily, I can report the BAA’s information means ‘A-OK’. staff are trained in body language. In Japan it A Sardinian woman asks if it is easy to find a means ‘money’, taxi at Heathrow, The answer she gets is a cheery British thumbs up. (Very likely from one In Tunisia it means of the 900 cabbies who serve the airport on an ‘TIL kill you’. average day.) Immediately, she clonks the unfortunate man with her handbag for making such a devastatingly insulting suggestion. This is why, incidentally, it’s not a very good idea to thumb a lift in Sardinia. Isn’t there at least one truly international gesture? Don’t bet on it. ‘A Japanese asks an American passenger whether Heathrow has a luggage trolley service. thas. And as it happens, this service is not only first class, but FREE! So the Yank replies with the famous ‘A-OK’ ring gesture. But to the Japanese this signifies ‘money’ and he concludes there is a large charge for the service. Meanwhile, a Tunisian on-looker thinks the American is telling the Japanese that he is a worthless rogue and he is going to kill him. Its so easy to give offence. Suppose a passenger asks at the Thi fi is means five Information Desk where he should go to pay his airport tax. Now the good news is that at Heathrow, unlike many airports I could name, passengers don’t pay any taxes But just as the Information Assistant begins to say so, she is assailed by a tremendous itch and tugs at her earlobe. Astonishing though it may seem, this simple gesture means five different things in five different Mediterranean countries. different things (four of them insulting) in five different countries. Depending on his nationality, the Assistant has offered the passenger the following insult: TO A SPANIARD: ‘You rotten sponger’. TO A GREEK: ‘You'd better watch it, mate’. TO A MALTESE: ‘You're a sneaky little so- and-so’. TO AN ITALIAN: ‘Get lost you pansy.” Only a Portuguese (to whom the gesture signifies something ineffably wonderful) would hang around long enough to hear the answer. ‘Reading Games, © Jill Hadfield and Charles Hadfield. 199°Texts C and D The ring-gesture can have further meanings. A Frenchman has just read a BAA advertisement, Glancing around the restaurant in Terminal 4, he remarks wonderingly to his wife, “You know how much In France it zis aeroport cost the British taxpayer? Not a sou’. And he makes the finger and thumb ring which to him means ‘zero’ means ‘zero’, Unfortunately, at the time he is glancing at @ Colombian who is enjoying a fine Burgundy with his steak Bearnaise. The Colombian, enraged by the deadly obscenity which he assumes is directed at him, chokes on his wine and catches at his nose with finger and thumb. This appails a Syrian sitting opposite, who thinks the Colombian is telling him to ‘go to hell’. ‘The Syrian is restrained with difficulty by his Greek colleague from getting up and punching the | Colombian on the nose. Meanwhile the maitre a?” i hurries over and attempts to calm the situation with two Out-thrust palms. This of course is taken by the Greek to be a double"moutza’ and in his rage he promptly skewers the unfortunate man with his fish knife. Something in your eye? Think before you touch the lower lid, Ifa Saudi sees you, he'll think you're calling him stupid, but a South American senorita will think you're making a pass at her. There is no greater insult you can offer a Greek than to thrust your palms towards his face. This gesture, called the ‘moutza’, is descended from the old Byzantine custom of smearing filth from the gutter in the faces of condemned criminals as they were led in chains through the city, So vile is this insult that in Greece even the Churchillian ictory-V is taboo, as it looks like a half-’moutza’. Thus the Cretan or Athenian traveller, ordering two teas in a Heathrow restaurant, will carefully reverse his palm and give the waiter two fingers. With 22,600 orders for cups of tea open to misinterpretation every day, the wonder is the place functions at all. To a Saudi this is insulting. To a South American it is meant to be flattering. Facing Games, © ill Haield and Charles Hadfield 1995 eh ek RL BL EK EL EL RR me Bl oy en ge ge ge nn ee me mee ee oeWhat does this mean | a inFrance? bin America? © inJapan? din Tunisia? © in Columbia? ‘Where would this be insulting? ‘Where in the world might a man make this gesture to a woman? ‘Reading Games, © Sill Hadfield and Charles Hafield. 1995. ere 1 Whatis a ‘moutza’? 2 Whatis a ‘Victory V'? 3 Where would ‘two fingers’ be an insult? 4 Whyisit inadvisable to thumb a lift in Sardinia? 5 What does a ‘thumbsup’ sign mean in Britain? 6 What would a Syrian think if you held your nose? b « a e oa? BU Coy 9 Translate the above gesture into Spanish Greek Maltese Italian Portuguesesane ee Worksheet 11 [Link]-section of British children and their grandparents were interviewed on the topics listed below. Their answers showed how much attitudes have changed in the last 50 years. Before you read their answers discuss with a partner how you think children’s lives and attitudes have changed over the last 50 years. ‘Now put a-k to match the texts with the topics. 50 years ago Today Kids and Clothes Kids and Games Kids and Money ids and Transport Kids and Home Kids and Holidays Kids and Di Kids and Bedtime Kids and Food Kids and Music ids and School 2 Choose the headings which apply to your text. Write them down on the back of this paper and make brief notes under each heading. fifference in Status of OYS and girls mother’s role in f shows as family life sleeping arrangements Sirs jobs and duties .shildren and adult conversation penne: i behaviour at meals Then ask the others in your group for information about the other headings. Reading Games, © Jl Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995 oo ee ge ce ee ee ee ce 48 BO Bh SS RK wR ORR ge omen)Cee Time WARP 50 years ago 50 years ago: Foreign holidays were ‘unknown. Working men had only two 50 years ago: Families were larger, working hours longer and incomes lower. jweple poliday aves and Ob iiay ‘Most fathers were in fll me ‘employment, but there was little work for unpaid. Most families took working holidays. ‘women, and those who helped by taking in washing or sewing felta sense of ‘and that included the children.. shame. Most people lived in rented or council property, without bathrooms, ‘ indoor toilets, electricity or hot water. But you could leave yous home unlocked - vandalism was non-existent and policemen were respected. Children were safe on the streets, t00 ~ sexual attacks were unheard of. 50 years ago: A big issue. Parents, teachers, A policemen and relatives all worked together to instil respect or fear in children. At home, the © athers word was law and if children were 50 years ago: There were a lot of make-believe games and © calight doing something wrong, they were children entertained themselves by making up games. They. beaten with belts. D__ Played with fiends, brothers and sisters and one of their favourites was dressing up. Funfairs were special ~ they'd walk around and decide which ride they'd go on. '50 years ago: It was porridge for breakfast and ‘bread and jam for tea after school. Best meal ‘was the Sunday roast. Salads, fruit and poultry 50 years ago: Children had three sets af clothes - E were rare and favourite treats were cakes and best for church, second bes for school and old homemade ginger bee. a __ dothes far playing - allin dul colours and often ° itchy material Most were homemade and ‘mended for as long as possible before being 2 handed down to younger siblings. My father 550 years ago: Very few children received pocketimionney © always sent me to school in shoes,’ said one 60 ‘tegularly. They eamed pennies by returning empty bottles, year-old - boots were a social stigma. and jam jars and running errands, but were rarely paid for helping in the house. Children spent their earned money immediately in case itwas taken from them by their” parents. Many rushed straight to the sweet shop (a Milly © Bar was a treat, as it was very rich) and they'd suck their H chocolate bars to shake them last longer. They also spelt their money on comics and trips to the cinema. |.» 50 years ago: Bicycles were used by adults and teenagers, but were oo expensive to give to 10-year G ‘olds. They walked to and from school, and came home for lunch = children would often walk several miles a day. Private cars were rare, and many couldn't afford to use public transport regularly, 50 years ago: The three Rs were al 1 important and children had regular spelling : 3 and mental arithmetic tests. The 11-plus was 50 years ago: There was no music aimed specifically at their big academic hurdle and theyleft 1 children, They listened to their parents’ choice on the schoolat 14 or 15 f ‘wireless or windup gramophone. They liked listening 10 Gracie Fields, George Formby and Shirley Temple. J 50 years ago: Children got up at 6.31~7.30 am, ate breakfast and walked to school, ter school, they played with their brothers and sisters and helped in the home. With no television, a cold house ‘and poor light, bedtime was early - 7 to 7.30 p.m, Monday was washing day and children helped to wring clothes. On Tuesday, the house was ‘ull of steam’ as the washing dried. Cleaning day was k__ Friday and one day was st aside for baking, 3, 5 ‘ : meecion Canes ©) Sil Hactieiel ancl Charles Hasifiei sossehen ee Today Today: The} ge up a late as &.30 am. and go to bed between 8.30 and 10.30 pm. The days are differentiated acording to television programmes and afterschool activites, Any chidren who B have to look afte younger brothers and ssters deserve the . ‘pests ora ‘menace’ ; oe A eae Today: Chen have new bigyles which they've bought or received as presents, But because ofthe dangers on the roads, they're only used fr playin : ‘Quiet streets and not as 2 means of transport. hildren are rich by comparison, with between SOp and ‘Almost every family has a car, and parents mostly £3.50 a week to spend as they lke. Packet money is supplemented dive their children to school. bby money earned from washing up, tidying their bedrooms or os helping with the gardening, Most children have bank and building > ete society accounts, and they save for large Items like stereos, TVs and dothes. c Today: Homes are comparatively well equipped and comfortable. The luxury of 2 bathroom and toliet are taken for granted. Fathers in work are more likely to bein a service industry or self-employed. Mothers work fl or partie, but ‘many feel guilty. Children can't go out whenever and wherever they like Because D of the amount of traffic and the fear of attack i E ‘Today: Children have their own stereo systems or Walkmans. They hear music on the television, videos, records, tapes and radios. Five ‘Star and Madonna are the current favourites. F Today: Many children find school ‘boring’. = Their favourite lessons are maths and» Today: Children look forward to their annual family holidays computer studies, Sefcatering, camping and vila holidays are popular. They usually go somewhere different every year, traveling by plane or car, ‘and the majority of 10-year-olds have been abroad at least once. G ‘Today: Kids wear a large variety of casual dothes in bright H__ colours. No one talks about wearing hand-medowns. There ate special ‘best’ clothes, and new outfits are bought ai throughout the year. Tshirts, jeans, track suits and trainin Today: Children expect to be entertained and often shoes are all popular among 1Oyeor-olds ; Complain of being bored. Most prefer to play on their 3 * i (ov in their rooms with a computerised game. Nearly alllove going to funfais, but aren’t happy unless they have a ride on everything ‘5 non-issue. Most children expect to be able to ‘get “= away with anything’. Ifthey/re cheeky orimisbehave, they're generally sent to their rooms, but it isn'ta deterrent. It'sno _°%. longer a case of children being seen and not heard: adults speak ” ‘more to children these days and discuss many things openly in = J front of them,, = Today: If children eat breakfast at al, they munch cereal and then have lunch at school. There are no fixed meal times and fewer family meals. They often help ] ‘themselves to snacks if hungry and eatin front ofthe TV. Families eat out often and K convenience foods and take-aways are poplar. Reading Games, © it Hadleld and Charles Hadfield 1995ae ea ‘Reading Games, © jill Hadield and Charles Hadfield 1995 SIX IN THE BED Large families were common, and homes were small and crowded. This usually ‘meant sharing not only a room but also a bed with a number of brothers and sisters. A London man, Mr Forbes, remembers his childhood in Islington in the early 1900s: ‘We had all the boys in one bed - six of us lined up with three at the top and three at the bottom. My four sisters shared the other bed and that filled the room. There was a curtain across the middle and when my eldest sister got bigger she slept in the living room or at my aunt’s nearby.” twas quite common for older children to go and live with relatives for a while when space became a problem at home. Children were often sent out of the house to play because there just wasn’t room for everyone to be in the home at ‘Most children probably saw much more of their mothers than their fathers. Working hours were very long and by the time a man got home he was very tired or the children were in bed: “My father, he didn’t have a lot to do with us really. 1 mean he was at work all day. He was strict, strict fo a certain extent but it was mother really who brought us up. My father was at work and when he used to ‘come home it was bedtime nearly for us you see, and we didn’t see a right lot of him’ Elizabeth Roberts, ‘Working-Class Women in the North West” Since working men had little time or opportunity to be involved with bringing Up the family it was considered a woman's, not a man’s job. But in industrial towns many women went out to fulltime work too. There were no nurseries or créches, and babyminding was usually done by a relative or neighbour - often a very young girl or an elderly woman, Because the working day was ten hours (or more it was difficult for mothers to organise babyminding: “1 myself had some very hard times, as | had to go out to work in the mill and put the baby out to nurse. I had (o get up by four in the morning, and get my baby out of bed, wash and dress it, and then leave home by five, as | had half an hour’s walk to take my baby to my mother’s, and then go to my work and stand all day tll half past five at night and then walk home again with my baby. | had to do this with three of them’ Margaret Llewelyn Davies (ed) Maternity Many politicians and doctors blamed working mothers for neglecting their children, believing that men should work and women should stay at home. This statement is a typical one for the times. ‘For 2 mother to work outside the home is in every respect an individual mistake, a social tragedy, a communal blunder.’ Child Welfare Conference, 1890s. In fact many families could not survive without the mother's as well as the father's income. And this is still true of many families today.LIFE WAS HARD. Life was hard and rough for working people in Britain at the end of the last century. From a very early age children were expected to do all they could to help their parents, in order thatthe family could survive, as this description of a country childhood in the 1870s illustrates ‘Boys fed poultry and pigs and soon were milking and cutting firewood. By eight years they could do much more than all that. Girls had to bath little brother and sister just a size smaller than themselves and stagger with pails of water from the tap fifty yards away when scarcely taller than the pails they carried between them. To ‘help’ was the price of contact with beloved and admired parents; even tiny ones understood that our Parents could not ‘manage’ without us.’ Mabel Ashby, Joseph Ashby of Tysoe [Link]-class families girls were responsible for looking after the younger children while their mothers were busy. One writer described the girls in the East End of London in the 1880s as ‘litle mothers’: ‘At the open door sits a gitl of eight... a typical ‘little mother’ of the London doorstep ... She is nursing a heavy baby who is perhaps a year old. She talks to it, soothes it, hushes it to sleep, rocks it, dandles it when it wakes up, and kisses its poor little face again and again. But every other minute her attention is distracted by the conduct of a sister, aged four, and a brother, aged five, who are also under her guardianship .. Because she is the oldest of all that have come, all that come after are hers to tend and hers to watch. By the time she marries and has children of her own she will be a woman weary of motherhood.” George Sims, How the Poor Live This writer, brought up at the turn of the century, describes his duties as a young, boy: ‘I could milk a cow by the time I was seven years old and when eight | eared sixpence a day at harvest time for ‘stanarding’ ~ that is holding the horse still by its head while sheaves of corn were loaded on the cart. 1 would walk on at a command, then on the word ‘stanard’ I would stop. It ‘meant ‘stand hard’ or still. Then at the end of the week | would line up with the men to get my pay. Most I gave to Mum to help buy boots which wore away quickly on the gritty country roads.’ George Noakes, To be a Farmer's Boy ‘Reading Games, © it Hadteld and Charles Hadid 1995 EL CN EN ee ee gr mee ogy ome mee ome ogee ge oe en en ee ee ee weCHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD Old people's memories: “once answered my mother back and she boxed my ears for it. I never did it again.” “You weren't allowed to chatter. If spoken to you spoke back, but having too much to say wasn’t allowed.’ In both rich and poor families, parents seem to have been strict about children’s behaviour, for example, silence at meals was a common rule: only ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ were allowed. Fussiness over food was not tolerated ~ you had to eat everything you were given or it was served up for the next meal. There was no choice either and lttle variety; many children got bread and margarine or jam for most oftheir meals. Children were often taught to say grace ~ Or at least in front of visitors. Maud Pember Reeves described her visit to the home of Mrs P, in London at the beginning of this century: ‘When in the visitor's presence the litle P’s have swallowed a hasty dinner, which may consist of a plateful of ‘stoo’ or perhaps a suet pudding and treacle, taken standing, they never omit to close their eyes and say ‘Thang Gord fer me good ~ good afternoon Mrs R,’ before they go. Mrs P would call them back if they did not say that” Maud Pember Reeves, Round About a Pound a Week ‘Adult discussions were considered unsuitable for children. Many people remember bein forbidden to read the newspapers or having to leave the room when adults were talking. CChildren were expected to know their place in the world ~ after adults ~ and inthis order of things boys came before girs. Parents may have been stricter with their daughters than wit their sons, as Molly Hughes describes: ‘My father’s slogan was that boys should go everywhere and know everything and that a giel should stay at home and know nothing. The boys used to go to the theatre and music halls. Mother explained that they were not dull, only not very nice. It made no difference to me what they were like since | was never allowed to go even toa theatre. Molly Hughes, A London Child of the 1870s When it came to punishments it seems that boys were more likely to be beaten than girls. This writer vividly remembers his mother’s policy: “A. common feature of the time was a length of leather hanging on the kitchen cupboard for the chastisement of children. “For bad boys,” my mother told us, “a yard of strap is worth a mile of talk.” Robert Roberts, A Ragged Schooling ‘A minor crime could lead to harsh punishment. Grace Foakes described what happened when her brother stole a twopenny lamp: ‘He took Rober into the bedroom, locking the door after him. He made him strip and gave him a terrible beating with the belt he wore round his waist. I shall never forget Robert’s cries or my mother’s tears. He was black and blue with bruises next, morning... Ido not think Robert ever forgave my father.’ Grace Foakes, Between High Walls ‘Reading Games, © Jil Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 199!APPEARANCES In most working-class families money was to0 scarce to buy new clothes, and only the eldest got bargains from the second-hand stall, or things made by their mothers. The younger ones wore ‘hand-sme-downs’ which were often too big, patched and mended, and much hated. Being in fashion was simply out of the question. Photographs taken at the time show how common it was for children to play in the street and to go to school barefoot because their parents couldn't afford to buy shoes Before they started school, boys and girls had to share and swap clothes and in fact, all boys including those in well-off families, wore dresses until they were ‘breeched’ ~ ie. given their first pair of trousers at about the age of three. ‘We were all in skirts in those days. We only started to wear knickers (trousers) when we started school, so we all looked very much alike.” George Noakes, To be a Farmer's Boy Hairstyles were a different matter. Girls usually had long hair while boys wore theirs cropped short. Grace Foakes, who grew up in the East End of London at the turn of the century, deseribes hers: “Every Friday night at bath time my mother would wash our heads with soda, water and Sunlight soap, and then pli would not be undone until Sunday, when they were loosed, crimped and shining. My brothers went to a barber who would give them what was a called a ‘prison crop’. Every bit of hair was shaved off. This was very cold in winter but the hair took longer to grow if cut this way.’ Grace Foakes, Between High Walls Reading Games, © iil Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995, oe ee ome ome me ge meCurious Customs @ New Year's Day: 1 jana The year should begin happily, they say, so that it will enc happily, and on the frst morning of the new year children in Scotland, Wales, and the English border counties rise early so that they may make the round of their friends and neighbours. ‘On January st, writes a 1year-old Scottish gi,‘ always @0 New Years Gifting wath my sister and friends, about four of us. | get up about 7 o'clock and call for my friends and go round the houses and farms." They sing (although Christmas is seven days old} | wish you a merry Christmas, ‘Ahappy New Year ‘A pocket full of money ‘And a cellar fll of beer, ‘[Link] fat pig To last you al the year ~ Please to give me a New Year's Gift For this New Year. oe Shrove Tuesday (the day before ‘Ash Wednesday’) For centuries Shrove Tuesday has been a day of high festival for apprentices and schoolchildren. It has been a day o feasting, cock fighting, and throwing at cocks. a day for football, rowdiness, and rebellion, And tis pleasing to find that, itis still a special day for children in some parts of England, where ‘Pancake Day’, 35 they callt is kept as a school holiday. A Tsyearcold gil writes ‘My special day is Pancake Day, every child has a holiday Sometimes a fair comes to Longton and I think that everyone goes. Some children make up rhymes about pancake day such as Pancake Tuesday, mother’s busy baking, \We are helping. lovely pancakes making, Pancake Tuesday, mix them up and fry them, When they are done you can come and try them ‘A V4year old gil writes: ‘A day that I always remember is Shrove Tuesday. On this day 25 we all know we have pancakes, We have the whole day off from school and the thing | remember about itis that all the children sing - Pancake day is a very happy day. Ite don't have a holiday we'l all run amay, Where shall we run, up High Lane, And here comes the teacher with a great big cane. : Qkissing Friday ‘A teacher writing to the Yorkshire Post tells how after Ash ‘Wednesday, comes Kissing Friday. A few years before, when she arrived at a country school and was taking a mixed class ‘of 1 year-old chilcren in country dancing, she saw the leading boy suddenly lean across and kiss his partner, who showed no sign of embarrassment. When, as teacher, she expressed her surprise, the boy said, ‘i's allright, Miss. You see. its Kissing Friday’. and explained that on Friday following Shrove Tuesday any lad had the right to kiss any gil without being resisted ‘Reading Games, © Jill Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995. ‘We do not always get money, we sometimes have mincepies or apples.’ Nevertheless they collect ‘nine or ten shilings every year although gifting must be finished by midday. "You must ‘be gone before twelve o'clock or they wil call you a foo! and the people won't give you anything, and when the people see you next time they wil all shout foo! at you. In some villages, such as Bleddfa and Llangunilo, the gris save their ging, money and keep it for a special outing ‘Across the border in England, children aso call at houses, visting as many ofthe scattered homesteads as they can, reciting Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Ive come to wish you a Happy New Year. Ive got alittle pocket and itis very thin, Please eve me a penny to put some money in if you haven't got a penny, a halfpenny wil do, if you haven't got a halfpenny, well ~ God Bless You! AN the streets are crowded with children, running, skipping. and jumping [At Toddington in Bedfordshire when the traditional Pancake Bellis rung at twelve noon, the children rush out of school, as they have done for generations, and flock to Corwer Hill to put their ears to the ground to hear ‘the Old Woman frying her pancakes’ underneath, [At Scarborough where a Pancake Bellis also rung (as at many ‘other places), the special joy to the young, and even to the not 0 young, is the massskipping on the Foreshore, an exercise whieh has been traditional at Scarborough on Shrove Tuesday for 200 years, By the afternoon, even in frosty or snowy weather, the Foreshore is alive with skippers and the roadway becomes utterly blocked to traffic. Townsmen and people from the surrounding vilages bring great lengths of clothestine with them, and skip ten and even fifteen abreast in each rope. ‘Away in the West Country children stil sing: Tippety. tippety tin, Give me a pancake and | vill come in. Tippety. tippety toe, Give me a pancake and | wil go. your doors are left open, writes a correspondent, ‘the children with blackened faces will creep in and throw a load of broken crocks all over the floor and try to leave unseen. If the householders chase and catch them they futher black their faces with Soot, and then give them a cake before letting them go. ‘And so it proved. For at each break in lessons every gil was soundly kissed by any boy she encountered. It was useless for me to expostulate, so | did not try. But each year as Kissing Friday came round, the school was in turmoil ‘A correspondent to the same paper recalled that when he was, 3 boy he and his fellows used to pinch each other's ears. A Vorkchireman broadcasting in January 1955 recalled that when a boy, on Kissing Day, the boys would challenge ali comers, ther gi frends in particular, by putting a rope across the road on the way to school and demanding either a kiss or a forte,April Fool’s Day The first day of April ranks amongst the most joyous days in the juvenile calendar. It is @ day when you hoax friends of yours with jokes like sending them to the shop for some pigeon’s milk, of telling them to dig a hole because the dog has died; when they come back and ask where is the dead dog you say “April fool” and laugh at them. Teachers come in for their share of the fooling. and according toa 12year-old gil are the most exciting prey’ ‘The best joke | ever saw was in school wien one of our girts brought another gil dressed as our new needlework mistress into the form room. She was introduced to the mistress who as taking us, and she was completely taken in. She even told sto stop laughing atthe new mistress, Then we shouted “April Fool” to her and we all had a good laugh ‘And parents, of course, are not exempt. ‘We have a lovely time,’ says an 1 1-yearold Swansea girl, ‘as there are so many Jokes to play such as sewing up the battom of Daddy's trousers.’ And a Syearcold Birmingham boy writes May Day: May On the first of May, in country aistrits, young maidens rise early ‘and go out into the dawn, as they nave done for centuries, to wash their faces in the May dew, In Somerset children call this ‘kissing the dew. In most places, the giris do so to ensure that they shall have a beautiful complexion for the rest of the year. In some places the giris pat the dew on their faces to rid themselves of Dimples. In others the dew is thought a certain cure for freckles. 13-yearola gin states that the rte is customary there because it 's said to bring luck. And an 1 -year-old says that itis believed that if. on the first of May, a gir washes her face in the moming lew she will marry the first man she meets thereafter The traditional custom of shouldering litle maypoles round the streets or visiting houses with may-garlands is still practised in some districts, A teacher writes from near Oxford ' have made enquiries among my chloren in school and I fnd that little groups are formed and @ May Queen is chosen. A small ‘maypole is made and decorated with a garland atop, and the Queen carries a stool upon which she sits forthe ceremony, which is perlormed at intervals along the atrects. She, by the way. wears a lace curtain and a ring on her finger. if possible. The rest of the ‘company dance round her singing Reading Games, © Jil Macfie and Charles Hadfield 1995 Last year | fooled father by glueing a penny to the Noor and saying “Dad you've dropped a penny on the floor.” He couldn't get i off the ground because it was stuck firm, then I shouted “Yah, April Foo! In Scotland the day is generally known as “Huntigowk Day Thus a 12-year-old gi in Edinburgh writes: tHuntigowk is a day I love, | ke to put a basin of water at the side of my sisters bed and hear her let out a yell when she DBs her feet into it. | also put an empty eggshell in an egecup So that when she opens it she finds that there is nothing inside it. | played a joke on my aunt once. She has a good sense of humour and can take any kind of a joke, When the butcher rang for the order | toid my aunt that it was her boyfnend (my aunt 's only in her twenties). So she rushed 1> the telephone and ‘asked where he would meet her tonight. She did get a fright wien the man said ‘Madam! What is the order for the butcher?” “Ill go and ask.” she stuttered, and when she walked into the kitenen to ask my mother | shouted “Huntighk!™ Round and round the maypoie Merrily we go, Tripping, tripping lightly Singing as we go. ©. the happy pastime On the vilage green, Dancing in the sunshine ~ Hurrah for the Queen! Here they ail knee! on one knee and the Queen stands up and sings: tim the Queen, don't you see, Just come from the meadaw green, IFyou wait a ite while |i dance you the maypale style. My hairis long, my dress is short, My shoes are laced with siver, Ared rosette upon my breast ‘And a guinea gold ring on my finger Then all the company rises and, oddly enough, begins to hop round the maypole singing: Hop. hop, hop, to the butcher's shop, | dare not stay any longer, For if | do my ma wil say You naughty gil to disobey. SEL EL ER EN EL EL ER ER ORR BL OW BR BR eB we vB ee ec eet etclenUE een Curious | @ Halloween: +1 ober Many children attend Hallowe'en parties. ‘The best thing about tive party.’ says one gi. is that you should go infancy dress. The ‘most popular dress is a Witch’s outfit, or something to do with lucky charms. It is said that one of the luckiest things at a Hallowe'en party is fora person to come in with a lump of coal ‘The games traditionally played at Hallowe'en are mostly peculiar to this night Duck Apple. A large boul or tub is filled with cold water (sometimes soapy water) and a number of apples floated in i. ‘One or two players at a time get down on their knees and, with their hands behind their backs (not infrequently with their hands. ‘ed behind their backs), try to get hold of one of the apples with ‘their teeth. When they have done this they must lit the apple out (of the basin. f they do this they may eat it. if you take a bite of the apple nothing will happen to you, but,’ ‘exults an | Fyearold, ‘if you miss, your head goes into the water with a splash, Forking for Apples. This is similar to Duck Apple but when the player's hands have been tied behind his back a fork is placed between his teeth. He has to kneel on or lean over a chair beside the tub, and must try to stab one of the floating apples and hit it cut, Mischief Night: ¢ november From coast to coast across northem England the 4 November has become ‘Mischief Night’ a night of humour and hooliganism. On this night children are half under the impression that lawlessness Is permissible. Householders’ front doors are repeatedly assaulted with bogus cals. their gates removed. their dustbin lids hoisted up lamp posts, their window panes daubed with paiat, their doorknobs coated with treacle, their evening, newspapers (projecting from letter-boxes) exchanged, their milk botties placed so that they will be tripped over, their house- rhumbers unscrewed and fixed on to other houses, their windows. tapped, their backyards turned upside down and possibly ransacked for tomorrow's bonfires, their drainpipes stuffed with paper and set alight. Both in villages and in great cities youngsters bent on mischief roam the streets in happy warfare With the adult world ‘On Mischief Night,” writes a 12-year-old, ‘my friends and 1 do ‘many strange mischievous deeds. We knack at a door offering a wornan cabbages, meanwhile somebody climbs on the roof with New Year’s Eve: 31 December In Wales and in the north of Britain almost all children are allowed to stay up until midnight, or are woken up then, so that they can watch the customs which let the Old Vear out and bring the New Year in, Just before midnight, the ashes are cleared from the fireplace so that the year will be begun afresh. In several places, both [Link] door and the back door are ‘opened to assist the Old Year's departure and the arrival of the Neo. Money, especially silver money, i placed outside the door. ‘and bread and a piece of coal are put out as well to ensure health, wealth, and happiness to the household when fetched in the next day. In many English homes, as well as Scottish, they await the firstfooter who, when he arrives, is welcomed with the warmest hospitality. It is @ good thing everywhere if he is a man tall, darichaired, and handsome’. He should ‘cross the threshold ‘Reading Games, © Jill Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995 ‘Bob Apple is also known as “Snap Apple’, or ‘Apple on the Line’ First of all some sort of hook or nail rust be available over @ doorway. An apple is cored and the end of a length of string about 4 yard longi Led through the centre ofthe apple. The other end Of the string is tied to the hook or nai, The string is bwisted and the apple is sent spinning round on the end of the string, and people in turn try (0 catch the apple with their mouths and eat as, big a mouthful as they can, Hallowe'en is the night above all others when supernatural influences prevail ‘At Midnight, says a 14-year-old in Aberdeen, ‘al the gis line up in front of a'miror. One by one each git brushes her hai three times. Wile she is doing this the man who isto be her husband is, supposed to look over her shoulder. If this happens the gil will be ‘married within a year." “Alter they have done this’ continues the young Aberdonian, each rt peels an apple, the peel must be in one piece, then she throws the peel over her left shoulder with her right hand. This is supposed to form the intial of her husbandzo-e Nuts are also in requisition. ‘A person has to place two nuts side by side near the fire,” says a Golspie boy. ‘One represents oneself ‘and the other stands for the person one hopes to many. Ifthe nts, when they catch fre, bum quietly beside each other, the two will be married; if they bum vigorously and jump apart, the two will have a row and part.” 2 bucket of water. If the person will not buy she gets wet, through. ‘On Mischievous Night,” writes another, ‘one of our tricks is to collect some old tin cans, and tie them together with string, Then we fill tem with ashes, ie a loop at the other end ofthe string, ‘and put that on a door knob. Somebody knocks on the door and, ‘everybody hides. Wen the door is opened in fies the ashes, and then all sorts of language is heard. “A favourite trick,” say several lads, “is to tie two door knobs together with a length of string, and knack at both doors at the same time.” The boys run and hide ina place where they can see both doors, and ‘watch the occupants tugging against each ‘other’. Sometimes, as the householders tug more and more strenuously, they creep out of their hiding places and cut the sting, ‘and both people’ - so they hope ~ ly backwards as the doors fly open’. Alternatively, says a 12-year-old, 'a rope is tied 10.2 door handle, and one of the boys knocks on the door, Some more boys hold the rope firmly, and wien the man or woman attempts to open the door he cannot. Only when he pulls with all his strength do the boys let go of the rope. The man falls lat on his back” with wood, coal, and siver coins in his hands to ensure the well being of the householé for the coming year’ (in some places). He should have ‘a glass of wine in one hand and a lump of coal inthe ‘ther’. In others, where he is known as the lucky bird, he should have a lump of coal and, if possible, a spr of evergreen. ’A few minutes before twelve o'clock,’ writes a 14yearold Scots gi, ‘all the doors of the fiouses are opened to allow the sprit ofthe old year to depart, Then the clock strikes twelve, the church bells fing, the siren of the local mill is sounded, and everyone wishes, everyone else “A Guid New Year". Then toasts, kisses, handshakes, and usually “Auld Lang Syne” is sung. With the ‘advent of the New Vear groups of people go irstfooting” armed with black bun, their "bottle", and perhaps a piece of coal. It is ‘essential that the first man to cross the threshold in the New Year is tall and dark, to bring luck to the household. The rest of the night is spent in eating drinking, singing, and dancing,lel ett Fill in the calendar with the names of the festivals. EGEGCEGCEELEECHHEKS -— nee. _— en. a Seen Tree eee ee vers Write in the customs from this list in the right place on the calendar: : people place money and bread outside the door girls put nuts in the fire c Girls wash their faces in the dew : children visit houses with garlands of flowers : children tell people things that aren’t true ‘ Girls brush their hair in front of the mirror 7 children play duck apple § people make and throw pancakes : children ask for gifts ; ‘everyone goes skipping i boys can kiss any girl they like a bell is rung children play tricks on grown-ups Girls throw apple peel over their shoulder householders welcome a tall dark man with wood, coal and silver coins Reading Games, © ill Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995.os eZ , L13 ee (crorren Village map . w Cottage ‘Reading Games, © Jil Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995AGE Go cae Bt ac Tl) @ Grey House cutting from the South Hams Clarion, 2 December 1926 Cutting from the South Hams Clarion ,2 December 1926 Combeford Police said last night that they were investigating a series of financial misdoings involving a number of prominent local businessmen. It is thought that the investigations are linked to the mystery surrounding the recent Torcliff Hotel robbery Mr Charles Robson, of Grey House, Combeford, was detained for questioning last night, and it is thought charges have been brought. He is to appear at Newton magistrates court today. Mr pidaastay OAM “ SEE ga I te ye long Og seine i yattntl oe nolanlee and J had Tha village Childe Robson has long been associated with the local hotel and restaurant trade, and from 192224 was chairman of the Southwestern Rotary Club. Tt is not known how many other people aro involved, but at least five prominent local figures have been seen centering the police station in the last twenty-four hours Readers will recall that in June this year a series of break ins at local hotels culminated in the theft of cash and jewellery valuing £20,000 from the five star Toreliff Hotel. At the time police were unable to link the series of break ins, but in ve. He smile a fre. oe fii the course (wy fort ‘hes 8 Sh 2b Auguét Mr CharlesRobson, who was managing director of the Torcliff, disappeared while ae on a business trip to France. Reappearing six weeks later, he claimed to have been kidnapped and that his brother William had been obliged to pay a ransom of £5000. Mr William Robson is unavailable for comment, having been involved in a mysterious road accident on Dartmoor in November. He is still in a coma in Exeter Hospital, and police are hoping to interview:him once he regains consciousness, ep ote i : :ato ee oT?) VILLAGE GossIP © Q@ hazel cottage School Report Word Euintheyee Vorm 6 Summer Term, 1926 a Geography: aia «reel local knesledge of the countryside all a wwithaut the henefit off maps Uf he could keep his goagraphical enplarations within the caners of his atlas and ercreise back, he acculd make more progress Arithmetic: Muubou, at batt thle on te oloklacs, do wit wae le be Mark's fb, asd be would do well to ade anny Ub range of hobbit, subtle, and wally ba soloed hoa by te eso fsir HARD WORK. English: Merb s colourful ute of the spoken language loaves litle to be desired in its breadth of expression and, ‘use of adult vocabulary. A pil, suck vorkal dortority i not rflacted i his ; [icaein wie 7 Natural History: Maxk has the born countayman's instinctive knowkedge of the Land, and his skill in identifying the plants and birds and animals is unequalled. He should Learn however that ‘homework’ means sitting at home with pen and paper, and cannot be interpreted as accompanying certain genttenen on their forays onto private Land under cover of darkness (though it must be said, the brace of pheasant were most welcome) . Practical work (e.g. at harvest time) is no doubt a usegul preparation gor a career in agriculture, nonetheless if this necessitates continued proLonged absences sxom Lessons we will have to investigate Mark's future in the school rather more closely. Be aia SS My dearest slater Olive, pen Sa My heartfelt thanks for the parcel which arrived safely last week. You have no idea how much euch ~ ‘tokens of friendship mean to us, ao we labour for —~ ‘the Lord in this benightad yet beautiful land. As | —~ write, the waters of Lake Tanganyika are ablaze with the sunset fires, and as the single bell of our louly chapel rings for evensong, | cannot help but think of the peal of bells which used to echo (ara still do I trust) around our green valley of Comzeford, and the figures of the osinrte carved into ‘those old oak pews. Think of me next time you are in St Andrew’, and pray for my flock of Africans, They sing 0 beautifully, ard dance, and | truly believe they are rumbered amongst the blessed (but it is hard work sometimes, especially now the raine are starting, and the risk of fevers and other ailmento increases). | will send you shortly some examples of thelr weaving which Ie quite exquisite, and would not look out of place as a set of hassocks for St Andrew's. This may possibly reach you In time for Christmas, Yours in trust and fellowship, Peace Hooper Reading Games, © jal Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995.@ willow cottage Extract from the Parish Magazine: 11 November, 1826 ea fejlemmonde an we, sana Sei * Sadly, we have to report that in the por of Combefrd Pe rist weck to of 08 padthfonen come wo lody Combat of arms, and thot one Aceon Fortes Douglas Algernon Pet illo Gongs was Sia ellow, Matiow Franila Goper of Te O14 Barn Fem eth al ball hich Fae lee long and wounde Ee oruly Duling ba boon tated by et of Paliament yt temwnsour enone Stoowe mol combat vere ehand as amen ose Extract from the Parish Magazine: November, 1926 = @ Honeysuckle Cottage diepotes. We have all known Marder, and Douglas since they were infants baptized in our Jn font Two liner, more pari ae Upetanding young men one ochope w find the length aod Breadth ofthe county. And yet, thecaducaton an Christan Uipbeiging we have given them ee cre to naught, Douglas lies ‘ised and Matiew has fled for Tandy ar ye unknown We prey for {hem bod, and wish thei families comfort in those ines of dss our prayers are requested for the poor women Amy Sheldon of Bhrureh Cartage who came betwixt them: "Thou shal fear the LORD thy Go ant sere hi, ad shalt fear by hie name” (Deuteronomy, ora} TELEGRAM from Sam Harper, dated 12 May 1926,Cape Town, (On board 55 WINDSOR CASTLE, London-bound from Sydney Honeysuckle Cottage Combeford Devon LE No. todern Christians stand? Whee long been a subject of disor: Parishioners ond the beloved church of St Andreea, ‘one or two ghost dn + the Middte Ages. Whar bart between the ministry, wh haunted by those of Crusaders killed Miss Hoskin’s talk right up to dere was the revelation that her owe house, Willow Cottage, seems to be haunted too. On All Souls Day, Just as she was hanging out the Washing, Miss Hoskin distinctly felt a presence behind her in the garden. She tumed, and glimpsed he figure of a young man smiling Kindly at her. She spoke to the ‘spparition, but without a word he smiled again, and seemed t0 aim a INSTEAD I WENT EAST AND AM NO LONGER YOUNG BUT AM VERY RICH STOP 1 HAVE GREAT PLANS FOR YOU ALL AND HOPS YOU WILL BE FIT ENOUGH TO TRAVEL BACK WITH ME TO AUSTRALIA STOP THE WEATHER THERE IS MUCH KINDER FOR OLD PEOPLE STOP LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN APTER A LONG DECADE STOP LOVE YOUR SON SAMUEL, Reading Games, © il Hadied and Chatles Hadfield 1995 On the second Thursday of vember, Miss Hoskin gave a most interesting talk to the assembled ladies of the village on vgn eR mee ue, RORY SI IRA SRR URR ue mt wer@ Annie's cottage 10 June 1926 Annie's Cottage, Combegord. my dear Rodney, Your Lotter is in my hand window this beautiful summer ¢ fon, and 1 wit not come. You with wilt wait at Newt ‘think 1 have deceived you. No» Love you s0, and at holds me here at home disappointments « But it is 1 woutd not have your nane dragged will forget you, 1 depth of my geeting the white you sugger Such fon the better, through the mine of me, & poor hopeless ou onty knew how unvorthy Rodney, the best scandat Courage, mon amowr, Vour deanest May Reading Games, © il Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995 gine who would be your ruin 16 T am of you. do not regret my decision. je t'embrasse, How. it ped prem ei Janta / “ fee yh ae dey Fe ily dyer ous does yous father treat: wnistake in 9? Ob, Dhardly dare a % hinds approaching him, Fc hand ae ‘eile knows naan it dean the haushitha ili das emoans Thee ef mp dant eT ine bate ipsa, td th oa an his fee shen he v0 sites! 01 have escaped hin I would give my sight aun to as 1 sit at the open ening. Tonight you never believe T it is onty the and gossip, all for Tt is forVILLAGE Gossip @ Home Farm : Tiesday 10 Apt, 1926 ‘Dea Mis Hooper, e Souiy to rouble you once again, but I woxdex © povom, wy Anfan being cut of sons cud sul wotd to we, iy Tecould ase you Aepusing 0 speck a Twust stant sending ihe who Auhun isting of the eatenory, Also, cout you tell in to order sone dows in too teen pant fon te wis Kd woodwork next tine he's at Newion market, as ye watts jet eveything repainted in tine ° Ta 20 Avi 1926 Thosting you onee ago! Your seigtbour, Gven Braduino nae = rE Sorny to Trouble you nee agai, (uit Gus, bas decided el lo speak we lo bt Te go far oi _ dot nt ip ol tte en peor ecg? Theda Kad, foe Midas Dog, ond we va ge nha ool of i oak fe ont sa a oe Ga a on es k i, col. ca: bos Tr oreo soe gro pl (oe, win ghee En Ee) eit = iookaw, ue toe tle gots tir Noto (Rabigh's to tatonget Gist), a4 | wag to bie pi Te fo te wedeag. ‘Reading Games, © i Hadfield and Charles Hadfield 1995 Un ~imm-~ame - ene agus eee he eg ORL BR BD Er EE eR TER OR EES oR VER RD ver oe een 1ee a8Where did these people live? Mark ak on the village map. a abusinessman who was arrested for fraud b__ anelderly lady who was in love with the vicar two lovers who weren't allowed to marry d_ anaughty little boy the vicar fa woman who became a missionary @_acouple who lived in the same house but never spoke to each other fh twomen who fought a duel over a woman ithe woman they fought over j aman who ran away to sea and then became a millionaire k the ghost of a young man Where did these people live? Mark a—k on the village map. aa businessman who was arrested for fraud b_anelderly lady who was in love with the vicar two lovers who weren't allowed to marry d_ anaughty little boy the vicar f a woman who became a missionary a acouple who lived in the same house but never spoke to each other fh two men who fought a duel over a woman i the woman they fought over j aman who ran away to sea and then became a millionaire k the ghost of a young man ‘Reacing Gare, © Jit Hartfield and Charles Hadfield 1995 felt rarer ie Where did these people live? Mark a—k on the village map. a businessman who was arrested for fraud b_anelderly lady who was in love with the vicar ‘two lovers who weren't allowed to marry a naughty little boy the vicar f woman who became a missionary 9a couple who lived in the same house but never spoke to each other hh twomenwho fought a duel over a woman. i the woman they fought over Jaman who ran away to sea and then became a millionaire k the ghost of a young man Where did these people live? Mark ak on the village map. aa businessman who was arrested for fraud ban elderly lady who was in love with the vicar ‘two lovers who weren't allowed to marry a naughty little boy ‘the vicar a. woman who became a missionary eso a a couple who lived in the same house but never, spoke to each other hh two men who fought a duel over a woman i the woman they fought over J aman who ran away to sea and then became a millionaire k the ghost of a young man| usually wake about six and get immediately out of bed. Then | begin to wonder why. | have a fiendish attachment to something called Rose Geranium from Floris so | take a shower with a cloth which is green with the stuff - it’s so aromatic that people down the street know that I've taken a shower and somehow | ‘eel I've been pretty good to myself. | make very strong coffee and sit in the sunroom with the newspaper, the Winston Salem Journal, the only Paper in town, 'ove to read the letters to the editor. | like to see ‘what angers people; only one in a hundred says ‘| love what you're doing’, the other 99 say they hate the Paper or this is nonsense or that is absolutely wrong, | ‘feel as if I've just met eight people, little human vignettes. And I look outside, I spend a lot of time looking outside. | live in a wooded area and | don’t think, {just look. ‘At about 8.30 | start looking at the house because the housekeeper arrives at nine and I'm stil too well broughtup to offer Mrs Cunningham a house in too much disarray so | straighten up before she comes in. She has been my housekeeper for six years now ~ my °e At the time I suppose is tea-time for other people, | help myself to a very nice drink ~ Dewar’s White Label whisky ~ and {look at my paintings. I'm a collector of black American art and | have paintings throughout my house, wonderful paintings that sing. I's a big house and | keep extending it. | always use the same builder and he says he’s waiting for me to stretch dowm to the next street just to give me more walls for the paintings. About seven | start to prepare dinner for myself; drink more than | eat, but | prepare a proper dinner and put on candles and pretty music ~ all for me. If I'm not good to myself, how can | expect anyone else to be good to me? Then | read again, unless there's something on the television. Often something meaningless - sometimes | just don't want to be informed, increased, elevated, developed, | want something like an old Hollywood musica If do go out I like to go to friends ~ however, unless there is an issue which calls for immediate discussion, | don't like cocktail chit-chat over Israel, or the Arabs. | ‘think everyone young should do that with lots of cheap wine, sitting on the floor and shouting and arguing, but | don’t do it now. The issues have too much importance to be rminimalised by someone saying, ‘Now, where is Syria?’ | love good stories, funny stories, told by the person against him or herself. That's what | want of Reading Games, © il ade and Chaves Hadfield 1995 sister has suggested that in another life she was staff-sergeant. | give to her and she gives to me and we live together with a lot of laughter. My secretary, Mrs Garris, also comes at nine and that’s when real life begins. Mrs Garris is a lovely southern black lady with efficiency and grace vying for dominance in her spirit. She says, ‘you've got to sign this, send that, agree to that, deny this.” and I say, ‘Mrs Garris, 1 will talk to you in an hour. At 10 I deal with my correspondence; | get about 300 letters a week. People send me all sorts of things, ‘especially manuscripts. It’s not fair, everybody's work deserves the attention of a qualified editor and i'm ot that, so Mrs Garris writes back to explain that and to say that | don’t read unsolicited manuscripts. Then she goes off to lunch and I usually invite friends over. I'm a very serious cook and | prepare what to me is a fabulous lunch for two or three people like breadcrumbed turkey-breast cooked in butter, wine and lemon, served with rice and zucchini and there’s my home-made bread. | offer good wine and we laugh and talk. an evening, then | go home to bed by 12 When I'm writing, none of anything I've said applies. When I'm writing, everything shuts down. | get up at about five, take a shower and don’t use the Floris — | don’t want that sensual gratification. | get in my car and drive off to a hotel room; I can't write in my house, | take a hotel room and ask them to take everything off the walls so there's me, the Bible, Roget's Thesaurus and some good, dry sherry and I'm at work by 6.30. | write on the bed lying down — one elbow is darker than the other, really black from leaning on it~ and | write in longhand on yellow pads. Once into it, all disbelief is suspended, it’s beautiful. 1 hate to go, but I've set for myself 12.30 as the time to leave, because after that it’s an indulgence, it becomes stuff I'm going to edit out anyway. Then back home, shower, fresh clothes, and | go shopping for nice food and pretend to be sane. After dinner | re-read what I've written... all that pretty stuff I've written gets axed out. So if I've written 10 or 12 pages in six hours, it'll end up as three or four if I'm lucky. But writing really is my life. Thinking about it when I'm not doing itis terribly painful but when I'm doing it... it's a lot like if| was a long-distance swimmer and had to jump into a pool covered with ice: it sounds terrible, but once in it and two or three laps done, t'm home and free ‘c,h El ey ER ER TER OED OER ER og ES OES ek ee te oe ee oe ey 1