Lost your marbles?

blackprince · Post by **blackprince** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 5:14 pm

At xmas a couple of our crackers contained small bags of glass marbles. Younger members of the family asked what they were for and although the older generation all remember playing marbles as children none of us could exactly remember the rules of the game.I have since looked up the rules of marbles on t'internet ( eg http://www.playgroundfun.org.uk/GameRul ... ?gameID=55) but it doesn't exactly match my recollection of how we played marbles in the cobbled streets of Leeds in the 50's. I'm a bit hazy on the rules we used to play but we definitely made use of the cobbled streets. We used to select one cobblestone about six foot from the kerb and place a group of about 6 marbles on it. I think we did draw a chalk line around this stone maybe a couple of cobbles further out. Then each player standing on the kerb would flick his marble trying to get his marble close to the target stone . At the next go you could aim your marble from where it had landed, kneeling down to do this. ( I think this could be the origin of the expression to "knuckle down" to something). If you knocked any of the target marbles clean out of the chalk box you kept them. The gullies between the cobblestones made this difficult. I think you could also aim at your opponents marble where it had landed to try and knock it further away from the target area.In those days we all had bags of marbles , or "taws" as we called them. They were in different colours from plain glass, coloured glass and polished minerals, Some of them were very decorative. A few were larger diameter ( maybe these were the ones we played with and the smaller ones were targets?) I seem to remember we had different names for the different types too. This is all I can recollect , Maybe someone else could fill in the gaps in my memory.

Post by **Croggy1** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 5:43 pm

We also used to play marbles, but without the cobbles.If playing indoors, I think we used a pattern on the carpet as the target area to aim for/knock marbles from! or outdoors we chalked, or marked with a stone on the pavement.I also recall aiming for a hole in the pavement too, but think that was a different variation.Found this too http://www.landofmarbles.com/marbles-play.html#1000

Loiner in Cyprus · Post by **Loiner in Cyprus** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 8:42 pm

I remember playing marbles as a youngster in the 50s. We played on an area on the 'grass' verge where the 'grass' had worn away. Your favorite marble used for knocking the marbles out of the ring was called either a nooky or nook or something similar. Another game we played with marbles was more like gambling and was banned at school. You took one or two marbles from your apponent and added the same amount and threw them underhand at a hole about 5 or 6 feet away. Before you threw you said 'odd' or 'even'. If you were correct you kept the marbles.

book · Post by **book** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 9:05 pm

As kids we played Tors, scooped a small hollow out of the Tarmac or used a cobbled street where a sett was missing for the hole.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 9:09 pm

Used to love playing marbles as a lad in the 70's. Most streets had one, or several grass verges that were worn down to mud with the marble hole.. We all played at primary school until they banned it because of all the squabbles.I can't remember the exact rules now, but it was something like whoever got their marble in the hole, or nearest to it on the first shot got to try knock the opponents marble down the hole like billiards. The winner took all, and went away with bulging pockets full of marbles.We called it either marbles, or taws/tors. You used to get all sorts of marbles, the boring clear ones you bought in any newsagent. They had a sort of twisted colour inside.We didn't really care for those. You also got a bigger marble we called a bolly. There was a sort of currency in them, each marble worth x amount of another marble. I bolly=10 small glass marbles e.t.c. Then you got on to the high stakes, I'm not sure of their real name, but if I recall we called them Chinese marbles. Really nice ones, not the glass see through ones. They had lovely patterns on them.These were a bit of a mystery to me. Although they're were plenty knocking about, you never seemed to see these on sale anywhere.Perhaps that's why we called them 'Chinese marbles'Those things were the bees knees, highly sought after, and the biggest cause of fall outs when you lost your prized marble. You also got plain white ones, cats eyes, and big ball bearings. They all had names, but I forget them now. They're was also rules how you threw your marbles, although we didn't throw them in the 70's. You had to use your thumb to flick the first shot, and you could nudge, or use fingers from then on. Great memories, think I might even start collecting some again

Loiner in Cyprus · Post by **Loiner in Cyprus** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 9:33 pm

They're was also rules how you threw your marbles, although we didn't throw them in the 70's. You had to use your thumb to flick the first shot, and you could nudge, or use fingers from then on. That's jogged the grey matter. I remember playing a similar game.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 9:55 pm

Phill, what you called 'Chinese' marbles, we used to call 'Chinas'.It's a long time ago now, but I assume it's because they looked like they were made of China, (like crockery)?

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 9:58 pm

raveydavey wrote: Phill, what you called 'Chinese' marbles, we used to call 'Chinas'.It's a long time ago now, but I assume it's because they looked like they were made of China, (like crockery)? Yes long time ago indeed, about 35 years or more for me I think the rules (and names) of marbles depended very much on the area where you lived. No doubt it was different in North and East Leeds to South Leeds.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 10:04 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: raveydavey wrote: Phill, what you called 'Chinese' marbles, we used to call 'Chinas'.It's a long time ago now, but I assume it's because they looked like they were made of China, (like crockery)? Yes long time ago indeed, about 35 years or more for me I think the rules (and names) of marbles depended very much on the area where you lived. No doubt it was different in North and East Leeds to South Leeds. I'd agree with you there.To be honest China / Chinese is a close enough derivative for them both to have the same origin. I think you could buy them from the toy stall in Seacroft market.

yorkiesknob · Post by **yorkiesknob** » Sat 19 Jan, 2013 10:57 pm

I think the highly sought after or your favourite marble was called a "skinner". Great if you could win someone's skinner off them. The oversize marble were called bolly or bollywashers for some reason.