Marbles

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

They used to be called 'alleys' when I was a kid.

That's right, Zubrman - alleys, and the ball bearings were called 'dobbers', and there were occasionally some kids who turned up with alleys made of pot rather than glass. We called those alleys 'donks'!

We used to have bags of 'em. No batteries needed and, like that game the French play, boules, yer could play anywhere there was a bit of rough ground, the rougher the better - if yer had any dobbers!

 

[Daz_Blue]

Bottle Washers

 

[Bill Walker]

Is that why youre drawn to me?

Not really
I always feel sorry for people who have very small peni

;)

 

[Ancient Citizen]

Beaver road. Great memories.

No wonder that place was popular with the lads.

 

[peoffrey]

I have no idea what any of you lot are on about.

We used to have seasons at primary school. Conkers would be big then marbles then something else. Anyone recall going "got... got... got... need... got... need..." when some kid was swiping his Pro Set cards or football stickers? We used to call them swapsies.

 

[kaz7]

I doubt you can still get marbles for kids to use,the little darlings can't have anything dangerous to play with,god knows how my generation and a few before made it to adults alive

 

[BobKowalski]

That's right, Zubrman - alleys, and the ball bearings were called 'dobbers', and there were occasionally some kids who turned up with alleys made of pot rather than glass. We called those alleys 'donks'!

We used to have bags of 'em. No batteries needed and, like that game the French play, boules, yer could play anywhere there was a bit of rough ground, the rougher the better - if yer had any dobbers!

Ball Bearings were not considered 'proper marbles' and banned when I was playing and taking it seriously. As an army brat we were in Berlin and the American PX was the source of our marbles. We even had syndicates were marbles were pooled. Alleys or clear marbles and those made of pot (or white material with painted swirls which I guess you could call pot) we called 'Chinese' and these were ranked as 1000's and smaller ones down through 500 to 50's. These were all clear glass or Chinese. Standard marbles counted as 5 or 2 and rarely used.

The game we played was called 'aims away' involving a hole and bags of marbles which both sides wagered in effect. All marbles had to end up in the hole and the player to hole the last marble scooped the lot. Marbles had to be flicked not shoved and a big game could go on for ages. With the last marble both players could go for the hole but if you missed it you 'aimed away' and flicked it as far as possible and preferably into some rough to make it difficult for your opponent. It was a combo of snooker and golf. If a marble hit a kid watching then it was an automatic 'boots away' with the marble postitioned by the side of the foot and then you kicked your own foot (no idea why it was just one of many rules). Bleeding thing would go for miles.

Still have a big pot of all the marbles I won decades ago. Sad fuck that I am :)

 

[manctheknife]

Ball bearings were known as ' steelies', and were banned in competition tounaments cos they damaged the glass 'alleys',
we had 'dobbers' or 'twoers' which were bigger, and 'beauts' which were multicoloured inside.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

You can still buy marbles with the swirly colour inside the glass.

 

[blue dallas]

Luckys and dobbers