Playing out

[Clitheroekid]

In my internet ramblings I came across this series of photos of children `playing out' in the 1960s or thereabouts - https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/lo ... 10671.html

I would have been about the same age as the children in the photos, and it made me think of how much freedom we had as children compared to contemporary children. In particular, I recall that the fields near where we lived were the site of a new housing estate, and the half-built houses formed a brilliant playground.

When I was a bit older - 10 or 11 - I discovered the joys of fishing, and a few of us used to head off on our bikes to local farm ponds / rivers / canals. If the fish weren't biting (which was the norm) then we'd divert into building rafts, very few of which actually floated for more than a couple of minutes. There was, of course, the occasional injury or accident, but I don't recall anything too drastic.

By contrast, my post-work local rambles took me through a couple of new housing estates last summer, and what struck me was how silent and unpopulated they appeared to be, even though it was on each occasion a warm evening. There were no children playing, and hardly anyone to be seen - or heard - at all.

The explanation that used to be given was that there is far more traffic these days, so it's not safe, but these estates were virtually devoid of traffic, and in any case there were speed bumps everywhere, so that the danger to children from cars was probably less than it had been where we grew up.

Of course, the interesting question is whether or not we would have been so keen to play out had we possessed the alternative attractions that children have these days.

[Arborbridge]

In my internet ramblings I came across this series of photos of children `playing out' in the 1960s or thereabouts - https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/lo ... 10671.html

I would have been about the same age as the children in the photos, and it made me think of how much freedom we had as children compared to contemporary children. In particular, I recall that the fields near where we lived were the site of a new housing estate, and the half-built houses formed a brilliant playground.

When I was a bit older - 10 or 11 - I discovered the joys of fishing, and a few of us used to head off on our bikes to local farm ponds / rivers / canals. If the fish weren't biting (which was the norm) then we'd divert into building rafts, very few of which actually floated for more than a couple of minutes. There was, of course, the occasional injury or accident, but I don't recall anything too drastic.

By contrast, my post-work local rambles took me through a couple of new housing estates last summer, and what struck me was how silent and unpopulated they appeared to be, even though it was on each occasion a warm evening. There were no children playing, and hardly anyone to be seen - or heard - at all.

The explanation that used to be given was that there is far more traffic these days, so it's not safe, but these estates were virtually devoid of traffic, and in any case there were speed bumps everywhere, so that the danger to children from cars was probably less than it had been where we grew up.

Of course, the interesting question is whether or not we would have been so keen to play out had we possessed the alternative attractions that children have these days.

I spent most of my boyhood playing out - in the garden or on the beach, in the sand dunes, in a little stream, or playing truant wandering around the docks. I never felt worried or threatened - although I was careful not to accept sweets from strangers!

To anyone interested, I would recommend reading a book called "British Summer Time Begins" by Ysenda Maxtone Graham. I think I should give it to my children to show what childhood used to be. It is a compendium of interviews and memories of people of their childhood long ago (yes, that's me!) and what they did is summer. I tends to be the rather more wealth families, but also those less well off.
Some fascinating and familiar tales that will resonate with many of us oldies.

Arb.

[UncleEbenezer]

My childhood was split between two countries. In Blighty it was predominantly indoors: in the densely-populated island that even then had begun to sacrifice its children on the altar of Mr Toad, there was bugger all outdoors, and whatever was out there was out-of-bounds. But in Sweden my life was predominantly outdoors, enjoying the forest and lake.

Playing out in Blighty? Just William goes back to the 1920s; Swallows and Amazons to 1930. The outdoor childhood in our culture goes back to a generation no longer with us. And perhaps to a highly privileged few in more recent times, properly separated from the advance of motor traffic.

[Arborbridge]

My childhood was split between two countries. In Blighty it was predominantly indoors: in the densely-populated island that even then had begun to sacrifice its children on the altar of Mr Toad, there was bugger all outdoors, and whatever was out there was out-of-bounds. But in Sweden my life was predominantly outdoors, enjoying the forest and lake.

Playing out in Blighty? Just William goes back to the 1920s; Swallows and Amazons to 1930. The outdoor childhood in our culture goes back to a generation no longer with us. And perhaps to a highly privileged few in more recent times, properly separated from the advance of motor traffic.

That depends if your life was urban or not. My life was just outside a main town in the country fringes and by the sea - so for me, playing out was alive and well in the 50's in the North-East. I was lucky for that period of my life - unforgettable. Which is why I went back this year to visit old haunts (and to test the range and practicality of my EV. [Answer, it all worked out well]).

Arb.

[servodude]

My childhood was split between two countries. In Blighty it was predominantly indoors: in the densely-populated island that even then had begun to sacrifice its children on the altar of Mr Toad, there was bugger all outdoors, and whatever was out there was out-of-bounds. But in Sweden my life was predominantly outdoors, enjoying the forest and lake.

Playing out in Blighty? Just William goes back to the 1920s; Swallows and Amazons to 1930. The outdoor childhood in our culture goes back to a generation no longer with us. And perhaps to a highly privileged few in more recent times, properly separated from the advance of motor traffic.

That depends if your life was urban or not. My life was just outside a main town in the country fringes and by the sea - so for me, playing out was alive and well in the 50's in the North-East. I was lucky for that period of my life - unforgettable. Which is why I went back this year to visit old haunts (and to test the range and practicality of my EV. [Answer, it all worked out well]).

Arb.

I would agree.
Even in my running about childhood (late 70s early 80s) we were on the fringe of Glasgow and could, if we wanted to, have walked to the coast without passing much more than kyloes.
I've still got scars from the time my finger was cranked through the chain path of the bike I was racing and crashed in to. I remember the time we had to drag my brother out the reservoir and the time they had to have me lifted via ladders out a tree when I fell and got trapped hanging by my leg for an hour or so. There was one summer my favourite thing was about 20' of rope with a heavy chain on the end of it - you could throw it out round a branch and created an instant Tarzan swing of you held it taught!

I'm a big believer in space and freedom for kids - if you don't get the mental stuff out of you then you might carry in to adulthood

[kiloran]

In the 50s and 60s from the age of 8 or so, my mates and I would roam all over the place in Coventry. Climb trees, paddle in rivers, go to the canal, climb up the mining bings. In hindsight, the scary thing was that we had no mobiles in those days, indeed we didn't even have a phone at home, so no way of calling for help. I'm sure my parents must have been worried when I was late back for teatime, with no idea where I could be. But, that was the norm in those days.

--kiloran

[Gersemi]

That depends if your life was urban or not. My life was just outside a main town in the country fringes and by the sea - so for me, playing out was alive and well in the 50's in the North-East. I was lucky for that period of my life - unforgettable. Which is why I went back this year to visit old haunts (and to test the range and practicality of my EV. [Answer, it all worked out well]).

Arb.

I was a child in the 70's and lived in the suburbs of a city. We played out all the time (well when it was dry), cycling, playing in a field nearby, then on the building site it became, wandering around nearby streets (there wasn't that much traffic), etc.

[bungeejumper]

No problems with playing out, back in 1950s Norf Lunnon/South Hertfordshire. Okay, there were some iffy types among the hundreds of thousands who'd been moved out of the East End after the blitz, and there were teddy boys on the corners with real razors. But somehow we ignored all that.

Our local rec was a bomb site that had been tarmacked over and populated with the kind of playground equipment that wouldn't be allowed nowadays. Some of it (swings etcetera) would merely dump you from a great height onto the unforgiving ground if you got it wrong, while other devices (such as a roundabout thing) would maybe remove your leg if you happened to get it trapped underneath. For change and variety, we would walk along the top of a nine foot wall beside the local builder's yard. None of us died. Well, not that I can recall.

A similar story from my wife, who was raised in Lancashire, except that her playground was a flooded quarry where at least one of her contemporaries had indeed drowned. But hey, life was cheap in those days. We'd had had our parents' warnings to stay away from the teds and the dodgy looking geezers who sometimes lurked, and somehow it all worked out.

These days, of course, the dodgy geezers have cars and mobiles and maybe drugs. As for the missing young'uns, they're all upstairs in their bedrooms swapping social media and playing Ultimate Thermonuclear Apocalypse. So relax, that's all right then.

BJ

[Nimrod103]

I'm not sure where this discussion is trying to lead, because I don't think behaviour early in life impacts behaviour later on. I have no doubt that children growing up in the 50s were freer and more active than those growing up in the 60s, and the 60s more than the 70s, and so on. But those generations now populate the 50-70 year olds who are very inactive today. I have been reading today about obesity levels among UK adults today which are frightful, and I suspect the biggest impact is on the 50-70 year olds.

Looking back, and for reasons I find hard to understand now, I think I had a very over protected childhood in the late 50s and 60s. Certainly compared to my older sibling. Perhaps as a result I became very adventurous as a student, and throughout my subsequent career, as a reaction to that.

[bungeejumper]

I'm not sure where this discussion is trying to lead, because I don't think behaviour early in life impacts behaviour later on. I have no doubt that children growing up in the 50s were freer and more active than those growing up in the 60s, and the 60s more than the 70s, and so on. But those generations now populate the 50-70 year olds who are very inactive today. I have been reading today about obesity levels among UK adults today which are frightful, and I suspect the biggest impact is on the 50-70 year olds.

Beg to differ on both counts. I don't think you'll find a psychologist anywhere who doesn't think that a free and adventurous childhood is more likely to produce a confident, adventurous adult. Clearly, you were the exception that proved the rule.

Your second point, about inactive and obese 50-70 year olds, might have some general validity - we all get creakier as we age, and the pounds tend to pile on whenthat happens. But there are millions who also exercise far more than their parents would ever have dreamed of doing thirty years ago - and for that, I think, we can thank better education and better diet and body awareness.

Where is obesity causing the most concern? Among the under-tens, from what I'm reading.

BJ

[didds]

And lets not forget that the likes of the modern tittle-tattle press assures us that these days there are entire armies of paedophiles lurking behind every hedge and tree waiting to do terrible things to any unaccompanied child within a mile radius.

[didds]

I'm not sure where this discussion is trying to lead, because I don't think behaviour early in life impacts behaviour later on. I have no doubt that children growing up in the 50s were freer and more active than those growing up in the 60s, and the 60s more than the 70s, and so on. But those generations now populate the 50-70 year olds who are very inactive today

And if perceived suppression of children "playing out" has been brought on by actions, deeds, provision of alternative activities etc of adults, it is that generation (50-70 year olds) that have created that...

[didds]

But there are millions who also exercise far more than their parents would ever have dreamed of doing thirty years ago

yesss... but... perhaps their parents' lifestyles and jobs were more physically active then ? (merely postulating etc )

[bungeejumper]

yesss... but... perhaps their parents' lifestyles and jobs were more physically active then ? (merely postulating etc )

Postulate away! I've only got my parents as an example, but they'd been the first to benefit from the National Health Service, and they were firmly convinced that it was the doctor's responsibility to keep them healthy, and not theirs.

As it happened, they did eat fairly sensibly, and in their defence they both had physical limitations that limited their scope for exercise. But I can only think of one friend whose parents did much better. (His father was an adventure scout leader, so hiking and canoeing etc were all part of the job description.)

Nowadays I know quite a lot of oldies who walk in the open countryside every day. One of the side benefits of a rural life, I suppose. Must be harder for townies.

BJ

[88V8]

1950s, early 60s, N London burbs, but backing onto an unmanicured park where one could roam at will.
Local roads not over-busy for cycling.
Parents not overprotective.

But it's well said that we had little else to do, leaving aside Biggles books and Monopoly.

Now I live in the country but get far less exercise and spend too much time on't web.

V8

[GrahamPlatt]

I'm not sure where this discussion is trying to lead, because I don't think behaviour early in life impacts behaviour later on….

I think I had a very over protected childhood in the late 50s and 60s. …Perhaps as a result I became very adventurous as a student, and throughout my subsequent career, as a reaction to that.

[servodude]

1950s, early 60s, N London burbs, but backing onto an unmanicured park where one could roam at will.
Local roads not over-busy for cycling.
Parents not overprotective.

But it's well said that we had little else to do, leaving aside Biggles books and Monopoly.

Now I live in the country but get far less exercise and spend too much time on't web.

V8

Biggles! ...you've reminded me that I meant to look for copies of Johns' Mars books for my kindle!
I fell asleep on the deck last night and was gorged upon by mosquitos which put me in mind of them

[didds]

As it happened, they did eat fairly sensibly, and in their defence they both had physical limitations that limited their scope for exercise.

Ah - I didn't actually mean actual exercise for exercise sake ... more a likelihood maybe that they lived close to their work, and shops and others services so walked to and from them, and maybe did an actual physical job.

rather than the nearest services being miles away necessitating driving , and jobs that entail mainly sitting down

[bungeejumper]

Ah - I didn't actually mean actual exercise for exercise sake ... more a likelihood maybe that they lived close to their work, and shops and others services so walked to and from them, and maybe did an actual physical job.

rather than the nearest services being miles away necessitating driving , and jobs that entail mainly sitting down

Indeed, I didn't think you meant it that way. I recently read that the average Victorian consumed 5,000 calories a day! Partly because his work was physically harder, but also because he needed the calories to keep him alive in the cold weather with no central heating. Not many people got fat, that's for sure.

Back in the fifties, my dad used to have a two hour lunch break every day, a hour of which was spent walking home and back so that my mum could cook him his midday meal. (And my wife's dad similarly.) On the plus side, I suppose it was exercise? But it was also an awful waste of productive time and energy. Life was so much less pressured in those days....

BJ

[Dicky99]

In the 50s and 60s from the age of 8 or so, my mates and I would roam all over the place in Coventry. Climb trees, paddle in rivers, go to the canal, climb up the mining bings. In hindsight, the scary thing was that we had no mobiles in those days, indeed we didn't even have a phone at home, so no way of calling for help. I'm sure my parents must have been worried when I was late back for teatime, with no idea where I could be. But, that was the norm in those days.

--kiloran

Your childhood sounds something like mine in the 70s. When I think back to it it makes me shudder to think how I survived that time and how ignorant / unconcerned parents were in those days about their kids freedoms.
Some of the most dangerous were connected with climbing trees and buildings to steal birds eggs which resulted in a few falls which could have ended much worse.
There were impromptu swims in dangerous rivers and diving into canal locks. We broke into empty buildings, trespassed on dangerous building sites, climbed scaffolds.
In short we were little thugs but didn't see it that way. We were just energetic kids outdoors all day in the summer holidays looking for adventure.