Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter. My youngest daughter, Trea, and her husband are here for the weekend and it's nice to have them, even for a short stay. Hope you all enjoy the holidays.

Salt, mustard, kAnn pepper. Better skip this.
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Fortycoats, we used to say, "salt, mustard, vinegar, pepper". You haven't losst your wit anyhow. What are you doing these days?

Ann, I'm not worried about losing my sense of humour, if I do, I can always go out and buy a new one !
Those memories from schooldays, when the boys used to watch and listen to the girls skipping must be different for each of us, depending on where we lived.
In Hillsborough PES, where LD and myself warded off the first attempts to educate us, there were skipping chants which I well remember.
One of them being " Salt, Mustard, Cayenne Pepper". I used to think they were saying: "Salt, Mustard Kerry and Pepper", silly, but one of the popular girls name's was Kerry. Then my mother set me straight and told me about cayenne pepper. Strange but only 3 1/2 miles away they were substituting "vinegar" for cayenne.
This tells me now that, different locals have their own versions of skipping chants and nursery rhymes. I remember quoting on this forum my version of My Aunt Jane, where I remembered the Hillsborough version as " .... and thee black balls, out of her wee tin" Well you Lisburn folk jumped all over me, substituting Lumps for Balls. It was as then that I realized that different locations had their own versions.
Anyhow Ann, we have just returned from southern Oregon, where we celebrated our 58th. wedding anniversary. A jaunt of a mere 975 kilometres which we still manage to make every year.

Fortycoats and Coathanger

Fortycoats and Coathanger, re the "skipping" chants. We used to sing "In and out the dusty bluebells". However, even more ridiculous, I used to say "In and out the "rusty" bluebells. I don't think either was correct. Then there was one "Gather in, gather in for a big, big ring, if you don't come now, you'll not get in". It seemed the whole street skipped in that one. The rope reached from one side of the street to the other, a girl at each end holding the rope.

Anyhow, that was a great you had to Oregan. I think I said before that we passed through it on our way to Reno. I remember there was a lot of greenery around and I liked the place, although we did't stop. A girl who used to live near us now lives in Oregan. Funny how I still remember her as a tomboy, playing football with her brothers. I think she went to USA on a scholarship in connection with sport. Last time she was home she told me she was still involved with football.

Whenever Oregan is mentioned, I always think of the film, "The Oregan Trail". How different our paths have gone. Good to hear from you both.

Charlie Doherty used to 'sing', "three black lumps".

Ann / Dabbs, I am quite sure that what we chanted in Hillsborough, was " Three black Balls "

Then I looked up the Belfast Forum under My Aunt Jane and they had a posting which referred to Lumps ( Balls ), take your pick I suppose.

Another Belfast posting stuck by Lumps, and gave the definition " Black Lumps are rock cakes (aka rock buns) which are buns with a fruit filling "

I Skyped a relative who had been raised in Derry and he said " Balls " but then I've heard him say that before !

So, I'm left with my original thoughts, it depends on where you lived. Who knows what the original words were.
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Fortycoats, you make me smile.

Hi all,

I always said " Kerryann pepper" & wondered what it meant.

3 black lumps I thought were 3 black balls, like brandy balls.

"Dusty bluebells" was the word we used too.


Pat.

Our Easter w/end was spent with family at home, a lovely dinner at our daughter's house, she is a good cook & caterer for all the family. With the beautiful sunny weather everyone had an outdoor time this year.

You girls have mentioned Dusty Bluebells, I had not heard of this, but looked up the WWWeb and it has a couple of versions, one complete with sound.

The lyrics given are as follows:

In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
You shall be my partner.

Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
You shall be my partner.

In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
You will be my partner?

Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
You shall be my partner.

In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
In and out those dusty bluebells,
You shall be my partner.

Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
Tippy Tippy Tap Tap on your shoulder,
You shall be my partner.

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Fortycoats & Coathanger,

You are great to travel to Oregeon, ( a magic name from the films) for your Anniversary. Many Happy Returns to you both & good Health for many more journeys.

Time is a ****** can't leave us as we were, blissfully unaware of age. Humour is the saviour & you both have it in buckets, keep on smiling, it is catching.

Good to hear from you again. Pat