Time-Travel

There is a housing estate linked to my road by a small opening in a wall. Around here it’s considered the “bad part” of town, as much as this town has one, possibly because it’s a council estate and compared to the leafy streets in other parts, this housing estate is a little rougher round the edges.

I love to go on long walks that bring me through both worlds, in fact I’m just back in the door from one now. It struck me this evening, like it always does that the streets in the supposedly safer areas are always completely deserted. As I walked along one of my favourite routes, past old Victorian houses hidden behind gates and tall bushes, the only person I saw was a woman retrieving her run-away dog. She caught him up and was struggling with the lock on her gate when I passed and she gave me a reluctant nod and a suspicious eye when I smiled at her.

The contrast when I reached the housing estate near my home couldn’t have been greater. Here the houses are crammed close together and the streets are so narrow the cars have to inch their way along through the space between all the parked cars. The place was heaving with activity. Children of all ages playing football, riding their bikes, sitting on the walls playing with dolls. Their parents and older brothers sitting on kitchen chairs out in front of their houses enjoying the sunshine and having a natter or doing a bit of work on their gardens or cars. As always happens when I walk through there I was greeted by everyone whose eye I caught, even the young kids playing football gave me a “Howaya.” One little girl ran along beside me as I walked and asked me “You have a little girl don’t ya miss?”

I love walking through this estate because it’s like I get to step back in time to what it was like in the housing estate where I grew up. One of the games I spotted being played was an old favourite we used to call Kerbs. Two people stand on opposite sides of the road and the object is to throw a ball so that it bounces off the edge of the opposite kerb. If it bounces all the way back to you you get 10 points…only half way and it’s 5. It gave me a jolt of reminiscence and I wanted to join them, just like when I walk through in the winter time and I get the smell of coal fires and mince dinners.

It’s the rough part of town and yet I always feel safe there.

9 Responses to "Time-Travel"

John B
May 22, 2007 at 10:43 pm

That’s a breath of fresh air Claire. I’m so sick of everyone bandying around phrases like ‘scumbags’ and ‘knackers’ about people who really don’t deserve it and just happen to have a certain accent or come from a certain estate.

I loved Kerbs! And squares. And football tennis. And the cycling-in-a box-without-letting-your-feet-touch-the-ground game.

J.
Red Wine Gums Blogger
May 23, 2007 at 12:30 am

I kicked ass at kerbs!

Things are a lot more straight forward with non-middle class people. You know where you stand.
aquaasho
May 23, 2007 at 8:38 am

Oh you’ve made me think of lots of those street games! “Beds” (there was another name for it I can’t think of) was a favourite of mine! You needed chalk to draw out the numbers on the road but because we couldn’t afford chalk I used to climb into the press under the stairs and rip bits of plasterboard off the underside to use as a chalk! No one would ever notice cos I could get into the smallest corner!
And playing ball against a wall has made me into the master juggler I am today! Do you remember a game involving a leg of your mother’s tights and a tennis ball in the end of it? (Sounds odd doesn’t it?)
Anyway thanks Claire, I’m smiling now thinking of all those games!
Grannymar
May 23, 2007 at 10:40 am

Skipping with a long rope and rounders are the ones I remember
Ellen
May 23, 2007 at 1:03 pm

Thanks for leaving me that comment on BlogHer Claire. I loved your entry. I remember playing Curbsies too! I did see that the irish blog awards were on recently, swearing lady, twenty major and blogs like that and I enjoy popping in for a read every now and then when I get the chance. I’m going to go now and have another look at your site. Again thanks for your comments, its great to meet other Irish Bloggers!
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neil
May 23, 2007 at 5:04 pm

As a teenager, I always get suspicious looks walking through the Burnaby (I presume that’s the Victorian houses you’re talking about) …even though I live there
gingerpixel
May 23, 2007 at 11:44 pm

It always amazes me how kid’s games get passed on and everyone seems to know them no matter where they grew up. I’d forgotten about a lot of those games! Grannymar…I think rounders was probably my favourite.

Aquaasho…I do remember that one with the tennis ball in the pop sock. It was a real craze for awhile. We’d stand with our back to the wall and have to swing the sock so the ball hit the wall around on each side. I can’t remember any other rules of it though.

Hi Ellen! I’m glad you saw my comment, you should check out the other blogs in my Irish blog links, there are loads of great Irish blogs in there. I’ve been enjoying reading your blog too.

Neil…yes, the Burnaby is the estate I was talking about. I love walking through there, the houses are gorgeous. Don’t teenagers get suspicious looks wherever they go? I know I did when I was one
John of Dublin
May 24, 2007 at 1:14 pm

Great article Claire. I can totally relate to what you said. I grew up in what would be considered a rough area and had great fun – the place was alive – loads of friends and lots to do. Less than 1% of people in such areas cause the bad image.

9 Responses to "Time-Travel"

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