Where Church Street and Strand Street merge into Holmpatrick, was a large grassy slope. I often sat there on my way home from school playing Jacksies. This is a game never heard of now.
It was played with five round pebbles, or if you wanted to be grand, you got five legs of mutton shells. There was a long routine to be got through; you started off with a Bobby oneses and played until you missed and then your opponent got her turn.
While we played with our Jackstones the boys had their Rollers and taws, both boys and girls played tops. You got a top in Biddy Reid’s for a ½d, then a bit of snoud and a piece of leather to go at the end of the snoud, and you were ready for the fray.
Mrs. Branagan [SHS, 1949]
