Age Concern Dorchester - Dorset's Living Memories

Sunny day and winter games on the Fleet

M Carry (nee Dalley) writes...

I was born at Chickerell, Nr Weymouth in 1938.  I had one brother, Tony who was a year and 5 months older. Our free time especially during the summer holidays was spent from early morning until late afternoon playing along the Fleet shore and in the woods. 

We learnt to swim in the Fleet and many of our relations fished for mackerell, herrings and sprats, which were caught  in the seine nets off Chesil Beach.  Each village had its own crew and much friendly rivalry existed with relatives from the same family, sometimes working with different crews.

In the autumn  and winter we used to play a game called Hare and Hounds.  A whole gang of children would divide into two teams, one team of hares and one team of hounds.  The hares would be given a few minutes start and then the hounds would chase after them.   There was very little traffic on the roads, only the Doctor, the Vicar and one or two farmers and landowners had cars.  We also went carol singing and collecting conkers, mushrooms and blackberries when they were in season.  Most of the men either worked in the brickworks or on local farms or in the dockyard at Portland.   Fishing was something they did at weekends, bank holidays or summer evenings.

It was safe for children to roam in those days, as we were a close-knit community .  Most of our parents came from the area too and everybody knew each other.