Playing Outside
You had to make your own entertainment...
The children who arrived from the overcrowded conditions in London brought with them a tradition of playing in the streets. The new environment of the estate with its clean, car-free roads, greens and open spaces was "like heaven" for them and many people have shared their happy memories of an idyllic childhood with us.
People say “Are you sorry about being old?” and I think “No, I'm not because I wouldn't have had that childhood." (Brian Doubtfire)
"If there was a day that stands out in my childhood memories more than any other, it was 'Ciggy a Go'. It revolved around cigarette cards, which could be found in packets of most cigarettes before the war. They pictured various film stars, footballers, cricketers etc; they usually made up sets of fifty of each kind and were collected by most children. Some would amass as many as possible and exchange them for ones of which they were short. Those of us with fathers who smoked had an advantage, but many were collected from packets thrown in rubbish bins.... Ciggy a Go began spontaneously with a few lads, myself included, in competition to win cards from each other by some simple game like leaning cards against a kerb and flicking cards at them to knock them down; it was quite silly really. We then tried some other games like laying cards down well spaced out and one had to flick cards to lie on them to win. Other games were springing up as more and more children arrived. Some games involved marbles rolled through holes in a cardboard box and some were games chalked on the pavement; it was becoming like a fairground with dozens of children having a wonderful day gambling with cigarette cards. It all took place in a cul-de-sac about thirty or forty yards by eight,including pavements. With the cries of 'Ciggy a Go' ringing out the whole summer's daylong, we must have presented a most unusual spectacle." (An extract from Memories of a Morden Lad 1932-1957) by Ronald Read, published by Merton Historical Society - Local History Notes No. 30. The booklet can be purchased from the society very reasonably.)