One Potato, Two Potato (1957) - extract

[NIETZSCHEAN14]

These were the good old days, before Jewish Materialism gave the children MTV. Heads need to roll for the multi-racial and multi-cultural mess that Britain has been forced in to. Always remember, the British never voted for multi-racialism and multi-culturalism, it was forced on them by greedy capitalists, wanting cheap foreign workers. White man, RESIST!

[merston77]

@NIETZSCHEAN14

You're a looney

[NIETZSCHEAN14]

@merston77. That is not an argument, it is emotionalism (lol). This exchange is over.

[tarquin45]

I enjoyed the clip, but the blurb 'This film is available to buy as part of the BFI's 'Free Cinema' DVD - above is a bit contradictory isn't it?

[TheWhitehall]

Good to see kids enjoying themselves. Keeping fit and making their own fun and entertainment. The youngsters of today should view this and learn a lesson.

[LokiV]

This the reason i hated girls until i got to the age of about 11 or 12 then i discovered them again and fell in love everyday lol

[lollyclan]

Really enjoyed this! thanks for posting - happy memories.  No wonder children were lean then - always active and playing physical games. It was a much better world than today

[AnotherDeadPeach]

I'm scared :S

[paintballer9110]

What.... The Fuck.... Was that?! I was just mind-raped by the most annoying thing I have ever seen.

[hawkmoon03111951]

This is the London I remember as a child. Always out playing. I have this DVD set of films from the 50's. They are fascinating to watch. Life was so totally different then. Materially we are so much better off now but I think we were much happier then.

[buldic]

@hawkmoon03111951 You are so right,films are a statement of the times,London is a nasty place now,no communities and elderly people afraid to go out in the evening!

[82abnoff]

Officers try.

[82abnoff]

Nice. A child? We try and we fail.

A Father is?

Rich

[grahampl]

I was born a Cockney and I will die a Cockney. These are my people.

[alukuhito]

potato extract?

[romanbrough]

Governments keep telling us how much better we are off now. But I think society is much poorer now than it was then. We have more things, but a lot less freedom.

[alukuhito]

At least we don't have to play in groups like that though. Seems a little too much about conformity and society. What if you're the bright kid and always have to play with stupid kids? It's not very fair. At least now you can play video games by yourself and excel as much as you want, whether it be competing against yourself, or playing with others online if you so desire.

[Julian9ehp]

@alukuhito The conformity in video games is more hidden. How many of them are based on X movie (or movie on X game)? This isn't the fault of the medium, but of our merchandizing society. When a game is based on a franchise, there is little opportunity to subvert them. A little boy, long ago, was among the first to be bought a G.I Joe: he fed it, and changed its diapers, and put it to sleep at night.

[Jezake]

@alukuhito You keep playing with "yourself", you lack the human emotion of compassion and perception, a distinct imperfection of the inbred youth of today!

[alukuhito]

@Jezake - The youth of today are more like those of a few generations ago. They travel and explore new worlds. The previous few generations have been very immobile and interested in their own kind, not others. Young people today are getting married to people outside of their nationalities, race, culture, etc. Young people are interested in focussing and expanding their perception of themselves and the world around them, a much wider and abundant world than that of the older generations.

[Jezake]

@alukuhito The youth of a "few" generations ago? Where you there? You speak as if you perceive yourself as some sort of philosopher... getting married as a opposed to marrying? The marrying outside your race is supposed to be some sort of intellectual statement? In fact, marrying ouside your race is a process to potentially dilute purity and introduce the unnatural. You need to get your head out of your rectum!

[alukuhito]

@Jezake Wow. I'll just let your comment sit here to show how much of a fucking retard you are.  Sayonara, Asswipe.

[Jezake]

@alukuhito

An idiot you will always be!

[Jezake]

@alukuhito

An idiot you will always be! Stop playing intellectual... you moron.

[rubysson57]

No, nowadays it's the Indians, Chinese,and the Muslims only 'interested in their own kind ' and tend not to marry outside their race/religion.

Let's face it, most of the rest of us were left with little choice. And a decade hence the choices will be even less.

Thanks to smug , arrogant, know nothing dangerous prats like you.

[DEROUGET]

Brilliant film. I started school in 1962 and remember most of these games. We used to play French cricket which involved using our legs as the wicket. We played in the road as there was so little traffic that we were rarely interrupted. I remember the bomb sites too.

[terrificly]

I've discovered these wonderful films this afternoon, what fun!

Born in 1947 I remember the bomb sites so well.

God bless 'em all

[freacls]

i uded to play some of these games as a little kid at school even the boys joined in and that was 90s nowadays the kids dont play these games its all combat fightin games and pc games i loved skipping games and that

[lopzilla]

Once the West Indians arrived in large numbers so did the drugs. I grew up in London at this time and remember it well.

[remindbender]

the black and white spot narrows the angle

times are always fading to grey

in favour of lost painful memories

[EmmyGurl523]

What sweet little girls. Now little girls are doing drugs and getting pregnant. :/ It's pretty sad, These girls looked so healthy and happy. I wish today was like back then.

[annikee59]

Amazing that we sang and played these games in NYC in the 60s. Slightly different lyrics, but exactly the same routines.

[stevgan60]

I was born in London in 1947 and remembered all those rhymes (and playing on bomb sites!) It really took me back, Brilliant!

[LokiV]

not many overweight obese kids about then!!

[darkangel2347]

Such playgroung games, songs and chants are now almost extinct now due to the dumbing down effect of mass media. For future generations to still remember this stuff, we need to record this stuff on either video or in book format.

[churchsinger]

in russia the satuation is the very same as you're talking about

[Azizip17]

@darkangel2347 While some playground games, songs, and chants are extinct, others have been modified and new ones have been created. For example, I've collected an example of Blue Bells Cockle Shells in which the girl recites Blue Bells taco shells. I love that folk etymology. To read more (mostly American) examples, google Cocojams handclap, jump rope, and elastic rhymes.

[muffinisis]

i lived in manchester the songs were slightly different, but i recognise the games

[freacls]

my mum can do that with the balls and toss it under her legs still she was showing me and my neice that last week lol and singing old songs iv never heard off lol

[adebarde1]

Children seemed to speak better then. Even the ordinary kids in the street.

[freacls]

yeah and my gran says they were far healther and got more excisise than more than the psp age kids today

[minutegongcoughs]

The one thing about Nursery Rhymes and the Opie's knew also was the dark side. To sing of The Plague in that wonderful wicked way.

[barbgold]

I am one of the girls in the last scene. I remember making this with some of my friends.

[ineabriate]

my god, how unlikely is that.

just want to thank the Germans for the mindless destruction that was in your childhood.

You may wish to disagree!

[barbgold]

Not really sure what you mean. I actually don't remember all the destruction very much. I was born in 1944, at the end of the war. Even though I am jewish, i have visited Germany several times and feel that the majority of the current population should not be condemned for their forebears wrong-doings.

[ineabriate]

im sure the destruction has been remembered very well without your help. Sorry, i dont mean to be confrontational (theres enough of that!). My parents both lost family in the war and their tearful memories cut me to this day (30 years later).

I'm sure the Germans have successfully blocked it all out.

Why did you mention your Jewishness? does that mean you are worried about who you are? Just be a human. We are all the same despite the books our forebears tell us to read. Remember, we are free!

[barbgold]

You read more into my answer than was intended. I just said that 'I' don't remember much of the destruction. I am now 64 and my memory of my childhood is not good. The fact of me mentioning my jewishness is that I am Jewish and proud to be so. I do have friends and relatives who will not visit Germany or even travel in a German car. I do not feel this way and neither does my husband.

[AgentJayZ]

Your comments are interesting. And it seems just a bit fascinating to hear from you now, and to see you in this film from so many years ago.

[Jezake]

@barbgold You have no choice as to your ethnicity. Not to hold accountable the tyrrants of the past is joining them!

[goinghomesomeday1]

@ineabriate The jew will always bring "their suffering" to the fore. You will NEVER hear a jew mention the suffering of the Palestinians.

As for myself, I wouldn't spend a penny in a jewish shop or business.

[marvy1118]

barbgold - how in the world did you come across this film? Just lucky?

[barbgold]

The girl leading the group I was in was Barbara Freedman (nee Chaplin) and we were friends. Much later after I was married and living in Redbridge, we met up again by chance and were friends for a while there. We lost contact until recently when she contacted me on Friends Reunited and sent me the U-Tube site for the video. Life is strange.

[kevjkx]

@barbgold I lived in the Redbridge area, in sth Woodford, I was born in 1959, I remember the girls played those skipping games in the 60's, being boys though we played games such as 3 and in, with a football, we would take shots at goal, (which was painted on a wall) if you beat the goalie 3 times, you would go in goal, then there was foot cricket, with a tennis ball, we used a lamp post as the wicket, we couldn't afford cricket bats so we would kick the ball instead. memories

[Choowbz]

I would love to see you all re enact that scene in that same place. it would be a must see.

I hope some budding film maker would jump at the opportunity to do it artfully.

Round up your friends while you can and give it a whirl.

I was around in those days and can remember the terrible clothes we had to wear.

It was a hand made world then.

or Marks and Spencers.

Please be a child again and play with time for us.

[sewitt60]

The last song they are singing is about the Manchester Ship Canal

[plhokko]

great comment! and so true mate! but you see alredy your gettin the thumbs down from the pc wankers on here!

[dixieshaz]

I too remember doing them in the 60s.. i wonder if they have made a mistake with the date? The hairstyles and clothes look more 60s to me. Having said that the film has brought back some lovely memories

[barbgold]

Hi - it was definitely in the 50's. I was in the last part and could not have been older than about 9 which would be 1953.

[kevjkx]

@dixieshaz I also grew up in the 60's, I agree the clothes do look very 60's but then things didn't change that much between about 1955 /1965, it was more during the later 60's that fasions, (paritularly childrens fasions) realy changed.

[Julian9ehp]

And so many of these chants are similar to American versions. I _wish_ I could see the whole movie! I'm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and it's unlikely that I'll come to England any time soon.

[Sibelius92]

We did some of these 10 years later, still going strong in the late 60s. I can still remember a few others!

[Sibelius92]

"Sevens" was my favourite, I could get thru them much faster than anyone else even when further away from the wall ... (sigh) Alas, I've never really lived up to my early promise!

[slow94ride]

a que viene esto?xD

[muffinisis]

i was nine, i do not recognise most of these but lived in manchester, the oleary one i do though