Anecdote 2 - “CHERRY BOBS” – A UNIQUE BRUNSWICK TRADITION
If
you know how to play “cherry bobs”, then you attended St Joseph’s Catholic Primary
School in Hope Street West Brunswick! For over 50 years, and apparently at nowhere
else, this game predominated in the enthusiastic activities of Primary School Children.
As
the game relied on a constant and consistent supply of cherries, the game was seasonal
- a perfect lead up to the Christmas holidays. For when cherries were IN, then “cherry
bobs” was the game.
The
Rules were simple, although devious tricks had been cultivated by generations
of children.
The
First Step was to dig a hole in the hard earth of the playground. At St Joey’s,
this was under the gum trees near the Hope Street entrance. The diameter and
depth of the hole was at the Digger’s discretion.
The
little Digger then measured out a similarly discretionary distance from the
hole, and with the edge of those school shoes (for which Mum had saved
carefully) the Digger carved a line across the earth.
The
stage was now set. The bargaining began!
The
theory was that another child stood at the carved line and attempted to lob the
pip of a cherry (the cherry bob) into
the hole with sufficient backspin that it remained in the hole - hence, the
cunning tactics associated with diameter, depth, and distance from the hole.
If
the Lobber was successful, he/she received a number of cherry bobs pre-announced
by the Digger. If he/she missed, then the cherry bob was forfeited. One can see
the beginnings of focused Punters and successful Bookmakers.
As
several games were played at the same time in close proximity, the dusty earthed
area under the trees had the appearance and noise of a Sideshow alley with the
various Diggers barkering for Punters.
How
important and satisfying it was to arrive home from School with a large bag of
dried and dirty cherry bobs! How demoralising if the bag was nearly empty!
One
final point – I could never understand why those strict St Joey Nuns objected
to the cries of the barkering Diggers as they attempted to entice the Punters, offering
odds of 4 or 6 to 1, and even up to 10 to 1. Perhaps the Nuns horror (and the
inevitable strappings) had something to do with the traditional words cried out:
“Six in the hole, Sheila.”
Aaah,
St Joeys’s gave a very full Education!
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