Lancashire Legends, Traditions, Pageants, Sports, &c./Part 3/Tip, Blackthorn, Fives

TIP.

"Tip," or "tipcat," is still played at Burnley; but the game is locally known as "playing at t' bad." "Bad" is a North-country word descriptive of the short thick piece of wood driven by the players. He who can drive the bad the greatest distance in so many strokes wins the game.

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BLACKTHORN.

Any number of boys and girls can play at "blackthorn." Two or three, or it may be only one, stand at a line or mark, placed at some distance from another line, along which all the rest of the players stand in a row. The following dialogue then takes place:—

"Blackthorn, blackthorn, blue milk and barleycorn;
How many geese have you to-day?"
Ans.—"More than you can catch and carry away."

They players then run towards each other's marks, and if any one be caught before he gets home to the opposite mark, he has to carry the one who catches him to the mark, where he takes his place as an additional catcher. In this way the game goes on till all are caught.

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FIVES.

This game is frequently played by boys at both public and private schools. The pupils at the Burnley Grammar-School do not confine themselves to five players on one side. That party which succeeds in keeping up the ball for the longest space of time wins the game. The factory operatives are also very fond of the game, the cotton-mills affording sufficient blank wall space for the purpose.

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