You know you're nearing 50 in Adelaide, when you remember...

[Booney]

Picking "Choose your own adventure" books as my reading assignments.

I could do three book reports from one book.

[A Mum]

Oooh just thought of one - lol - not sure if already mentioned.

School subject: Singing and listening

Mum, do you mean the weekly session where ABC Radio would have a show where we all got out the "Let's Have Music" books and sung along? I had forgotten all about that until today

You are right CK - I just found it through Mr Google

http://www.abc.net.au/learn/sing/about.htm

[CK]

Oooh just thought of one - lol - not sure if already mentioned.

School subject: Singing and listening

Mum, do you mean the weekly session where ABC Radio would have a show where we all got out the "Let's Have Music" books and sung along? I had forgotten all about that until today

You are right CK - I just found it through Mr Google

http://www.abc.net.au/learn/sing/about.htm

I haven't thought about this for YEARS, and suddenly a number of the songs are flooding back to me now...

"I had a friend in Darwin, a special friend in Darwin...but have you ever tried to send a football through the post?"

The day we got Puff the Magic Dragon as one of them and we had a substitute teacher. No prizes for guessing what Puff became in the song, for a group of Year 7's. Even the teacher found it funny, until she finally went to the blackboard and wrote the word Puff on the board, with the U and first F underlined for emphasis

[Footy Chick]

Sing books were gold!

Peter Coombe is still actually very popular in pubs and uni bars apparently.

Toffee apple and Slippery Dip were my favourites

There was also a song called "Right said Fred" as well which I enjoyed.

"Right said Fred, all together, one each step and steady as we go - ooh ahh - Couldn't fix it, couldn't even lift it, we were getting nowhere - and so we- had a cup of tea"

[A Mum]

Sing books were gold!

Peter Coombe is still actually very popular in pubs and uni bars apparently.

Toffee apple and Slippery Dip were my favourites

There was also a song called "Right said Fred" as well which I enjoyed.

"Right said Fred, all together, one each step and steady as we go - ooh ahh - Couldn't fix it, couldn't even lift it, we were getting nowhere - and so we- had a cup of tea"

I remember this !!!

[Lightning McQueen]

Sing books were gold!

Peter Coombe is still actually very popular in pubs and uni bars apparently.

Toffee apple and Slippery Dip were my favourites

There was also a song called "Right said Fred" as well which I enjoyed.

"Right said Fred, all together, one each step and steady as we go - ooh ahh - Couldn't fix it, couldn't even lift it, we were getting nowhere - and so we- had a cup of tea"

She'll be coming round the mountain.
The pushbike song.
Yellow submarine.
Purple people eater.

Any more????????

Me and this other peanut that I sat next to used to make up our own words and sing louder than the rest of the group.

[CK]

- Getting your uniform signed by people when you left school, either primary or high school, and then having to catch the bus home with all sorts of stuff written on your shirt.

- Ghetto Blasters. When they first came out, I remember all sorts of variations being released and appearing at school in lunch hour, with breakdancing contests in corners of the yard. Mum and Dad couldn't really afford a big machine for me, so mine was more of an Alley Annoyer, but still great fun, particularly with one's own...mix tapes, the other thing that I would hate to think how many hours I spent compiling.

[Lightning McQueen]

Two events that we stayed up late for:
The release of the "Thriller" film clip.
The release of the "Money for nothing" film clip.

Both were revolutionary.

[CK]

Sing books were gold!

Peter Coombe is still actually very popular in pubs and uni bars apparently.

Toffee apple and Slippery Dip were my favourites

There was also a song called "Right said Fred" as well which I enjoyed.

"Right said Fred, all together, one each step and steady as we go - ooh ahh - Couldn't fix it, couldn't even lift it, we were getting nowhere - and so we- had a cup of tea"

She'll be coming round the mountain.
The pushbike song.
Yellow submarine.
Purple people eater.

Any more????????

Me and this other peanut that I sat next to used to make up our own words and sing louder than the rest of the group.

I knew I'd seen this somewhere before - the complete list of songs in the 1983 and 1985 versions of the books:

1983: Let's Have Music; The Gypsy Rover; Parcel in the Post (Peter Combe); When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles with You); The Prehistoric Animal Brigade; Once an Austrian went Yodelling; Rainbow Snake (Robin MacPherson); Never Smile at a Crocodile; Bound for South Australia; Dr Knicker Bocker; An Easter Round; Maggon The Bad Tempered Dragon; Sing a Rainbow; This Train; The Willie Wagtail Hop; When I First Came to This Land; Windy Nights; Greek Shepherd Song (Provatakya) (with English and Greek words); It's a Small World; Friends; Stodola Pumpa (Czech folk song); It's a Long Way to Tipperary/Pack up Your Troubles in your Old Kit Bag; The Unicorn (Shel Silverstein); Kojo No Tsuki; The Three Drovers (John Wheeler and William James); Jamaica Farewell; This Ole House (Stuart Hamblen); Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport (Rolf Harris); Yellow Submarine (Beatles) (John Lennon/ Paul McCartney); Oh, Rock My Soul; Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver); The Lion Sleeps Tonight; Who Do You think You are Kidding Mister Hitler; Rivers of Babylon; Would We Tell You a Lie; The Sloop John B; 36 Day-O (calypso); Puff The Magic Dragon; Chattanooga Choo Choo; 'Right' Said Fred; Good Morning Starshine (from the rock musical "Hair"); The Deadwood Stage; The Laughing Gnome (David Bowie); Manana (samba); What Have They Done to the Rain; The Coffee Song; Everybody Loves Saturday Night; The Loco-Motion; Ah! Poor Bird (round); Old Texas; Downtown (Petula Clark); Children, Go Where I Send Thee; Ding Dong Merrily on High


1985: Let's Have Music; Botany Bay; All Things Bright and Beautiful; Mr Spaceman; Peta Peta; Scotland The Brave; Singing in the Rain; Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Beatles) (John Lennon/Paul McCartney); Brave Topolini; Where The Bee Sucks; She'll be comin' round the Mountain; The Wild Colonial Boy. Island in the Sun; Heroes of the School; Mr Mystery; Lord of the Dance; Don't Bring Lulu; Morning has Broken (Cat Stevens); Tumbalalyka (Russian folk song); The Pony Man (Gordon Lightfoot); Mother's Lament; A Colonial Experience; Green Grow The Rushes O; Balloon Song (Keith McDonald); Bush Night (Doug Kennedy); O Little One (Peter Combe); Angels We Have Heard on High; Y' don't Need to Worry 'bout a Thing; Food Glorious Food; Video (Peter Combe); Click Go The Shears; When I'm Sixty-Four (Beatles) (John Lennon/Paul McCartney); Yellow Bird; Peanut Butter, Yes, Please (Lorraine Milne); Skye Boat Song; What Have They Done to My Song, Ma; Home Among The Gum Trees; One More River; Bees (David Minchin); The Green Door; Matilda (Harry Belafonte); Pushbike Song; Crooked Little Man; Suba Su; The Overlander; Spanish Flea; Monday Morning Blues; Thirteen's My Lucky Number; Down on the Corner; The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (Paul Simon); Sing, Sing, Sing (Louis Prima); A Wise Old Owl (round); A Christmas Greeting (round); Carol of the Birds (Spears/Wheeler). (3)

[CK]

That list brings a lot of memories back:

"Dr Knicker Bocker, Knicker Bocker, number 9, he likes to dance and keep in time, so let's the rhythm of the hips..."

"Listen to the chorus, of the brontosaurus, and the stegosaurus, down by the swamp. Here comes the mammoth, tusks all curly, joins the hurly burly, down by the swamp"

"There was an old man called Michael Finnigan, he grew whiskers on his chinnigan..."

[A Mum]

hahaha

Have I started something here !

[stampy]

Oooh just thought of one - lol - not sure if already mentioned.

School subject: Singing and listening

Mum, do you mean the weekly session where ABC Radio would have a show where we all got out the "Let's Have Music" books and sung along? I had forgotten all about that until today

and dont forget "lets join in"

[GWW]

The Purple People Eater

There was also a song about going away to camp, can't remember much more detail about it though.

I also remember those little musical record/books, might have been Disney types of books. You follow the story from the voice recordings on the record, and when its time to turn the page, it makes a special noise.

I can also recall the Viewmaster Kaleidoscopes where you could view stories such as Supeman.

[A Mum]

The Purple People Eater

There was also a song about going away to camp, can't remember much more detail about it though.

I also remember those little musical record/books, might have been Disney types of books. You follow the story from the voice recordings on the record, and when its time to turn the page, it makes a special noise.

I can also recall the Viewmaster Kaleidoscopes where you could view stories such as Supeman.

Ooooh yes, yes, yes...

Are you thinking / was it this...
(Or did I just pull that from somewhere in another memory...lol)

Hello Muddah, hello Faddah
Here I am at camp Grenada
Camp is very entertaining
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining

I went hiking with Joe Spivey
He developed poison ivy
You remember Leonard Skinner
He got ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner

All the counselors hate the waiters
And the lake has alligators
And the head coach wants no sissies
So he reads to us from something called Ulysses

Now I don't want this should scare ya'
But my bunkmate has malaria
You remember Jeffery Hardy
They're about to organize a searching party

Take me home, oh Muddah, Faddah
Take me home, I hate Grenada
Don't leave me out in the forest where
I might get eaten by a bear

Take me home, I promise I will
Not make noise, or mess the house with
Other boys, oh please don't make me stay
I've been here one whole day

Dearest Fadduh, Darling Muddah
How's my precious little bruddah
Let me come home if you miss me
I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me

Wait a minute, it's stopped hailing
Guys are swimming, guys are sailing
Playing baseball, gee that's bettah
Muddah, Faddah kindly disregard this letter:D

[GWW]

Did anyone else have to do those mental arithmetic questions in primary school? I remember the teacher asking about 10 or so questions, and we'd have to write the answers in a little book and then they'd read out the answers to see how many we got correct.

I recall "Digger" readers in years 1 and 2.

Learning to read in the first 6 or so months at school, the teacher would hold up a little card with the letter, and somethng starting with that letter eg. A (with an apple diagram).

"4 Square" played each lunch and recess.

[GWW]

Thats the one Ma I tried googling it myself, but couldn't find it.

[GWW]

Oh, and whilst I think of it, the little "Clifford" the dog books.

[A Mum]

Did anyone else have to do those mental arithmetic questions in primary school? I remember the teacher asking about 10 or so questions, and we'd have to write the answers in a little book and then they'd read out the answers to see how many we got correct.

I recall "Digger" readers in years 1 and 2.

Learning to read in the first 6 or so months at school, the teacher would hold up a little card with the letter, and somethng starting with that letter eg. A (with an apple diagram).

"4 Square" played each lunch and recess.

Yep, yep

- and 'elastics' - or was that a girl thing

[GWW]

I can't recall "elastics" - was that a ball game?

I can also recall the girls played a game where they would face each other and sort of clap hands, and sing those songs.

[CK]

Did anyone else have to do those mental arithmetic questions in primary school? I remember the teacher asking about 10 or so questions, and we'd have to write the answers in a little book and then they'd read out the answers to see how many we got correct.

I recall "Digger" readers in years 1 and 2.

Learning to read in the first 6 or so months at school, the teacher would hold up a little card with the letter, and somethng starting with that letter eg. A (with an apple diagram).

"4 Square" played each lunch and recess.

"Speed and Accuracy"? Yep, we had these from about Year 5 onwards.

Lost count of how many games of 4 Square over the years there.