RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: RuslanPashayev on Sunday 28 January 18 16:40 GMT (UK)
-
Dear Friends, who has any memories about the clog fighting/shin kicking/purring contests in South East Lancashire please be welcome to share. I will highly appreciate that. Thanks in advance. Kind regards, Ruslan
-
I've head of it but thought it was a relatively modern phenomenon.
I once ran the sound system for the annual "Worst Singer in the World" competition which use to take place in Fleetwood; maybe it still does?
Must go and walk the whippets!
-
RuslanPashayev - are you writing a book or something? You are asking so many questions on sports and sportsmen from the past
-
Well done for asking Lizzie - I've also been wondering and conjecturing as its not general genealogy stuff.
Pheno
-
clog fighting/shin kicking contests were widely practiced by local colliers in South East Lancashire during 1800's. Bolton, Rochdale, Bury, Wigan, Salford, Oldham and other areas. There were famous Pendlebury Purrers Two combatants stripped to their waists would apply hold of each other shoulders (and elbows) and will kick each others shins. The loser was the one who fell on the ground first, or gave up, or even released the initial hold. Those were the rules to the best of my knowledge. I have heard that contests continued illegaly till 1950's. Thanks.
-
RuslanPashayev - are you writing a book or something? You are asking so many questions on sports and sportsmen from the past
You haven't answered my question though.
-
Out of interest you may want to put cock fighting into your research and I don't mean with real cocks, but with people crouching down, arms crossed and trying to knock each other over. We used to do it at school (in the North of England) but I'm sure that too must have originated with men fighting too.
-
Its actually very funny, BUT you arent the first person on this forum who asks me the same question. Honestly to hear the same question asked over and over again is truly depressing. And yes I answered this question several times already and will repeat again - I am a ballroom dance teacher from Ohio USA...I do not write any books, may be some day I will write one on Latin Dancing Technique...But you asking made me think - DO YOU GUYS HAVE HOBBIES AT ALL? OR YOU DO RESEARCHES to make living ONLY ??? Now can you picture that there ARE people in the world who have hobbies, and do researches for fun as a hobby. Hard to imagine right?
-
I think you will find that for many of the people on rootschat, researching family history IS their hobby. Many of them will be employment as well as having numerous other hobbies. Some are retired. I don't think there are any rootschatters who are professional genealogists - at least not one that I can think of.
You should not find it depressing that others have also asked if you are writing a book. Perhaps there is something in the questions you ask or the way you ask them, that gives people that impression. It's only natural for people to be curious about what you are up to. They may want to help you. I have read many threads over the years on rootschat where people actually are writing a book, and they ask for help with their research.
I think if you just wanted to find out general information about unusual things such as Clog Fighting, then you would use google to research. It is because you are specifically asking for people's memories and personal experience that gives the impression you are looking further into this, but you shouldn't get annoyed if people are curious about why. :)
-
the thing is unfortunately google as well as many other search engines aren't helpful when it comes to getting answers. info provided on the wikipedia-likes is very generic, stereotypical and in many cases not accurate (meaning WRONG). and yeah I do think the best way to get the accurate info is to actually ask people who may have some memories or may be even were participants of any of the events. our memories is all we really own, hahaha as they say. but yeah I get it, may be its fine, I answered once of course I can answer that question again. which I did. and yeah sports history is my hobby. which sports? sounds funny, but almost any, I truly find it interesting to read about sports and sportsmen, not just of the past, which I truly enjoy, but especially of the modern times. I am a professional sportsman myself, most of my life goes either at the gym or on the dance floor. so you can imagine what it is.
-
Yes, I understand that there may not be much information on the internet about the more unsual sports.
Maybe you should consider writing a book or a blog so that these unusual sports are not forgotten. :)
-
Here's a sport you probably have never seen - Pelota Nacional - played in Ecuador. The ball weighs around 12 pounds and the tablas [racquets] weigh about the same. It's played every weekend at the park near where I live.
http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/quito/11/la-pelota-nacional-es-un-deporte-que-afianza-la-identidad-local
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsRmChM-8VU
-
book on sports???? hahahaha Oh no, I am not a writer, I am more of a reader, hahaha but yeah I am way too busy teaching to right book even on my own expertise which is ballroom, I am totally running out of time, every single day of my life, ahhahaha sometimes 24 is NOT enough, hahahaha
-
book on sports???? hahahaha Oh no, I am not a writer, I am more of a reader, hahaha but yeah I am way too busy teaching to right book even on my own expertise which is ballroom, I am totally running out of time, every single day of my life, ahhahaha sometimes 24 is NOT enough, hahahaha
We are all running out of time every single day of our lives - it's a fact of life hahahaha.
Clog fighting/shin kicking/purring/wrestling/Manchester cotton industry/strong men etc etc. are all subjects in your many posts.
Perhaps if 24hrs is not enough and you are way too busy teaching - you need to prioritise your time and focus on more essential things in life.
-
Here's a sport you probably have never seen - Pelota Nacional - played in Ecuador. The ball weighs around 12 pounds and the tablas [racquets] weigh about the same. It's played every weekend at the park near where I live.
http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/quito/11/la-pelota-nacional-es-un-deporte-que-afianza-la-identidad-local
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsRmChM-8VU
I think the theme of Ruslan's sporting interests seems to be more man on man physical, so maybe this one does not fit the bill, unless the players are allowed to whack each other with those racquets. ;D
-
Well, there can be serious injuries. I listened to an interview with a player who said that he once swung at a ball that bounced off a pebble at a weird angle. He missed the ball and, because the tablas are so heavy, they have a lot of momentum and are difficult to control. The tabla swung on around and he hit himself on the side of the head and knocked out several of his own teeth.
-
Out of interest you may want to put cock fighting into your research and I don't mean with real cocks, but with people crouching down, arms crossed and trying to knock each other over. We used to do it at school (in the North of England) but I'm sure that too must have originated with men fighting too.
Oh, I remember doing that, especially at parties and socials. This was in Lancashire, Lizzie, so perhaps it was a "Northern" thing. I always got knocked over quickly! So embarrassing. ::)
-
Gillg - I went to school in Altrincham, Cheshire, before it became part of Greater Manchester ::) so not that far from Lancashire.
-
And I'm from Rochdale on the other, not so posh side of Manchester! ;)
-
Aah but my parents came from Harpurhey so that's nearer to Rochdale ;) and probably would have stayed there if my mum's eldest (living) sister hadn't run off with a married man and caused a scandal. Because of that rather than running a shop on Rochdale Road, my mum and gran "fled" to Hale in Cheshire and ran a shop there instead. Obviously, when my parents married, dad moved in with mum and gran and we lived in a 3 bed maisonette behind the shop.
-
Ruslan
As a dancer you should be interested in the Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup in Lancashire https://www.coconutters.co.uk/history/ who dance in clogs. I dare say there could be a bit of fighting after they have visited every pub in the area on Easter Saturday!
The sound of clogs still reminds me of the clattering noise in the early morning as millworkers made their way down the pavement to the now defunct spinning mills. It drove our dog wild!