Cro's informative informative post (no, not that one) on sardines reminded me of a long ago time when we were all at art school together and had a party in an unsuspecting lecturer's large country house.
We decided to play a game of 'sardines'. If you don't know how this game is played here's how it goes.
One player goes off and finds a hiding place in the dark, then the others silently go around the house looking for him/her. As each player discovers the hider, they join them in the hiding place and wait for the others to find them.
Our player's hiding place was a small broom cupboard. I seem to remember that I was one of the first to find her and there were about 6 or 7 other players who - one by one - discovered us and quietly crammed themselves into the broom cupboard, trying not to laugh, sneeze or make any other sound which would give the game away. This is why it is called 'sardines'.
After a while everyone except a girl called Melanie had stuffed themselves into the cupboard and were getting quite keen for her to find us so we could get out into the fresh air again.
We heard Melanie approaching, then she just walked past not thinking of checking the cupboard. She must have walked past us a few times before we heard the terrible sound of her head hitting wood followed by a moan from her as she collapsed to the floor.
In the dark she was walking with both arms stretched out in front of her and had not felt the open door to the room. One hand went to the right of the door and the other to the left. Her forehead hit the heavy door edge on and it actually shuddered on its hinges.
We ran out of the cupboard and turned the lights on finding Melanie with a lump on her head the size of a goose egg.
She was a hapless girl. We once convinced her that the British Museum had a locked cabinet containing the funniest joke in the world, and that the few people who had dared to read it had died laughing. The story was that if you signed a waiver, they would give you a key to the cabinet and leave you alone in the room to read the joke.
I had to stop her from getting on a train to London the following day. She was sure that she could read it without laughing.
A boy finding a girl in the broom cupboard in a game of sardines? When I played the game a very long time ago then such a situation would mean you would try anything not to be found - even to locking the door if there was a key in the lock.
ReplyDeleteI was obviously more innocent than you Weave, though I did eventually end up with Melanie for a brief time.
DeleteThat was a fun game to play when we were younger and thinner.
ReplyDeleteI now have an image of 7 elderly and overweight people stuffed together in a small cupboard, waiting to be discovered by another elderly and overweight person.
DeleteYou remind me of the Monty Python sketch about the funniest joke in the world. You can see it on YouTube, but actually the Wikipedia description of it is possibly even funnier (please take suitable precautions before readings): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funniest_Joke_in_the_World
ReplyDeleteHad you gone down at midnight, no one would see you catching a snowflake.
DeleteThat's the one, Tasker. We had just seen the episode.
DeleteI wish I was that clever, Joanne.
DeleteShe came from Zambia, I think. That party was (for me) memorable for other 'goings on'.
ReplyDeleteShortly before or after that game of sardines, your Lady M came back to her flat around dawn to find me in her bed with Melanie. She expressed her disapproval and left us alone. This could have been the catalyst for you and her getting together. She probably went to your place.
DeleteI have never played sardines or ever heard of it. Melanie sounds a bit dippy.
ReplyDeleteNFN.
DeleteI told Cro that I bought a tin of sardines last week but have yet to have them .... as everyone said, they are nice on toast. Like Cro, I think a few naughty things went on whilst playing sardines .... Rachel’s comment made me laugh 🤣XXXX
ReplyDeleteOn the news it said that the Corridor shopping centre in Bath was closed due to two roof collapses from the weight of the snow !!! I hope you weren’t underneath them. XXXX
ReplyDeleteThat roof collapse was about six feet from where I was almost blown up by an IRA bomb in the 70s. I was standing right next to it at night, looking at a record shop window 4 minutes before it exploded.
DeleteCrickey .... you were lucky ...... I worked above Scott’s restaurant in Mayfair which the IRA bombed ...... Luckily for me, they bombed it at night. XXXX
DeleteI may be wrong, but these games sound like they were played at the Manor House where there were plenty of 'hiding' places from Basement, Servants Hall, up to the Attic with plenty of broom cupboards on the way.
ReplyDeleteOur 3 bed semi had an understair space for Harry Potter only. I definitely missed out.
Yes. You need a bit of space.
Delete