Giddy-gaddy facts for kids

Giddy-gaddy was a fun children's game played a long time ago in Manchester, England. It was also known as cat's pallet. This game was a bit like another old game called tip-cat, where players hit a small object with a stick.

Giddy-Gaddy: A Game from Old Manchester

Giddy-gaddy was a popular game among kids in the industrial areas of Manchester, like Ardwick. It was simple but exciting, focusing on how far a player could hit a small wooden piece.

How Was Giddy-Gaddy Played?

To play giddy-gaddy, you needed two main things: a stick and a special piece of wood. This wooden piece was sharpened at both ends. The game started by hitting one of the sharpened ends of the wood. This made the wood jump up into the air. Once it was airborne, the player would then hit it again with the stick, trying to send it as far away as possible. The goal was to hit the wooden piece the furthest distance.

Why Was Giddy-Gaddy a Problem?

Even though it was a children's game, giddy-gaddy sometimes caused trouble. The game was played in the streets, which were often busy, especially in industrial areas. Hitting a wooden piece far could cause damage or get in the way of people and traffic. Because of this, the game was even mentioned in official records called "court leet records" from the manor of Manchester. These records kept track of local issues and problems, showing that giddy-gaddy could be quite disruptive.