Apusski Dusky

[ThomasinaJones]

How many people remember singing this song as kids? And Lily the Pink? Bananas in Pyjamas?

DH doesn't remember any of these, and it's making me sad.

Anyone joining me a little sing-along (cross-legged on the carpet, hoping the person next to you doesn't wet themselves today)?

I doubt I could sit cross legged comfortably to be honest. I don't yearn for the return of holding a strangers clammy hand in chorus either so am probably not your audience!

Have never heard of Apusski Dusky or Lily the Pink either unfortunately so doubly so.

No need to be sad though, surely your memories are your own. We all had different childhoods.

Thank you @dontgobaconmyheart . Just want to make sure I'm not imagining that these the songs of 80s childhood...

In miidddlle oooocean…. Sardines are swiiiimmiiiiing…..

Ahhh, thank you @Talipesmum 😅

🎶We'll drink a drink a drink, to Lily the pink the pink the pink 🎶

Apusskidu: Songs for Children https://amzn.eu/d/fwsM6iA

Ta-ra-ra boom-de-ay: Songs for Everyone (Classroom Music) https://amzn.eu/d/f37tsUv

And
Okki-Tokki-Unga: Action Songs for Children (Songbooks) https://amzn.eu/d/8SQGQvB

Best ever classroom / childhood songbooks!

@Headband 😘
Mr Flears had sticky out ears....

Oh, YES! @Talipesmum ALL THESE BOOKS! They were amazing. I wonder if many kids know them now (mine know a few from my night-night warbling by their beds, but whether they'd recognise the true versions or not...)

I remember Puff The Magic Dragon and Home, Home On The Range.

I remember them well - as a teacher though. Appuskidoo and OkkiTokkiUnger were great song books

Jennifer Eccles had terrible freckles..

They were the best! I’ve got a couple of them at home - ex primary school teacher brought them back.

I remember Lily The Pink (we had the single in the 70s). Also Bananas in Pyjamas but I hated that one. Never heard of Apusski Dusky though. I went to a primary school where the teacher liked nothing better than a good singalong so we knew all the camp fire songs, popular hymns. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing anyone?

Right Said Fred
Let's All Go Down The Strand
My Grandfather's Clock

We sang At Half Past Three We Go Home For Tea. I don't remember the ones you mention but DH does. I guess my school didn't have that book!

I think they have sadly fallen out of favour due to fewer staff members playing the piano. I had a TA in my class who played so we often had a sing song. During one of the earlier Ofsted (90s) we had an inspector in the room, it was pouring with rain and the children were tetchy as they couldn't go out to play so I stopped everything and had a rousing sing song round the piano. The inspector praised me for responding to the children - it wouldn't happen now.

Oh my word yes @Comefromaway I always had to stop myself crying with My Grandfather's Clock.

Does anyone remember one about a hole in the ground, big and sorta round...?

All primary school teachers should get free piano lessons, and there should be at least a half hour of sitting and singing every morning...

My kids seemed mostly to sing songs about internet safety at primary. We might have had Rolf Harris and Jimmy Saville on the telly in the 80s, but at least we didn't have to sing about paedos in assembly...

A wise old sardine let's out a warning,
Appuski Duski, Appuski Doo

When I was in Mrs Brumby's class our version of The Wombling Song was little short of legendary.

I went to a bog standard suburban primary school in the golden days of school music. We sang and sang and sang. We danced about the maypole, we had free 'cello lessons and recorder groups. We sang in class, in assembly, during wet play. We went to schools singing festivals, and sang carols in the church. Normally accompanied by a teacher on guitar, reliving his Glastonbury days.

It was absolutely wonderful and has given me a life long love of singing (which I've made a point of passing onto my kids)

DH went to a very posh prep school in central London and knows none of my primary school songs. It was all Panis Angelicus for them. His loss....

@LaChienneDesFromages yes, I realise now my little primary school was so incredibly lucky. We had a few teachers who loved singing/playing, we all had endless recorder lessons, and there was no national curriculum so sometimes it was all we seemed to do for days on end.

Yes, I remember those. There were also a couple I remember:

Mrs ? Christmas cake, there were nuts and bolts and berries.... caraway seeds in abundance to give you a bad headache

And one about a ladder that nobody remembers...

When you have fallen down from the ladder, when you were scaling up high to success.
You lose your appetite and nothing goes quite right, your life's in a mess.
When you have fallen, down from the key to success

apuski doo

I have the Apussky Dusky songbook on my piano right now. The grandchildren love it.

Oh my this brings back happy memories. @LaChienneDesFromages I couldn’t agree more. At my tiny village primary we sang in the hall every day songs from Appusskidu or hymns from Come and Praise. We played instruments, listened to stories, baked biscuits, put on plays, painted and played rounders or french cricket in the summer. It never felt like learning, apart from 20 mins of times tables in the morning! Happy, happy days.