Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Did your school have a climbing frame folded against the walls of the hall? Did you ever get to go on it?

164 replies

ScarilyClose · 17/10/2025 16:56

One of the DC mentioned earlier something about never getting to go on the big climbing frame in the school hall and it unlocked my own memory of never getting to go on the big climbing frame in the school hall 😂

I went to 3 different schools from 4-16 and between them my DC have been to at least 7, and now we've discussed it none of us ever remember anyone getting a go on the big climbing frame in the hall. Going to ask DP about his memories of this when he gets home!

OP posts:
whiteroseredrose · 17/10/2025 17:23

Yes. I went to a couple of schools and both had them. But they were only used to pose for class photos from what I remember.

Billybagpuss · 17/10/2025 17:24

Periwinkletoes · 17/10/2025 17:15

One of my favourite P.E. lessons was when we played apparatus tig. Swarming all over it without touching the floor while the person who was 'it' tried to catch you. I remember one girl who was such a good climber got right up to the ceiling and was able to move from piece to piece with such agility no-one could catch her so the teacher called it quits. 1970s - Health and Safety did not exist.

Ok I’ve just posted the same thing, the girls initials in mine were MS and the town S
but you refer to it as tig, which is further up north 🤣

Toddlerteaplease · 17/10/2025 17:24

Yes. I think we went on it a couple of times.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
youalright · 17/10/2025 17:27

Yes we had one no we never went on it

Doodlingsquares · 17/10/2025 17:29

Ah, The Apparatus! I have i think 2 memories of them ever getting it out off the wall, and my recollection is we were not allowed to actually climb it, only the ropes that hung off which we were pitifully bad at climbing....

afaloren · 17/10/2025 17:29

We had one. They got it out when Fun House came to audition for the show. Never otherwise! I don’t know what the point of it was.

Nobody got on the show either.

TartanMammy · 17/10/2025 17:32

I went to brand new school build, early 00s, it had the climbing frames on the walls but we never got to use it.

We did get to use the other aperatus equipment though. Why include it in a brand new school if you're never going to use it!?

Twoshoesnewshoes · 17/10/2025 17:37

Yes, metallic sky blue with circles and ladders within it, it folded out from the wall.
yes we went in it, in our pants and vests, once a week maybe?
it smelt of sand.
someone in my sisters year fell off I think.

NinaS368 · 17/10/2025 17:43

We were allowed on ONCE the whole time I was at primary school - I have a very clear memory of how exciting this was!

I now work in a school and their apparatus is used in almost every PE lesson.

Digdongdoo · 17/10/2025 17:45

Yes, and no. Never even saw the apparatus unfolded. Was all beams and mats. And lots of dodgeball behind benches.

CrimsonStoat · 17/10/2025 17:50

FullOfLemons · 17/10/2025 17:01

No, never … and I was a kid in the 70s when Health and Safety didn’t exist

70s kid here, too. We were on it every gym lesson, probably why eventually one boy fell off and broke his arm. He got huge kudos for that. It didn't stop its use, though. Alongside the wooden horse and beams etc. And throwing the medicine ball which weighed a ton.

Edited as I've remembered we did get big blue mats to put down before we climbed, after the arm incident.

StartingOverIn2025 · 17/10/2025 17:58

I remember our apparatus needed the care taker to use a sort of jack to wheel it out and then lower it in to a hole in the floor. Probably why we barely used it.

SliceofTosst · 17/10/2025 17:59

Yes. We also had really high gym room which included a rail that pulled across the top of the ceiling and had ropes hanging off it to climb. Bloody high!

the80sweregreat · 17/10/2025 18:01

The apparatus was pulled out and we had to climb the ropes. I used to hate it ! lol

Sprogonthetyne · 17/10/2025 18:09

I went on it. It was in my primary school and and when folded out had a line if ceiling hight ropes (maybe 5m in the hall), we were meant to be able to climb. Being 5/6, no of us were able to climb rope and spent 20 minutes swinging on the bottom of them, until our group was rotated to the next part of the frame. In retrospect it was probably a good thing non of us could climb, because that would have been a big fall onto a 1 inch gym mat.

ProfoundlyPeculiarAndWeird · 17/10/2025 18:10

Yes, yes, yes! The only thing we did with The Apparatus was a game in which some were the hunters and some the hunted. You weren't allowed to touch the floor so you had to make your way everywhere at height. The level of concern for safety was about the same as in quiddich lessons at Hogwarts.

It was absolutely hands-down the best P.E. ever, and we all gasped with excitement when we saw that The Apparatus was out. Well, all except the wusses who didn't want to break their legs.

CaptainMyCaptain · 17/10/2025 18:11

I used all the apparatus in the hall until I retired as a teacher 10 years ago. I also resurrected the Maypole to stop it being chucked out.

ProfoundlyPeculiarAndWeird · 17/10/2025 18:12

Why did those mats always smell soooo bad? Like sweat.

ItstheHRTpat · 17/10/2025 18:13

I used to love this, but not the climbing ropes. The springboard and the horse was fun, but I hated high jump. Long jump not too bad but hated getting sand up my shorts. My favourite were javelin and shotput, I was fairly good at them!

CaptainMyCaptain · 17/10/2025 18:14

Sprogonthetyne · 17/10/2025 18:09

I went on it. It was in my primary school and and when folded out had a line if ceiling hight ropes (maybe 5m in the hall), we were meant to be able to climb. Being 5/6, no of us were able to climb rope and spent 20 minutes swinging on the bottom of them, until our group was rotated to the next part of the frame. In retrospect it was probably a good thing non of us could climb, because that would have been a big fall onto a 1 inch gym mat.

I only ever had one who could shin up the ropes. We said he would probably grow up to be a cat burglar climbing up drain pipes.

the80sweregreat · 17/10/2025 18:15

I didn’t get too far up the ropes, not a natural athlete! Lol
i liked cross country though. Was hopeless, but I could run in those days

TheDandyLion · 17/10/2025 18:15

The last pe session before each half term was just a play about on the apperatus.

AmethystAnnotation · 17/10/2025 18:16

Yes, and yes - came out routinely for PE in all my schools. Not that I was happy about going on it, I don't like heights unless I am safely in a building.

the80sweregreat · 17/10/2025 18:17

The boys could run up those ropes. I went to a tough school, probably came in handy for their later careers !

Missey85 · 17/10/2025 18:17

My high school had one we got to go it sometimes for PE class