General Chat

I don't remember a rhyme but if we saw an ambulance we would hold our collar till we saw a dog. I still draw my curtains if there is a funeral in my close or near by.

Margaret

Reading through these messages think this is what we said "
When we saw an ambulance we used to say
Hold your collar, touch your toes,
never go in one of those
hold your collar 'til you see a black/brown dog.

When I was young and anyone died in the neighbourhood, word would spread and a crowd of us children would go and visit the bereaved. We would kneel down, close our eyes and pray around the corpse, who was "laid out". And afterwards, we were given biscuits and Lemonade....lol...how awful! BC XX

Touch you collar, touch your nose, never hope to go in one of those.

when there was a death in the family they used to shut the curtains then on the day of the funeral all the neighbours would shut theires. everyone used to stand with heads bowed men would take off their hats when a funeral passed.
when we saw a ambulance we used to say
touch your collar
touch your toes
hope i never go in one of those
Love Jackie

Hi Carol

I lived not far from South London Crem in Streatham as a girl so we saw lots of funeral processions passing by.

We always held our collar and we would count the number of cars in the procession - don't remember saying any rhymes tho.

I don't remember a rhyme

But we used to hold our collars till we saw a Black dog

Like Lynn, and Helen,
when my brother in law died
(he'd only been living with us for 5 1/2 months )
the hurst drew up and i was amazed to see all the neigbours curtians close .
and also some people bowing their heads as we passed along the way. to the cremartorium
Hazelx

I remember if there had been a death in our street when I was a child then my mother would draw the curtains when the hearse passed. Out of respect she said.

Is that something others did?

Sue
x

When we saw an ambulance we used to say

Touch your nose, touch your toes,
never go in one of those
hold your collar 'til you see a dog.

Strange how the sayings all differ

Jo xx

When you saw an ambulence...
Hold youre collar, never swallow, never catch a fever,
if you do you'll catch the flu.....

cant remember the last line!
xx

If i remember rightly it was when you saw an ambulance and it was.
Hold your collar never swallow never catch the fever.
God that brings back memories.

Val

sorry that was my deletion got it wrong lol

was it

touch my collar touch my knee
pray to god that thats not me
touch my collar touch my toe
pray to god its not my time to go


that was lurking somewhere in the store box of childhood memories

xxLynnxx

Hi Carol :-)

We used to bow our heads too kitty.


was going to have coach and horses for my Father's funeral as he was an old 'Londoner' and that was what he wanted....but the traffic put paid to that :-(.

Susan

you're right Libby - when you saw an ambulance. My sister got carted off with scarlet fever - one of the happiest days of my life!!! she's 7 years younger than me and was a little madam, so at three years of age we waved her off - Mum was crying, but I was in seventh heaven.

I have never heared of the collar ritual either. As a RC we were taught to make the sign of the cross and to say 'Lord have mercy on your soul, rest in peace Amen.'

At my dads funeral almost 4 years ago, i was amazed by the respect shown to the funeral procession, it made me cry even more

because dad had been housebound for 8 years, we wanted his final journey to be special, so we had a glass horse drawn carriage for him
the traffic stopped, and so did people and bowed there heads in respect, it was a wonderful journey to the crematorium,
the undertaker walked the whole length of the street in front of the horses, it really was quite beautiful

xxLynnxx

I attended my Uncles funeral the other week and as we were leaving the house everyone came out of their houses on the street and bowed their heads, and on the journey into Worcester, several people stopped walking and bowed their heads as were approaching. I always stop and bow my head and cross myself when I see a funeral, even when I'm in a car, travelling in the opposite direction. I have even seen on a couple of occasions, youngsters and hoodlums stopping in respect. There are some people out there who do respect the old traditions.

Helen

Been told it was Hold your collar,don't swallow till you see an ambulance!

The "touch collar" one - wasn't that when you saw an ambulance?