Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s writing challenge, CFFC: public art #poetry #photography

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Esther Chilton’s prompt for this week’s writing challenge is charge. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/09/10/writing-prompts-82/

Taking Charge

When I was a young girl, I often took charge at play time, and I was the ringleader of a variety of games at school. My games were always created with the best of intentions but boisterous games involving the entire class had a way of taking on a life of their own.

I clearly recall one game that involved splitting the class into two groups. One group had to hold hands tightly while members of the second group took turns running at the line and trying to force their way through the tightly clasped hands. Naturally, this was great fun, and everyone participated with enormous goodwill. The noise levels climbed along with injuries which didn’t make themselves felt until later when Sister Ruth, teacher of my class and an advocator of ladylike behaviour for girls and gentlemanliness for boys, entered the fray.

The end of break bell had run some minutes before and had gone unnoticed by the excited participants of the game. I’ve never forgotten Sister Ruth’s shout of horror when she rounded the corner of the building and found her class of six-year old’s in a state of near hysterical bedlam. Shoes, socks, and straw boaters lay in untidy piles, sashes were loose, and every child was red and disheveled. At the sound of Sister Ruth’s voice, a deathly silence fell over the gathering. Children quickly moved to put on their shoes and socks. A few, their bruises and bumps suddenly making themselves felt, burst into tears.

I got a dressing down of note and spent the rest of the day on my own in the naughty corner. My report included the phrase: ‘Robbie has the face of an angel, but she has black wings and a rusty halo.’ Naturally, that went down a treat at home.

naughty girl

lacking discipline,

self-control,

and smooth hair

Pollyanna look alike

preferred type of child

CFFC – hobbies

Dan’s challenge this week is continuation of last week’s hobbies. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/09/15/photos-of-your-hobby-part-ii-cffc/

One of my hobbies is taking photographs of street art and other public art.

Picture caption: A gold statue of a man on a horse in Grand Place, Brussels
Picture caption: Statue on a building in Grand Place, Brussels
Picture caption: International Memorial to Seafarers in London
Picture caption: Stairway of Angels on the outer wall of Bath Cathedral
Picture caption: Street art in Brussels. It was hard to get a good picture.
Picture caption: a larger view of this street art. The angle was difficult.
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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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106 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s writing challenge, CFFC: public art #poetry #photography”

      1. Somehow, I don’t think the current youngsters play these games. Did you play Kick the Old Tin Can and Red Rover? I once had an entire book of these games. I don’t know what happened to it.

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        1. The game I described was Red Rover or a variation of it. I don’t know the other game. We played hopscotch and a game with only nylon stockings tied together to make a loop. It was a step patterns game. We also had seasons of collecting marbles, writing paper and stickers.

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  13. Now I see you in a new light 🙂 Initially I jumped ahead in my thoughts at – ringleader – but then you settled into the happy state of school play, and then you surprised me and made me smile. But essentially this is the life of leaders and creatives.

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  14. I’ve been in the naughty corner too but that they put ‘Robbie has the face of an angel, but she has black wings and a rusty halo.’ in the report just seems a bit ridiculous. Now you can laugh about it but that could not have been a good teacher. Your photos are great and the street art is amazing.

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  15. Great photos as usual. I especially like the seafarer’s memorial.
    You have led such an interesting life! Even as a six year old. And you also have a very good memory. (K)

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      1. I read an article a few years ago about people who are rememberers and those who are forgetters. I am completely a forgetter. My girls tease me about it all the time. I realize now it’s because I have such a short attention span. You have a very focused attention, and I can see how that would not always be a blessing, but the opposite is also true.

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  18. Haha who would have thought a school girl like me I was always in trouble I just put my hand out when I passed the heads door and see them standing there with the ruler..Both the ruler and the corner had my name on them …Of course my sisters were little angels…

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    1. My sisters actually were angels. I also had a ruler to my hand during school. They don’t do that anymore and I wonder if the worlds the better for it. The problem with that sort of discipline is it gets abused, but the inverse happens when there is no discipline.

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  20. You were only having a bit of fun. You still have the face of an angel but we should beware of your black wings and rusty halo 😂 I think a lot of us can relate to getting into trouble like that. A really entertaining read, Robbie.

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  23. Dear Roberta
    We had to laugh out loud about your game experience. We hated games – all games.
    Great pictures of public art 👍 👍
    Thanks
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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    1. Yes, it was called Red Rover and there was a rhyme we sang. On reflection, I don’t think some of the older nuns were suited to teaching young children. Some were very inflexible in their ideas. I think that mural is to men based on its location in the city but I’m not sure.

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  27. It’s fun to read about your life, Robbie, and that comment in the report made me laugh. I wonder if it was intended to be funny. I may have led my little sister into things, but never a group of kids. I was a quiet bookworm and not very athletic or very much into those sorts of games.

    I like seeing and photographing public art, too. 😊

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    1. Hi Merril, I think the comment was serious in nature. Sister Ruth had very conservative ideas and probably thought I was destined for hell. We can’t all fit into round holes, unfortunately. I led my sister Catherine into a few scrapes too, but nothing overly serious.

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  28. Ha! The game you describe is one we used to play called “Red Rover.” We’d all join hands tightly, then say, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Jimmy or Sue or whoever come over,” and that person would try to break throug the line. 🙂 Love the photos and the memory.

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  33. We played Red Rover, too. I loved it, bruises and dislocated shoulders and all. I was kind of disappointed to learn schools nowadays have banned the game.

    You find the coolest things to capture on film. (Or rather, in pixels.) I think the memorial to the seafarers is especially wonderful.

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  35. I can’t believe Sister Ruth’s terrible report about you! Shame on her; she could have said things in a very different way. I bet all the kids who were with you in the game remember it with smiles. Your photos are gorgeous!

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  37. Hi, Robbie.

    The game you describe here we call Red Rover.

    Everyone stands in a line on either side as you describe. Then one team calls to the other, “Red Rover Red Rover, let (Insert name) come over.” If all one team could break through one at a time without being stopped they won.

    If they got stopped they were put into the other team.

    It was one game I could play with my class when I went to public school.

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