SOCCER and cricket are games that England is credited with presenting to the world -- although we're not much good at either these days! But what about Weak Horses and Guinea Cat?

These almost-forgotten forms of team rivalry peaked during and after the second world war, only to vanish into oblivion around the 1960s.

But now, Billinge reader A. Foster brings them back into sharp focus following the street-games theme raised recently by retired St Helens teacher Kevin Heneghan.

Writes A.F., of Bernard Wood Court, Birchley Road: "I think Kevin left two of the most interesting games out of his list. Firstly, there was Weak Horses (better known in Lanky twang as Wake 'orses). Then there was Guinea-cat or Piggie.

Before fully outlining the rules of these intriguingly-named pursuits, our Billinge chum explains: "After the war, I did my PE diploma at Carnegie College, Leeds, and made a special study of these games."

A.F. had seen Weak Horse - a test of strength involving clambering on to a line of stooped backs - being played in the desert by Rhodesian and South African squadrons.

"They called it Bok-bok (perhaps for Springbok?) I first met the Rhodesians on a troopship from Durban to Suez and even challenged them to play an RAF team one evening. Apparently, Glaswegians also love the game, too! Hunch-cuddy-hunch they call it."

And A.F. observes with pride: "It's another game we gave to the world!"

In the Lancashire street version, a gaslamp or gable-end wall was leant against by the 'stumper'. Then a crocodile file of team-mates would bend over against him, one behind the other. The opposing team then leap-frogged onto that column of bent backs, heaving and squirming their way into place while doing their level best to collapse the stooping line.

When all were aboard, the 'backs' had to hold fast for a count of five and then guess how many fingers were upraised by the opposing captain, perched aloft.

"There were various refinements to the game, but it was once very popular in our rugby-playing area," A.F. points out.

Guinea Cat, sometimes known as pitman's golf, entailed striking a 'piggy' (a small cylinder of heavy wood, about an inch and half in diameter, sharpened to a point at one end) with an old axe-shaft or similar striker.

As the piggy was flipped into the air, from a level stone placed on the ground, it was given an almighty whack. It flew 50 or 60 yards; and the scoring came from challenging the opposing team to reach the piggy in a nominated number of skip-jumps.

But this energetic team game was not confined to the kids. "There were five of us from St Helens at Chester College when I did my teacher training," continues our street-game expert. "Sunday afternoons were boring so we taught some other students how to play piggy. Eventually, this produced great rivalry and we were soon playing 'county' matches every Sunday. But the neighbours objected to all the noise and shouting, so this had to stop."

But the game went from 'county' to 'international' level, just the same! "Our second day at Carnegie started with PT," recalls A.. "We were all ex-forces and included four flying types and two Commandos, together with Paras and Chindits -- in all, about 30 'tough' guys."

However, they soon proved that there's more than a trace of the little lad inside even the toughest of types. The instructor lined them up and ordered them to play Wee Willie Winkie. He stalked up and down reciting the familiar nursery rhyme. And when he came to 'It's past eight o'clock' the burly bunch ran enthusiastically to the other side of the gym while the instructor tried to catch them.

But there was method in this apparent madness. For, as A.F, explains: "I've played that game and its variations many times in my teaching days. A good PE teacher needs to know lots of these simple games to liven up the lessons for the children."

ALL good clean fun, of course. But can these games be tolerated in times of political correctness gone mad? For instance, one loony pressure group is currently advocating the abolition of musical chairs -- on the grounds that it makes toddlers aggressively competitive!