1. I grew up in Desborough, Northamptonshire, in the 1920s …
We used to go up rye grass spikelets saying ‘He loves me, he loves me not’ [Robertsbridge, East Sussex, June 2003].

2. Notes about games with grass that I used to play as a child in Leicestershire in the 40s:
Rye grass – tinker tailor grass – taking off the flowering glumes to count off tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief – ending at the occupation of one’s future husband [Llantysilio, Denbighshire, February 1998].

Image: Wimbart Road, Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth; July 2014.