Doing The Hokey Cokey

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We continued with the garden clearing after the storm today. It was so hot that it was a case of ‘In, Out, In, Out’ from the cooler indoors to the stifling outside as we continued with the tasks begun yesterday. Hopefully, we are back to normal now.

Dragon Bed and Shady Path

Here is a view of the Dragon Bed and Shady Path;

Gazebo

one of the Gazebo;

Brick Path

and another of the Brick Path. (the tall plant on the left is fennel)

With minor editing on my part, Wikipedia tells us that ‘The hokey cokey (United Kingdom), hokey tokey (New Zealand) , or hokey pokey (United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico) is a participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. Originating as a British folk dance, with variants attested as early as 1826, the song and accompanying dance peaked in popularity as a music hall song and novelty dance in the mid-1940s in Britain and Ireland. The song was a chart hit twice in the 1980s – first by The Snowmen which peaked at UK #18 in 1981, and then Black Lace who reached #31 in 1985.’ It remains today a popular feature of cross-generational knees-ups.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzQ9K7-J_PM&w=420&h=315]

The Snowmen, otherwise known as Ian Drury and the Blockheads, had a surprise hit with their Christmas single in 1981. They, and a bunch of assorted children, entertaining an elderly neighbour at her window, danced their hokey cokey in a blizzard. We, lacking an audience, performed ours in a heatwave.

Mr Chatty Man Chan, of Hordle Chinese Take Away, provided our dinner this evening. I drank Doom Bar beer and Jackie drank fruit juice.

74 comments

  3. I remember doing that dance, as a youngster…most often, as Cynthia Guenther Richardson says, wearing roller or ice skates!

    I received an ice cream making machine as a gift last year and had many a conversation with our friend Bruce about what flavor of Ice cream is best. I opted for French Vanilla but he thought it boring. He told me HOKEY POKEY is the best selling flavor of ice cream in New Zealand. It’s basically vanilla, with solid lumps of honeycomb toffee mixed in. I told him I no longer have the teeth for that. 🙂

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    2. I am researching icecream machines currently Cynthia – I shall usurp Derricks post and enquire your brand and what you think of it. I do not like hokey pokey icecream never have……. give me french vanilla or chocolate or a fresh fruit one any day. Basically I like icecream 🙂 Don’t you think it’s grand they [D and HG] have the energy to dance in that kind of heat? I was quite impressed!

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      1. “You put your right hand in
        you put your right hand out
        you put your right hand in
        and you shake it all about…” Yes, I can imagine Derrick and Jackie doing that! As for my ice cream machine, it’s one of the simplest and least expensive, made by Hamilton Beach. So far, I’ve made great French Vanilla, Chocolate, Orange-Pineapple, and Raspberry frozen yogurt. (I treated myself to homemade ice cream for breakfast today. Goes well with coffee. 🙂 )

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        1. “…. You do the Hokey C/T/Pokey and you turn yourself about
          that’s what its all about….”

          Then it’s all the upping and downing and to-ing and fro-ing that goes on, while singing, that would exhaust me in the heat….. 🙂
          I did a quick online search for Hamilton Beach and found -wouldn’t you know it – it is not a brand currently in this country. However should I ever stumble across one I shall swoop upon it. Icecream for breakfast in the height of summer sounds like a deliciously decadent delight!! <3

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      2. Pauline, you don’t need an ice cream machine!!!! Whip a pint of heavy cream; add 1 can sweetened condensed milk and your fruit or other flavorings. Site up well, toss in freezer and let it freeze. Voila! Ice cream. I know, it’s cheating, but it tastes mighty darn good…

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        1. Now that does sound good – but would probably do me in! I want to use organic products – yoghurts and fc milks and so on – so that my indulgences might have a certain tinge of healthiness to them 🙂

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          2. Ahah, well for me it’s an infrequent indulgence, but yes, you can use lower fat things, fruit juices and other stuff and will indeed need a machine for decent texture. I had forgotten your no sugar issue.

        1. Black Raspberry? Is that a fruit? I’m very fond of red raspberries…… Do you make your own icecream in an icecream maker? I would like to have a maker with which to have an intense and long term affair ….. 🙂

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          2. My neighbor is a chef and she made ice cream from my black raspberries last summer. But, actually, the ice cream I love is Beyer’s Black Raspberry with Chocolate Ice Cream that is carried in my local grocer store.

  4. I remember doing the Hokey Pokey as a child, and with my children–and yes, often at roller skating rinks. I also heard recently about it being a popular ice cream flavor in New Zealand.
    In any case, I hope the temperature is more comfortable tomorrow. The garden looks lovely.

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  9. Once in a tavern in Nebraska prior to a football game we participated in a rather risqué version of the Hokey Pokey. We were all drunk and it was hilarious.

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  11. I loved Ian Dury and the Blockheads and had no idea he made a version of the Hokey Cokey or remember it being at No1. My father used to tell us that before ice-cream in the early 20s – the Italians used to sell Okey-Cokey – frozen yellow custard in the streets of Southampton. Mr Chatty Man Chan, of Hordle Chinese Take Away, sounds intriguing – I shall have to pay him a visit one of these days.

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  13. I loved the video. We do left leg in and left leg out (then right) as well, here. It’s lots of fun!!! So glad you and Jackie had take out tonight. Sounds as though it’s too hot to cook. We’re having a respite, but it’s getting hotter again.

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  14. Hmmm… the hokey cokey on a hot day, I know exactly what you mean. I was doing the same.
    Love those pics. What’s the majestic tree?

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  15. The internet says that “Doom Bar is named after a sand bank at the mouth of the estuary of the River Camel next to Rock, famed for being treacherous to ships.” I don’t care how popular it is, it’s a sad name for beer. 🙂

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  16. Haha…… I remember doing the Hokey-Cokey at someone’s wedding reception when I was quite small. This rather large man stood on my foot. 🙁 My sister is visiting Holland and then England from winter in South Africa and has brought all the wrong clothes with her. She thought the weather was going to be cool. 🙂

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  22. Your garden is beautiful as ever! Incidentally, I was fascinated to hear that the same song is given slightly different names in various parts of the English-speaking world. It surprised me a little that on this occasion, Ireland and Australia go with the American version. I have the impression that they are in general much more likely to use British spelling and vocabulary when there’s a choice.

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  24. I was thinking you had written a poem by the title of your post! Darn. I had no idea all the different names for that dance, so thanks for the education. Sir Knight.

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