My brother and I earned our Skelly stripes in the Redhook Projects, Brooklyn, NY (1970’s). Anyone out there from Redhook that remembers Mrs. Bernice Hawkins (My Grandmother)….she’s solely responsible for my Skelly career. Her motto…”If you’re going outside, then Stay outside…no In’s and Out’s”. So, needless to say, we stayed outside all day, playing Skelly. My “top” of choice was that white metal top that came off juice bottles. My brother and I would go find all the candles in my grandmother’s house and melt wax into the top, with a penny in the middle of it for extra weight. If we ran out, we would go to the spanish store on the corner and get a candle for a nickel.
I’m a father of three kids now, and I’m definitely going to teach them all about Skelly. Actually, I live in Maryland now, so it will be new to most kids and adults alike.
I’m glad that I stumbled onto this site!