Mike Nicholls 'one potato, two potato, three potato, four' etc automatically leads to another thread, ie that of street rhymes , and other rhymes used for 'selection' etc in street games.
Obviously there were variations of eenie, meenie, miney, mo.

Eenie meenie miney, mo
Put the baby on its po,
When its done, wipe its bum,
eenie meenie miney mo!

Eenie meenie miney mo
Catch a n***** by his toe,
If he screams let him go,
Eenie meenie miney mo. (sorry politically incorrect)

But Im sure there were others ..............

(And of course girls skipping rhymes, but we wouldnt remember these, or would we ???)

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-1964

Current location (optional) Wirral

My personal favourite was always: "Nebuchadnezzar, King of the Jews/ Wiped 'is arse on the Keighley News.."

Then there were variations of popular songs . Some I remember were -- or at least the beginnings --
'Who's that coming down the street?
Mrs Simpson's sweaty feet' -- obviously around the time of the abdication. I don't remember the original song title though I do remember the tune. And,(this shows my age too)a variation on 'Red Sails in the Sunset'on the subject of the Ruxton murders, rather gruesomely:

'Red stains on the carpet
Red stains on the knife
Dr Buck Ruxton has murdered his wife'

'The maid saw him do it
He thought she would tell
So Dr Buck Ruxton killed her as well'

My sister probably taught me this since she was 8 years older than me and probably more aware of these murders at the time -- around 1936 i think.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) '40-'48

Current location (optional) Epsom

I remember this song sung by kids around the time of the 1950 general election.....

Vote, vote, vote for Mr Hargreaves.
You can't vote for a better man.
Yes, you can. Charlie Hobson is the man
And we'll get him if we can
And throw old Hargreaves on the tip

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Oh dear what can the matter be?
Two old ladies locked in the lavatree,
They've been there from Monday to Saturdee,
Noboby knew they were there.

At the time of the Lady Chatterly trial, there was a version of this involving Lady Chatterlee, but my memory fails me. Anyone help ?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-1964

Current location (optional) Wirral

Terry, In the 1945 Election after the war we sang that song with the words, Voye vote vote for Ivor Thomas etc etc. As the conservative candidate was a "Dalrymple White" no wonder Ivor got in !

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 43-46

Current location (optional) Sassafras ,Tasmania

Allan------ Keighley News began to tear,so Nebuchadnezar started to swear -------

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 47-51

Current location (optional) Auckland NZ

Tom Punt's rhyme about Dr Buck Ruxton reminds me of a notorious double-axe murder by a certain Lizzie Borden in America, in the 1890s. She was accused of killing her father and step-mother but was found 'not guilty'. Even so, the popular ditty at the time was;- Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her father forty whacks, When she saw what she had done, gave her father forty-one.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 45-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

There were , of course, the nonsense alphabets accurate recital of which secured one's entry to the gang hide out.
I quote:

'Ar-Ar-Ar-booni, cara-booni, carra-warra-waska, la-pa- choo, indus-chelum, cheetapon-cheetapon, chinese choo-choo.'

Was that current in Bfd St in our day, Arthur? I never heard of it - maybe why I didn't get into the gang hideout.There were songs or chants that we sang in the progging-time leading up to bombfire (sic) night - but I don't recall the words.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 52-60

Another variation of eeny meeny etc was something like

Incy mincy tipsy tee
Alabama dominee
Ocker pocker dominocker
Out pong tush

Sounds a bit wierd saying that again after about 60 years. Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 47-51

Current location (optional) Auckland-- NZ