Presenting... Plunge-O!
Onwards and Plungewards!
The special 10 page Bash Street Kids story in Beano No.3588
shows the kids of Class IIB competing with their Posh Street School
rivals in the traditional sport of Plunge-O!
Everyone knows the rules of Plunge-O - unlike football, it's not
a game of two halves, it's a game of three thirds - but here are
some facts about the history of the game that you might not
know.
1861 - Frederick
'Fat-Fellow' Fatterton (ancestor of present day Bash Street pupil,
Fatty) tries to hide the face of fellow pupil, Peregrine Proudfoot
Plugsley, with the first thing that comes to hand: a plunger.
"It became the ideal place to store my doughnuts,"
claims Fat-Fellow. "Mmmmf, gwwmfff, gwimgwlll," claims
Plugsley, which is all you can say when you've got your face stuck
in a plunger. Other pupils find sport in throwing doughnuts in the
direction of Plugsley's plunger. Thus is born Plunge-O, the wonder
game!
1879 - Fed up
fishing pupils out of the drink after plunger-faced wanderings
cause pond-based plungings, Bash Street's Headmaster rules
plungers must be worn on top of the head, not over the face. The
exception is 'Erbert's great-great-great-great-grandfather, whose
eyesight improves hugely when his eyes are completely covered.
1896 - Doughnuts
replaced by coloured hoops as throwing accessories. The heavy
wooden hoops were found to cause less damage when thrown than the
doughnuts from Mistress Olive's kitchen.
"What a target, eh, chaps?
Tally-ho, and hoops away!"
1914-1918 -
Plunge-O becomes the favourite pastime amongst British soldiers as
spiky enemy helmets make tempting targets. "Mit der Plunge-O
game, these Britishers like to get straight to der point!" the
Kaiser reportedly said. Only in German.
1926 - Posh
Street School's first victory in Inter-School
Plunge-Off! To date, they hold the record for most
wins. Famous team captains include Percy Plummy-Voice, Cyril
Smugly-Snide, Basil Bally-Beastly Major, Basil Bally-Beastly Minor,
Sir Bunty Sniff-Snottily, Grenville Guffaw-Fwaw-Fwaw, and Basil
Bally-Beastly the Bally Second.
1955 - Attempt
to have Plunge-O included in the Commonwealth Games goes astray
when 'Erbert's great great grandfather goes astray delivering the
petition and is accepted into the Uncommonly Wealthy Games - the
international competition for fearfully posh people. First round
kicks off with the immortal cry of "To one's position! Prepare
oneself! Commence!"
Sales of underwater chalk
go through the roof!
1960 - Plunge-O
temporarily outlawed due to complaints from PLOPP
- the Private Limited Organisation of Professional Plumbers
(motto: "We Plumb the Depths") - when a shortage of
plungers and a leaky loo leads to the Great Flood of London.
2010 - Bash
Street School team fail to show up for match against Posh Street.
Bash Street blame their worn out, broken down, clapped out, totally
useless, old coach. Bash Street's coach, Teacher, blames the team
for calling him worn out, broken down, clapped out, and totally
useless.
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