A singing game of great popularity of which many versions have been noted, some starting ‘wallflowers, wallflowers’, but others starting for example ‘wally, wally, wellflower” or even “water, water, wellstones”. Folklorists have pondered on the symbolic significance of turning one’s back, but there is no satisfactory answer. It seems to have been popular on both sides of the Atlantic.

Notes by Gwilym Davies 6 May 2015