Did you get a "play piece"

I often have jam between two rich tea biscuits. Mum used to put her home-made choc spread between biscs for school breaks in the 50's.
Her choc spread was golden syrup mixed with dark choc powder.

In the north-east of Scotland, a piece can mean anything from a lunchtime sandwich or a biscuit, bun or scone. A funcy piece is a highly decorated or rich cake.

I'd no idea the term playpiece had travelled outwith Aberdeenshire and am delighted with the memories here.

The origins of the term "piece" go back to the days of hill townships and drove roads. Farmers and shepherds would be away all day and the staple diet was oatmeal and kale (barley being largely reserved for the illicit stills) and the long day started with porridge or gruel.

Some people would take a handful of oats or meal in their pocket and there was briefly a rather sloppy way of placing oatmeal and water in a skin tied to your leg. By lunchtime the motion had turned it into a more easily digestible gunge.

However, an unknown person came up with the bright idea to pour leftover porridge into a wooden drawer and let it set. It was then cut into thick slices (each one them becoming a "piece" of porridge) and transported with some ease to the shielings or fields.

Historically, it's a proud boast of our wee area that delivery lorry drivers never have to "tak a piece wi them", which translates as "we will feed you". This is usually accompanied by a warning that, in a neighbouring glen, lorry drivers "aye hiv ti tak a piece wi them" which is meant as friendly rivalry in the hospitality stakes.

It's a bit like football though. Supporters always think our/their team is the best.

Well I am in Birmingham and always have been. I don't remember a play piece but we always referred to a sandwich as a piece.

Oh yes. I had a play piece, even in secondary school. Mine was also digestive biscuits sandwiched with butter. I still hanker after that 'piece'.

Two digestive biscuits spread with butter was my play piece throughout my school days

BTW I'm not Scottish, but I've certainly heard of a 'piece' before.

When I was old enough to make it for myself, I'd take a Marmite sandwich to school for break. Most of us had something of the sort.

At my first school there were fruit buns you could have with your milk. 1d for a whole,one, 1/2d for a half bun, since they were pretty big.
I really used to envy the children who had them, but was aware from a very early age that money was tight, so never asked.

I went to school in Scotland from age 5 to 10 and I remember taking a play piece. When we returned to England the other kids didn't know what I was on about and thought I was speaking a foreign language........I was!

No, I was never given any food to eat at break.
GD is at a school that has a tuck shop and serves warm pizza at morning break.

I certainly had a play piece. My children also had their's in the 70s. I can't remember now what mine used to be although I do remember sitting on a wall in the playground to eat it!

My children had the little boxes of raisins, or a packet of crisps (hang my head in shame). I know a lot of swapping went on and many mums who thought they were being "healthy" would be horrified with what actually got eaten.

On days when they went for swimming lessons they always took a "shivery bite" which was two digestive biscuits wrapped up in tin foil.

We were not allowed to take anything to eat at break at my junior school. When I got my sweets out of my pocket on my first day they were immediately confiscated.