Just a bit of whimsy …..

I remember lots of shuttlecocks being about, lying around. I’m only a couple of years younger than you “Usedtobeblonde” but I can’t actually remember anyone playing with the shuttlecocks until DH took up badminton years later.

While. I’m here, Happy Easter to you.

And to you dustyangel

My mum, born early 20th century used to refer to 'battledore and shuttlecock '. Yes, it's related to badminton.

I was a child in the fifties and remember playing with shuttlecocks and a hard bat with a short handle - a battledore. If you hadn't anyone to make a game with, you just played keepie uppy! I learned to play badminton properly at F.E. college where we had great sports facilities. I played through most of my life until I discovered racquet ball in the late seventies (or, as my DH called it, “poor man’s squash”!).

That brings back bad memories for me! I have never been able to play badminton. I had a skelly eye when younger, ie couldn't focus straight, and missed the shuttlecock more than hit it. Playing mixed doubles was a nightmare. Large men slamming a shuttlecock at me across the net. Noooo!

My daughter when a child called the cuttleshots. 1960s and we played badminton on the beach

When I was young one of my aunties played badminton and used to bring used shuttlecocks made of cork and feathers for us to play with. Dad used to take some and hang them from string in the garden to keep the birds off his crops.

Shuttlecocks are still made of cork and feathers, I think.
I played when I was young, just for enjoyment, and DD was a County player.

Even so, I've not heard of battledore.