Love the poetry Jane and MUzza.

Do you have any? Kindly let me recognise so that I could
subscribe. Thanks.

How very double dare ye!
The hat is a cardinal’s hat.
Dad was a master builder, see
And I’d nivver do that to a cat!

PS The bathroom is still shushing though…

She was only a plumber’s daughter
And wore Mother Riley’s red hat
When her bathroom was shushing with water
She blocked off the flood with a cat.

Sorry folks………..I’m noted for dragging the site down

http://www.strawhead.org.uk/index.html

Here’s an interesting Wiki entry re: Strawhead, which mentions ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and their song, ‘The Rochester Recruiting Sergeant,’ born of ‘The Bold Fusilier.’

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawhead_(band)

Anyways, I digress yet again. I really like this song, and some ‘religiosity’ is particularly apt this year as it is the 400th anniversary of the King Jame’s Bible, the history of which is quite fascinating as per this Wiki link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorized_King_James_Version

I recently went to a musical play at St James’ Church in Silsden called ‘1611 The Word In The Beginning’ – music by Helen Hockenhull, and written by Nigel Schofield from Saltaire Heritage Village, who also wrote ‘Follow The Fleece’. More info on him here:

http://www.saltairevillage.info/people_Schofield_Nigel.html

The play is a wonderful meld of historical concurrences with the King James Bible, as well as its own history and facts, its social and cultural influence etc., and contains wonderful folky songs, including a snatch of my favourite Swan Arcade’s ‘Babylon Is Fallen!’ What is even more wonderful is that the finale of the mini-tour is taking place at Manningham Mills (Lister’s Mill as was) mentioned muchly in the following song, also a favourite of mine, ‘Doffin’ Mistress.’ So I’m going to see the play again. Thankee Jon, for doing these songs!

I am delighted to be going inside the Mill which has dominated my skyline all my life, where my grandmother worked and, almost unbelievably, my cousin now runs the community café which will be providing food for the 1611 performance! Here’s a link to the Manningham Mills Community Centre site:

http://www.mmcabradford.org.uk/index.php

*PS ‘Fettling’ is a word we use in Yorkshire for sorting, straightening, neatening, tidying stuff up, mending etc. We also use the expression ‘in fine fettle’ ref health/spirits. I learnt what it actually means when I went round a teapot-making factory! Fettling is trimming the rough clay off the seams of the moulded bare teapots before they are patterned/glazed. See: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fettle

This grew on me a lot – at first I didn’t like the Watersons and thus didn’t like that version but they’ve got in my heart a fair bit and this is a brilliant session song.