R
Robert Harrison
Guest
A TIME TO REMEMBER
I'VE BEEN THINKING JUST LATELY OF DAY'S GONE BY,
OF THE TIMES WHEN I WAS A KID.
THE FUN OF KNOCKING AROUND WITH MY MATES,
PALS LIKE GERALD AND CHRIS AND SID.
WE CALLED OURSELVES "THE WAR TIME KIDS",
BECAUSE THE WAR HAD STARTED THEN
AND I WAS ABOUT NINE YEARS OLD,
AND GERALD, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT TEN.
I REMEMBER THE GERALD WAS A TELLER OF TALES,
AND DID HE HAVE US SCARED AT TIMES
WITH HIS STORIES OF THE PHANTOM AND THE CLUTCHING HAND,
AND HAGGARDS KING SOLOMONS MINES.
WHEN THE SIRENS SOUNDED WE ALL USED TO RUN
TO THE SHELTERS AS FAST AS WE COULD,
AND THERE WAIT IT OUT TILL THE BOMBERS WENT BY,
COR US KIDS USED THE THINK IT WAD GOOD.
'COURSE IN THOSE DAYS THE FOOD WAS REAL SHORT
AND ORANGES AND NANNAS SO FEW.
SO US KIDS USED TO GO TO OLD TOVEY'S SHOP
AND WE WOULD PINCH A CARROT OR TWO.
WE WOULD RUN DOWN THE FIELD WITH OUR ILLGOTTEN GAIN,
AND WE WOULD SIT BY A BROOK CALLED THE CHIN.
THERE TO DANGLE OUR FEET IN THE COOL RUNNING FLOW,
ANGELS WHO NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE HAD SINNED.
THE SCHOOL I ATTENDED IN THOSE FAR OFF DAYS,
WAS CALLED BILLESLEY SENIOR MIXED,
AND OUR FAVOURET TEACHER WAS OLD BENNY HOWES,
WHO CONTROLLED US WITH HIS BEST SIX.
THEN THERE WAS MISTER CLAYTON OF STORY FAME,
MILD MANNERED,BESPECTICLED BUT BRIGHT.
HE USED TO GIVE OUT MEDALS TO HIMSELF
EVERY TIME HE THOUGHT HIMSELF RIGHT.
MY HOMEWORK COMPLETED IT WAS OFF TO THE FIELD,
ALL EXCITED AND HAPPY TO BE FREE,
TO BE CALLED SOME TIME LATER BY MY MOM SHOUTING,
"COME ON OUR BOBBY OR NO TEA".
THE HORSE ROAD WAS ALSO OUR PLAYGROUND,
AND CONKER, WHIP THE TOP, KICK THE CAN WERE OUR GAMES.
OR A RAID ON THE BLACK HAND GANG DOWN THE ROAD
OR JUST SITTING ON THE GUTTER NEAR THE DRAINS.
ON SATURDAY WE ALL USED TO MEET DOWN THE ROAD,
A GREAT MASS OF US LEAVING OUR HOMES,
THERE TO QUEUE AT THE TUDOR PICTURE HOUSE,
TO SEE OUR FAVOURETS, TOM MIX AND BUCK JONES.
I REMEMBER THE RAG AND BONE MAN THAT CAME ROUND,
"RAGS A BONE, RAGS A BONE" HE'D CALL WITH RELISH.
MOM WOULD GIVE US A FEW OLD CLOTHES TO GIVE HIM,
FOR COTTENS WE WOULD GET A BALOON , FOR WOOLENS A FISH.
UP IN BIRMINGHAM, JUST ROUND THE CORNER FROM THE RAG MARKET,
WAS A LITTLE SHOP THAT SOLD FAGGOTS AND PEAS.
FOR A TANNER YOU COULD HAVE A BOWL FULL,
THEY WERE SO TAISTY YOU COULDN'T HALF BUT BE PLEASED.
I REMEMBER FISHING FOR TIDDLERS DOWN AT THE CUT,
WITH A JAM JAR AND A PIECE OF NET.
NOW THAT'S SOMETHING YOU DONT SEE ANY MORE,
WELL I'VE STILL TO SEE IT YET.
YOU DONT SEE THE OLD STYLE FAIRS ANYMORE,
WITH THEIR BOXING BOOTHS, BEARDED LADIES AND SIDE SHOWS.
YOU DONT HEAR THE OLD STEAM ORGAN ON THE ROUNDABOUTS,
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ALL OF THESE THINGS AND WHO KNOWS?
YES IV'E BEEN THINKING JUST LATELY OF THE DAYS GONE BY,
OF THE TIMES WHEN I WAS A LAD.
AND THE MORE I LOOK AT TODAYS NEW WORLD,
YOU KNOW, MY DAY WASN'T ALL THAT BAD.
I'VE BEEN THINKING JUST LATELY OF DAY'S GONE BY,
OF THE TIMES WHEN I WAS A KID.
THE FUN OF KNOCKING AROUND WITH MY MATES,
PALS LIKE GERALD AND CHRIS AND SID.
WE CALLED OURSELVES "THE WAR TIME KIDS",
BECAUSE THE WAR HAD STARTED THEN
AND I WAS ABOUT NINE YEARS OLD,
AND GERALD, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT TEN.
I REMEMBER THE GERALD WAS A TELLER OF TALES,
AND DID HE HAVE US SCARED AT TIMES
WITH HIS STORIES OF THE PHANTOM AND THE CLUTCHING HAND,
AND HAGGARDS KING SOLOMONS MINES.
WHEN THE SIRENS SOUNDED WE ALL USED TO RUN
TO THE SHELTERS AS FAST AS WE COULD,
AND THERE WAIT IT OUT TILL THE BOMBERS WENT BY,
COR US KIDS USED THE THINK IT WAD GOOD.
'COURSE IN THOSE DAYS THE FOOD WAS REAL SHORT
AND ORANGES AND NANNAS SO FEW.
SO US KIDS USED TO GO TO OLD TOVEY'S SHOP
AND WE WOULD PINCH A CARROT OR TWO.
WE WOULD RUN DOWN THE FIELD WITH OUR ILLGOTTEN GAIN,
AND WE WOULD SIT BY A BROOK CALLED THE CHIN.
THERE TO DANGLE OUR FEET IN THE COOL RUNNING FLOW,
ANGELS WHO NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE HAD SINNED.
THE SCHOOL I ATTENDED IN THOSE FAR OFF DAYS,
WAS CALLED BILLESLEY SENIOR MIXED,
AND OUR FAVOURET TEACHER WAS OLD BENNY HOWES,
WHO CONTROLLED US WITH HIS BEST SIX.
THEN THERE WAS MISTER CLAYTON OF STORY FAME,
MILD MANNERED,BESPECTICLED BUT BRIGHT.
HE USED TO GIVE OUT MEDALS TO HIMSELF
EVERY TIME HE THOUGHT HIMSELF RIGHT.
MY HOMEWORK COMPLETED IT WAS OFF TO THE FIELD,
ALL EXCITED AND HAPPY TO BE FREE,
TO BE CALLED SOME TIME LATER BY MY MOM SHOUTING,
"COME ON OUR BOBBY OR NO TEA".
THE HORSE ROAD WAS ALSO OUR PLAYGROUND,
AND CONKER, WHIP THE TOP, KICK THE CAN WERE OUR GAMES.
OR A RAID ON THE BLACK HAND GANG DOWN THE ROAD
OR JUST SITTING ON THE GUTTER NEAR THE DRAINS.
ON SATURDAY WE ALL USED TO MEET DOWN THE ROAD,
A GREAT MASS OF US LEAVING OUR HOMES,
THERE TO QUEUE AT THE TUDOR PICTURE HOUSE,
TO SEE OUR FAVOURETS, TOM MIX AND BUCK JONES.
I REMEMBER THE RAG AND BONE MAN THAT CAME ROUND,
"RAGS A BONE, RAGS A BONE" HE'D CALL WITH RELISH.
MOM WOULD GIVE US A FEW OLD CLOTHES TO GIVE HIM,
FOR COTTENS WE WOULD GET A BALOON , FOR WOOLENS A FISH.
UP IN BIRMINGHAM, JUST ROUND THE CORNER FROM THE RAG MARKET,
WAS A LITTLE SHOP THAT SOLD FAGGOTS AND PEAS.
FOR A TANNER YOU COULD HAVE A BOWL FULL,
THEY WERE SO TAISTY YOU COULDN'T HALF BUT BE PLEASED.
I REMEMBER FISHING FOR TIDDLERS DOWN AT THE CUT,
WITH A JAM JAR AND A PIECE OF NET.
NOW THAT'S SOMETHING YOU DONT SEE ANY MORE,
WELL I'VE STILL TO SEE IT YET.
YOU DONT SEE THE OLD STYLE FAIRS ANYMORE,
WITH THEIR BOXING BOOTHS, BEARDED LADIES AND SIDE SHOWS.
YOU DONT HEAR THE OLD STEAM ORGAN ON THE ROUNDABOUTS,
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ALL OF THESE THINGS AND WHO KNOWS?
YES IV'E BEEN THINKING JUST LATELY OF THE DAYS GONE BY,
OF THE TIMES WHEN I WAS A LAD.
AND THE MORE I LOOK AT TODAYS NEW WORLD,
YOU KNOW, MY DAY WASN'T ALL THAT BAD.
