Saturday 18 January 2020

The Old Homes; The old home towns


Nostalgic photos, nostalgic songs!



Rylestone Grove, Bristol






Castle Cary





West Bay (near Bridport)



Bristol, Castle Cary, West Bay...

Some sentimental country songs:





There's a call from Castle Cary
John Mackie

When the dew be on the daisies, when the dawn be in the sky,
When the birds do start their praises in vull-droated harmony,
There's a tuggen at the heart-strings, there's a stirren in the breast,
Then once more do vlow the mind-springs droo thik message vrom the west.

CHORUS:

There's a call from Castle Cary, whispered by the western breeze,
There's a call vrom Castle Cary vrom the hedgerows an' the trees.
Vrom the grass-grounds, brooks, and uplands, vrom the dawn and close o' day
There's a call vrom Castle Cary- I must go wi'out delay.....

*****

Finally, a rather maudlin, self-pitying song I wrote in East Africa,
 on hearing of a move of the family home from Somerset to Dorset:


Moving House

My mother’s moving house today-
My childhood home for twenty years;
And I’m so far, so far away.
I cannot hide these childish tears.

I’ll never see my room again,
Nor my favourite chestnut tree.
The move is made, I won’t complain,
I’ll throw away my front door key.

My father’s grave neglected now,
The old home town is home no more;
Were he alive, would he allow
Strangers to walk in the door?

It’s farewell to the wedding bells
Which sounded on a summer’s day;
There are certain things one never sells
One should not even give away.

My toboggan and my cricket bat,
Old photographs and things like that.
But I hope you’ll be happy, I want you to be,
And I’ll try to imagine your house by the sea.


Nairobi, January 1977.






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