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:

My Home Town

The Old Home

Home

The Gate A-Fallen To

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.