'Owdham' Edge Popular Song and Verse from Lancashire
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TSDL204 ‘OWDHAM’ EDGE POPULAR SONG AND VERSE FROM LANCASHIRE TSDL204 1. Sam Shuttle and Betty Reedhook 8. Sammy Shuttleworth Sung by Harry Boardman (banjo), sung by Mike Harding (concertina), acc. Lesley Boardman (mandolin) acc. Bernard Wrigley (bass concertina) & Bob Diehl (fiddle) & John Tenent (tenor horn) 2. Owdham Edge 9. Bowton’s Yard ‘Owdham’ sung by John Howarth sung by Harry Boardman (banjo), Edge acc. Lesley Boardman (tenor banjo) Popular and The Oldham Tinkers (with banjo, Song And mandolin and guitar) & Bob Diehl (fiddle) Verse From 3. Our Sarah’s Getten’ A Chap 10. Toddlin’ Whoam Lancashire sung by John Howarth sung by Larry Kearns (guitar) 02 and The Oldham Tinkers (with banjo 11. The Bard’s Reformation mandolin and guitar) sung by Harry Boardman (banjo), 4. The Miners’ Lock-Out acc. Lesley Boardman (tenor banjo) sung by Harry Boardman (banjo); & Bob Diehl (fiddle) acc. Lesley Boardman (tenor banjo) 12. Schoolyard Song & Mike Harding (Jews Harp) sung by Harry Ogden (guitar), 5. Street Scene acc. Ian Hope (fiddle) recited by Harvey Kershaw 13. Nobbut a Cockstride Away 6. Pounds, Shillings and Pence sung by Mary Kershaw sung by Tim and Robin Boardman, acc. Harvey Kershaw (piano) leading into Down at our School sung by 14. Billy Suet’s Song The Oldham Tinkers (with banjo, mandolin sung by Harry Boardman (concertina) and guitar) 15. Canute 7. The Little Piecer sung by The Oldham Tinkers (with sung by Dave Brooks (concertina) banjo, tin whistle and guitar) 16. Our Bill sung by Bernard Wrigley (guitar) TSDL204 From the start of the post-war folk song Five years ago, however, Topic released New revival, particular regions of England were at Voices, which apart from being the recording the forefront because of their abundance of debut of The Waterson Family and Maureen material and the number of singers who were Craik of Newcastle, included six Lancashire songs determined to revive and popularise their local sung by Harry Boardman of Manchester. The ‘Owdham’ songs and stories. Apart from folk songs by the effect of this LP in Lancashire was to encourage Edge many younger singers to hunt for songs in Popular Song And and localised music-hall songs, were all absorbed libraries and perhaps more importantly, to seek Verse From intostrictest the repertoriesdefinition, urban of the andmainly industrial young revivalsong out older dialect poets and singers; sometimes in Lancashire singers. dialect societies, sometimes in pubs. And here it 03 In England, one thinks immediately of the North- must be stressed that in the ‘Lancashire Revival’ East, with its traditional and music-hall songs, there has been the closest contact between mining ballads and, of course, distinctive pipe young and old. tunes. To a lesser degree, the West Country had This period culminated in Topic’s release of Deep established itself very early in the folk revival Lancashire, late in 1968. This record, which was in terms of quality, if not in quantity. But in an immediate success, included some of the best singers from Lancashire and also the Rochdale singers and songs from Scotland and Ireland poet, Harvey Kershaw. The wide appeal of this hasaddition been toimmeasurable English regions, and the it therefore influence seems of very regional LP has led to its ‘follow-up’, the odd, that until the past few years, the industrial present album. Like Deep Lancashire, ‘Owdham’ North-West seemed to be unrepresented. The Edge presents a range of songs, expressing omission seemed particularly strange in view of the fact that there is a strong tradition of dialect humour. Lancashire does not have a monopoly of verse and song in Lancashire going back at least songsdefiance, expressing comradeship, these emotions;sadness and but uproarious perhaps it to the eighteenth century, and in more recent has more than its fair share. times, a multitude of fine music-hall entertainers. TSDL204 NOTES ON PERFORMERS Dave Brooks has also lived in Bolton all his life and sang in local folk clubs with Bernard Wrigley Most of the performers on this record appeared for several years. He began his working life as on Deep Lancashire (Topic 12T188) and need no a buyer but gave this up in order to work in the further introduction. theatrical productions with Bolton Octagon ‘Owdham’ Mary Kershaw is a native of Rochdale. A small Theatre and the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre. Edge lass with a big voice, she delights northern Popular Harry Ogden was born in Rochdale and now audiences with her renderings of many old Song And lives in Whitworth, a small town on the edge Verse From favourites. Her repertoire also incudes songs of the moors which surround Rochdale. A Lancashire specially written for her by her husband Harvey television aerial erecter by trade, Harry has for 04 and as in Nobbut a Cockstride, he accompanies many years been writing songs about local places her on the piano. Mary is also renowned for and events, but although he has written songs her ready wit and ability as an impromptu with a Lancashire setting, he is enthusiastic storyteller. about many kinds of music. Bernard Wrigley is from Bolton and has for several years been associated with the Bolton Octagon Theatre, where his distinctive voice will long be remembered in such productions as Crompton’s Mule, a documentary on the life on Samuel Crompton. More recently, he has been on tour with Ken Campbell’s Road Show and written some of the songs for this group, whose unconventional productions have attracted considerable attention in northern towns. TSDL204 Sam Shuttle and Betty Reedhook If asked ‘Where are you going for your holidays?’, This sly ballad was taken from an undated it is not uncommon to be told ‘Owdham Edge’, broadsheet and supplied by Paul Graney of this is of course being another example of the Manchester. Wigan Pier, Royton Sands idea of holidays at There are several equally interesting strands home. It is, need one say, a rather facetious ‘Owdham’ to the piece. Firstly, it paints a rapid picture of reply. Speaking of facetiousness, it will be Edge a situation in an early cotton mill, in which the gathered from the song that on the other side Popular Song And all important characters of the overlooker and of the Pennines from Oldham, lies the county of Verse From cutlooker (cloth examiner) vie for the attention Yorkshire. Lancashire of the young woman weaver. The dispute is to Our Sarah’s Getten’ a Chap 05 Close observation of the most minute details of family life and its comic aspect has long been a sportbe settled by all by accounts clog fighting and one (known for which variously burning as strong point with Lancashire poets, song writers in‘purring’ the hand or and‘up-and-down’ transportation fighting), were aoften bloody and comedians. Sam Fitton, the author of this meted out by the magistrates. A crude form of song, took a situation known to many, where Queensberry rules applied, whereby apart from the whole family is disrupted when big sister kicking on every part of the body, throttling to starts courting. It would have been bad enough the verge of death was also allowed. if Sarah had been pursued by a local lad from Not the least interesting feature of this ballad is down the street, but a slickly dressed young man that the names of the actores fabulae are taken from the weaving implements. Owdham Edge ofwho the worked family couldin an office be expected and was to therefore, co-operate, by Oldham Edge is a well known vantage point from butdefinition little brothers ‘posh’ was can too take much. on an Most evil aspectmembers in which can be seen, on the one hand, a great vista situations of this kind and have probably ruined of industry and endless rows of terraced houses, many a beautiful relationship. and on the other, the wild moors of the Pennines. Sam Fitton, of Rochdale, described as a TSDL204 humourist, dialect writer, author, artist, Federation, which was to play an historic role in playwright, reciter, singer and musician, was a the General Strike. cartoonist in Cotton Factory Times for a number In June 1893, owners demanded a 25% wage of years and much of his work appeared in the reduction following a 35% fall in the price of Manchester Weekly Times and Liverpool Weekly coal. ‘Owdham’ Post. In 1912, he began publishing the Crompton Following the M.F.G.B. Conference in July the Edge Chanticleer, a monthly magazine of humorous miners refused to accept the wage cut. The lock- Popular Song And prose and verse, which was re-named Sam out began in the last week of July affecting more Verse From Fitton’s Humorous Monthly. Sam Fitton died at than a quarter of a million workers in the area Lancashire Rochdale in 1923. covered by the M.F.G.B. 06 The Miners’ Lock-Out In the course of disturbances two men were Ballads of this type were popular in the Midlands killed and sixteen wounded by troops at and North for most of the nineteenth century. Featherstone, Yorks. The lock-out lasted sixteen They usually served the dual purpose of winning weeks; settlement was signed on November moral support for the struggle in hand and as 7th. The miners were victorious. Samuel Woods appeals for the raising of money. The ballad, being printed as a broadsheet, was often sold to of M.F.G.B., elected in 1889. A Baptist, total (1846-1915) of Wigan was first Vice-President raise funds for the family of the strikers or the abstainer, ‘a dapper gentle kind of man’ unemployed.