Tuesday 17 September 2013

Songs and Poem-stories around Northwich


© 2013 CPR

At Peace on Easy Street

Well let me introduce this place
It has its river ways
Where boats meander down the flow
On lazy summer days

Its shops will offer to compete
Its markets – one – two – three
And every café feeds you well
Yes – come to town and see

With benches you can sit upon
To take the morning air
For charity there’s always hope
There’s music everywhere

Where peaceful times surround your life
Your children always eat
Remember – we’re so lucky here
At peace – on Easy Street

***

Pauper respect

The burial was a poor affair, for paupers from the Union
Yet always one or two would come along
From London Road – across the Dane - and up the hill to Witton
To show – in spite of all – they did belong

There wasn’t much to show for years of living in the Union
Except if they were lucky in the end
For following across the Dane - and up the hill to Witton
One woman wore ‘best black’ to be a friend

When someone died she’d cross the road – her best black from the Union
Was laundry-washed to follow up the aisle
She stepped out – grand – across the Dane - and up the hill to Witton
The burial of her friends – achieved in style

 And if you look – you still can see – the paupers from the Union
In firm procession – chief one dressed in black
From London Road – across the Dane – and up the hill to Witton
To ‘bury well’ our Annie Doll or Jack 

Information for this was taken from the reminiscences of Mr Frank Major, the last Master of Northwich Union Workhouse

 ***

Salt –and the Tax Man

The Salt Arch Trail
Snakes out above the bell pits
In panniers and in coffins – and by night
With salt to clear the tax man
And to make good Cheshire Cheese
The people found their way to make it right

 It sifts along
Through kitchens near the chapel
Is safely stored in boxes – under floors
No salt to cheer the tax man
But his meal of Cheshire Cheese
By night its moved – by day it clears the law

It scatters on
Through villages and valleys
And salt is what it takes to keep us free
And salt to veer the tax man
As he eats his Cheshire Cheese
'A pox on tax' – I’m sure you will agree 

***

Salty Northern Town

Inside the salty northern town
Beside the Weaver and the Dane
There is a vibrant market

Beside the Apple Market Street
Inside the shelter for the stalls
Three days a week – a market

Inside the stalls of socks and books
Beside the vegetables and fruit
In every week – a market

Beside the wares they buy and sell
Inside - the warmth of human will
The people make the market

Inside the covered market stand
Beside where customers appear
The traders line the market

Beside the need for many goods
Inside the will to ‘buy it cheap’
The people flood the market

Inside the town of Northwich – still
Beside its rivers and its hill
There is a vibrant market

***

Going under the brine
Going under the brine
Going under the brine
Going under the brine
And here we sit on the rocks

See the pillars of salt
See the pillars of salt
See the pillars of salt
And here we sit on the rocks

Meadow Bank had two shafts
Meadow Bank had two shafts
Meadow Bank had two shafts
And here we sit on the rocks

Twenty two yards in width
Twenty two yards in width
Twenty two yards in width
And nine yards up to the roof

Eighteen ninety two shut
Eighteen ninety two shut
Eighteen ninety two shut
And here we sit on the rocks

Nineteen twenty eight came
Nineteen twenty eight came
Nineteen twenty eight came
With salt all over the roads

Working salt mine again
Working salt mine again
Working salt mine again
And here we sit on the rocks

Going under the brine
Going under the brine
Going under the brine
And here we sit on the rocks

See the pillars of salt
See the pillars of salt
See the pillars of salt
And here we sit on the rocks

***

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