Coal Bargee by Chris Cheetham We left ol' coal chute close on six, our journey to begin, We swungt' butty down in't coal arm, not far from Boat House Inn, The Bolinder warmed up very quick as the boats got under way, The throttles up, the oil rods back, this coal it earns our pay. Chorus: And away you coal boats, away along the moss, From Astley Green to Worsley your 'e skipper and the boss. Bridgewater flats under Boothstown tip, morning's work all on the go, With a swish, and a flush, the coal dust rushed, into Bludell's Finch below. The klaxon blared as we approached the bend by Worsley Bridge, Yellow waters of the Bridgewater could ne'er held no fish. Chorus There's a bangin' and a crashin' coming from the old dry dock, New spikes struck home, new planks for old, men workin' agin the clock. From Worsley bridge past old Duke's mine, sweepin' by the Dry Dock Yard, Salt Union flats under Worsley chute, they'd come from Winsford Yard. Chorus From Rigby's arm we could see the smoke of Trafford Park, We'll be over the tank at Barton Bridge and be home by dark. Close on fifty tons of coal was grabbed by Jimmy's crane, There was dirst and dust, but oh that brass made sure we'd come again. Chorus and repeat. Words and arrangement: Chris Cheetham. Tune: New York Girls This song was transcribed from Tamlyn Folk Magazine, Vol.1 No.5 June 1975. The song accompanied an article of the same name. The full text of the article can be viewed here. The song in its original form was used in the BBC 1 TV programme: Narras an’ Flats, in the 'Ballad of the North West' series, 17 July 1973. This script for the "Ballad of the Northwest" programme "Narras an’ Flats" which dealt with the canals canal be viewed here. It was written by Chris Cheetham with music by "The Boatmen" a band put together for the broadcast which included Gary and Vera Aspey. The original lyrics from the script (below) are slightly different to those above. We left ol' coal chute close on six, Our journey to begin, We swung't butty down in't coal arm, Not far from Boat House Inn We eased past Jimmy's horse drawn boats Just south of Middlewood A handy bargeman by his build Part of our brotherhood Chorus : And away you coal boats, away along the moss, From Astley Green to Worsley You're skipper and the boss. The klaxon blared as we approached The bend by Worsley Bridge, Yellow waters of the Bridgewater Could ne'er have held no fish. From Worsley bridge past old Duke's mine, Sweepin' by the Dry Dock Yard, Salt Union flats 'neath Worsley chute, They'd come from Winsford Yard. Chorus From Rigby's Yard we could see The smoke of Trafford Park We're over't tank at Barton Bridge We'd be home before dark Close on fifty tons of coal Was grabbed by Ginger's crane There was dirt and dust, but oh the brass Made sure we'd come again Chorus My thanks to Chris J Brady for alerting me to the existence of the script ‘Narrows and Flats’ which was available through a Facebook group Harry Boardman Appreciation Society. Harry Boardman, a famous folk performer from NW England, was the presenter for the broadcast. He described the history of canals in the North West: their impact on the North West's transport system, the navigators who built them and their adoption by the gypsy community.
Coal Bargee by Chris Cheetham We left ol' coal chute close on six, our journey to begin, We swungt' butty down in't coal arm, not far from Boat House Inn, The Bolinder warmed up very quick as the boats got under way, The throttles up, the oil rods back, this coal it earns our pay. Chorus: And away you coal boats, away along the moss, From Astley Green to Worsley your 'e skipper and the boss. Bridgewater flats under Boothstown tip, morning's work all on the go, With a swish, and a flush, the coal dust rushed, into Bludell's Finch below. The klaxon blared as we approached the bend by Worsley Bridge, Yellow waters of the Bridgewater could ne'er held no fish. Chorus There's a bangin' and a crashin' coming from the old dry dock, New spikes struck home, new planks for old, men workin' agin the clock. From Worsley bridge past old Duke's mine, sweepin' by the Dry Dock Yard, Salt Union flats under Worsley chute, they'd come from Winsford Yard. Chorus From Rigby's arm we could see the smoke of Trafford Park, We'll be over the tank at Barton Bridge and be home by dark. Close on fifty tons of coal was grabbed by Jimmy's crane, There was dirst and dust, but oh that brass made sure we'd come again. Chorus and repeat. Words and arrangement: Chris Cheetham. Tune: New York Girls This song was transcribed from Tamlyn Folk Magazine, Vol.1 No.5 June 1975. The song accompanied an article of the same name. The full text of the article can be viewed here. The song in its original form was used in the BBC 1 TV programme: Narras an’ Flats, in the 'Ballad of the North West' series, 17 July 1973. This script for the "Ballad of the Northwest" programme "Narras an’ Flats" which dealt with the canals canal be viewed here. It was written by Chris Cheetham with music by "The Boatmen" a band put together for the broadcast which included Gary and Vera Aspey. The original lyrics from the script (below) are slightly different to those above. We left ol' coal chute close on six, Our journey to begin, We swung't butty down in't coal arm, Not far from Boat House Inn We eased past Jimmy's horse drawn boats Just south of Middlewood A handy bargeman by his build Part of our brotherhood Chorus : And away you coal boats, away along the moss, From Astley Green to Worsley You're skipper and the boss. The klaxon blared as we approached The bend by Worsley Bridge, Yellow waters of the Bridgewater Could ne'er have held no fish. From Worsley bridge past old Duke's mine, Sweepin' by the Dry Dock Yard, Salt Union flats 'neath Worsley chute, They'd come from Winsford Yard. Chorus From Rigby's Yard we could see The smoke of Trafford Park We're over't tank at Barton Bridge We'd be home before dark Close on fifty tons of coal Was grabbed by Ginger's crane There was dirt and dust, but oh the brass Made sure we'd come again Chorus My thanks to Chris J Brady for alerting me to the existence of the script ‘Narrows and Flats’ which was available through a Facebook group Harry Boardman Appreciation Society. Harry Boardman, a famous folk performer from NW England, was the presenter for the broadcast. He described the history of canals in the North West: their impact on the North West's transport system, the navigators who built them and their adoption by the gypsy community.
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