Joe and Rose Skinner by Mal Edwards Recorded by Mal Edwards Joe Skinner was up at Myer, 'Friendship' loaded down with coal Bound for Croxley paper mill or the old jam ’ole Hauled by a mule named Dolly and steered by Rose his wife Scruffy was a dog on the cabin top; that's how they spent their life Chorus : Joe, Rose, Scruffy, Dolly and the boat 'Friendship' Loaded down with coal, a strong and sturdy ship You'd see then down at Banbury or tied at Sutton Stop Or passing Napton windmill along the Oxford cut As Dolly was ex-military she was trained and smart and strong She worked from morn to sunset, pulling the boat along She never bothered or panicked as she lent into that collar And when the line became tight, the old boat began to follow Chorus Joe, Rose, Scruffy Dolly and the boat 'Friendship' Loaded down with coal, a strong and sturdy ship You'd see then down at Banbury or tied at Sutton Stop Or passing Napton windmill along the Oxford cut Chorus Little Scruffy was a scruffy dog that's how she got her name I don't know how they'd come by her or from where she came She'd tear up and down the running planks then round the cabin top You’d see her, Joe and Rose, tied up at Five? stop Chorus Now the years are gone and skills and knowldege of the working boating folk But my song’s like a history book will keep them all afloat Come sing out loud; let's drink a toast and reminisce with me Of Joe, Rose and Dolly and their little dog Scruffy Chorus The words above were transcribed, to the best of my ability, from a track on Mal Edward’s CD ‘Songs from the Cut’. The 'Number Ones' were boat people who owned and operated their own cargo- carrying narrowboats. Joe and Rose Skinner were the last of this ‘elite’ band and hold a unique position in canal history. The book ‘The Last Number Ones’, first published 2007 by Waterways World Ltd., brings together their story, along with their long- serving horse-boat Friendship. Edited by Hugh Potter, it includes a free audio CD-ROM featuring captivating interviews with Joe and Rose. This song was recorded on :
Joe and Rose Skinner by Mal Edwards Recorded by Mal Edwards Joe Skinner was up at Myer, 'Friendship' loaded down with coal Bound for Croxley paper mill or the old jam ’ole Hauled by a mule named Dolly and steered by Rose his wife Scruffy was a dog on the cabin top; that's how they spent their life Chorus : Joe, Rose, Scruffy, Dolly and the boat 'Friendship' Loaded down with coal, a strong and sturdy ship You'd see then down at Banbury or tied at Sutton Stop Or passing Napton windmill along the Oxford cut As Dolly was ex-military she was trained and smart and strong She worked from morn to sunset, pulling the boat along She never bothered or panicked as she lent into that collar And when the line became tight, the old boat began to follow Chorus Joe, Rose, Scruffy Dolly and the boat 'Friendship' Loaded down with coal, a strong and sturdy ship You'd see then down at Banbury or tied at Sutton Stop Or passing Napton windmill along the Oxford cut Chorus Little Scruffy was a scruffy dog that's how she got her name I don't know how they'd come by her or from where she came She'd tear up and down the running planks then round the cabin top You’d see her, Joe and Rose, tied up at Five? stop Chorus Now the years are gone and skills and knowldege of the working boating folk But my song’s like a history book will keep them all afloat Come sing out loud; let's drink a toast and reminisce with me Of Joe, Rose and Dolly and their little dog Scruffy Chorus The words above were transcribed, to the best of my ability, from a track on Mal Edward’s CD ‘Songs from the Cut’. The 'Number Ones' were boat people who owned and operated their own cargo- carrying narrowboats. Joe and Rose Skinner were the last of this ‘elite’ band and hold a unique position in canal history. The book ‘The Last Number Ones’, first published 2007 by Waterways World Ltd., brings together their story, along with their long-serving horse-boat Friendship. Edited by Hugh Potter, it includes a free audio CD-ROM featuring captivating interviews with Joe and Rose. This song was recorded on :