In the Wake of Heroes by Phil Clayton Recorded by The Light Side From far-sighted men of Birmingham who first proposed the cut, And the merchants and industrialists who stumped the money up. The Golden Boys whose industry helped generate the trade That told the world the best of all was - Birmingham Made. Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. From the men who followed Brindley with their shovels and their picks, And Smeaton’s gang who lowered the locks at Smethwick down from six. Telford’s crew who dug by hand the mighty Smethwick ditch And the tunnellers of Netherton who broke straight through the ridge Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. The unsung boaters down the years now sadly mostly gone, Wartime heroes, bombed and strafed, keeping calm and carrying on. The ‘osses and the hobblers who also played their part, And kept our old canals at Britain’s beating working heart. Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. Down to the preservationists who saved the Dudley Tunnel, BCN explorers cruising with plastic right up to their gunnel. The Lions of Stourbridge and the ones who’ve sworn that they’ll not yield Until the cut’s alive with boats at Lapal and Lichfield. Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following the wake of heroes. Yes, Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. In 2019, on the 250th anniversary of the opening of the original Birmingham Canal into the town, Phil Clayton put together a musical, Birmingham Lads .... and Friends, telling something of the history of the canals in the Birmingham and Black Country area. Although focusing on the BCN itself, it started from a song he’d written for the 2012 Golden Anniversary of the ‘Battle of Stourbridge’, The Lions of Stourbridge. Over the years Phil added more songs, mixing contemporary songs, of which this is one, and more up to date canal standards to make an hour long show supported by much visual material. The group The Light Side performed the musical for the BCN Society’s celebratory cruise into Brum marking the anniversary at the Crescent Theatre’s Studio. The show is available on DVD and can be viewed on this website here.
In the Wake of Heroes by Phil Clayton Recorded by The Light Side From far-sighted men of Birmingham who first proposed the cut, And the merchants and industrialists who stumped the money up. The Golden Boys whose industry helped generate the trade That told the world the best of all was - Birmingham Made. Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. From the men who followed Brindley with their shovels and their picks, And Smeaton’s gang who lowered the locks at Smethwick down from six. Telford’s crew who dug by hand the mighty Smethwick ditch And the tunnellers of Netherton who broke straight through the ridge Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. The unsung boaters down the years now sadly mostly gone, Wartime heroes, bombed and strafed, keeping calm and carrying on. The ‘osses and the hobblers who also played their part, And kept our old canals at Britain’s beating working heart. Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. Down to the preservationists who saved the Dudley Tunnel, BCN explorers cruising with plastic right up to their gunnel. The Lions of Stourbridge and the ones who’ve sworn that they’ll not yield Until the cut’s alive with boats at Lapal and Lichfield. Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following the wake of heroes. Yes, Whenever you’re cruising the BCN, you’re following in the wake of heroes. In 2019, on the 250th anniversary of the opening of the original Birmingham Canal into the town, Phil Clayton put together a musical, Birmingham Lads .... and Friends, telling something of the history of the canals in the Birmingham and Black Country area. Although focusing on the BCN itself, it started from a song he’d written for the 2012 Golden Anniversary of the ‘Battle of Stourbridge’, The Lions of Stourbridge. Over the years Phil added more songs, mixing contemporary songs, of which this is one, and more up to date canal standards to make an hour long show supported by much visual material. The group The Light Side performed the musical for the BCN Society’s celebratory cruise into Brum marking the anniversary at the Crescent Theatre’s Studio. The show is available on DVD and can be viewed on this website here.