Jemmy's Garden
Jemmy’s Garden by Cliff Gerrard
John Howarth voice; Gerry Kearns guitar; Dave Howard mandolin
When Jemmy Warburton retired,
He bout a bungalow,
Wi’ a lovely view o’t’ Pennines,
T’other side o’ Clitheroe,
T’wife thowt o’t’ terraced house they’d left,
As oppened onto t’street,
Where aw they had eawtside t’back door
Were forty - eight square feet
O’ Corporation flags, a midden,
Ten - foot high brick walls,
A shed for Jemmy’s pigeons,
An’ a hut for nature’s calls.
Her said “Ee, Jemmy, this is it,
Tha’s bowt me Paradise,
Naaw get thi coat off right away,
An’ make this garden nice!”
Well, Jemmy did as he was towd,
For t’sake o’ keepin t’peace,
He bowt a book on gardenin’,
His efforts never ceased.
He shifted scrutch grass, buttercups,
Coltsfoot, an’ clover too,
Built fancy walls, a wayter - fall,
A wrought iron gate or two,
He buried paint - tins, cement bags,
Builders’ trankliments,
Chunks o’ mortar, plaster - booard,
An empty crate o’ Bents,
An’ two year later, t’garden could
Compete wi’ Percy Thrower’s,
T’relations come from miles away,
An’ gawped at aw his flowers,
Chrysanthemums, convolvulus,
Clematis, columbine,
Nasturtiums, pansies, pollyants
An’ marigolds divine.
One summer’s day t’new vicar cawed,
An’ Jemmy showed him round.
Reverend Arkwright stood aghast,
“’Tis Paradise I’ve found!”
He rambled on like vicars do,
A - praisin’ it to t’skies,
“Another God - made miracle,
But then, ’tis no surprise,
It proves what God and man can do,
Man cannot work alone.”
Jem sighed. “Ah wish tha’d sin it,
When He had it on His own!”
Jemmy’s Garden by Cliff Gerrard
John Howarth voice; Gerry Kearns guitar; Dave Howard mandolin
When Jemmy Warburton retired,
He bout a bungalow,
Wi’ a lovely view o’t’ Pennines,
T’other side o’ Clitheroe,
T’wife thowt o’t’ terraced house they’d left,
As oppened onto t’street,
Where aw they had eawtside t’back door
Were forty - eight square feet
O’ Corporation flags, a midden,
Ten - foot high brick walls,
A shed for Jemmy’s pigeons,
An’ a hut for nature’s calls.
Her said “Ee, Jemmy, this is it,
Tha’s bowt me Paradise,
Naaw get thi coat off right away,
An’ make this garden nice!”
Well, Jemmy did as he was towd,
For t’sake o’ keepin t’peace,
He bowt a book on gardenin’,
His efforts never ceased.
He shifted scrutch grass, buttercups,
Coltsfoot, an’ clover too,
Built fancy walls, a wayter - fall,
A wrought iron gate or two,
He buried paint - tins, cement bags,
Builders’ trankliments,
Chunks o’ mortar, plaster - booard,
An empty crate o’ Bents,
An’ two year later, t’garden could
Compete wi’ Percy Thrower’s,
T’relations come from miles away,
An’ gawped at aw his flowers,
Chrysanthemums, convolvulus,
Clematis, columbine,
Nasturtiums, pansies, pollyants
An’ marigolds divine.
One summer’s day t’new vicar cawed,
An’ Jemmy showed him round.
Reverend Arkwright stood aghast,
“’Tis Paradise I’ve found!”
He rambled on like vicars do,
A - praisin’ it to t’skies,
“Another God - made miracle,
But then, ’tis no surprise,
It proves what God and man can do,
Man cannot work alone.”
Jem sighed. “Ah wish tha’d sin it,
When He had it on His own!”
Jemmy’s Garden by Cliff Gerrard
This poem is by Cliff Gerrard who died in 2000. Cliff was a brilliant and well loved Lancashire Dialect poet to whom the Tinkers are indebted having adopted many of his poems over the years. This one paints a vivid picture with a humourous ending.
The accompanying tune is of course the Irish melody to ‘the garden where the parties grow’.
The accompanying tune is of course the Irish melody to ‘the garden where the parties grow’.
JEMMY’S GARDEN.
‘A LANCASHIRE GRACE’ LFCD031
THE OLDHAM TINKERS
LIMEFIELD
Recorded by Dave Howard at his studio in Bury, Lancashire
and mastered by John Ellis and Will Falkiner at Limefield Studio, Middleton, Manchester
Vocal: John Howarth.
Instruments: Gerry Kearns guitar Dave Howard mandolin.
‘A LANCASHIRE GRACE’ LFCD031
THE OLDHAM TINKERS
LIMEFIELD
Recorded by Dave Howard at his studio in Bury, Lancashire
and mastered by John Ellis and Will Falkiner at Limefield Studio, Middleton, Manchester
Vocal: John Howarth.
Instruments: Gerry Kearns guitar Dave Howard mandolin.