A song by a good friend of mine, John McCreadie, who passed away recently. "Penny A Wish" is about travelling by train across the Forth Bridge, and the practice in days gone by, of throwing a penny from the window of the train as it crossed the bridge. A PENNY A WISH - John McCreadie When I was wee we went tae Fife every Glesga Fair Mither packed the hamper. Sent it off two weeks afore Pittenweem, St Monans, I stayed in them both But the best part of the holiday. Was crossing ower the Forth. For they would haud me up tae the windae And a penny tae me gie So that I could make a wish As the penny sailed away If the penny didny hit the bridge Wi a clatter then ye knew It had landed in the water And yer wish it would come true There wis a team of divers, at least that's what they tellt me Collected a' the pennies, for some charity Whether that wis true or not, I couldny really say But the best penny I ever spent, I mind it to this day CHORUS Noo the station's gone frae Pittenweem and all round Fife's East Neuk a man called Beeching our railways frae us took It was farewell tae the Forth Bridge: Hello to the car roof rack And we waved to you as we crossed the Forth On your wee sister's back. Nae mair wid they haud me up tae the windae And a penny tae me gie So that I could make a wish As the penny sailed away If the penny didny hit the bridge Wi a clatter then ye knew It had landed in the water And yer wish it would come true One day I'll take my bairns, we will board the train Takes us ower the Forth Bridge, just as I did as a wean These days there's nae big broon belt, tae open the windae wi But I'm sure if we try hard enough We will find a way And I'll haud them up tae the windae And a penny tae them gie So that they can make a wish As the penny sails away If the penny disny hit the bridge Wi a clatter then we'll ken That the magic still works tae this day Like it did when I wis a wean When they'd haud me up tae the windae And a penny tae me gie So that. I could make a wish As the penny sailed away If the penny didny hit the bridge Wi a clatter then ye knew It had landed in the water And yer wish it would come true
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