The message from "Trevor" posted via Joe Offer (12 July 2014) stating that there is a typo is not correct. In talking to Jeremy Vine at the Albert Hall before he sang Jim said he decided to write the song when he visited Arromanches in about 1960. He does not say that he wrote the song then; merely that he decided to write it. In fact Jim's memory is faulty (it happens; especially over a long and eventful life) and his first return to Arromanches was nearer to 1970 than 1960. Then he wrote the song over several years, trying different lyrics with various tunes (eventually settling on 'Raglan Road') but did not actually perform it until 1994 when he was 65 and he went to France again for the 50th anniversary events. He had also finished full time work shortly before then and thus had more time to devote to the folk music scene and so began to get regular requests to sing it at different clubs and venues.

Since writing this first song Jim has written several more (including 'The Merchant Seaman' - a tribute to the WWII Merchant Navy in which he and his two brothers all served, one brother losing his life with all his shipmates) and 'A Song for Stephen Lawrence' - the lad murdered in 1993 just yards from Jim's own Folk Club venue). All these songs have won awards in Jim's home County of Yorkshire and are regularly performed at folk clubs and festivals.

Jim's web page is here http://www.offbeat.karoo.net/shantyman