This comes from The Corries' 'The Dawning of the Day' album (1982) - 'The Widow and the Fairy', credited to Fred Wedlock.

THE WIDOW AND THE FAIRY
(Fred Wedlock)

In a crumbling ruined hole condemned for years
There lived a woman, such a kind old dear
For forty years in a basement flat
No friend had she but her old tomcat.

One Christmas Eve she sat cold and glum
When a blinding flash lit up her lonely slum
And there stood a fairy saying, Have no fear
To grant three wishes they have sent me here.

With trembling hands she held forth her purse
A widow's pension don't go far, of course
The fairy waved her wand around
And on the floor lay ten thousand pounds.

A gorgeous figure and a face divine
Oh all my life have I wished them mine
Hold tight, said the fairy, And I'll have a go
And made her look like Brigitte Bardot.

This gorgeous figure, in the chair she sat
When she chanced to spy her old tomcat
He's my only friend, so if you can
Make him my handsome young fancyman.

This handsome youth to the girl drew near
And whispered softly all in her ear
Oh the night is young - but you'll regret
The day you took me to see the vet.

Remarkably close to 'The Dundee Cat' mentioned above, isn't it? And not the only example I've heard of Fred Wedlock managing to write a song very close to what someone else had written (but neglected to copyright) before him.

About 'The $65 Sportscar': I've heard it credited to Charlie King. Help, someone, please?

And Liz, the song you are thinking of is 'A Stitch In Time' by Mike Waterson, who indeed wrote it after reading about it in a Hull newspaper. I think it was posted to a thread some months ago, maybe last year.

Two more examples of jokes turnd into songs are the one about the man who drinks his whole collection of miniature whisky bottles (from the Hamish Imlach thread) and 'Paddy and the Bricks', also discussed in a recent and a less recent thread. - Susanne