Lyr Req: Glossop

Subject: Glossop
From: Joe Fogey
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 08:01 PM

My local folk club meets in the Hyde Park Hotel on Mutley Plain, Plymouth (the original one), every Monday evening. Tonight Colin, one of the barstaff, told me he had heard us singing a song which included the name "Glossop", and asked me what it was. Glossop, which is Colin's home, is a town in Derbyshire, set in the rural splendour of Glossopdale.

Nobody at the club could remember a song that referred to Glossop. It's possible that there was a guest singer on that night.

Does anybody know a song about Glossop? It would be a difficult rhyme.

Joe F

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 08:07 PM

There was a lyric request for a song with the word Glossop in an old thread but that is all I can find here.

Jon

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 08:09 PM

It's a tossup.

~S~

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Matt_R
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 10:26 PM

No relation to Hildebrand "Tuppy" Glossop, Honoria Glossop, or Sir Roderick Glossop from the Jeeves & Wooster books by P.J. Wodehouse.

KISS TUPPY!!

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Amos
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 12:06 AM

Websearch reveals all?:

""Glossup!", roared Mr Hargreaves, red in the face, "you have come to class to study, not ritualistically disembowel your classmates."

"

"I don't care, Mr. Hargreaves," said Glossup. "I would never have disemboweled anyone else, but this twit Tiny Tim - I just couldn't take him anymore! Those endless pseudo-Dickensian names and English parlorisms just drove me bananas. If he had just shown the slightest shred of common sense and awareness of how grating those facile fantsies of his were, I would have left Dad's machete at home today and never have touched him. "

Don't ask me, I just work here!

A

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 12:08 AM

I know I'm bad,
It's so sad,
I love glossup
It's a tossup

Is it a lie?
You can't tell, how can I
Said the Cop
To the perpetrators' sop

My very best friend is a lawyers wife,
She tries to understand a Cops' wifes' life
I try to understand her Honey's,
But it all comes down to who has moneies.

(I know I'm bad, it's so sad, etc.)

Small towns run on glossup,
What's really true is such a toss up
If you got the bucks,
You got the lucks.

(Chorus)

Lawyers wives and cops'es spouses,
What a kick when hubbies are on the outses
What a great chase,
When they're on the same case

because,
It's so sad, it's a toss up,
We love glossup.
We know we're bad,
It's so sad.

Well, hey, I know it's bad, but it's true, too. It might have been better if I hadn't hit the clear entries button instead of the submit a while ago. I had to do it all over again, and part of it is not the same. Feel free to add/change/delete.

She and I are best friends and do enjoy the ironies of the relationship, tho. It gets quite funny on occasion.

Subject: Lyr Add: GIRLS OF GLOSSOP ROAD
From:
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 12:13 AM

I've been thinking to do this one for some time on paltalk. I might just get round to it now!
As sung by Steve Turner

GIRLS OF GLOSSOP ROAD

I'm just in the vein to sing a little strain so pin your attention down
To a tale I'll tell of a hallenscious swell I shall introduce as Brown
He was in the rifle corps, I mustn't say more so you that listen to me ode
Do the thing that's right all on a Sunday night with the girls of Glossop Road

With the girls of Glossop Road, with the girls of Glossop Road
Do the thing that's right all on a Sunday night with the girls of Glossop Road

Now Brown was a spark rather fond of a lark and a married man tho' not chaste
And little he cared how his own wife fared if another girl took his taste
So himself he dressed in his regimental best and proud as a peacock strode
Admiring the girls crinolines and curls as they walked up Glossop Road

He accosted a fair with dark wavy hair, blue boots and a red leather belt
And he smiled and he talked as they onward walked endeavouring her heart to melt
Then this sly volunteer gave a wink and a leer enquiring her name and abode
And he felt as grand as a lord of the land with the girls of Glossop Road

At length Mr Brown and this girl sat down in a neat little inn close by
Where he ordered a drain of draught champagne and a quarter of a cold pork pie
And they hugged and they pressed coaxed, cuddled and caressed and kisses he gave her a load
And he fell upon his knees as spooning as you please with the girls of Glossop Road

This quaint little man had scarcely began his love tale out for to pour
When who should he see but his own Mrs B peepin' at the parlour door
With the bound of a bear she fastened on his hair crying as her anger rose
I'll tear away your eyes if you've come to exercise with the girls of Glossop Road

Well to set the matter right the women had a fight and a right old timer up and down
They smashed to smithereens hats gowns and crinolines and then they went to work on Brown
He was jolly well thrashed and his head got smashed and the crowd their abuse bestowed
And his fine uniform went to blazes in the storm with the girls of Glossop Road

Then a lot of the police, 'cos he'd broken the peace took Brown to the town hall cell
Where he had to ruminate on his unlucky fate with many of the fast young swells
And his wife ran away the very next day and the cause of this little episode
Is a volunteer still tho' he never goes to drill with the girls of Glossop Road

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 01:49 AM

Just out of curiosity, I looked up "glossup" at Michael Quinion's World Wide Words and didn't get anything, so I've emailed him to ask if he knows of any meaning for it. I've seen it as a surname, too.

I am surprised in this quest about Glossup
That no one's referred to a dollup
As measurement of how much rouge on trollups
One sees on the way to Washington's Pulyallup!

With apologies to any else who may live in the vicinity!**BG**

kat

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 02:02 AM

Glossup, dollup and trollup have an internal rhyme as well as an ending rhyme......I was just using the "up", not the "lup". What are you doing still up at this hour, anyway? My excuse is Honey/Hubby is at work, what's yours? (grin)

And we both missed cup, pup, sup, tupp(ence)or tip, and whup (whip) and probably several others...... nite, now.

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 02:43 AM

Do tell?! **BG** Can't sleep...too keyed up about my *outing*, tomorrow. Just took a "nightcap" so should doze off really soo.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 04:03 AM

Try emailing Brian Peters - Singer/Song Collector extrordinaire from Glossop. I think you can find hime HERE, but if that fails try a web search.

Cheers

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Joe Fogey
Date: 14 Apr 01 - 07:08 PM

Gee, thanks, chaps.

Joe F

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 02:33 PM

Glossop Road was written by J. B. Geoghegan around 1860.  That's Glossop Road in Sheffield, by the way.  Steve Turner or his source has missed out a verse and changed the text a bit, so here are some modifications, mostly minor, to the words posted by Jacko.  They are taken from a broadside printed by J. Robertshaw of Angel Street, Sheffield (date unknown, but evidently during Geoghegan's working life):

Verse 1: Chorus: Verse 3: Verse 4: Add Verse 5: Verse 6: Verse 7: Verse 8:

to the tale I tell of a Hallamshire swell... but I mustn't...my ode ...Sunday night, when you walk up Glossop Road. With the girls up Glossop Road... In each case, the final line of the verse is used as the second line of the chorus. ...this gay volunteer...enquired... ...he called for a drain... Lines 3 and 4 should be: Then his arm he placed all around her waist, for his heart with love o'erflowed. "Oh!" says he, "It's all right, I'll merry be tonight, With the Girls up Glossop Road." When this fair maid said -"Are you marr-i-ed?" He boldly answered -"No!" It's all serene, and you'll be the queen of my heart in a month or so." Then he hugged and pressed, cuddled, coaxed and caressed, and of kisses he let her have a load, And he plumped on her knees, as spooney as you please, with the girls up Glossop Road. Now this gay little man.. his love tale out to pour ...peep in at... ...saying as she her anger showed... (omit "Well")...fight, a first-rate tumble up and down They sent to smithereens... while the crowd... ...as he had broken... ...like many other... ...on the very next day, yet... ...but he never...

Geoghegan wrote "up" rather than "of" Glossop Road.

Many of the girls in question were "working" girls, of course; though there's no suggestion that the young lady in this song was a professional, contemporary audiences will have known the area, and been well aware of such things.  By the time I moved to Sheffield in the early 1970s, they had moved their base of operations round the corner to Brunswick Street, but when that was partly gentrified in the '80s, they decamped to the Broad Lane area, near Fagans and the Red House; pub session territory.  I don't know if the song has ever been found in tradition, but it certainly gets sung in the folk clubs round here.  "Hallamshire" is, technically, a district adjacent to Sheffield, (first mentioned in the Domesday Book) though long subsumed into it.

I've made a midi of the tune, based on notation in  The South Riding Songbook;  until it appears at the  Mudcat Midi Pages,  it may be heard via the  South Riding Folk Network  site:

GLOSSOP ROAD

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: GUEST,jacko
Date: 16 Apr 01 - 01:56 AM

thank you for your industry Malcolm

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: Joe Fogey
Date: 16 Apr 01 - 06:46 PM

Cor

Joe the totally gobsmacked by your collective scholarship Fogey

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: GUEST,emma
Date: 16 Apr 01 - 06:49 PM

And here's me about to buy a flat in 'Glossop' Derbyshire

wondering a bit now...

Emma

Subject: RE: Glossop
From: masato sakurai
Date: 29 Apr 04 - 09:26 AM

There's a broadside titled "The Girls Up the Road" at the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads site, which has the first line as "I'm just in the vein to sing you a strain, so pin your attention down ..." but doesn't the mention the name of the road.

girls up the road [title]

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GIRLS UP THE ROAD (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Apr 04 - 10:27 AM

From Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, Firth c.14(49).

THE GIRLS UP THE ROAD

I'm just in the vein to sing you a strain, so pin your attention down,
To the tale I tell of a fast young swell, I shall introduce as Brown ;
He was in the Rifle Corps, but I must not say more, so you that listen to my ode,
Do the thing that's right, all on a Sunday night, when you walk up ––– Road.
      When you walk up ––– Road, when you walk up ––– Road,
      Do the thing that's right, all on a Sunday night, when you walk up ––– Road.

Now Brown was a spark, rather fond of a lark, and a married man tho' not chaste,
And little he cared how his own wife fared, if another girl took his taste ;
So himself he dress'd in his regimental best, and proud as a peacock strode,
Admiring the girls crinolines and curls as they walked up ––– Road.
      As they walked up ––– Road, &c.

He accosted a fair with dark and wavy hair, blue boots and a red leather belt,
And smiled and talked as they onward walked, endeavouring her heart to melt :
And this gay volunteer gave a wink and a leer, enquired her name and abode,
And he felt as grand, as a lord of the land, with the girls up ––– Road.
      With the girls up ––– Road, &c.

At length Mr Brown and the girl sat down, in a snug little Inn close by,
When he called for a drain of draught champaign, and a quarter of pork pie ;
Then his arm he placed around her waist, for his heart with love o'erflowed,
Oh ! says he it's all right, I'll be merry to night, with the girls up ––– Road.
      With the girls up ––– Road, &c.

Now this gay little man had scarcely began, his love tale out to pour,
When who should he see, but his own Mrs. B–––, peep in at the parlour door ;
With the bound of a bear she fastened on his hair, saying, as her anger showed,
"I'll tear away your eyes if you've come to exercise, with the girls up ––– Road."
      With the girls up ––– Road, &c.

Now to set the matter right, the women had a fight, a first rate tumble up and down,
They sent to smithereens, hats, gowns, and crinolines, and then went to work on Brown ;
He was jolly well thrashed, and his head got smashed, and the crowd their abuse bestowed,
And his fine uniform went to blazes in the storm, with the girls up ––– Road.
      With the girls up ––– Road, &c.

Then a lot of the Police, as he had broken the peace, took Brown to the police cells,
Where he had to ruminate on his unlucky fate, like many more fast young swells ;
And his wife ran away on the very next day, yet the cause of this little episode,
Is a volunteer still, but he never goes to drill with the girls up ––– Road.
      With the girls up ––– Road, &c.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: HuwG
Date: 29 Apr 04 - 11:13 AM

I really should have done a search on "Glossop" as soon as I joined the Mudcat. It may have been too late to stop me living there, but at least I'd know something interesting about the place.

Glossop features briefly in "England, their England", a novel written in the 1920's by J.G. MacDonell. It also received passing mention in a single, "It's grim up north", released by the JAMS in 1989 or thereabouts.

Any 'Catter passing through should check out The Globe, on High Street West and the Old Glove Works on George Street. Both venues feature regular live music, with some decent folk / blues acts.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Apr 04 - 11:56 AM

Geoghegan was a Lancashire man who worked in the Music Halls as a performer and songwriter; he also managed halls at various times. He sometimes localised his songs for particular venues (or, alternatively, "un-localised" them for wider publication; I don't know which way round) The broadside Jim quotes is from the same period as the Sheffield edition I mentioned earlier. Geoghegan isn't credited on the Such print, and will have been quite annoyed by that, I'd guess; the Sheffield edition was an "official" one and carries the following notice:

Professional Singers and Printers, Singing, Printing, or Selling this Song, without the Author's permission, will be proceeded against under the Law of Copyright. J.B.G.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: Mr Happy
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 10:05 AM

Glossop in the rare old times!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bv6hoi4oPqs

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: GUEST,Brian Peters
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 10:20 AM

Thanks Dave Polshaw for the mention (why do I have a page on "Highlandnet" anyway??), but I don't know any songs about Glossop. I did enjoy the youtube clip, Mr. Happy. - though prospective flat-buyer Emma should be assured it's a bit less black here these days, with fewer chimneys. In fact, one of the mills shown in the clip has been converted into flats (unfortunately not livable-in at the moment, since an allegedly drunken resident burnt the place down).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: Folkiedave
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 11:07 AM

Was that allegedly drunken resident once famous for other things Brian?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: Mr Happy
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 11:21 AM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HgDTCJ3D1ss

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: Mr Happy
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 11:25 AM

& now for some traditional music from Derbyshire:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HeN8U9eQ_8s

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Glossop
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 24 Oct 07 - 12:18 PM

HuwG mentions "The Globe" - perhaps the most famous place in Glossop so far as mudcatters (and folkies) should be concerned - for t'was there that Nick Jones played his last gig crashing the car on the way home.