Bloody Hell Colin.

All I remember is what I wrote. It was in 4/4 time, and the bar I remember had therefore 8 quavers in it. The first 6 quavers were on the same note, going "puff puff puff puff puff puff", and assuming that that note was an E, then "squelch" completed the bar on a G.

That is based on one hearing of that part of the song, as part of a rambling introduction of a different song, at the "Wish it Was a Brewery" club, when that club was upstairs in the big room at the King's Head, and I used to get there early specially to hear (the now late) Carey Roberts digging songs out of his humungous repertoire - I do wish I could remember his version of "the Shaking of the Sheets" (it's in the digitrad) properly. I reckon it could have been as early as '68, but it might have been as late as '71.

The song you were introducing was that other railway song you wrote, about the ?fireman/stoker? on a "Bloody Great Number 8".