I hope the gig went well despite some uncertainty over a few words. I realised you would not have got hold of John as he is away on holiday, so I phoned the Falcon Hotel and asked for a message to be passed to you to ring me, but evidently that didn't get through to you.

However, as Bristol Channel Jamboree is a great version (from, I think, the repertoire of Eric Illot) I'll post the words and perhaps you will get to sing it again some time. As you say, it mentions various landmarks on the passage up the Channel to Bristol.

1 Now my lads be of good cheer, for the isle of Lundy it draws near,
so dump your bed and stow your gear, oh Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.

CHORUS Whup jamboree, whup jamboree, oh you ringtail black man comming up behind,
Whup jamboree, whup jamboree, oh Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.

2 Now Hartland Point it is in sight, on the port bow is Lundy's light,
we'll be stoking up the fire tonight, oh Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.

3 The pilot cutter is up ahead, to the weather my lads a-heaving of the lead,
tonight we'll sleep in a lovely feather bed, of Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.

4 Now we're near the Foreland light and Bridgwater Bay it comes in sight,
we're clear of the Culver Sands aright, oh Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.

5 Flat Holm, Steep Holm and Walton Bay, ah soon my lads we'll be drawing of our pay,
we've waited a long time for this day, oh Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.

6 Now we're hauling through the locks and the pretty girls to the docks do flock
and there's my Jenny with a brand-new frock, oh Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.

7 And now we're safe and on the shore and I don't give a damn how the wavesd do roar,
I'll swallow the anchor, go to ea no more, oh Jenny keep your tailpiece warm.


I suppose we sing the "whup" more as an emohatic HUP noise.

A few words of explanation -
"Dump your bed" - the men slept on straw mattresses which were dumped overboard on the last day of the voyage.
"To the weather" - a bit obscure, but I take it to mean that they go to the weather side of the deck to sound the depth.
"Walton Bay" - might really be Woodspring Bay just to the north of Weston super Mare. Just before the mouth of the Avon they would pass Walton in Gordano, but that isn't on a noticeable bay. So your pick whatever seems best there.
"Hauling through the locks" - the port of Bristol was unusual in being on a river with a huge tidal rise and fall. This reduced the time in which cargoes could be moved, so locks were built to retain high tide water, creating Bristol's Floating Harbour.