The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #7847   Message #3910533
Posted By: Richard Mellish
11-Mar-18 - 03:10 PM
Thread Name: Seeking the Pitman's Bible
Subject: RE: Seeking the Pitman's Bible
I too have a recording of Killen telling the Nativity story; in fact two recordings, from evenings at different folk clubs. One I digitised a few years ago; the second I am digitising right now, as I write this (prompted, as you might guess, from the revival of this thread).

I recall him reciting part of another tale, where the authorities come to capture Jesus, but I think he may have recited only an excerpt of that one rather than the whole episode from the Pitman's Bible. That may be on the tape that is running now.

On the first one, before launching into The Nativity, he says "I just got another one from Jimmy (unclear surname, sounds like Neuru, and some further unclear words) at South Shields (last?) night, but I haven't worked that one up yet. That's about Nebuchadnezzar, the great trade union leader, and naturally them three strappin' lads from one of the Stanley pits, Meshak (any more names drowned by audience laughter). Never mind, you haven't heard the one about that famous lad from Bedlin'ton -- Beowulf. He used to guard the leek (mumble) Well he used to guard the allotments, just about leeks. He was called away to Denmark to fight that great leek-slashing monster; Denmark then being of course the country for growin' leeks".

Given at least my two recordings of The Nativity and the abovementioned one, but (so far) none of any other stories, it may be that he seldom or never recited any of the others.

One not-exactly Bible story on a recording is The Parable of the Lost Shekels as told by Jack Elliot.