Charmain, the PROPER song is not "Howfen Fair" but "Turton Fair". Turton is to the north-east of Bolton and had a substantial cattle fair in its day. It was also reknowned for clog fighting, and is where most of Bolton Wanders footballers came from when The Wanderers won trophies in the early days of the football league, I think the two facts are related. My late father remembers going as a lad, a certain group, I believe altered the song to fit their locality.
"Turton Fair" from lyricsbox
It's just twelve months this last back end Sin' Aw went Turton Fair, An' if Aw ne'er go there again, Ah think I've Had mi share. In some pubs there was feetin' While others rung wi' glee; An' Turton fowk they looked as if They were ready for a spree.
CHORUS Now lads, 'an yo fowt? Nay we'n not fowt yet Come and gather round us And we'll muster up a set.
We'll lay our clugs abaht 'em We'll make 'em gawp an' stare. We'll show 'em streight they'll 'ave ter feight If they come to Turton Fair
There were one owd chap who'd getten drunk While drivin' beasts dahn street, An owd bull come and poked his horn Right in his breeches seat. It tossed him up in to the air He come down with a roar And sat him down in t'horses' trough To soothe away his sore.
Then he saw a suckin' cauve It were tied to t' rail He went an' clogged this suckin' cauve Three punces under t' tail He punced that poor thing rahnd about 'Til it could barely see He said "Ah'll 'ave revenge for what Thy fayther did to me!"
This song is from the album "Folk Songs Of Lancashire".