A Ghost Story

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Bert
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:21 PM

Hey I didn't know that. I took the name from the poem Sonia Snell and added the ing to give it two syllables to scan with Barbara Allen. The poem Sonia Snell is posted on the toilet songs thread.

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:36 PM

Sonia Snelling, to Canadians, was a top cycle racer some 50 years ago.

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:04 AM

Nice One Bert

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 03:53 AM

Love it Bert.

Dave H

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Bert
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 10:45 PM

Thanks Garg ol' buddy.

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 10:37 PM

I like it.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Well done, hale fellow!

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Bert
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 10:00 PM

Barbara Allen
The Belle of Barking Creek
I got the title of Thomas Hoods poem wrong, I lost the book about forty years ago
British Workman's Grave"

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Bert
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 09:18 PM

Oh, and Barking is a town just East of London.

When they built the first sewers in London they built them for the rich folks up The West End, but they didn't want to dump the sewage in the river there because it would stink up the whole of London (This was in the days before sewage treatment works). So they piped it across North London and through the working class East End and into Barking Creek, from there it flowed into The Thames. This turned Barking Creek into an open sewer and gave it its new name Shit Creek (sometimes Shits Creek).

Another song that is associated with the journey of this sewer is "British Workman's Grave"

I'll see if I can find some links for you.

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: Bert
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 09:09 PM

It is a parody of Barbara Allen,
Paddy Roberts wrote a song called "The Belle of Barking Creek"
Thomas Hood wrote a poem called "Don't eat them there fish"

Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: A Ghost Story
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 09:03 PM

Lovely! As a resident Yank, I don't get any of the references or the names, but I like the lyric. Would you care to explain!

Subject: A Ghost Story
From: Bert
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 08:55 PM

I couldn't sleep last night so I went into the office to play on the computer. While I was sitting there alone in the dark, the ghosts of Paddy Roberts and Thomas Hood crept up behind me and took over my body. Just like Patric Swayze did to Whoopie Goldberg.

When I awoke from the trance, this is what I found written in Notepad.


In Barking Town where I was born
there was a fair maid dwelling
and all the yobs cried lovely tits
when they saw Sonia Snelling.

All in the Merry Month of May
When gasworks smog was smelling
young Billy blogs was too scared to speak
of his love for Sonia Snelling.

He said "I haven't got a chance"
and as the tears were welling
he drowned himself in Barking Creek
for the love of Sonia Snelling.

And slowly, slowly she came up
to the place they said he fell in
she slipped upon the muddy bank
and splosh went Sonia Snelling

After about three days or more
their bodies started swelling,
don't eat the fish that feed upon
Billy Blogs and Sonia Snelling.