ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers

Subject: Lyr Req: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Apr 24 - 08:21 AM

Does anyone know where I can find the lyrics to the song Art Comin' t'Wakes by the Houghton Weavers as I don't seem to be able to find them anywhere online, thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 15 Apr 24 - 12:14 PM

Art Comin' t'Wakes?

A Lancashire lad and a Lancashire lass, Stood on the cindery ground
For two weeks each year, the common were theirs, The lad and the lass wore the crown

Art comin' t'wakes? says Jimmy to Joe, There's two sets of dodgems this year
Me father he's given me half a crown, And me mother she's gone cut me hair
Remember them two girls from down Astley Street, That we met on Bond's market square?
Well they'll be on caterpillar on Saturday neet, And they reckons as we ought be there

A Lancashire lad...

There's nowt tastes as good as Butterworth's peas, wi' vinegar all steamin' and black
And there's one last ride on Cubbins's fair, Afore we makes our way back
Although we were young and although we were daft, I thinks back again and I longs for
Bond's annual fair gets less every year, It'll soon be just in a song

A Lancashire lad...

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 15 Apr 24 - 03:11 PM

Art Comin' t'Wakes?/A Lancashire Lad and a Lancashire Lass was written by Steve Chatterley, a stalwart of the Lancashire folk scene. Steve and Carol Chatterley were members of the Hands and Feet Roadshow, the core of Swinton Folk Club for a long time. Steve died on Christmas Day 2018.

Steve and Carol Chatterley and Martin Banks were members of the Lancashire folk group Usher's Well. Martin Banks sings A Lancashire Lad and a Lancashire Lass; https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=14497085 A Lancashire Lad

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Apr 24 - 05:21 PM

I have an MP3 version of Steve's solo album. If anyone is interested I could share it.

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Apr 24 - 05:25 PM

Incidentally, Steve used to mercilessly take the Micky out of the Houghton Weavers, They were friends really though:-)

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Apr 24 - 09:12 AM

BTW - Do you know what the Lancashire Lad and Lancashire Lass were?

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 22 Apr 24 - 06:40 PM

The Coppull Couple?

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Apr 24 - 03:17 AM

Guess again :-)

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 23 Apr 24 - 03:23 PM

Chorley Chaplain for t'lad?

Ah'll affet think baht t'lass.

Martin Banks was a great contributor to the Gregson Lane Folk Club, between Preston and Hoghton.

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Apr 24 - 07:17 PM

They were two big diesel generators that powered the rides at t'wakes!

:-D

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 24 Apr 24 - 03:32 AM

Fair enough!

We went to Carter's Steam Fair on its final tour.
It was a wonderful museum, but on wheels.

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Apr 24 - 04:30 AM

I saw Cubbins's fair at Winfields in Haslingden dome years back but never managed to get a picture of it for Steve. It was run on a diesel generator but it was neither the Lad nor the Lass though. They are still going and, I think, based in Blackburn.

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Apr 24 - 04:41 AM

Just noticed an error in the words listed above. Bond's should be Bongs. "Bongs" is the local name for Tyldesley. Rumour has it that a new employee at a train booking office was faced with a local asking for a ticket with the phrase "One mon an a dog tert Bongs and be 'andy abaht it, surry." :-D

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Apr 24 - 09:02 AM

If anyone wants to hear Steve Chatterley's (the author) version click here

Steve's pronunciation is as he used to speak too. He was a smashing bloke who was part of the Swinton folk club scene for many years and used to join us in our annual bash in the Yorkshire Dales as well. His 'big finish' was always one the rest of the band used to wait for :-D

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 24 Apr 24 - 12:33 PM

Thank you, Dave.

From Wikipedia; Tyldesley is situated at the edge of the Lancashire Plain north of Chat Moss, and the Banks is a sandstone ridge where the foothills of the Pennines begin and gave the town its early name of Tildsley Banks. The land rises from 100 feet (30 m) at the foot of the banks to 250 feet (76 m) at the highest point.

Tyldesley is pronounced "Til-slee", and locally known as "Bongs". In local pronunciation "Banks" was corrupted to "Bongs". The old name for Mosley Common was the "Hurst" or "Tyldesleyhurst"; the suffix "hyrst" means a wooded hill (OE).

My mate in Tyldesley never told me that.

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Apr 24 - 12:43 PM

You are more than welcome. The thread caused me to revist Steve's album so it was very worthwhile:-)

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Apr 24 - 01:15 PM

As a complete aside and purely out of interest, William Tyldsley AKA 'Owd Billy Tilt' played fiddle at the 'dinnerings' in the White Lion during the 1860s. The White Lion (or Willoghbys as it was known at the time) is the long term home of Swinton Folk Club. The Boat Band performed some of Billy's tunes there once so it felt like a bit of a revival :-)

William Tyldsley Manuscripts

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 25 Apr 24 - 03:48 AM

So it should be; The Lad and the Lass/Art comin' t'wakes?

The "Lancashire Lad" and the "Lancashire Lass", Stood on the cindery ground
For two weeks each year, the common were theirs, The "Lad" and the "Lass" wore the crown

Art comin' t'wakes? says Jimmy to Joe, There's two sets of Dodgems this year
And me father he's given me half a crown, And me mother she's gone cut me hair
And remember them two girls from down Astley Street, That we met on Bongs market square?
Well they'll be on Caterpillar on Saturday neet, And they reckons as we owt be there

The "Lancashire Lad"...

There's nowt tastes as good as Butterworth's peas, wi' vinegar they're all steamy and black
And then it's one last ride on Cubbins's fair, Before we make our way back
Although we were young and although we were daft, I look back again and I long for
Bongs annual fair, it gets less every year, It'll soon be just in this song

The "Lancashire Lad"...

Art comin' t'wakes? says Jimmy to Joe

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Apr 24 - 04:13 AM

Looks right to me, Henry. The title on Steve's album is just "The Lad and the Lass". The Houghton Weavers may have popularised it as "Art comin to t'wakes" but I have not seen them in donkeys years and can't rememnber!

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 25 Apr 24 - 09:42 AM

That's a little bit of local history preserved!

There was more in the song than appeared at first sight - or hearing.

Subject: RE: ADD: Art Comin' T'Wakes - Houghton Weavers
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Apr 24 - 10:27 AM

Aye - Steve was a good songriter and a pretty clever bloke. Let me know if you want the rest of the album sharing as well