Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?

Subject: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: Menolly
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 11:49 AM

Back in the early 70's I remember a popular song at the Manchester clubs I used to go to, had the chorus -

Will they ever bridge the Humber? Will they ever span it o'er?
Is it always an exception to the rule?
Is it such a privelige to have a Humber Bridge?
Do we have to keep on going round by Goole?

The bridge was built some years ago now so the song has disappeared but the tune keeps running round in my head. I would love to know what the rest of the words are and who wrote it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: smallpiper
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 12:28 PM

Music and words by Christopher Rowe its in the DT (or at least there have been threads on thi s song and the lyrics are published on one of those)

Subject: Lyr Add: WILL THEY EVER BRIDGE THE HUMBER?
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 12:47 PM

WILL THEY EVER BRIDGE THE HUMBER?

In our early history
Julius Caesar crossed the sea
To this island off the Northern coast of France
Then some other Romans came
Just to treat us just the same
And they stayed a litte (little???) just by chance
They came they saw they conquered
All the land that they could see
Then they reached the River Humber
That noble estuary
But they burnt their boats behind them
Not thinking it could be
That the ancient Britons hadn't built a bridge

CHORUS:
Will they ever bridge the Humber
will they ever span it o'er
Is it always an exception to the rule
Is it such a privilege not to have a Humber Bridge
And to have to keep on going round by Goole

In a 100 years or more
There arrived on England's shore
A noble duke who came from Normandy
Duke William was his name and the conqueror he became
Cos he conquered all the land that he could see
But one day he came up north and there to his surprise
When he reached the River Humber he was made to realise
That whilst Romans could build straighter roads
And walls of every size
They had never tried to build a Humber Bridge

In the English Civil War
When they fought on Marston Moor
And the royalists were scattered far and wide
They disturbed the peaceful slumber of the quiet River Humber
But they knew that Hull was not the place to hide
For the city favoured Cromwell
And there they could not stay
So they headed for the river
To cross without delay
But on reaching Hessle foreshore
They found to their dismay
No one had ever built a Humber Bridge

The year of 1966 found Harold Wilson in a fix
With his overall majority down to 2
He just couldn't face rejection
At the Hull North by- election
Barbara Cartland came to see what she could do
There is one thing I can promise
She assured us on that day
You'll get your Humber Bridge
And there won't be much delay
But she forgot to mention that a squeeze was on the way
And we're still waiting for the Humber bridge

NOw they've built across the Severn
And they've built across the Tay
And they've even spanned the mighty Firth of Forth
But an increase on this number
with a bridge across the Humber
Seems to be more trouble than its worth
Gas may flow up from the ocean
oil may flow out from the sea
We would join the common market
if the French would just say oui
Then in Whitehall and in Westminster perhaps they'll start to see
That at last we really need the Humber Bridge


(I have added this verse and final chorus to bring it up to date)

Now in 1973 it was finally agreed
That a bridge would soon be built from shore to shore
The governmental powers ordered
'build two great big towers
And suspend a bridge in three years or in four
But the building was delayed as they sank into the clay
And it took eight years to build instead of four
but in 1981 the queen to Hull did come
and opened up the bridge to one and all

Now they've finally bridged the Humber
They have finally spanned it o'er
It's no longer an exception to the rule
But the tools across the bridge
Make it such a privilege
That many keep on going round by Goole


Sue

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 04:12 PM

RWR
I like your additions, but think that last chorus should be'tolls' across the bridge! I sang an updated version with a local choir last year, but didn't keep a copy of the new words.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST,Willa
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 04:16 PM

Help! I've just realised I'm cookieless; that last post was me. Will have to reset.
Willa

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 05:19 PM

As smallpiper mentioned above see also the thread Lyr Req: Will they bridge the Humber.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: Menolly
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 07:07 PM

Thanks everybody. I'll be able to sleep tonight now !!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: Gareth
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 07:07 PM

Minor corrections

"Barbara Cartland came to see what she could do"

read Barbara Castle

"But the tools across the bridge"

read "But the tolls across the bridge"

Gareth - Who suffers from the Tax on the Severn Bridges heading into Wales !!!!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 03:32 AM

Gareth butty, it would be unkind to suggest that you stay home, thus avoiding the tolls, but there is also the option of going the pretty way.
Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 03:58 AM

sorry about the errors

comes from being hastled by little childers who didnt want me to stay on and check over the work grovelling for forgiveness

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST,Eleanor
Date: 24 Jul 21 - 04:15 PM

I had heard this song just the once nearly 50 years ago in Manchester but the line about going round by Goole had stuck with me as my mother lived in Barton-on-Humber. I was probably the only person present who had even heard of Goole let alone been there.
I was delighted to hear it played on Radio 3 yesterday morning as a follow up to their series of river programmes the week before that ended at Spurn Head.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: r.padgett
Date: 25 Jul 21 - 02:22 AM

I think "Jackie and Bridie" sang this one?

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 06:30 AM

Back on the map! Goole celebrations go with a bang.

A live Word War Two bomb unearthed by builders on a housing development has been destroyed in a controlled explosion.

The 500lb (227kg) device was found on the new-build estate in Goole, East Yorkshire, on Thursday. Published 1 day ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: Michael
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 08:05 AM

..protect us from ghosties and Gooleies and things that go bang in the afternoon.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST,iains
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 08:43 AM

Opening the bridge closed the ferry service from New Holland to Hull.
Several years before the bridge opened the last coal burning paddle steamer in the UK (the Lincoln Castle ) was retired.It was replaced by a diesel driven ship. The Lincoln Castle was dragged to Grimsby and used as a floating restaurant until a plate inspection deemed her no longer seaworthy(even stationary in a dock)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Lqkx7TfRA

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 10:36 AM

Will they ever bridge the Humber?- Christopher Rowe and Ian Clark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9fg8J0Zjq0

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jul 21 - 12:12 PM

Thanks, Geoff. I didn't have any luck finding a recording.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: r.padgett
Date: 27 Jul 21 - 12:26 AM

https://youtu.be/zvuQJNVDJYk

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 08:46 AM

Barbara Carter not Barbara Cartland!   I believe

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 09:52 AM

Barbara Castle, Minister of Transport, 1965–1968 sanctioned the construction of the Humber Bridge, which was the world's longest suspension bridge upon its opening in 1981. The Humber Bridge Act, promoted by Kingston Upon Hull Corporation, was passed in 1959. This established the Humber Bridge Board to manage and raise funds to build the bridge and buy the land required for the approach roads. Raising funds proved impossible until the 1966 Kingston upon Hull North by-election.

Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson prevailed upon his Minister of Transport Barbara Castle to sanction the building of the bridge. Dismay at the long wait for a crossing led to Christopher Rowe writing a protest song, "The Humber Bridge".

Barbara Castle introduced the breathalyser to combat the then recently acknowledged crisis of drink-driving and made permanent the national speed limit (70 mph). And she proposed plans to introduce a London congestion charge, which was to be introduced as soon as the technical details of fee collection were solved. She described plans for more roadways as "self-defeating", stating the solution was "more and better mass transit systems". Wikipedia

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 09:55 AM

Barbara Carter not Barbara Cartland!   I believe

As Gareth pointed out back in 2003, Barbara Castle, Minister for Transport, 1965 - 1968.

DC

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: leeneia
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 01:35 PM

Thanks. The song is fun.

Google maps says that the Humber Bridge is "Accessible to cars, pedestrians & bikers, this suspension bridge opened in 1981 offers scenic views. Wheelchair accessible "

What, no trucks, lorries, semis or artics? How does Hull get its merchandise? (Maybe trucking is taken for granted.)

==========
Wikipedia provides the stuff that appeals to me: The Humber is also a good place for over-wintering birds and is a good breeding ground for bitterns, marsh harriers, little terns and avocets. It forms part of the Severn-Trent flyway, a route used by migratory birds to cross Great Britain.

Get out your nox!

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Will they ever bridge the Humber?
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 02 Jan 23 - 12:31 PM

The link I gave to a YouTube recording no longer works but this should
”Will They Ever Bridge The Humber” - Christopher Rowe & Ian Clark     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueNy38aZFkU