Lyr Add: The Skipper's Visit to the Polytechnic

Subject: Lyr Add: The Skipper's Visit to the Polytechnic
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 12:13 PM

The Skipper's Visit to the Polytechnic

O, Geordy, hinneyu, gan away,
An' see what aw hev seen, man-
The Polytechnic's such a treat,
'Twad please wor very Queen, man!
Prince Albert tee, aw hev ne doot,
Wad swear that Lunnin oot an' oot
Was fairly be't with all her pride,
And givethe palm to wor Tyneside.
E'en Billy Purvis an' his show
And Thorne's Theatre are no go
To wor Tyne Polytechnic.

The paintings there wad make ye stare,
Some awd an' some quite new,man,
And lots o' bony China ware
Of patterns not a few, man,
There's relics now not worth a groat,
Like Cuddy Willie's awd greet coat,
With arms and armour fra the Tower,
That sav'd wor lads in mony a stour;
There's coats and caps a' myed o' steel,
An' clubs wad make awd Horney squeel,
In wor Tyne Polytechnic.

They've lanrens that can raise the deil
An' myek him wag his tail, man,
With microscopes that turn at once
A sprat into a whale, man.
There birdies sing an' look so nice,
Rare plants fra Eden's Paradise.
The incubcator scar'd me sore,
For bairns an' chickens by the score
It manufactures very free,
'Twad neither suit wor Peg nor me,
At wor Tyne Polytechnic.

There's plows and harrows for the sod,
An' mirrors-such a show, man,
At which a skipper and his men
Might shave frae top to toe, man.
There's Armstrong, by some magic wand,
Makes great machines work at command;
The weavers they were thrang at wark,
Amaz'd-aw roar'd oot=smash my sark,
Wor Peg shall hev a posey gown
To mense here when she comes to toon.
To wor Tyne Polytechnic.

A water fountain in full play,
Where ships o' war might float, man;
And on a stand not far away
Was Harry Clasper's boat, man;
But here maw brains began to reel,
Enchanted at the organ's peal;
Its pipes like distant thunder roll'd,
Then squeek'd like mice I' wor keel's hold,
Aw'd sit an' listen half a year,
For music fine the heart does cheer.
In wor Tyne Polytechnic.

A chep was pulling at a thing,
Its nyem aw cuddent guess, man;
He said te me se very free
It is a printing press, man,
And if you do not take the hint,
I'll soon put all your thoughts in print,
An' sure enough, before 'twas lang,
He form'd maw thowts into this sang;
'Twas very like a magic trick,
But suen fra him aw cut maw stick
At wor Tyne Polytechnic.

Aw've been at France aw've been at Shields,
An' likewise Shiney Raw, man,
Where aw've seen lots o' wondrous things
Above grund and belaw, man;
But these greet wonders mun give in,
To say owt else wad be a sin,
The Polytechnic cuts the shine,
An' sheds a ray o'er Bonny Tyne;
E'en Cocknies ower their midnight bowls
Will toast with glee like jolly souls
Wor Town and Polytechnic.

-Emery, Broadside printed at Polytrechnic, 1848.

Written on the second Polytechnic Exibition, commencing Easter Monday, 1848. It was held in the same suite of rooms as the first (1840); the entrance was from the Academy of Arts, Blackett Street;
a gallery crossing High Friar Street connecting the rooms with those in the Granger Street division. IN the Exhibition, on a press worked by the author, Mr. Emery, the song was first printed.