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09 Apr 08 - 04:37 PM (#2311420) Subject: Lyr Add: THE BELLE OF BARKING CREEK (Paddy Roberts From: Gurney THE BELLE OF BARKING CREEK. Paddy Roberts. From Decca LK4358, circa 1960. Oh, woe is me, and alas alack! A tear rolls down my cheek As I tell the story of Nelly Clack, The Belle of Barking Creek. Her hair is yellow as the morning sun— Except where the black shows through— And her age has been a steady twenty-one Since nineteen-fifty-two, And all day long she wheels her barrow, And she'll only stray from the straight-and-narrow When the fleet is home in port, For a sailor boy she cannot resist, Her mind and her knees grow weak, And every matelot for miles has kissed The Belle of Barking Creek. One lovely evening, when the moon was new, She stood by the garden gate, Whilst idly wondering what to do, Poor Nelly met her fate. A great big stoker by the name of Bert, Had come into town that day, And he said, "Cor blimy, what a piece of skirt!" And carried her away. And she darned his socks and she fried his bacon, And she scarcely paused for breath, And very soon she was overtaken By 'a fate that is worse than death.' Then he said, "I'm going, but I'll soon be back. I'll write to you every week,” But I know darn well that Nelly Clack Is up the Barking Creek! There's no more to tell, of poor little Nell, the Belle of Barking Creek. Note: I'm unsure if the 'up the barking creek' should be capitalised. It could be taken as crazy and pregnant, in the vernacular. Barking Creek is a district near London. Paddy Roberts, despite his accent, was South African. |
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09 Apr 08 - 04:44 PM (#2311427) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: Herga Kitty Bethnal Green and Barking Creek (like Pinky and Perky?) belong together (BC) Kir=tty |
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09 Apr 08 - 04:49 PM (#2311431) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: Gurney I'm sitting at the computer listening to the LP on the turntable beside me. Anyone want any more numbers? I listed them on the Bethnel Green thread. |
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09 Apr 08 - 04:50 PM (#2311432) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: Liz the Squeak To be accurate, Barking Creek is a small river that forms a boundary of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, flowing into the Thames via the River Roding. To be 'up Barking Creek' was to be in trouble, akin to 'shit creek' probably from the fertiliser works built there in the late 1870's. It still smells pretty foul when the tide is out. LTS |
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09 Apr 08 - 05:34 PM (#2311468) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: Gurney Thanks, Liz. I've only been near The Smoke four times, twice passing through and twice to the Motor Show. Which dates that! I'm familiar with 'up shit creek(without a paddle)" and 'barking mad.' Capitalisation was correct, from Liz's information. |
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06 Jan 10 - 05:51 AM (#2804699) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: GUEST,Syd Bishop I think 'shit' creek is a more modern version in these less proper times and would not have been part of the popular and polite lexicon spoken when Paddy wrote his songs. Crossness sewage treatment works which serves most of inner London north of the Thames was built on the banks of Barking Creek in the 1860s, so the association would not be older than that, whereas Barking Creek was a port well before that. As to barking mad, that is more likely a reference to mad dogs (of Noel Coward fame) which have rabies - but of course, the Isle of Dogs a mile or so upstream opposite the Millenium Dome at Greenwich had a similar reputation to Barking Creek etc, and to go to the dogs could also mean losing all your money at the greyhound track. |
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06 Jan 10 - 06:27 AM (#2804723) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: John MacKenzie "Never trust a boy who barks" Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood. |
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06 Jan 10 - 07:36 AM (#2804757) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: Mick Pearce (MCP) According to Partridge's historical slang to have been to Barking Creek meant to have a bad cough (ca 1820-50). And this is a variation on Barkshire (=Ireland, Barks =the Irish) - A member or candidate for Barkshire - said of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly styled barking. Mick |
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06 Jan 10 - 01:35 PM (#2805054) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: Ross Campbell "Selling whelks and winkles by the court," Shouldn't that be "by the quart"? Shellfish and prawns, shrimps etc were commonly sold by volume rather than weight. You can still get "a pint of prawns", served as a starter in pubs and restaurants around the UK - Wright Brothers of Borough Market, London - Pint of prawns A quart might be over-facing! Ross |
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06 Jan 10 - 03:40 PM (#2805158) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek. From: Aeola Haven't come across this Lyric before but did hear about the 'Barking Creek Bell Ringer's Daughter'. |
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11 Apr 10 - 05:34 AM (#2884084) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: GUEST,waterphil I can't find the tune for The Belle of Barking creek anywhere - has anybody got an audio version, or even the musical score ? |
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11 Apr 10 - 07:07 AM (#2884124) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: The Doctor According to some 'Barking mad' relates to the hospital for the insane which was formerly part of Barking Abbey. Others prefer the dog version. |
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11 Apr 10 - 04:18 PM (#2884377) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: Gurney Waterphil, it is on 'Paddy Roberts Tries Again' which seems to be now available from Amazon. If you are ever in New Zealand, you can listen to my copy.... |
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11 Apr 10 - 05:09 PM (#2884397) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: Rob Naylor Mick: According to Partridge's historical slang to have been to Barking Creek meant to have a bad cough (ca 1820-50). And this is a variation on Barkshire (=Ireland, Barks =the Irish) - A member or candidate for Barkshire - said of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly styled barking. But in this case "Barking Creek" definitely refers to a location...and one associated with sailors and shellfish, which Barking Creek is. I don't see any point in postulating a convoluted reference to Ireland when the named location fits the subject matter so well. |
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01 Jul 10 - 03:24 PM (#2938057) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: GUEST Jim Smith, Barking Creek was a very small hamlet, owned by Lawes Fertilisers, who built the houses for employees, my mothers family the Cornwells, (of the boy stood on the burning deck fame) lived there and she and brothers and sisters were all born there. Most of them still live locally, the pub has just been sold after being in the same family for 200 years. I am 72 now and I sang this ballad when a boy. The former inhabitants of Barking Creek still meet in the 'Crooked Billet' the above pub, and they have a web site. |
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31 Jul 11 - 06:11 PM (#3199325) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: GUEST,axident There is an old saying "up the creek without a paddle", which reduces to "up the creek" or, extremely "up the ------- creek" |
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30 Aug 11 - 06:32 PM (#3215506) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: GUEST,kim selling whelks and winkles by the QUART!! - old-fashioned measure. |
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25 Jun 19 - 07:20 PM (#3997888) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Belle of Barking Creek (Paddy Roberts From: GUEST,RAF Veteran A FATE THAT IS WORSE THAN DEATH AND UP THE BARKING CREEK MEANING THAT POOR NELLIE WAS PREGNANT |