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06 Jul 18 - 12:36 PM (#3935762) Subject: Lyr Add: The Famous Flashing Lane - Damian Le Bas From: FreddyHeadey THE FAMOUS FLASHING LANE - Damian Le Bas 2017 sung by Thomas McCarthy and Charlotte Andrews(+fiddle), (aka Charley Blue, Charles Parker's granddaughter.) ’Twas a mellow morn of summer And green was on the land. I drove alone for Appleby In ancient Westmoreland, Until my sight with trailers bright Was filled, and I lonely came To where the famous horses run The famous Flashing Lane. The Travellers there from every breed Across the Isles were stood: From Berwick old upon the Tweed To Hampshire’s royal wood. From Dublin fair to the fields of Blair And the Dornoch’s banks of Tain, Each had his track that led him back To the famous Flashing Lane. I walked among the fillies fine, The geldings and the mares, A-glistening with the river Where the riders washed them there. And as I walked I heard them talk The Gamin and Rum’ny plain, And the thundering of hooves did sing Along the Flashing Lane. The old did shout as the young rode out As brave as any I saw, Yet among the glad I felt me sad For a day they’d come no more. ’Til I caught the eye on a stallion high Of a maid, and she spoke my name, And a silence strange brang a ghostly change Along the Flashing Lane. The faces bold of the young and old Were vanish-ed from there As alone I stood in the narrow road With the maid and the stallion fair. My heart was took by her piteous look As she said, “What is your pain To sadly stand on the sacred land Of the famous Flashing Lane?” And as she stared I remembered, And I said “Such is my grief: That my ancient race should be disgraced As none but tramps and thieves. For I recall when we had fair all, Our stories, and our good name, And the right to stay by the ancient way Of the famous Flashing Lane. “We went from North to the East and South And the West where the red sun burned, To anywhere with work to do And money to be earned. We made the best of every jest; We were poor but ’twas no shame, For we had our tales of the glens and dales And the famous Flashing Lane. “A Tinker’s graft was a skill and craft And it was no shaming word, And we neither took from lord nor serf An insult that we heard. They dealt us cards severe and hard But we laughed, and moved again, For we could turn their trash to gold And we had the Flashing Lane. “Now on the television screen They laugh at us for fools, For putting strength and shelter first And failing in their schools. No word get we of apology For their crimes, and it stays the same, And why should we vote when there’s no hope For the famous Flashing Lane?” She smiled at me, and said “Now see I bring a secret word, From those who sleep beneath your feet Within the ancient earth. What is success in your busyness If all is stress and strain? And who knows best but those who rest Beside the Flashing Lane? “For take the sunlight from the world And gold no longer shines. Take every chance you get in life, But also take your time. What use are tricks and politics If you only see the rain? And it’s always summer somewhere Flashing down the Flashing Lane. “It won’t be strength or cleverness That helps us in the world, But another strong young mother Bringing up a little girl. O don’t despair as you stand there: The future’s not ordained, And as long as there are Travellers There will be a Flashing Lane.” She said these words and disappeared From clean out of my sight, And faces filled the lane again With laughter in the light. She might have been my imagining, And I saw her ne’er again, But I won’t forget the one I met On the famous Flashing Lane. |
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06 Jul 18 - 06:44 PM (#3935832) Subject: Searching for the Travelling People From: FreddyHeadey The song features in the 30 minute documentary film "Searching for the Travelling People" The documentary reflects on the work of BBC Radio producer Charles Parker and folk singers Ewan Macoll and Peggy Seeger... and takes Travellers’ Times Editor-at-large, Damian Le Bas, on a journey from Scotland down to Kent and many places in between ... ... Liza Mortimer, who’s great grandmother Minty Smith, features in the original BBC Radio programme and also in a BBC film documentary called ‘Where do we go from here?’ made down in Edenbridge in Kent said “It was uplifting and very moving but this film needs to be seen by everyone to show not only where Gypsy and Traveller people have come from but how they have moved forward” https://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/heritage/watch-heritage-documentary-searching-travelling-people# btw Full interviews with some of the people in the film. Travelling People Interviews by Rural Media on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-895472196/sets/travelling-pe |
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09 Jul 18 - 06:03 AM (#3936248) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Famous Flashing Lane - Damian Le Bas From: FreddyHeadey corrected ^^^^^^^^^^ SoundCloud interviews link : Billy Welch Jess Smith Delaine Le Bas Peggy Seeger Thomas McCarthy Richard O'Neil Lisa Smith Sara Parker Samson Rattigan https://soundcloud.com/user-895472196/sets/travelling-people-interviews |
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21 Mar 19 - 06:25 AM (#3983538) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Famous Flashing Lane - Damian Le Bas From: FreddyHeadey here's a link to the song, sung by Thomas McCarthy https://vimeo.com/260451960#t=1700 |