From Bristol to the Seas: Unpacking the 'Corncrake' Shanty

Hi, this is Fish and you're listening to Shipshape and Bristol Fashion.

Shipshape and Bristol Fashion.

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Is certified shipshape from Bristol Fashion.

Hello there, shipmates.

Hello and welcome to Shipshape and Bristol Fashion.

I'm Oggy and I'm a member of the Port of Bristol Shanty Crew.

And this podcast is all about covering what we get up to and how to find us in the future.

Welcome aboard episode 14.

Thank you so much for joining us and it's great to have you on board.

If you are a regular listener of the Shipshape and Bristol Fashion podcast, thank you for coming back.

I hope you enjoyed last month's episode.

And if you're brand new to the podcast, then don't you worry, there's plenty of other opportunities to listen to multiple episodes that we've produced and you can do that either on your podcast platform that you're using right now, or of course via our website, which can be found@pobshantycrew.co.uk podcast.

So on this episode we have got some tricks crates for you.

We'll finish off with some audio that's been recorded at our last gig at a church fundraiser and more of that information about that a little bit later.

We have got Nobby, who is of course shanty royalty, and he's going to talk to us about his song the Corn Crate and the history and the information that that you know when you hear us sing it, but also other shanty crews.

Also joining us is the Barnacle Boys.

The they are a shanty crew within the United Kingdom and they'll be joining us to talk about adventure they're doing as part of our segment, Ahoy there, matey.

But first and foremost, we're going to pop over to the Signaler, who of course has got all the news from the Port of Bristol Shanty Crew.

Yo ho aho, me hearties.

It's the Signaller here with news of all of the activities of the Port of Bristol Shanty Crew.

Well, after a fairly quiet January, February arrived with a bang for the crew.

We did four gigs, well, five if you count Saturday, the 1st of March, started off down at the Nova Scotia great pub in Middle of Town, one of Sam Gregory's growing stable of great pubs in Bristol.

A lovely venue to sing shanties.

There's nothing better than being by the water in a pub with a load of history, singing Chanties and drinking some great beer, carrying on the theme of pubs and beer.

The next gig we did was at Snuffy Jack's over at Fish Ponds.

A small micropub.

We thought at one stage we might outnumber the audience, but we managed to squeeze quite a few in.

A lovely atmosphere, a proper drinking establishment.

So no jukeboxes, no machines on the wall, just guys listening to us sing and I think everybody enjoyed themselves.

We then moved on to a return gig.

We went to the Church of St Mary's in Timsbury.

We went there last year and were overwhelmed by the number of people who turned out and again it was a packed house.

Singing in a church is a fantastic place to sing chantes.

The acoustics are just wonderful.

And we were well looked after by the church.

We split the proceeds between the church funds and our Teenage Cancer Trust and I think everybody was happy, as were we, by the generous donation of the beer and cider that the organisers put on for us.

We then did a private gig at Lyegrove and Purday Mark Lodge, which was very well received.

Again, hugely generous from those guys.

And again another return visit.

We were always amazed when we get invited back for a second time because why would anybody want to listen to us twice?

It's always a revelation for us.

And then finally, although not strictly in February, on Saturday we went down to Lamyat Church and.

And it's a small village, only 180 people, and we went there to support the fundraising for the church and really to support our old friend Nobby.

Nobby has got family history in Lamiat Village to the extent that his grandparents and then his mum's ashes are buried, his grandparents are buried there and his mum's ashes are interred.

Then it was a really lovely evening, very appreciative audience.

They even managed to buy some calendars, which is good going, seeing it's now March and they've lost two of the calendar's worth.

So that was the activities for us in February.

It would be completely remiss of me if I didn't mention one person who, although not strictly a shanty activity, has done some amazing things this month.

So Bill, AKA Chile, one of our new members of the shanty crew, took part as a team of four.

Two vans on a humanitarian aid convoy drove to Ukraine, so drove all across Germany and, you know, all through Europe with a van or two vans full of generators, food, medical equipment to try and support the people of Ukraine in conjunction with a great charity called From Bristol with Love for Ukraine, which has done this trip on a number of occasions.

And I know Bill did a big part of the driving over there, over four or five days there and back, huge distances, quite exhausting.

And I think we all take our hats off to Bill for volunteering for this.

It's a fantastic thing to do and showed a huge amount of stamina to get through that long drive.

So well done, Bill.

We were all thinking about you.

We're immensely proud of you.

So moving on to March.

Not mega busy, but we've got some.

Some things happening well this week and then one more gig in into March.

So on Wednesday, if people didn't know, it's St.

Perrin's Day, the patron saint of Cornwall and all over Cornwall and even up into Bristol now, lots of people have Trelawney Shouts where various shanty bands and folk singing groups get together and celebrate Saint Pierron and Trelawn.

So we are doing the same.

We're over in Frampton Cottrell at the British Legion and it's organized by them Bristol girls and we'll be singing with the Severn Whalers and the Frampton Shanty Men and a young guy called Ben Nicholls who will be singing.

So the doors there open at 7.

It's free entry.

There's a bar which doesn't shut to 11:30, so please come along.

I'm sure it's going to be a great evening singing, lots of great shanties and lots of Cornish songs.

We're doing another private gig, really, to support the Rev.

It's at a nursing home, the St.

Joseph's nursing home for a retired clergy.

It should be interesting.

So Rev's going to go along and I'm sure upset them with his normal chat and irreverence from the Reverend.

But anything we can do to support gigs like this, we try to do.

The final gig of the month is on Saturday, which is at Clevedon Golf Club.

And Tracy, the lady captain, is having her dinner.

And why on earth she wants a group of hairy old men coming along to sing to her and her ladies, I have no idea.

But she has asked us and she's given us a generous donation and I'm particularly happy we can support it because Tracy is a relative, Tracey is my cousin, so that should be great.

I'm sure we'll have Clevedon Golf Club rocking.

So that's it, I think, from the signaller, from the News of the Port of Bristol shanty crew.

Have a great march and I'll be back in April to tell you all about the goings on then.

Bye bye.

Thank you, Ash.

It's good to hear about our successful month and of course a big congratulations to Chile and all his mates that went over to Ukraine to deliver some essential supplies.

He will of course talk to us in the near future and if you come and find us at one of our many gigs, then please do come up and talk to him and he'll tell you more about it.

Before we move on, we do have one extra news segment to let you know.

This podcast has grown from strength to strength and we're really, really grateful as a crew and as me as the host for you listening to us.

And so it's absolutely right to let you know that this podcast is now SP sponsored by our good friends down by the Nova Scotia Pub in Bristol.

They are a wonderful pub that is now hosting us every couple of months as our permanent base.

They are sponsoring this podcast to cover the cost of the hosting and the website.

So a massive thank you to the Nova Scotia Pub.

You're listening to Shipshape and Bristol Fashion, sponsored by the Nova Scotia publisher.

Come down and see us on Bristol's historic harbor side.

So next up we're going to pop down to the captain's quarters and listen Nobby, who's going to talk to us about his song the Corn Crate.

Summer sky and setting sun Concrete steamed on the Bristol run Brandy for the waiter's tray Sailors, they have earned their pay O the sea to Bristol town Loaded down with brandy O O the sea to Bristol town Load it down with brandy O Brandy O the Corn Crate was a ship that had a regular trade route between France and England, namely places like Bordeaux to the Bristol City docks.

It belonged to the General Steam Navigation of London, who had quite a sizable fleet of ships.

Many came into Bristol.

A lot of them were named after birds, starling, blackbird, birds like that.

And the ship would moor up in St.

Augustine's Reach.

The docks in those days were very busy, but it was still open to the public.

You could walk off the centre, walk down where the waterfall now is and walked down the side of the dock either side.

And on the starboard side, walking down the dock you had ships like coming in from France and Ireland, Amsterdam and of course Bordeaux.

And on the other side you'd have ships coming in like local trade like Colston, the Brandon.

And you'd have sometimes the Dan ships coming in which were known as the Red Boats.

And I've got a poem I wrote about that, about the Rim Jadan sights to be seen through the porthole that's another story.

Anyway, let's get back to the Corn Creek.

The Corn Creek would unload cargoes of wine, brandy ports, all for like, Harvey's and Avery's Wine Cellars, which was just off of the centre.

Devonmor street was Harvey's main place and just across the way from the Mandrake Club was Avery's and I believe still is Avery's, and they have wine cellars there.

So anyway, one day I was just idly looking through my notes that I used to make and whatnot, and the corncrake appeared in the script there and I started to make up a song about it and I think it must have been about 1996, something like that.

You start to put things together and.

Is there anything you want to ask me, my little cherub, my media assistant?

No, I'm enjoying listening to what you're saying.

Really.

1996, that's marvelous.

It's about 10.

I'll have to check that.

Did it take you very long?

No, not really, no.

I've got to admit, I was teaching a class whilst you were composing.

Yeah.

Of youngsters, not usually well behaved, but I used to keep them in order fairly well.

And that afternoon they were heads down doing these great big posters for ships and whatnot.

And in between things I started to make up this song, got the tune in my head and it went on from there and started jotting down words and then I'd keep that in a notebook.

And then sometimes when the children had gone to stay with their mother for an hour or two, I'd go and have a pint of Guinness, stand the Beehive, Fabian west beyond and these.

Yeah.

And I carry on writing words and that's where I wrote most of me poetry and songs and things like that.

Yeah, yeah.

So the general steam navigation.

As I say, we're regular visitors to Bristol, but that's how the song came about.

And what it does, it describes the voyage basically from Arthur Grannan's neck of the woods, which is Redcliffe Bay.

As we know, Arthur lives right on the top of.

By Redcliffe Bay and you can see down the Channel and you can see everything that's coming in.

Good old art.

Yeah, good old art.

And the.

The voyage is really from Redciff Bay around.

By Kilkenny Bay and Portishead Point.

Right.

And describing that journey, the King Road bell was the bell on a boy, which the proper name of it was the Firefly.

Firefly Boy.

It's still there, but no longer has a bell on it.

And I always called it the King Road buoy because it was situated in what is known as King Road, which is a shipping lane.

And if it was ever in the Royal Hotel, you could hear that.

And as the tide came, came in or was going out, it would go up and down, ding dong as the ripples and the waves went by, etc.

Etc.

So that's that.

And then the ship then begins to enter into the Avon off of Avonmouth Dock or what would now be in between Avonmouth Dock and Portbury Dock.

Dangerous bit of water there because it bends right round and the mud bank comes right out across the river, river mouth from the Portbury side.

And once you've navigated around there, you've got to wind your way up through the Avon and we know it's very treacherous around by the horseshoe bend.

Anyway, on the way down you'll pass a few landmarks like Pill on the Somerset side and then Vincent Rock, that great big rock that comes out rock face from the port side by the suspension bridge.

And then she come in to start to come into the Cumberland Lock.

Now the Cumberland Lock was the entrance to the Cumberland Basin which would then lead on to the Bristol City Dock.

And the great thing about the Bristol City Docks was they were right in the middle of town and as I say, open, not officially, but open to the public.

And you could go down there and like by Prince Street Bridge for example, and watch that then the ship squeezed through that narrow gap and they were good days, it was great days.

And really mate used to cycle down there and sometimes we'd go along by M shed and that's from.

That's another story this is.

But we got invited on board a ship there and the dockers were great.

They said, hey, come on boy, come on here, I'll get you on here.

And the captain came and I could always remember him with his white cap on and his blue sort of suit with all the brass buttons on.

And he took us on board of this ship and it was right at the bottom, opposite St.

Augustine's Reach there at the bottom and you can look up the dock and I can remember seeing the Corn Craig moored there on the.

On the port side.

And it was really quite an experience to look out of the window of this Dutch coaster and see all this stuff being unloaded, wood pulp and whatever.

Anyway, that's another story.

But it was a great thing going along the dock and speaking to these, you know, dockers and stevedores and whatnot.

A hell of a load of activity going on.

And I can Remember British road services, Lorries coming up there.

You had to watch what you were doing a bit to keep out of the way, you know.

But the dockers were so, so friendly.

Quite an experience.

And back to St.

Augustine's Reach where the halfway up that the Corncrake would moor up and first come alongside.

I think all these landmarks that you've put in actually really, really help people to visualize.

And you know, suddenly you wake up and you hear something like, I don't know, Hot Wells or Cumberland Lock and you think, oh, I know what he's talking about.

And that's.

That's what makes this quite sort of special, particularly to Bristolians.

Yeah, it.

Cuz there were also ships in the Bristol steam navigation that came in and I always remember I wrote this song about the Juno.

Yeah.

From Princes Wharf to Dublin town Juno steamed a voyage round Dark as a night and light is a day the Guinness boats are coming.

And I was singing that on board of a visiting sailing ship that came in to the Bristol Festival of the Sea 1996.

And I was singing it away and a bloke come up to me afterwards and he said, hey, nice to meet you, Biradie.

I'm Captain Hamish Hugh Grant and I was captain of the Juno and we remained friends ever since until his death a few years ago.

And he was tremendous and he told me all about the stories of what it was like going out the River Avon out into the Channel and across the Irish Sea.

Yeah, great man, Hamish Hugh Grant.

I didn't do a very good Scotch accent then, did I?

But I can do one.

I mean, I think it just, just goes to show that, you know, you've experienced having a lot of contact with people who are on the sea and part of this whole experience of shanti life and everything and that has made come out in your different compositions, hasn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

You know, I mean the other one, I.

One of my favorite ones was with Spanish oranges.

Oh my goodness, that's just a fantastic story.

I think I did a.

You did?

Yeah, yeah.

But.

But United people do it in the port of Bristol shanty.

Yeah, they were really great day.

The nice thing was life was a lot different then, you know, not that many years ago, but life was just a lot different.

You could go down on the dock and people were doing a good old honest day's work and they didn't mind young lads being down on the dockside, you know, in the 70s and the 60s and 70s, because that's what the core Craig, is it's a memory from those days.

Absolutely.

I drew on my memories of those days to write most of my.

Well, you've lived this, you could tell through the.

My book, which I haven't got to.

Together yet, which we're working on, aren't we?

But I mean, I think that your compositions, they.

They do show that you've really experienced and lived through lots of these different.

Yeah, yeah.

But there was so much activity down there.

I mean it was wonderful, you know.

Yeah.

It's interesting, isn't it, that.

I know.

But now that we've.

We live in Brixham in Devon, you.

You are finding you're learning about a lot of different things by walking around the harbour every day, aren't you?

And looking at all the different.

That's right.

Talking to fishermen.

Yeah.

You made some fishermen friends, haven't you?

Yeah.

Real fishermen.

Real fisher.

So seeing.

Yeah.

Their working life and how hard it all is and I mean.

Yeah.

Terribly hard.

I'll have to put some words together about that.

I did have one actually.

It's based on a song called Boston Arbor.

From Brixham harbor, we set sail, the wind were blowing a devil of a gale and so on and so forth.

But you know, that's how to start things off.

Yeah.

I think that's a couple lines and then you add a bit more and.

And whatnot.

Yeah.

Be your next project possibly.

Yeah.

But going back to the corn crates.

Yeah.

It was a nice little ship, I think.

Augie, that well known Cornishman.

Yeah.

That'S him.

Cornwall, my home.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And all those girls that walked across the beach at Senon.

Yeah.

He found a photograph of the corn crate.

I think he's including it maybe in the podcast.

I'm just looking through some of the different sort of songs you have composed.

Thinking.

Geography has always been a very, very important part of your life, hasn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

Thinking about my walking days as well.

Yeah.

So.

And it does come through.

And I think that just actually mentioning these place names and different landmarks is something that brings it to life for other people, if they.

Yeah, it is.

And very often people come up and speak to me about places they knew.

Yeah.

That I've mentioned in my songs.

Or when they knew life along the dockside.

You know, it's a bit like when the rev.

The rev sings Pill.

Pill.

That's right.

I can see a lot of people.

Thinking, oh, I know when he was a boy was Rev.

He used to go across the ferry from the lamp lighters.

Oh, have a pint on the Other side and come back, you ask him about it.

I will do.

Quite a bit of reference to the pubs at the end of the whole.

Absolutely.

Dave.

Working.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, that's where people would have meetings and just general conversation, really.

We've seen it in Brixham, haven't we?

The pubs there.

There's one called the Spratton Mackerel.

Oh, yeah.

We don't go in there, do we?

That's.

It's not ready for us.

We go in the one next door for the skippers.

Bit cleaner and tidier.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, it's great.

I mean, there were ships used to go into Brixham, actually.

Cargo boats.

Yeah.

Do you know, we think about the Corncrake.

The tune is just.

Just so lovely and catchy, isn't it?

Well, yes, it is.

And how do you get these?

Just coming to my head.

Yeah.

Years of singing folk songs and all that sort of stuff and every now and again something comes into my mind and then, as you know, I will.

As I know you will sing about virtually anything.

I wake you up in the morning and I send you to sleep at night.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

Lullabies, etc.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

All different tunes, different styles.

Yes, yeah.

Like Spanish oranges.

Going back to that.

That's just so calming.

As well.

I know it's all true, but all of this.

Yeah.

Originally it started off as a poem or a piece of verse and it still is basically around that.

We'd love to get some of your poetry up together sometime.

Yeah.

We've got to do Bristol Channel rhymes.

Yeah.

Get me self in gear and get it sorted out.

It'd be a nice thing to do.

But I've got loads of other songs as well about.

There was one about the provident provider of Newlyn.

I can remember lying in bed.

Where's Newlin?

So it was Newlyn's in Cornwall, Oggie's homeland.

Oh, yeah.

And the provider was off fishing.

It got up to Lundy, Right.

And sank with loss of all lives.

There were three brothers on there, the Bennett brothers, and they all went down and I got a feeling it's still talked about in Newlyn today in the Star Pub, which was like Fisherman's Pub.

Well, I've never forgotten, really, those sorts of provider.

She went down a hunt hundred miles from New Lynn town.

Yeah, that's the chorus.

Yes.

The verse went, the day of Monday, 6th November is a day I shall remember.

And so on and so forth.

Anyway, that's another story.

Very amazing.

Yes.

Just.

But you know, it often came about.

About, you know, the names of these ships and.

And saying places that I know.

Yeah.

What I usually write about, because I can remember going there either as a child or when I've been out walking and things, you know.

And paint.

And paint.

Of course, you know, we're looking at a picture of Lundy island as we speak.

We are indeed.

Yeah.

That.

That was the background for your calendar shot.

Yes.

Yeah.

Mr.

February.

Oh, now you.

Oh, news.

Now.

I've had some calls about that.

I'm sure you have.

Yeah.

Women lining up here, there and everywhere.

Yeah, I've got that competition, haven't I?

Oh, my word, my word.

But yes, yes, you've painted some amazing.

Different.

Different.

Well, all sorts of different crafts and different scenes that you.

Yeah.

Important to you.

Yes, I have.

Yeah.

I've got to get organized on all that.

Down in Brixham.

Yes.

I actually have got a drawing of the corncrake.

What's my thoughts?

I thought you had.

It's down there.

Yeah.

In a frame.

I must get it out.

Yeah.

Photograph it and send it on to Oie Yogi.

Yogi, yeah.

He's a great guy, you know, and a great singer.

Oh, definitely.

Yeah.

We got to do that song of his, you know.

He's a bouncy singer too, isn't he?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He's our newest member.

Oh, yeah.

And you've got your amazing on the fire Chili, haven't you?

Oh, Chili.

My word.

What can I say about him?

Fantastic.

Always wants his money paid down.

Yeah.

Anyway, that's a bit about the corn crate and a bit about a few other things as well.

Yeah.

And you had.

Well, you did have a really brilliant evening last night, didn't you?

Oh, it was wonderful down in lamion.

Yeah.

Just to say, I mean, that was such an enjoyable.

So a few family members.

I know, yeah.

We sang the Corn Crake and Welsh back key.

And I needed my assistant to come forward on that.

Yes, it was a bit touchy, all right.

I didn't need it in the end, but.

No, but your technical assistant managed to get the words back for you.

But.

Yeah, because why is it then that you can't remember the words of the songs that you've written?

Because I've written them.

I don't like to feel like I'm a show off.

I know that, basically.

Yeah.

And that's why I put them at the back of my mind as opposed in the forefront of me mind.

Exactly.

You don't really sing your compositions at home.

You sing other Things.

And a lot of made up things.

Yeah.

You don't practice them, but you did.

I think you sang it perfectly, didn't you, last night?

I think I did, yeah.

No.

No mistakes whatsoever.

So you can do it.

Oh, I know I can do it.

I don't want to feel I'm.

You're very modest.

That's the thing, isn't it?

Yeah.

And you.

Well, no one's ever going to think you're a show off anyway.

There we go.

Thank you, Mrs.

Yes, Mrs.

D.

That's all right.

Mr.

D only.

Yes.

Okay then.

Knobby.

D.

Oh, my Teresa the girl I took out to see I never knew what she, she would be but then along came some strife she became my.

Wife this is a new one to me.

Just made it up.

I know you do it all the time.

I need a recorder with me all the time.

Right.

I think we ought to end it now.

It might get a bit personal anyway.

Yeah, that's.

Yeah, well done.

That's.

That was lovely.

Finding out all sorts of different random things about your sea shanty life and.

Well, yeah.

Singing.

There's loads more to it than that, but.

Yeah, but we haven't got all day.

I.

Just having the Sunday afternoon chat, isn't it, really?

Yeah.

Like we do.

Anyway.

Time for you to say your farewells.

Farewell, farewell, farewell.

I'm off to sea now.

I got to go out across the bay, cast a line in the water and see if I can catch some fish for me tea.

I thought you were going out for a pizza, actually.

Well, I am.

Okay.

I was just making up.

I know, I know.

Exactly.

Anyway, okay.

Well done.

That's great.

That was great, great night last night.

And everybody sang so well.

Poor old Doc with his.

His bad throat and stuff.

He did bring in Chuffer.

Wow.

Yeah, well, everybody was brilliant, weren't they?

Yeah, they.

Everybody.

Bill and Arthur Grannan.

Well, I mean, I hear that the Naples Opera House is after him.

Well, not surprised, the voice like that rumor.

I think a call came through this morning to him about that.

Really?

Yeah, somebody.

It's going to be a great loss to the port of Bristol Shanty Creek if he goes.

I hope so.

Yes.

And how about all the people that have.

Was it Chile and Chuffer that have just been out to.

You know, this is the great thing about it.

In the port of Bristol Shanty Cruise.

We're all very good, loyal friends.

Absolutely.

And those two had been out to Ukraine.

Ukraine.

And got.

They've been there and back and got back, you know, safely, which is the Most important thing of all.

But yeah, they wonderful.

Yeah.

There's so much good news in the group, you know, I love every bit of it.

Best thing that I've ever belonged to.

Like.

Like a proper family.

Yeah, it is.

Shanti family indeed.

Okey doke.

Well, shall we sign off now?

Yeah, sign off now.

Oggy, oggy, oggy.

Oi, oi, oi.

Bye bye, Mummy.

Summer sky setting sun the corn crate seems on the Bristol rundy For the waiter's tray the sailors say I've earned their pay O see the Bristol town.

Loaded down with rundy oh.

Or see the Bristol town load it down with Grandio.

Thank you, Nobby.

That was really interesting.

It's always great to get a real good deep dive history of some of the songs that you've written and some of the kind of context around some of the words that we sing.

So thank you, Nobby, that was great.

And of course a special thank you to Teresa, who is on hand, that is Nobby's wife, to ensure that the technical components are fulfilled to recording his voice.

Ahoy there, mate.

This is the Barnacle Boys.

We're an acapella sea shanty crew from the North Somerset area.

Thanks to the Port of Bristol shanty crew for lending us your fine ears for the next few minutes.

The Barneys have been together for over 13 years and perform at concerts, festivals and private events, all in aid of Children's Hospice Southwest and the rnli.

We've recently gone live on streaming and download platforms with our latest album entitled Mermaid.

I'm Stu and I did a short recording with some of the boys at our weekly practice in Clevedon over a few pints.

You'll mainly now hear from Rod, who leads on the title track of our album, Mermaid, and he'll give you a bit of background too.

How did you come come up with the idea?

We always thought Mermaid was one of our most popular live performances, so we sort of made that the signature.

But if you look what's on the cd, we go from Pill and Auckland to the bluff.

So we're off shooting over to New Zealand.

We do a Pica la Belen, so we do a bit of French and we've got a great fun of lunch.

It's all about the Royal Navy, which.

Is all over the world, of course.

But we just stuffed it with songs that we really enjoy singing and actually what better to do than that?

When I was a lad, inefficient town the old man said to me, you can spend your life, your jolly life just Sailing on the sea.

You can search the world for pretty girls till your eyes are weak and dim.

But don't go searching for a mermaid.

Sun, you don't know how to swim.

Why do you think mermaid get such a good reception?

I think it's a bit suggestive to be.

I swear.

It's not, is it?

You know.

Well, can I ask a question, Mark?

What you generally prefer, the upper part.

Or the lower part?

I'm referring back to the song.

This is the lyrics you'll find out.

I think the lower part, it's easier to fill it.

There's a double entendre there which was just not intended.

My very first day at sea.

I see the mermaid and the waves are reaching out to me.

Come with me in the sea said she down to the ocean floor.

And I'll show you a million wondrous.

Things you've never seen before.

It might be worth mentioning Shel Silverstein, who actually wrote the original version.

Shel Silverstein's were a really wacky pop artist of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and he did a lot of poetry, a lot of lyrics.

But he wrote the Mermaid.

He died in 1999.

Always be grateful to him.

She fed me shrimp and caviar upon a coral dish.

From her head to her waist she was just me taste.

But the rest of her was fish.

Cause her hair was green.

Yeah.

The recording studio, Dockside Studios in Bristol, they've done all our three CDs and they were brilliant.

One of our star members came of course to do the artwork because it was just superb, like the tail.

But then one day she swam away.

So I sang to the coral and the whales.

Oh how I miss her seaweed hair and the silver shine of her scales.

But then her sister she swam by and set my outer whirl.

Cause her upper part was an ugly fish.

But her bottom part was girl.

Cause hair was green as seaweed.

Her skin was blue and pale.

Her legs, they were a work of art.

I love that girl with all my heart.

And I don't give a damn about the upper part.

Cause that's how he gets his tail.

Yo.

Blessings sake.

So that's Mermaid by the Barnacle Boys, spelt B U O Y S.

And you can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, basically anywhere you get your digital music from.

If you want a CD of it, just visit our website barnacleboys.co.uk and follow us on Facebook to find out where our next live performances are.

Thanks for listening and thanks again to the Port of Bristol Shanty Crew.

Ahoy there, matey.

So next up, we've got some audio for you.

And I'm gonna hand over to the Rev, who will introduce this segment.

Hello then, listeners.

Last night we had a very special gig.

We traveled down to the wilds of South Somerset, to a little village called Lamiot, just outside of Shepton Mallet.

And we went there to sing at the village hall to support the local church heating fund.

Now, the reason we went to Lamio was that Nobby has very close links with that village.

His Auntie Mary and Uncle Jack lived there for a long, long time.

Uncle Jack used to did woodwork and used to make bits and pieces, including coffins for the villagers.

And of course, his place was in the dead center of Lamiot.

His Auntie Mary ran the post office from her home.

And while we were there, Nobby bumped into a long lost cousin Steve.

So that was a delight for him.

A few years ago, when I was a working vicar, Nobby did me the honor of asking me to enter his mother's ashes in the village of Lamia, in the church graveyard in the grave of Uncle Jack and Auntie Mary.

So in a sense, last night was coming full, full circle for Nobby.

It was a wonderful gig.

The audience were just tremendous.

The, their enthusiasm and response to our singing was second to none.

All the crew.

We had a very full crew there last night and everyone sang their hearts out.

It was a marvelous evening.

We all enjoyed ourselves.

We all sampled a drop of the the local cider made from apples grown only five miles away from the village.

It's a gig that will linger long in our memories.

Wonderful time.

Very much appreciated being invited there.

Okay, shipmates, bye for now.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are the entertainment.

We are the Port of Bristol County Crew.

We are.

Anyway, we are famous all around North Somerset, Bristol in South Oshire.

We've even been invited back to a couple of places.

Now, we've been described in many, many ways and I think my favorite description, which I think fits us very well.

And we'll see if you agree a bit later on.

This bloke wrote the Port of Bristol Shanty Crew.

The triumph of enthusiasm over talent.

Not far wrong.

So now we're all.

We all got different nicknames.

He hadn't really got one, but his name's Nobby.

Now, Nobby is an unusual person in many, many ways.

Many ways.

I'll say a bit more about Nobby later because he is rather unusual in many ways.

But I think we better start.

We're going to start off with a good old rollicking shanty.

Nobody's going to sing it.

Santiana.

South Australia.

South Australia.

Very enthusiastic and seriously asking us to come back twice.

Right.

Novy's gonna start us off with a little rollicking shanty called South Australia.

In South Australia I was born.

Eave away all the way South Australia and Cape Horn.

We're bound for South Australia all the way.

You rolling kings Eave away all the way.

All the way.

I'll hear me sing.

We're bound for South Australia.

As I walked out one morning fair eve.

Away all the way.

There I met Ms.

Nancy Blair.

We're bound for South Australia.

You may have noticed probably there were some harmonies in there that was completely unintentional and I have told him to stop it.

But we shall see.

Now, this marvelous figure man here.

Oh, no.

So not you.

This is Arthur, known as Art.

So come on, Arthur.

And he's going to sing another rollicking shanty, actually.

Yes, you are.

It's called Whip Jamboree.

And now, my lads, be of good cheer for the Irish coast will soon draw near and then we'll set sail for the Al Cape.

Clear.

Ah, come again, Churros, my son.

Whip jamboree.

Whip jamboree.

A pigtail sail man coming up behind Whip jamboree.

Whip jamboree of conjecture oats, my son.

And now may lads cape clears in sight.

We'll be off all the head by tomorrow night.

And then we'll set sail for the old cape light.

Come and get your oats, my son.

Whip jamboree.

Whip jamboree.

A pigtail sale.

And coming up behind Whip jamberry.

Whip jamberry.

Oh, coming at your oats, my son.

Now looking out at you.

What a.

You scrub up very well indeed.

I wish I'd dismantle my congregation.

Singing some seashells.

Now, I can see, just looking at you, that you are a cut above the usual audience of you sing.

I suspect that many of you are aware of Homer's Odyssey, and I suspect one or two of you may have read it in the original Greek.

Now, this song was written by a great friend of ours called Tom Lewis, a great shanty singer and a great shanty songwriter.

And he based this song, not completely on the Odyssey, but it is in there.

Because if you read the Odyssey, you will remember that brave Odysseus has a pretty bad time at sea, doesn't enjoy it very much at all.

And so when he eventually gets back to land, he thinks to himself, there is no way I am Going back on the water.

So what he did was a bit unusual, must admit, but what he did was he put an anchor over his shoulder and started marching inland.

And he said, when someone says to me, what's that funny thing you've got on your shoulder?

He knows that he was far enough away from the sea never to go back.

Now, unfortunately, unfortunately, tragedy for Tom Lewis.

He couldn't think of a rhyme for anchor.

I know.

Tanker.

Tanker.

Yeah, I know.

Anyway, so he carries nearly as bad, actually, he carries an oar, a rowing.

Oar, over his shop.

It's called marshing inland.

Not the door, not the door, not the door.

One of our little grandchildren thinks I'm marshing inland with an oar, a door.

All right, how's it go?

Right key.

Right key.

How does it go?

Not Nelson.

Else.

Oh, yeah.

We practice.

Knew the perfect way to cure your.

Maldonaire.

And if you pay attention his secret I will share to any seasick sailor he gives this advice for free if you feeling sea sits it underneath the tree.

Cause I'm marching inland from the shore over me shoulder I'm carrying a door when someone ask me what is that funny thing you got?

And I no one ever heard Go to sea no more, no more Then I know I'll never go to sea.

No more Now Columbus, he set sail to find out if the world was round he kept on sailing to the west, west, west where it might be until he ran aground he thought he found the Indies but he found the USA I know some navigators who can still do that today.

So I'm marching inland from the shore over me shoulder I carry in an oar when someone ask me what is that funny thing you've got?

Then I know I'll never go to sea no more, no more Then I know I'll never go to to see no more.

There were definitely some harmonies in that last.

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Get a reputation, will you cut it out.

I going to introduce you now to the.

I think he's the tallest member of the group.

Yeah, I think so.

As Chuffer is not me.

We call him Chopper.

That's his nickname because he used to work on the railways.

No, no, no.

What?

38 years.

I was employed by the railway in those 38 years.

How many words?

I'm not quite so sure.

Even I sing.

Actually, another Tom Lewis song.

They're the last shanty.

How things have changed in the Royal Navy.

My uncle served on the Hermes.

Hermes was an aircraft carrier in the 70s and 80s and it was at the the height of the naval technology.

At that particular time.

But although he was on the Hermes, his trade was a cell maker.

So the cell maker was still trades or great which harp back to Nelson's Navy.

And this song kind of does a bit of a comparison between the old and the new.

My uncle used to tell me when I was just alive A sailor's life was very hard the food was always bad but now I've joined the Navy I'm aboard a man of war and now I find a sailor ain't a sailor anymore don't haul on the rope don't climb up the mast if you see a sailing ship it might be your last Just get your seas ready for another run ashore A sailor ain't a sailor Ain't a sailor anymore the Killy Culver Mess he's says we have it soft.

It wasn't like this in his day when he was up aloft.

We like our bunks in sleeping bags but what's a hammock for swinging from the decade or lying on the floor don't haul on the rope don't climb up the mast if you see a sailing ship it might be a last Just get your seas ready for another run ashore A sailor ain't a sailor Ain't a sailor anymore.

Calling Dr.

WHO.

Essequibo River Run.

Can you find a doctor?

Sure.

Call him Doc.

For two reasons.

One, he is such a fanatic about Doctor who.

That's true.

Really, really true.

And he's also a gp.

And if you go in, I've been told if you go into his consulting room, there is a Dalek.

Is that right?

There is, yeah.

Yeah.

Four days each.

About that.

Big.

Memorabilia.

Clues in the hat.

So if you.

You want an appointment, see him afterwards.

Not bad back or anything.

He'd be delighted to talk to you.

I've only got to wait now.

I'm not very long.

I can give you a telephone appointment in about eight and a half weeks.

Damn good song.

It's unique.

It's unique to Doc because no one else sings it like he sings it, unfortunately.

It's called Essequibo river, but with a sort of his mastery of music.

He sort of does a sort of medley and merges it in with Cape Cod Girls and sometimes something else.

But we shall see what he does tonight.

Esc.

River.

Apologies.

A bit of an occupational hazard, but there's.

There's five viruses doing the rounds at the moment and I think I've had all five of them since November.

Cough.

For about three and a half months.

I'm not infectious.

Doesn't do wonders anyway.

O.

River is the king of rivers.

All.

We are somebody somebody O Johnny somebody O Harijana we are somebody O Somebody O Johnny somebody O the essequibo Boson is the king of bosun soul Beseko Boson is the king of bosun's soul.

Somebody O Johnny somebody O Somebody O Johnny somebody O the esokivo Sally is the cor Queen of Sally's All Sally is the queen of Sally so buddy Jana na We are somebody O Somebody O Johnny somebody O Budi chana now we are somebody O Somebody O Johnny somebody oh Cape Cod girls ain't got no combs Heave away all away they comb their hair with codfish bones Bound away for Australia Give her up me bully bully boys Give away haul away Heave her up and don't Jamaican noise Found a way for Australia Cape Cod boys ain't got no sleds Heave away haul away they slide down the dunes on codfish heads Bound away for Australia Me bully bully boys Eave away all the way Eaver up and don't you make a noise Found the way for Australia Cape Cod folks ain't got no ills Keep away all the way Cause.

The Cape Cod doctor gives them cod.

Fish pills Found away for Australia Heaver up me bully bully boys Heave away all the way Heave her up and don't you make a noise Found a way for Australia.

I wish I was a rating aboard a man of war Sam's gone away aboard a man of war I wish I was a race rating aboard a man of war Sam's gone away aboard a man of war Pretty work, brave boys Pretty work I say Sam's gone away aboard a man of war Pretty work, brave boys Pretty work I say Sam's gone away aboard a man of war I wish I was a captain aboard a man of war Sam's gone away aboard a man of war well I wish I was a captain aboard a man of war Sam's gone away aboard a man of war Pretty work, brave boy Pretty work I say Sam's gone away aboard a man of war Pretty work, Brave boy's pretty work I say Sam's gone away aboard a man of war I wish I was an admiral aboard a man of war Sam's gone away aboard a man of war well I wish I was an admiral aboard a man of war Sam's gone away aboard a man of war Pretty work, brave boys Pretty work I say Sam's gone away aboard a man of war Pretty work, brave boys, Pretty work.

I say, Sam's gone away aboard a man of war.

Oh, the Essocibo river is the king of rivers All Paditana we are Somebody O this Aquibo river is the king of rivers O Padi Tananawi O Somebody O Johnny somebody oh, Found a way for Australia.

We've already received a request, but we're going to keep singing anyway, so.

This one's called Captain Nipper.

TWAS 14-9-September.

Oh, well, I do remember I nearly broke me poor old mother's heart For I shipped with Captain Nipper On a big foremasted clipper and bore way down south to foreign parts and the wind.

Began to blow and the ship began to roll and the devil of a hurricane did blow and it nearly knocked the stuffing from the good ship Ragam mutton we thought to the bottom we would go so we hoisted up the.

Anchor and we set the jib and Spanker and the pilot took us to the harbour's mouth and then on the pole we started and from the tug we started with a compass reading east nor west by south and the wind.

Began to blow and the ship Ship began to roll and devil over again did blow I O and it nearly knocked the stuffing from the chip rag A muffin we thought to the bottom we would go.

Strictly speaking, this is not a seesaw.

Well, it does come from the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

And those of you who are fans of Sharp Sharp will maybe recognize this tune.

That's your singing.

Very sharp tonight.

Right, or it's gonna sing over the Hills and Far Away.

Yeah, good.

Don't burn church, K.

It's 40 shillings on the drum.

To those who volunteer to come to list and fight the foe today over the hills and far away all the hills and all the plains Portugal, King, Georgia lands and we obey over the hills and far away when duty calls.

Then I must go to stand and.

Fight another foe but part of me will always stray over the hills and far away away all the hills and all the mainland Is Portugal and Spain King George commands and we obey over the hills and far away.

When we form.

When we formed this little group about two and a half, three years ago.

Yeah.

We nearly didn't let Art in because he can sing so much better.

Thanks, Art.

That was lush.

All right, now.

Oh, yeah, Chili.

Oh, Chili.

Now, this is Chili actually is a sort of shy, retiring type.

We need to coax him out of his corner there and he's going to sing the oldest known shanty.

It's over a thousand years old and it's just Viking shanty.

And it's called My mother told me.

Oh, tell you what, we call him Chili, by the way, because he eats chilies like there's no tomorrow.

And not just little chilies you get in Tesco.

Absolutely Californian.

Stupid ones.

Honestly.

I've seen him do it.

Testify to the stupidity.

I do.

Yeah.

Does he do it at home as well?

Isn't he?

Is that right?

Is that right when it was so.

Hot you had to stand out in.

Your underpants for three days?

Yeah.

I have no shame in the neighborhood.

What's he done now?

Right.

This one is currently.

If anybody watches Netflix.

Any watch Netflix.

No.

There's a series on there if you ever get into it.

It's called Vikings.

And they sing this throughout it for.

Some reason, I don't know why.

Right.

My mother told me one day I.

Will buy a galley with good oars sail to distant shores stand upon the prow noble bark I steer steady course to the haven human foemen hew many.

Foemen My mother told me some day I will buy galley with good oars sail to distant shores stand upon the prow noble bark I steer steady course to the haven Too many foemen, too many foemen My mother told me so someday I will bike alley Wicked horse stem.

To distant shores stand upon the prow noble bark I steer steady steady course to the haven human many foemen My mother told me someday I will buy a galley with good oars sail to distant shores stand up on the prow noble mark I steer to the haven.

You many f.

You many f.

Maybe are.

Actually only.

Yes.

Is it yesterday you got back?

Thursday.

Thursday.

You didn't go as well, did you?

No, I went before.

These two have been responsible for taken a load of supplies over to Ukraine.

Generations.

Very humbling.

I take.

Yeah, certainly.

Well, we're very proud of them.

Very well.

No, we did all right.

I'll be looking now.

Oh, yeah, we've got Bill now.

This is Old Bill.

Yeah, you can probably guess why we call him Old Bill.

I was an accountant.

He was a police officer in what was then Her Majesty's constabulary.

Yeah, I recognize quite a few people here.

They paid the price.

I know.

Their sentence is now spent.

Community service orders.

Few in the back.

Try and watch top 10.

Right now he's going to sing one that you might well remember from COVID days.

The weather map.

We're binging singers.

We can't start doing jigs as well.

There once was a ship that Put to sea.

The name of the ship was the Billy O T the wind blew up her bow Dip down O blow, my bully boys, blow soon may the wilderman come Bring us sugar and tea and rum One day when the tongue is done we'll take our leave and go Sheep not been two weeks through shore wind down on her a right whale bore the captain caw'd all hands in swore we'll take that whale in tow soon may the whale of man come Bring us sugar and tea and rum One day By the time it is done we'll take our leave and go before the boats had hit the water the whale's tail came up in corded all hands to the side Harpooned in faughter as she dived down low soon may well I come Bring a sugar and tea and run One day when the tongue is done we'll take our leave and go no line was cut, no well was freed the captain's mind was not of greed he belonged to the wellsman Creech he took that ship in tow oh, soon may the wellerman come to bring her sugar and tea and rum One day when the timing is done we'll take our leave and go fuff.

40 days or even more the line went slug then tight Once more all boats were lost There were only four but still that whale did go oh, soon may the Whallamman come Bring us sugar and tea and rum One day when the tongue and his dumb we'll take our leave and go as far as I've heard the fight's still on the wallowan fin cut the whale's not gone the walloman makes his reg'lar call to encoach the captain's crew soon may the wilderman come Bring us sugar and tea and rum One day when the tiger is done we'll take our leave and go soon may the wilderman come Drink us sugar and tea and rum One day when the tuning is done we'll take our leave and go.

By popular request.

Nobby's not going to sing again.

No, he is.

He is.

He is the shanty man personified.

This bloke.

Shanty royalty.

He's been sing.

Yeah, he is.

Haven't you?

He's been singing shanties.

No, he's not.

Me next doggy.

Oh, yeah.

Goodbye.

It's so smooth, isn't it?

Yeah.

Honestly, it's so professional.

Fairly new member of the group and we call him Augie because he comes from Cornwall, you know, call him.

He loves pasties, all that directly.

Don't you?

Directly.

Directly.

And more importantly, he does all our podcasts.

Yeah, he does podcasts.

Our podcasts have to be heard to be believed.

Seriously.

Ship shape and Bristol fashion acknowledgement.

So go on to your favorite podcast thing, whatever that might be, and put in shipshape traditional fashion.

We've got a whole load of them which get to hear about you, actually.

And Nobby as well.

All the crews get mentioned.

Anyway, thank you.

It's really good.

Honestly.

Really is good.

And he'll proof to you it's on top of the jam.

Jam first every time.

I was done in coral recently and in boat was really whipping the crowd up.

He said, we're gonna build a great big wall between Devon and Cornwall and who's gonna pay for it?

Gavin.

Right.

Okay.

Right.

It's for all the Way Joe When.

I was just a little lad Also.

Me mommy told me Away, all the way all the way hey, Joe if.

I didn't kiss the girls My lips.

Will go all moldy Haul away, haul.

Away we'll haul away Joe away Hey, all away we'll hold away together Away, haul away we'll haul away Joe away Hey, all away we hold for better weather Away, all away Just go.

And now a man who needs no introduction.

Cu.

I've introduced him at least three times by mistake.

It's Nobby Die small but perfectly formal.

Anyways, Paul Nelson's blood.

Yeah, we are.

And this is based on.

I don't know if it's an urban myth or a sea myth or whatever it might be, but I think it's got a lot of truth in it.

You remember Admiral Lord Nelson was stood on the quarter deck of HMS Victory and a dastardly Frenchman up in the.

A Frenchman up in the rigging of a French man of war looked down his musket and aimed at our dear Lord Nelson, who was shot and died.

And they said, well, we can't just chuck him over the side like we usually do.

We need to take him back to England for a proper state funeral.

So they said, yeah, we'll do that.

So they had to, you know, they've got to keep the body reasonably fresh, you see.

So they stuck him in a barrel of spirits.

Yeah, it's thought to be rum.

And they put the top on him.

That was it.

Put him down below.

And the sailors, being sailors, used to nip down at night and they tapped the bottom of the barrel and they used to take a little top.

And by the time we got back, there was sodle left in that.

But anyway, whether that's true.

Or not.

I hope it is.

Actually, it's a good little thing.

And for years in the Royal Navy, the rum top was called Nelson's Blood.

So this is why that this song got its name.

Oh, a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't.

Do us any harm.

Oh, a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm Oh, a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm.

And we'll all hang on behind and we'll rolly o carry it along we'll rolly o carry it along we'll rolly o carry it along and we'll all hang on behind.

You can probably tell we spend hours rehearsing that song.

Before you missed the line.

A gig at Glastonbury wouldn't do us anymore.

Thank you, Michael.

We're going to finish this.

Our first set with Calling On Dock Again.

And it's a song.

It comes from the whaleman who used to come down from the ark to the Hawaiian Islands for a bit of R R and they wrote this song.

Nice song.

And you'll see it's John Kanaka.

Kanaka was the Hawaiian word for man.

And the sailors couldn't pronounce the proper names of the Hawaiian men, so they called them all John Kanaka.

I thought I heard the reverend say John Kanaka Naka, July 8th today, today it's a holiday.

Oh, John Kanaka Naka, July8.

O2.

Jon Kanaka Naka, July8.

We're at woodbound at break of day.

John Kanakanaka, July 8th.

We're at woodbound for Frisco Bay.

John Kanaka Naka, July eight.

You are listening to Shipshape and Bristol Fashion.

Find out more by visiting pobshantycrew.co.uk podcast.

Now let's get back to the show.

Right, ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry, we're back.

I'd like to introduce you to Port of Bristol Shanty Crew Charity calendar.

I knew it's mark very cheap and we based it on sort of calendar girls.

Picture of Nobby January.

January.

January.

Picture of old Bill.

The police.

I just keep the hat.

Rev Rev.

He's behind you.

Anyway, we.

We are selling these but for a very.

What we're going to do is we'll leave a little pile here and if anyone wants to buy one and the money will go to the church funds then.

Okay.

Any contribution?

Yeah, anything you'd like to contribute, preferably money, would be very gratefully received.

Right now we're going back to Nobby.

The song that I introduced him right at the beginning, he's actually going to sing now.

And it's Santiana.

Lord Santiana.

On the day he away Santiana and.

General Taylor ran away all on the.

Plains of Mexico and the seer of by the way we'll go either way Santiana Eaver up and away we'll go all on the plains of Mexico the smartest ship that you can find is hey, no ho are you master She's a marriage of the blue star line Clear away the track and let the bald guy run With a ring, a jig and a jaunting gun hey now oh, are you most done with El on my knee Clear away the track and let the bull kind.

And now, by popular demand, Chili is returning.

Chili.

Chili.

Alex.

That's Chili.

Alex.

Right.

This is going to be your moment to shine.

Yeah, I know.

By comparison with us, you, you are a glowing ember.

You will be a bumper.

Don't look at October.

So this one is called Pay Me My Money Down.

And if I say pay me, you'll shout, Pay me.

Very good.

Pay me, pay me.

Try this side.

Pay me, pay me.

Hey, even my friends.

Good.

I thought there were more people over there.

You thought it'd be louder, wouldn't you?

That's who I thought.

I heard the captain say Pay me my money down Tomorrow is our sailing.

Day Pay me, my money down Pay me, pay me, Pay me Pay me Pay me my money down Pay me or go to jail Pay me, my money down as soon as the boat passed the bar Pay me my money.

Down Captain hit me down with a.

Spa Pay me my money down Pay me, pay me Amy Pay me my money down Pay me or go to jail Pay me my money down.

He'S not only a really good shanty singer, but he writes some fantastic songs onto the scene.

So popular indeed, it.

They're sung by a lot of other groups.

And the only drawback, really is that he can never remember the words of his own song.

He's pretty bad.

Another people had a written on me hat in the past.

He has all up his arm.

He got all sweaty and it all went running.

On me arms.

It come off.

I had a felt tip pen and it all went like that.

Yeah.

So these two.

Oh, too much information, man.

All right.

Now, this is a song what you wrote called Corn Crate.

It seemed after a ship that used to come out of Bristol, back in again, hopefully.

And it was sung well, it's been sung by the fisherman's friends on one of Their albums.

Who were they when they had the big juice glass?

Does anyone know?

Does anyone here know?

Emily.

Please.

My ambition is to sing at Glastonbury Festival.

It's a Bath in west show, mate.

I want older Bally Fest.

We did that.

Yeah, yeah.

Even if it's on the burger van.

I don't care.

In my younger days, I was an avid Glastonbury attender and I really, really would love to end my days having known Tiny Violation.

Can you hurry up or you might.

Be someone of your servants?

N sky is setting sun the corn crate steams on the Bristol run Grundy for the waiter's tray Sailors they have earned their pay or see the Bristol.

Town loaded down the Grandio or sea to Bristol town loaded down with grandio.

The Grandio rolling onto the deep green day towards the hills of Red Cliff Bay Corn craz teams up on her way from the moonlit night to the break of day.

All right, John, over there at the back.

How you doing?

Another one.

Mouse, join in, please.

Is he awake?

Blow the man down Bully.

Blow the man down Blow him right back into old Bristol town Give me some time to blow the man down As I was a walking down Blow the wind straight to me Blow the man down A charming young damsel A sandstone to meet Give me some time to blow the man down.

Right, it's me.

Okay, as we trouble down here, we.

We went through Pensford and it reminded us of Acrobilk, of course.

So we're going to get a clarinet out now and do changes change on the shores.

Bit of sea song anyway.

But we're not going to sing that.

Another famous Somerset.

No longer with us now, Arch Cutler.

A lot of you will remember Arch Cutter in the Wurzels unfortunately died in a car accident.

But he wrote some beautiful little songs.

Anyway.

This is a song that he wrote about a little town on the other side of the river Avon.

From Bristol side, from the Shirehampton side.

Little town called Pill.

And he wrote this song about the Pill ferry.

There used to be a ferry that used to go across the river Avon from Pill to the Shirehampton side.

And all the Pill boys will go over, have a few pints in the lamplighters, then back on the ferry over to the pubs in.

In Pill.

So it's.

It's the only song the Vatican tried to ban.

Actually it's called Pill.

Pill.

Okay.

Mountains.

Oh, when the nights be dark and stormy and the bitter north wind blows across the fields From Shirehampton where the muddy Avon flows There the Pill lads Gaily ride over on the ferry to the other side.

The boat starts swinging.

You'll hear them singing a rollin on the tide we're rolling.

Pill, pill, I love sea still even though I'm leaving.

He'll pill at a sea still when the fairy boat starts heaving a rain down bar thunder roars, a lightning flash is bright.

You'll be better by far in the Jupiter Star than on the old pale ferry tonight.

Take me where it's warm and cozy.

Down with them happy boys.

Weary cheeks be red and rosy.

Hobblers and cobblers and hobbledy hoists aware the chilling winter sleet creeps along the riverside.

Chills your feet.

You'll hear the sang for miles of rang a coming down the street where.

Carmen Pill, pill, I love sea still even though I'm leaving.

Pill, pill, I love sea still.

When the fairy bone starts heaving a rain down pours thunder roars a lightning flashes bright.

You'll be better by far in the Jupiter Star than on the old pale fairy tonight.

Well, a minute.

I better just check out.

It's me next and I'm going to.

Sing a song that normally would be sung by our lovely little Welsh friend Terry, known as Skipper.

He can't be with us today.

He's poorly but.

But he has the voice for Canary, which I don't.

He was a miner, which is probably appropriate.

Things like a canary.

So this song is about the Molly Mork.

The Mollymoor was the name that the.

Sailors attributed to the albatross.

And they used to believe that the.

Mollywalk was the spirit of dead sailors whose.

Whose spirits had risen up to the skies and they soared over the.

Every song features Cape Porn for some reason.

Not a place that I think anyone should ever go to.

Hindsight.

No, no.

Oh, the Southern Ocean is a lonely place.

Where the storms are many and the shelter scarce.

Over troubled waters and restless skies you will see.

See that mollywalk wheel and fly upon the southern Ocean Sailing down below Cape Horn.

Won't you ride the wind and go white seabird?

Won't you ride the wind and go on and upon the Southern Ocean Sailing down below Cape Horn.

See that mollymoke fly on his great white wings and oh, what a lonely song he sings.

He's got no compass and he's got no gear and nobody knows how the Molly Mork steers.

Down upon the southern Ocean Sailing down below Cape Horn.

Won't you ride the wind and go white seabird?

Won't you ride the wind and go Molly down upon the southern oceans Sailing down Below Cape.

It's another Bristol based song.

He's written a song about Welsh back key.

The son of might know Going to Bristol down by the.

Key.

Ah yes.

What's that key in Bristol down by the land of a tr.

I just said that.

Right.

Is that reason.

Oh yeah.

He is it.

Ships will unload cargo from at Llandogo which is at the river Wye and bring stuff over to Bristol and load it on the quay.

Then it would be loaded onto other ships and taken to all different parts of the country.

Crikey.

From Welsh backie I said goodbye to sweetheart's wives and friends and down the marsh we sailed away to wind through Avon's bend Don't tie me to the.

Born mate don't lash me to the mast I'm bound away for Klondike shore this voyage will be my last I've.

Sailed the oceans far and wide I've sailed from Bristol town I'm bound away on the sight On a voyage the.

World around don't tie me to the bo mate don't lash me to the mast I'm bound away for Klondike shore this voyage will be my.

I didn't need any words.

Yeah right.

You.

You will all know this and there's expected to be audience participation.

It was actually made famous by Dublin there by having a good authority.

It's actually written in Bristol and it's.

Called the Wild Rover.

So if you know very negatives is it?

I played the wild Rover for many a year and I've spent all my money on whiskey and beer and now I'm returning with gold in great store and I never will play the w.

Rover no more and there's no day never.

I went into an ale house I used to frequent and I asked the landlady and I told the landlady my asked her for credit she answered me nay.

Cause she's a horse.

It's a custom like yours I can get any day and it's no nay never no nay never no more will I play the rover no, never no more.

Oh yeah.

Introduced Ash.

Yeah, this is Ash.

It's.

It's a fantastic nickname.

Took his ages.

His name's Ashley.

He's leave the best the last.

I got bored and they.

Yeah.

Couldn't think of any of you.

Although he does have a dark and secret.

Well at the moment.

Well not at the moment.

He's on your Mini, you know.

But he's.

I don't.

He told me not to tell you actually turn against him once they know But I'm going to tell you anyway.

You do.

Every time I do.

Ash is in fact a football referee.

You don't know what you're doing.

You don't know what you're doing.

And he's going to sing a song.

It's sung throughout chorus and it was brought back to this country by the Cornish miners who went over to America.

They were the best the hard rock miners in the world.

And they brought back this little song called Little Eyes.

It's sung all over Cornwall to this day.

So over to you, Ash.

I had a dream the other night.

The funniest dream.

Oh.

I dreamt that I was kissing you.

Thank you.

Behind the garden wall and she said, Little eyes, I love you Honey little eyes, I love you, I love you in the springtime I'm the honey, honey, honey, honey Then I Little eyes, I love you Honey little eyes, I love you, I love you the best Honey, honey, honey, honey I walked my true love home last night Beneath the spreading vine I put my arms around her.

Way.

A lot of po and pressed her lips to mine and she said Little eyes, I love you Honey little eyes, I love you, I love you in the springtime and the honey, honey, honey honey Little eyes, I love you Honey realize I love you, I love you the best of.

What popular demand.

No, not this is called get your own b to you my we will sail the South Seas over But we return for sure to see again the girl we love and the holy crown once more Fine girl you are A girl I do adore and still I live in hope to see the holy ground once more Fine girl you are See the storm arising I see it coming soon and the sky is so full of cloud you can scarcely see the moon and the good old ship is tossed about and the rigginess of tor and still I live in hope to see the holy ground once more Fine girl you are A girl I do adore and still I live in hope to see the holy ground once more Fine girl you are.

He told me to do it.

You're always in it.

So you.

The depth it there is right now.

So our final song.

Yeah, a lot of cheers over the side.

But there's things for you to do in this one.

Okay.

And I think you'll love it.

I think you'll enjoy.

What I'd like you to do is just if you can clench your right fist or your left fist, depending on which you prefer.

And the chorus goes like this.

It's all part of being a pirate.

A pirate.

A pirate do it again.

Part of being a pirate.

A pirate, a pirate.

Yeah.

Now, whatever you do, Cher's going to sing this.

But don't do that when he does it because he does it wrong.

Yeah, he can't help it.

So look at us in the back.

Right, Chuff.

Off you go, mate.

Oh.

Being a pirate is all fun in games till somebody loses an eye.

It hurts like the blazes it makes you pull faces you can't let your mates see a crap.

Now, natty black patch, we'll cover that patch and make sure that socket stays dry.

Being a pirate is all fun and games till somebody loses an arm.

Ready?

It's all part of being a pirate.

A pirate, a pirate.

You can't be a pirate with all of your parts.

It's all part of being a pirate.

A pirate, a pirate.

You can't be a pirate with all of your parts.

The end of Pirate is all funny games.

So somebody loses an ear.

It rolls down your neck and it lurks on the tank.

When somebody shouts, what's that?

Ear makes up a shout so you'll hear.

Being a pirate is all fun and games till somebody loses an ear.

It's all part of being a pirate.

A pirate can be a pirate with all of your parts.

It's all part of being a pirate.

Happy?

A pirate with all of your part.

Thank you so much.

Definition of shanty grapes is when shanty groups sing, they have a much better time than the audience.

I hope you've enjoyed us.

And if you have, don't forget, we are the port of Bristol shanty crew.

Sorry if you haven't enjoyed us.

We are a fisherman's friends.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Well, that's it for another episode of Shipshape and Bristol Fashion.

We hope you enjoyed all the audible delight that we have provided you.

Thank you so much for listening.

And if you've got an opportunity to pop over to our website or use your podcast app and leave us a review, we would absolutely appreciate that.

So I look forward to catching up with you next month.

So fair winds and following seas.

See you next time.

Ship shape and wristel fashion boys along the harbor side from Avon Gorge to underfall we'll even haul the line secure.

The barrels down below Wind and tie and lash em.

This vessel, she is certified shipshape and Bristol fashion.

So haul away me laddie boys Haul away, you're free Haul away me laddie.

Boys and save a drink for me.

Haul away me ladies boys Haul away your free Haul away me ly boys.

And save a drink for me.