I love this song and the culture it memorials for many reasons , not least its reference to "besoms." My uncle Eddy McGloin and his family were immigrants to Scotland from Donegal in the 1930's. Most of Uncle Eddy's brothers worked as coal miners in the pits around Cowie and Fallin (Stirlingshire) . Uncle Eddy himself worked as a boy on the surface of the pits, picking the stones out of the coal when it reached the surface from the mine below.. The 1926 General Strike saw him laid off. So, he took casual labour making "besoms of broom." Birch was used to make "besoms," sweeping brushes, often used to remove worm casts from golf courses and cricket pitches. Uncle Eddy certainly made these. But the bulk of his efforts with the birch brooms was to supply them to Lichfield , near Birmingham where they were used in the production of vinegar. In fact, as a boy, in 1960, Uncle Eddy employed me as a casual labourer to make the various brooms..Thesde went to steelworks, vinegar, garden shops and Lichfield. ...He continued in his work for more than 50 years, till eventually, as in this song, "The folk of the day would far rather pay for a thing made from plastic." How do they make vinegar in Lichfield today?? ...I don't know,,,but God rest Uncle Eddy's soul,. he supplied them with plenty of "besoms." Liam Griffin.
I'm here from watching the documentary: A very British history, Romany Gypsies. Where a brief clip of this beautiful song was played (I love folk music so much). I had no idea Romany history was born in northern India. You live and learn.
The old ways are changing, you cannot deny, The day of the traveller is over; There's nowhere to go and there's nowhere to bide, So farewell to the life of the rover. Chorus: Farewell to the tent and the old caravan, To the tinker, the Gypsy, the travelling man And farewell to the thirty-foot trailer. Farewell to the cant and the travelling tongue, Farewell to the Romany talking, The buying and selling, the old fortune telling, The knock on the door and the hawking. You've got to move fast to keep up with the times For these days a man cannot dander; There's a bylaw to say you must be on your way And another to say you can't wander. Farewell to the besoms of heather and broom, Farewell to the creel and the basket, the folks of today they would far sooner pay For a thing that's been made out of plastic. The old ways are passing and soon will be gone For progress is aye a big factor It's sent to afflict us and when they evict us They'll tow us away with a tractor Farewell to the fields where we've sweated and toiled At pulling and shoving and lifting, We'll soon have machines and the travelling queens And their menfolk had better be shifting.
I love this song and the culture it memorials for many reasons , not least its reference to "besoms." My uncle Eddy McGloin and his family were immigrants to Scotland from Donegal in the 1930's. Most of Uncle Eddy's brothers worked as coal miners in the pits around Cowie and Fallin (Stirlingshire) . Uncle Eddy himself worked as a boy on the surface of the pits, picking the stones out of the coal when it reached the surface from the mine below.. The 1926 General Strike saw him laid off. So, he took casual labour making "besoms of broom." Birch was used to make "besoms," sweeping brushes, often used to remove worm casts from golf courses and cricket pitches. Uncle Eddy certainly made these. But the bulk of his efforts with the birch brooms was to supply them to Lichfield , near Birmingham where they were used in the production of vinegar. In fact, as a boy, in 1960, Uncle Eddy employed me as a casual labourer to make the various brooms..Thesde went to steelworks, vinegar, garden shops and Lichfield. ...He continued in his work for more than 50 years, till eventually, as in this song, "The folk of the day would far rather pay for a thing made from plastic." How do they make vinegar in Lichfield today?? ...I don't know,,,but God rest Uncle Eddy's soul,. he supplied them with plenty of "besoms." Liam Griffin.
Great stuff, thanks for aharing
'The folks of today would far rather pay for a thing that's been made out of plastic'
a man who knew which way the wind was blowing.
Metal buckets only for me
I'm here from watching the documentary: A very British history, Romany Gypsies. Where a brief clip of this beautiful song was played (I love folk music so much). I had no idea Romany history was born in northern India. You live and learn.
The old ways are changing, you cannot deny,
The day of the traveller is over;
There's nowhere to go and there's nowhere to bide,
So farewell to the life of the rover.
Chorus:
Farewell to the tent and the old caravan,
To the tinker, the Gypsy, the travelling man
And farewell to the thirty-foot trailer.
Farewell to the cant and the travelling tongue,
Farewell to the Romany talking,
The buying and selling, the old fortune telling,
The knock on the door and the hawking.
You've got to move fast to keep up with the times
For these days a man cannot dander;
There's a bylaw to say you must be on your way
And another to say you can't wander.
Farewell to the besoms of heather and broom,
Farewell to the creel and the basket,
the folks of today they would far sooner pay
For a thing that's been made out of plastic.
The old ways are passing and soon will be gone
For progress is aye a big factor
It's sent to afflict us and when they evict us
They'll tow us away with a tractor
Farewell to the fields where we've sweated and toiled
At pulling and shoving and lifting,
We'll soon have machines and the travelling queens
And their menfolk had better be shifting.