Songs and Poem-stories around Northwich

© 2013 CPR

At Peace on Easy Street

Well let me introduce this place

It has its river ways

Where boats meander down the flow

On lazy summer days

Its shops will offer to compete

Its markets – one – two – three

And every café feeds you well

Yes – come to town and see

With benches you can sit upon

To take the morning air

For charity there’s always hope

There’s music everywhere

Where peaceful times surround your life

Your children always eat

Remember – we’re so lucky here
At peace – on Easy Street

***

Pauper respect

The burial was a poor affair, for paupers from the Union

Yet always one or two would come along

From London Road – across the Dane - and up the hill to Witton

To show – in spite of all – they did belong

There wasn’t much to show for years of living in the Union

Except if they were lucky in the end

For following across the Dane - and up the hill to Witton

One woman wore ‘best black’ to be a friend

When someone died she’d cross the road – her best black from the Union

Was laundry-washed to follow up the aisle

She stepped out – grand – across the Dane - and up the hill to Witton

The burial of her friends – achieved in style

 And if you look – you still can see – the paupers from the Union

In firm procession – chief one dressed in black

From London Road – across the Dane – and up the hill to Witton

To ‘bury well’ our Annie Doll or Jack 

Information for this was taken from the reminiscences of Mr Frank Major, the last Master of Northwich Union Workhouse

 ***

Salt –and the Tax Man

The Salt Arch Trail

Snakes out above the bell pits

In panniers and in coffins – and by night

With salt to clear the tax man

And to make good Cheshire Cheese

The people found their way to make it right

 It sifts along

Through kitchens near the chapel

Is safely stored in boxes – under floors

No salt to cheer the tax man

But his meal of Cheshire Cheese

By night its moved – by day it clears the law

It scatters on

Through villages and valleys

And salt is what it takes to keep us free

And salt to veer the tax man

As he eats his Cheshire Cheese

'A pox on tax' – I’m sure you will agree 

***

Salty Northern Town

Inside the salty northern town

Beside the Weaver and the Dane

There is a vibrant market

Beside the Apple Market Street

Inside the shelter for the stalls

Three days a week – a market

Inside the stalls of socks and books

Beside the vegetables and fruit

In every week – a market

Beside the wares they buy and sell

Inside - the warmth of human will

The people make the market

Inside the covered market stand

Beside where customers appear

The traders line the market

Beside the need for many goods

Inside the will to ‘buy it cheap’

The people flood the market

Inside the town of Northwich – still

Beside its rivers and its hill
There is a vibrant market

***

Going under the brine

Going under the brine

Going under the brine

Going under the brine

And here we sit on the rocks

See the pillars of salt

See the pillars of salt

See the pillars of salt

And here we sit on the rocks

Meadow Bank had two shafts

Meadow Bank had two shafts

Meadow Bank had two shafts

And here we sit on the rocks

Twenty two yards in width

Twenty two yards in width

Twenty two yards in width

And nine yards up to the roof

Eighteen ninety two shut

Eighteen ninety two shut

Eighteen ninety two shut

And here we sit on the rocks

Nineteen twenty eight came

Nineteen twenty eight came

Nineteen twenty eight came

With salt all over the roads

Working salt mine again

Working salt mine again

Working salt mine again

And here we sit on the rocks

Going under the brine

Going under the brine

Going under the brine

And here we sit on the rocks

See the pillars of salt

See the pillars of salt

See the pillars of salt

And here we sit on the rocks

***