Tag: London

Hold back the River- James Bay

James Bay

Oxford won the University Thames Boat Race today. Oxford women took part for the first time this year and won also! Good title – nice tune

“Hold Back The River”

Tried to keep you close to me,
But life got in between
Tried to square not being there
But think that I should have been

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide
Hold back the river, hold back

Once upon a different life
We rode our bikes into the sky
But now we call against the tide
Those distant days are flashing by

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold back

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide
Hold back the river, hold back

Hold oho, oho, oho, oho
Oho, oho, oho, oho

Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other
Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold back

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and be by your side
Hold back the river, hold

Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other
Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wander
Let us hold each other

Posted on by Gill McGrath 4

Streets of London……Ralph McTell

The 4 minutes song sung by Ralph McTell shows real street scenes and people of London followed by a brief talk about how he came to write this simple haunting song. It was sung by guitar players even before hitting the charts in 1974 and many people learning to play the guitar today still start with this one……

Streets Of London

Have you seen the old man,
In the closed down market,
Picking up the papers,
With his worn out shoes,
In his eyes you see no pride,
And hanging loosely at his side,
Yesterdays paper,
Telling yesterdays news,
So how can you tell me you’re lonely,
And say for you that the sun don’t shine,
Well let me take you by the hand,
And lead you through the streets of London,
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind,And have you seen the old dear,
Who walks the streets of London,
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags,
She’s no time for talking,
She just keeps right on walking,
Carrying her home,
In two carrier bags,
So how can you tell me you’re lonely,
And say for you that the sun don’t,
Well let me take you by the hand,
And lead you through the streets of London,
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind,And in the all night cafe,
At a quarter past eleven,
Same old man,
Sitting there on his own,
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup
And each tea lasts an hour,
And he wanders home alone,
So how can you tell me that you’re lonely,
And say for you that the sun don’t shine,
Well let me take you by the hand,
And lead you through the streets of London,
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind,And have you seen the old man,
Outside the seaman’s mission,
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears,
And in the winter city,
The rain cries a little pity,
One more forgotten hero,
And a World that doesn’t care,
So how can you tell me that you’re lonely,
And say for you that the sun don’t shine,
Well let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London,
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind.
2014 12 09 winter shades jpg sig press
Posted on by Gill McGrath 17

Guest post: “London: A Place for Flowers & Buying Shoes” – by Gill McGrath

AND BY THE WAY…… those are Spikes words about himself  up there…… where he mentions ears growing  and so on! (and the shoes are mine!)……..

Thanks to Uncle Spike for giving me the space on your blog ! 

The full article I wrote is in the Journal section  in the links to pages  in the panel at the top of this blog.

Uncle Spike's Adventures

In addition to sitting back and dumbfoundedly observing the size of my ears expand, I continue my ‘middle age’ quest for a bit of much needed class… even if not in real life, I decided at least my blog should be a bit more ‘growed-up’ at times (yeah right).

And to that end, Uncle Spike has managed to snag another guest blogger with a difference for you this week; please click your mouse buttons in unison for our very own artist and dare I say, critic… Gill McGrath

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I am often find myself in London, in the name of art! Here is a little piece I wrote in my ‘diary’ two years ago; twelfth night; winter; and deals lightly with the pluses and minuses of that particular winter’s day……….

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“London: A Place for Flowers – and buying shoes”

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The day was meant to be a…

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Posted on by Gill McGrath 1