P.T.Millington Collection (1972, B.Faulconbridge)


Version c

Transcription

SELSTON - BULL GUYSES PLAY

Written down by Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge, of 35 Hall Lane, Brinsley, Notts,
on the 20/1/1972, for Peter T. Millington.

ENTERER I open the door I enter in,
  I beg your pardon to begin,
  Whether I stand or whether I fall,
  I do my duty to please you all.
  If you don't believe these works I say-
  Step in Bull Guyse and clear the way.

BULL GUYSE My names Bull Guyse.
  Body of brass arms of steel,
  No man can make me feel.

SAINT GEORGE Can't I make thee feel?

BULL GUYSE No.

SAINT GEOHGE Stand back, stand back, you dirty dog,
  I'll make your buttons fly.
  1'11 fill your body full of brass
  And thou shalt surely die.

  Send for the doctor.

  In comes Doctor Brown,
  The finest doctor in the town.

DOCTOR Here Jack take some of this nick-nack,
  And let it go down thy tick tack,
  And arise and fight Saint George again.

(Somewhere along the line was Bells-a-bub who was always in tatters and
carried a frying pan, and think he or perhaps everyone used to sing. "We've
come to steel your old black hen."

Other characters were incorporated in the act according to how many
"Hangers on" there were.)

LETTER WITH THE TEXT:-

Dear Sir ,

I was most interested in your recent article in the "Eastwood and
Kimberley Advertiser" regarding Guysers and wondered if the little information
I have on this subject could be of any use to you.

Up until 1964 I lived at Selston where the Guysers were very popular
at one time particularly in the early forties and though the war years.
I remember very well "tagging" along with some of the bigger boys doing
the rounds at Christmas and I also remember when I was about ten - and
from about 1946 to 1950 friends of mine went Guyseing but they moved out
of Selston with their activities as they found that at Somercotes and
Alfreton it was something quite new and they were allowed in the public
houses at the time to present their act and this prooved very lucrative.

I enclose the words I remember of the Bull Guyses on the attached
sheet.

  Yours faithfully
  Barbara Faulconbridge (Mrs)



FURTHER INFORMATION RECEIVED FOLLOWING ENQUIRIES:-

  20th February, 1972

Dear Mr. Millington,

Further to your letter of the 23rd January regarding the tune for
"We've come to steal your old black hen", I have made several enquiries
regarding this (being very non-musical myself) and have definately decided
that it was sung to the tnee "Here we go round the Mulberry Bush."

I was sorry to read of the poor response to your request but I feel
sure there are many many people who well remember these words. One other
"saying" I remember we used mostly with Christrnas singing , which may be of
interest to you was "Hole in me stocking, hole in me shoe, hole in me hat
where me hair pokes through, If haven't got a penny a ha'penny will do if
you haven't got a penny than God Bless you."

  Yours sincerely

  Barbara Faulconbridge (Mrs.)