P.T.Millington Collection (1971, Anon. & S.Richards)
Main Variant |
Transcription
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NEW HOUGHTON - CHRISTMAS GUYSERS PLAY
Collected 25th Feb. 1971 from an unnamed informant of New Houghton, by Peter T. Millington. Ancillary notes collected mainly from Sam Richards.
SAINT GEORGE In comes I Saint George, A bold, a brave man am I. In this country no one can defeat me in battle.
TURKISH KNIGHT In comes I Turkish Knight, From Turkey land I learned to fight.
SAINT GEORGE What did. thou say ?
TURKISH KNIGHT I mean what I say, Pull out thy purse and pay.
(They fight and the Turkish Knight is killed.)
SATNT GEORGE A doctor, A doctor, Ten pounds for a doctor. Fifteen to come, Ten to stop away, Oh Doctor, Doctor do come.
DOCTOR In comes I the Doctor. In my bag I carry a cure. Here Jack, take a drop from this tick tack, And let it roll down thy nick nack, And rise and fight Saint George again.
(Turkish Knight rises.)
BEELLSI BUB In comes I Beelsi Bub, Over my shoulder I carry a club, In my hand a dripping pan, Don't you think I'm a jolly old man? If you don't, I do. Plum pudding hot, plum puddings cold, Plum pudding in a pot nine days old. My fathers a cobbler, My mother's a weaver, If you've anything to give away, I'm the receaver.
NOTES :- This informant provided a fuller text at a later date (q.v. NeW Houghton 1971 Unnamed informant.)
The itinery of the team was:- The houses of New Houghtonr the Nags Head, the Plough and the White swan at Pleasley, the Market Hotel, the Greyhound, the Eagle Tavern, the Ramme Inn, the Eight Bells, the Blue Boar, the Old Eclipse and the New Inn at Mansfield, by bus to shirebrook where they did the Drum, the Great Northern, the Gate Hotel, the Station Hotel and the White Swan Hotel. They also went to the Pig and Whistle at Glapwell. In addition they did parties in Shirebrook and New Houghton.
Despite the fact that the team performed during the depression, they still managed to make about fifty pounds. Younger men who appear to have taken the Guysers to Chesterfield among other places during the late 1950s also cleared about thirty pounds. |
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