A plaque on all our houses
SINCE we moved to Lancashire from London a few years ago, I have been intrigued to see a number of plaques on Victorian and Edwardian terrace houses. These are not … Continue readingA plaque on all our houses
Author: Margaret Ashworth
Square
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
TO my knowledge, the writer of this hymn is the only one with a species of early man named after him. Joachim Neander (1650-1680) wrote about 60 hymns and provided … Continue readingPraise to the Lord, the Almighty
Hedgehoppers Anonymous: It’s Good News Week
Four of the five group members were in the RAF, and Hedgehoppers was RAF slang for low flying aircraft. The song, a satire on the media’s obsession with bad news, … Continue readingHedgehoppers Anonymous: It’s Good News Week
Chuck Berry: Sweet Little Sixteen
Berry wrote this song, recorded it in December 1957 and released it in January 1958. It reached No 2 in America and No 16 in Britain. He had already used … Continue readingChuck Berry: Sweet Little Sixteen
It’s an ill wind
WHEN I read Boris Johnson’s crazy announcement that he intends every home in Britain to be run on wind power within ten years, my heart sank. It is the death knell … Continue readingIt’s an ill wind
Elvis Presley: Love Me
This was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as a country and western parody with lines such as ‘Treat me like a fool/Treat me mean and cruel/But love me’. … Continue readingElvis Presley: Love Me
My Song is Love Unknown
IT IS a great shame that hymns about Eastertide are dusted off only once a year. Perhaps it is because the story is so harrowing that we cannot bear to … Continue readingMy Song is Love Unknown
Gerry and the Pacemakers: You’ll Never Walk Alone
This has been all but ruined by its use as a football anthem but when it came out it was stunning. The song comes from the dark 1945 Rodgers and … Continue readingGerry and the Pacemakers: You’ll Never Walk Alone
Why I threatened to set fire to myself
A DRAWBACK to living in the country is that without the background hum of traffic, noise carries over far greater distances. For example there are a pair of dogs kept … Continue readingWhy I threatened to set fire to myself
The Who: My Generation
This was written by Pete Townshend and released as a single on October 29, 1965. It reached No 2 in Britain, the group’s highest placing in this country, and No … Continue readingThe Who: My Generation