Susannes Folksong-Notizen
[2000:] I'd heard that the song
was really about Rhyl, which does have funfairs, beaches etc, but
that Bangor sounded better! (Allison McGurk, uk.music.folk, 7 Jan)
[2000:] There isn't a seafront [...]. The nearest brass band is Porthaethwy (Menai Bridge) [...]. a) there are no paddler boats and b) you certainly wouldn't want to take one out on the Menai Straits at the time this was written - it was "lumpy" [...]. There isn't [a fun fair -] well, a little one in autumn with about four rides. [...] Eels? Not in Bangor [...]. There IS a pier, and a very good one too. Completely renovated to an excellent standard in early 80's, thanks almost totally to the efforts of the town clerk, Mr Gibbs(?). Worth a visit. (Steve Ashton, uk.music.folk, 7 Jan)
[2000:] An ex-pat Ulsterman
wonders, mightn't it really refer to Bangor, the seaside resort in
County Down? (Alan Crozier, uk.music.folk, 8 Jan)
[2000:] I grew up there, and
always enjoy pointing out to the English that the Bangor in County
Down is bigger than the Welsh one, which is usually the only one
they know. BUT ... there isn't a pier in the seaside-resort sense,
or a ferris wheel or side shows (not normally anyway), or eels, or
paddle boats in the bay (bit choppy, it opens out into Belfast
Lough). In fact the bay has now been filled in to make a marina but
that wasn't the case when this song came out. No. I never thought of
the song as referring to Bangor, Co Down. I reckon she was probably
thinking of Rhyl, but it didn't fit the song (or Pwllheli which
would be even worse). (Marjorie Clarke, uk.music.folk, 10 Jan)
[2000:] You are right it was
Rhyl which does not fit the tune so it got moved along the coast a
bit. [
] How do I know this? Folk knowledge: "everybody"
knew this at one time but most of us forgot! (Roger Gawley,
uk.music.folk, 10 Jan)
|