Fields of Gold.....?

Reading other people's blog about Eddie Calvert has caused me to plunge gently into a warm furry cocoon of nostalgia. When I was very much younger - I heard that, Omally! - I remember listening to Two-Way Family Favourites (presented by Jean Metcalfe and Cliff Michelmore) and Children's Favourites with Uncle Mac (he always used to say “Hello Children Everywhere” at the beginning of his programme) on an old valvified humming wireless (it had ‘Hilversum’ on the dial) with my Mum. One of the records they used to play regularly was Eddie Calvert's 'O Mein Papa'. I've never forgotten it. That, and “Sparky’s Magic Piano”, of course, which used to scare the pants off me – ooh! perhaps that’s what Henry’s been listening to! There’s no such thing as a talking piano, Henners, put ‘em back on! I think I can remember the signature tunes as well. Two-Way Family Favourites went (in 4/4 time): Da da da da da daaa{orchestral linky stuff}da da da da da da da da daaaaa{breath}da da da da da daaaa etc. etc. Children’s Favourites was more upbeat (still 4/4 but a handful more crotchets to the minute): Brrrum da da da brum da da da diddle um dum dum dee dee da,{repeat}, deee daa deee daa dee diddlum doo da day{repeat}and so on. You can almost hear them, can’t you? I wrote this when I was in a similar mood a couple of years ago: Do you remember, when you were young, The summers were always sunny? If you kissed your girl-friend, you kept your tongue And sixpence was serious money. Long before SEGA and Super Nintendo Were giving our kids addled brains, You’d not heard of karate, jiu-jitsu or kendo And water and coal drove the trains*. The Corona man came on Saturday morns, The coalman was close behind, Dusty and jet-black from head-lice to corns And he never seemed to mind. “Rag-bone, rag-bone!” We’d run to the gate And gape at the horse and cart; Piles of clothes, here a sink, there a grate, As if lives had been torn apart. Cigarette cards that were pegged to the spokes Made an engine for any old bike; No-one had heard of ethnic jokes And a tick meant ‘correct’, not ‘Nike’. You were allowed to have a golliwog, A race issue was who had run faster; There were tons more fields to run with your dog, Being picked last to play was disaster. You could only catch colds from the opposite sex, When you got home from school, Mum was there; Doctor Who was the greatest for special effects And it was safe to go to the fair. Two feet of snow was a dream come true And ‘gay’ meant full of joy; There was newspaper hanging in Gran’s outside loo, Memories time can’t destroy. *Which were always on time