When the white heat of technology
lined up as six-two-five;
when Ballet Boys went, heavy-
booted, into miners' lives,
when Eric slept with Ernie
before half-past-bloody eight!
When VAT was purchase tax
and lard was what we ate.
When Titbits was on newsprint -
and Mayfair showed no pink -
while we read a broadsheet, express-ly,
to tell us what to think.
When they frightened us with Myra
and the look on Ian's face,
when we only thought of Arkle,
if someone mentioned "race".
When Peter was just no-one
but a hermit with Herman's name,
when Waddington's sold Ouija
and we played it as a game.
When America was wonderful
and the place for getters of go
'cos we watched the Man from Uncle
and played Napoleon, solo.
When the music on the radio
was programmed Light or Home,
when David sang some nursery rhymes
and a song about a gnome.
When all this is forgotten -
as perhaps it ought to be -
the one thing I'll remember
is, that Eng-er-land made me.
Comments
h jenkins | December 18, 2009 - 10:40
Now you're giving your age away!
All things well remembered by me too. "When to the sessions of sweet silent thought, I summon up remembrance of things past." Ah, well!
I really like it.
Just a thought though if you don't mind. The metre in the last four lines would work better if it was 'Eng-er-land'. That might also be an appropriate allusion to 1966 and all that, if you see what I mean. 'An-gle-land' would work too though it would probably be less in keeping with the subject matter.
Helvigo Jenkins
Ewan | December 18, 2009 - 10:54
I take your point and I might yet change it. It's just I'd hate to lose the Greene reference.
Dendrite | December 18, 2009 - 11:01
Ewan, this is great work. I don’t know some of these references of course, but I was Napoleon Solo to my friend’s Illya Kuryakin and that you would mention this really freaked me out, man. Getters of go – LOL (insert smiley here) Yes, we are where and when made.
chuck | December 18, 2009 - 15:01
Great. You didn't miss much. I blame Harold McMillan for the total decline. Or John Profumo. Or Simon Dee. Someone has to be responsible.
Ewan | December 18, 2009 - 15:07
I blame the osteopath.
chuck | December 18, 2009 - 15:18
Christine Keeler isn't entirely blameless.
Ewan | December 18, 2009 - 15:19
You would say that, wouldn't you?
chuck | December 18, 2009 - 15:22
Well she was probably talked into it by Mandy. Or vice-versa. Simon Ward did the decent thing.
Ewan | December 18, 2009 - 15:25
Imagine that! The decent thing. Viewed as a foolish gesture now, I suppose. Certainly never considered by a person of what passes for quality nowadays.
chuck | December 18, 2009 - 15:37
Such quaint old customs. Hard to imagine Tony doing the decent thing.
threeleafshamrock | December 18, 2009 - 19:36
Superb! It mightn't be the most 'high-brow' thing you've ever done but it was wonderfully entertaining and enjoyable. Those of us who are old enough, have to love it. Well put together; I'll be back to this, more than once...;)