Elephants and Elderflowers
By Ossy Gobbiner
- 200 reads
Young Holden glued up poster
In centre of Haslingden town
Affixed to giant gas lamp
“Ringlands Circus is coming to town”
The crowd gathered round in anticipation
To listen as others read the news
“Circus is coming May Day”
Clown, animals, oddities, all will be amused
The news spread fast and distant
Through Musbury and up through the Grane
They arrive Saturday tea time
From London by second class train
After the circus will be a procession
To the Wesleyan Chapel for afternoon tea
Expectations of record number attending
Who knows what the highlight will be
They arrived at the station most weary
After the trip from old London town
Whilst locals greeted them warmly
The keepers settled the animals down
Next day was the May Day procession
With the circus leading the way
They followed the turnpike past Seven Stars
Crowd swelled as they went on their way
By lunchtime they arrived at the Chapel
Their faces full of innocent delight
Owd Andree greeted them as they landed
With fiddle sat aside Chapel gate
They spread through the buttercup peppered meadows
Some sat beneath Grane Bonsai tree
As the performance started
They sipped sweet elderflower tea
Children’s laughter was heard through the valley
The quarries sat silent that day
Was a time to live without worry
On this glorious God given May Day
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