It was the usual Saturday morning shopping expedition today. Except for one vital difference. Indulge, best coffee ever experienced in Bundaberg was closed. They are having a week’s holiday. So, seeing it was my parent’s wedding anniversary we decided to try somewhere different for breakfast. (gasps of horror…I can hear you all from here!)
We went to Rosiblu which is a lovely deli type place that does very nice lunches and cakes. But the coffee (especially the decaf to which I am now relegated) is what you might describe as “not as good as Indulge”. I mean it’s definitely drinkable. You don’t take a sip and splurt it all over your fellow diners or anything, but it’s not a patch on the decaf at Indulge, which actually tastes like real coffee.
(You may be thinking I am a little bit of a fussbudget when it comes to coffee. You may be right. However, let’s use the word connosieur shall we as it is less tinged with craziness)
So I gave my parents an anniversary gift. A boxed set of the first series of When the Boat Comes In, a British drama starring a very young James Bolam. They used to watch it when I was very little, (and have talked about a lot) and all I can remember about it is the theme song. Some of you may know it also:
“You shall have a fishy, in a little dishy, you shall have a fishy when the boat comes in. Dance to your daddy, dance to your mummy, dance to your daddy, when the boat comes in”.
At least those are the words I remember (not sure about the “dance to your mummy) and have been humming ever since I was about 3 or 4. (Not constantly, you must understand. In the intervening 30 years I have, on the odd occasion, hummed other tunes). Anyway, I imagine it’s a British folk song and if I could be bothered I would look it up, but I can’t.
Then it was to Medicare WHERE I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN LINE. Sorry for the shouty emphasis but it’s the rare event where you don’t have to wait in there. And then to the grocery shop. I went through the self serve again because you know, it is fun to scan your own items. However I decided that if you have more than ten items it’s not worth it because every time I wanted to move a bag off the “bagging area” to make more room(let’s get the terminology correct) the machine clearly thought I was going to run off without paying and called the attendant. I ended up with only about four bags, poorly packed and stuffed with items. And I think I needed help at least four times from the poor young girl on duty. She was starting to talk to me like I was an “problem customer” by the end. So it took some time. Still, I did get to sign the electronic signature thingy. That was fun.
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Thou shall have a fishy
On a little dishy
Thou shall have a mackerel
When the boat comes in.
Dance to the daddy,
Sing to the mammy,
Dance to the daddy,
To the mammy sing.
It’s a north country song, which I know (daughter of a Geordie, here) from an Alex Glasgow collection which I used to listen to compulsively when I was a child.
Kathleen Ferrier may have done a version: she did a number of north country songs, but though her voice is stunning, it’s all wrong for folk songs, I think.
If you’re interested, though, I found the Alex Glasgow version here on You Tube.
Oh that’s beautiful…the words are even lovelier!
I wonder if that’s exactly as it’s sung as the show’s theme tune. I will have to find out.
Yes I would agree re Kathleen Ferrier – although I have not heard her sing the song I can’t imagine her voice suiting folk songs
I’m going straight to youtube now!
and now I’m almost inspired to get my violin out and play out…love the sound of that fiddle
I feel slightly guilty saying this, but to me Kathleen Ferrier (or any other opera singer) singing folk songs is roughly analogous to Michael Bolton singing “Nessun Dorma.” The timbre, the training, the whole approach to songs is just too different.
I still own her album of north country folk songs, though. It’s a shame I can’t remember whether she did this one, but she did do “Ma Bonny Lad,” which I also love.
i wouldn’t feel guilty about it. you’re spot on!! totally different styles and techniques needed.
uuugh…michael bolton singing nessun dorma…an awful thought. I’m pretty sure he couldn’t reach the high notes though…so we’re probably safe from that one.
Umm . . . I hate to make you aware that such horrors exist in the world, but I’ve heard Michael Bolton sing “Nessun Dorma.”
He can’t hit the high notes, but that doesn’t stop him trying.
It’s on You Tube, but I really, really, really don’t recommend your listening to it.
Oh My GOD!!!
who in the world would ever have thought that was a good idea?
(You just know I’m going to youtube again now….but thanks for the warning!)
ok….it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting but I’m sure pavarotti was trying to roll over in his grave. I suspiciously checked the other versions thinking michael must have sung it in a lower key but i don’t think he did. wasn’t nice though.
I think perhaps whoever looks after the puccini estate should ban everyone from singing that aria ever again. It’s so hackneyed now unfortunately.
and how long as mr bolton been without his extravagant mullet hair. that was disappointing as well !