When England fed on Marshside srimps,
out with the ebb and in on the turn
came putters and shankers on nobbies and carts
from Formby Sands and Horse Bank fog.
Out with the ebb and in on the turn
went Rimmers and Wrights, Abrams and Balls
to Formby Sands and Horse Bank fog
Searching for srimps that feed in cloudy water.
Rimmers and Wrights, Abrams and Balls,
with bleeding hands from riddling carcass
off rough they’d found in cloudy water,
came tramping down Cockle Dick’s Lane.
Bleeding hands, from riddling carcass,
hauled leaps and whiskets swollen with srimps,
tramping down Cockle Dick’s Lane
where smoke lifts from Cottie’s Brow.
Leaps and whiskets swollen with srimps
to be boiled and shilled in firelight shadows
while smoke lifts from Cottie’s Brow;
hawkers and badgers waiting to market it all.
Boiled and shilled in fire-light shadows,
feeding families, preserving the craft,
hawkers and badgers waiting to market it all
on foot, on carts, on barrows and by train.
Keeping families preserving craft,
badgers built a national market,
sending pots of srimps abroad by train,
feeding families while making a fortune.
Badgers built a national market,
meeting a Manchester, London demand,
feeding families while making a fortune,
cutting the shankers’ price by tuppence a quart.
Meeting the Manchester, London demand,
spreading the fame of Marshside srimps,
cutting the shankers’ price by tuppence a quart,
clemmin1 folk on whom they’d made their wealth.
Spreading the fame of the Marshside trade
as leaps and whiskets lay empty and dry
since the badgers cut their price by tuppence a quart;
and even Marshside folk eat Dutch shrimps now.
1 Lancashire dialect – starving