Morningtown Ride

It may be related to the widely reported impacts of the lockdown on sleep and dream patterns. Or it may not.  Whatever.  But Fantasy Bob found himself waking the other morning with the words 'all bound for Morningtown many miles away' rotating in his brain.  They stayed nearly all day.

As readers of a certain generation will know (as if there were any readers of another generation) (as if there were any readers at all), Morningtown Ride, as recorded by the Seekers, served for many years as the theme tune to Junior Choice, a radio request show for children and young people (as those of the most recent generation are now described).  When FB began listening, it was called Children's Favourites, the name changed followed the launch of Radio 1 in 1967 and shortly after Ed Stewart - Stewpot - took over the presenter's chair staying with the show till 1980.

Not that it particularly mattered to FB when he listened, but Stewpot was an occasional cricketer with the Lords Taverners - the photo shows him in a rather natty cable knit.

Inevitably perhaps, as a Radio 1 production, the content of the show changed gradually to be dominated by contemporary chart hits, but in its earlier days when FB was in the audience, it presented a wide variety of music deemed, no doubt by some high powered committee of the BBC, as suitable for young ears.  This included some proper, ie classical, music - the Hall of the Mountan King and Peter and the Wolf as FB particularly recalls.

But during FB's run with the show it featured a range of records that defy characterisation, but every word of which FB can remember, whether or not his own Morningtown Ride is disturbed by lockdown. 

Selection is difficult, there are so many worthy contenders, but here is FB's Morningtown Ride XI - in honour of Stewpot who died in 2016.  (Not in batting order.)

Right Said Fred - Bernard Cribbins

My Boomerang Won't Come Back - Charlie Drake

Donald Where's Yer Troosers - Andy Stewart

Football Crazy - Robin Hall and Jimmie Macgregor

I am a Mole and I Live in a Hole - The Southlanders

Michael Row the Boat Ashore - The Highwaymen

Rag Time Cowboy Joe - The Chipmunks

Puff the Magic Dragon - Peter Paul and Mary

A Windmill in Old Amsterdam - Ronnie Hilton

There's a Hole in My Bucket - Harry Belafonte and Odetta

The Yellow Rose of Texas - Stan Freberg

And, perhaps the lyrics of Morningtown Ride carry just a little resonance to present circumstances:

Somewhere there is sunshine somewhere there is day

Somewhere there is Morningtown many miles away