Story Behind The Song

This song is abou treasured memories of summer school holidays in Westmorland as a teenager, and returning to school, studying and exams as Autumn approached. A beautiful attraction between two teenagers from very different places and worlds, in a much, much stricter time. It really did have a special, unique magic, that I wonder would be even be possible now. An age of innocence, of old style farming without massive chemical, laboratory interference or waste disasters leaking into rivers and the land.....and people. A song of happy sweet memories, love and a beautiful, ancient landscape.

Song Description

The Song is set against my Uncle and Aunt's old coaching inn, in the hamlet of Crackenthorpe, with all the people and characters who lived and worked there. All the landscape and adventures, and a well kept secret first love. Steep fells, hills, meadows, railway line climbing out of Appleby, the jade jewel River Eden, Crackenthorpe Hall that once sheltered Henry VI, and my loved King's Garden, the family and children at The Hall, Mrs Atkinson and Mrs Redman and their grandchildren, the gamekeeper, Farmer Todd, George, and family, milking and haymaking, helping to care for his dairy herd and new calves, but banned from his dangerous bull in the byre. Old Bob Horn and his sisters, Mrs Scratcher and family, Mr Atkinson, jackie and the pony and trap rides to Bolton, visiting Auntie Mary's fellow Women's Institute members, the historic town of Appleby, The Sands, the market, St Lawrence's, the banana slides,famous new swimming pool opening. All the delicious smells and sights in the Inn's cellar and pantry., the henfield and every named hen, collecting warm, just laid eggs, scooping the corn in the stable to feed the hens. Uncle Eddie's prize lawn by the stone wall and his prize roses and dahlias, heady, overpowering

Lyrics

I See Crackenthorpe Past In My Teacup
of Auntie Mary's brew,
like reading the leaves of summer
that arrive each day in the dew.
How mornings are filled with promise,
that answered the ache in my mind,
and the sun that shone over haystacks
was warm and bright and kind.

I could see all this world in my teacup,
did not want to drink it away,
like reading the leaves of pages,
of Wuthering Heights today.
Go up on the hills, be blown there,
or follow the river's rush,
hide lazy in branches above all,
and savour a sleepy hush.

I can't see that world in the teacup,
it's joining the centuries before,
as historic castles and battles,
and the folk of the inn of yore.
But once was a child of this old world,
that slips ever further away,
in stardust that flies forever,
that once made a summer day.

And now that Christmas is coming,
and his card with robins arrived,
I remember that post on Christmas Eve
and my heart that leapt by the fire.
Somewhere the girl that existed,
is somewhere in mists of time,
still takes me on her journeys,
comes with me on new ones of mine.

She comes with me on new ones of mine,
she comes with me on new ones of mine,
comes with me on new ones of mine.