Michael Rosen: Great Eastern Railway Excursions

A POEM OR SONG OR CHANT THAT CELEBRATES THE TWO GREAT DAY TRIPS ARRANGED BY THE GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY IN 1868 AND 1876 TAKEN FROM THE POSTERS OF THE TIME

Poem by Michael Rosen Commissioned by HistoryWorks For ‘Creating My Cambridge’ S106 Project

Chorus 1: The DAY exCURSion to LONdon and BACK Chorus 2: The day excursion to London and back Chorus 1: FOResters FETE at the CRYstal PALace Chorus 2: Foresters Fete at the Crystal Palace

Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo [a mix of delight and the whistle of an engine]

Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt [a mix of breathing out and the sound of an engine giving off steam.]

Chorus 1: AUGust EIGHTeen SIXty-EIGHT Chorus 2: August eighteen sixty-eight Chorus 1: STARTing in CAMbridge at SIX-fifTEEN Chorus 2: Starting in Cambridge at six-fifteen

Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo

Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt

Chorus 1: STOPping at WHITTlesford, SAFFron WALden STANsted NEXT, then BISHop’s STORTford. Chorus 2: SAWbridgeWORTH and then it’s HARlow ArrRIVing in LONdon at NINE o’CLOCK.

Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo

Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt

Chorus 1: A SPEcial CHEAP ExCURsion TRAIN Chorus 2: To WALton-ON-the NAZE and BACK Chorus 1: AUGust EIGHTeen SEVenty SIX Chorus 2: August eighteen seventy-six

Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt

Chorus 1: EARly START at TWENty past SIX. Chorus 2: CAMbridge, SHELford, NEXT stop LINton Chorus 1: SAFfron WALden, BARTlow, HAVerhill Chorus 2: NEXT stop CLARE, and THEN it’s MELford

Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo

Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt

Chorus 1: ArRIVing at WALton at NINE forty FIVE Chorus 2: GREAT Eastern RAILway’s DAY at the SEAside Chorus 1:The WHOLE round TRIP will COST you 3 BOB Chorus 2: “No LUGGage allOWED”; “No LUGGage allOWED”

Chorus 1: Oo-oo-woo
Chorus 2: Psssshhhhhtttt