This is the song that started so many things.

It is about lost love, the impermanence of everything, and the demise of the local trader.

It was written by Cyril Tawneyand, I believe, is set in Plymouth, Devon, but I associate it with Portsmouth, a navy town like Plymouth, and the brick dockyard wall I used to pass. Admittedly there was no oggy man there...

Due to objections from the copyright holder, I can no longer let you hear the song, but here are the lyrics.
He has said I may play it at my funeral, at least I'm sure I recall the words "over my dead body" being uttered. So you'll all have to come along to that, but no date has yet been fixed.

OGGY MAN
(Cyril Tawney)

Well the rain's softly falling and the oggy man's no more

I can't hear him calling like I used to before
I came through the gateway and I heard the sergeant say

The big boys are coming, see their stand across the way

Yes the rain's softly falling and the oggy man's no more

It was there that she told me when she bade me good bye

There's no one will miss you one half as much as I.

My love will endure, dear, like a beacon in the squall,

Eternal as the oggy man beneath the dockyard wall.

Well the rain's softly falling and the oggy man's no more

Tuesday, August 12, 2003