The Old Pockwatch

 

This old Pocket Watch

In 1680, made in Maida Vale

If it could only talk

What a tale it could tell

The old watchmaker

Slaved away all day

To bring to life his creation

This timepiece, by the end of the day

Sold to a merchant travelling

From Bath to Bristol

When he was held up

By Dick Turpin and his pistol

So the pocket watch found a new owner

For a number of years or so

Until the day that Dick Turpin was hanged

What a way to go

 

For a couple of centuries

It disappeared from view

But turned up in a auction in London

From whence it came no one knew

Bought by a London banker

As a present for his son

Who was that very morning

Leaving to fight for his country at Verdun

With the watch safely in his uniform pocket

It was carried over the ocean blue

To where our gallant soldier fell in battle

Just outside the town of Acentoo

The watch was found and brought back to England

And became a family heirloom

Passed down from son to son

LIke wealthy families do

Now the proud possession of the Earl of Wessex

A scholar and a man of note its true

And it still keeps perfect time

Considering all that it’s been through

So always remember

When you look at something really old and battered

What history it could contain and recant

If it could talk and say what really mattered

The Weir

 

Down the lane, not far from home

A place where many children roam

There is a house that stands alone

Built in wonderful Dorset stone

By the side a river runs by

Winding, flowing, water level quite high

A footpath winds along by its side

Although the river is quite wide

On a bend, next to the house, a weir

Gushes water, fairly near

To the footpath where the children walk

Sometimes forgetful as they talk

Little Jenny Mayweather,  just our years old

Walking with her mum, wrapped up warm against the cold

Was skipping and dancing near the river behind a hedge

And approached the weir too near the edge

Tripped and fell over the side

Her Mum screaming realising she may have died

Taken by the water, at this point, a gushing, raging pool

But just by chance Tommy Blenkinsop , on his way home from school

Heard the screams and ran, hearing Jenny’s name

To the point from whence the sound came

Seeing the girl going under the water for the last time

Raced to the edge and dived straight in, double quick time

With no thought to his own safety at all

He went under the water, like a cannon ball

Hearing the screams further help came and found

Mum shouting, she’s in the water, my god she’s drowned

As onlookers waited with baited breath on the bank

May realising what had happened their hearts sank

But just then Tommy surfaced with little Jenny under his arm

As the police arrived, someone had raised the alarm

Though not moving, she was saved by Tommy’s selfless act

Lucky for Jenny, he was the first to react

As they were dragged from the wier everyone cheered

As Jenny opened her eyes coughing and spluttering

Tommy walked away under his breath just muttering

About how stupid it was to walk by the weir

That someone would fall in was peoples greatest fear

Jenny’s mum looked round to thank Tommy Blenkinsop

But he had walked away down to the village shop

Where his mum and dad ran the store

And soaking wet walked through the door

His mum went mad, what have you done

Thinking he had got soaked out having fun

Just then P C Jones walked through the door

As his Mum and Dad gave him what for

NO, No said P C Jones, he saved the day

Lucky for little Jenny he had walked home that way

Everyone by now had reached the door

And little Jenny stood in the door

A big smile upon her face

And cheers rang out all over the place

A life was saved thanks to Tommy’s brave act

And Jenny’s mum was thankful that’s a fact

So now there’s a fence along the pathway

To stop anything like this happening another day

And Tommy and Jenny, well guess what happened in later years

They fell in love, were married, many of the guests in tears

Because they remembered the day that Jenny nearly drowned

And how lucky it was Tommy was around

They lived happy ever after and that’s a fact

Just shows what can happen if you react

Quickly to any given incident

And forward thinking can prevent

Accidents from happening, like the message this one is sending

So always keep this thought in mind, not always is there a happy ending