Dennis Crowther - Clee Hill Poet and Folk Musician

"CLEE HILL. AKA - "Dennis Crowther's No. 1." English, March (4/4 or 2/4 time). D Major. Standard

Clee Hill

tuning (fiddle). One part. Clee Hill refers to both the height of Titterstone Clee, one of the highest hills in south Shropshire, or the village of Cleehill, Shropshire, which lies on the slopes. Titterstone Clee is in the range of hills called collectively the Clee Hills, and has been heavily quarried over the years. Writer J.R.R. Tolkien used to visit the area and some believe he modelled "The Shire" in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings after the area. Some have speculated - ("Clee Village being an inspiration for Bree in its character/location, and Clee Hill being an inspiration for Weathertop (you can see Clee hill from South Birmingham, and from Clee Hill you can see Snowdonia).") The late Dennis Crowther (d. 2007) was a poet, singer, mouth organ player from the area. Part of the melodic material from "Clee Hill" appears in the tune "Oh, Joe! The boat is going over," a melody used by morris/molly dancers from the Clee Hill area. Accordion master John Kirkpatrick recorded this tune (along with "Dennis Crowther's No. 2") at the Sidmouth Folk Festival, 1999.

Source for notated version: Shropshire harmonica player and entertainer Dennis Crowther [Callaghan].
Printed sources: Callaghan (Hardcore English), 2007; p. 32."

The above is from http://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Clee_Hill

Dennis Crowther - From this site http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/82/a8413382.shtml
I have lived at Clee Hill all my life and was a runner for the Home Guard and was 14 at the end of the war. I used to go between the Clee Hill, Corley and Bitterley platoons. One of my lasting memories of VE day was being able to have lights on and a party in the Mission Room at the Knowle.

The Battle of Titterstone Clee
When Hitler declared war on this country
A messenger boy I would be
I was up on Clee Hill where I joined the Home Guard
Where armed to the teeth we would be
The lads in our mob were from all walks of life
All ready if Hitler did raid
And up by the Radar was Corporal Brown
Guarding his sheep with a spade
Chorus
There was pitchforks and pikes and hammers galore
To use against Hitler during the war
Then the Captain inspected our motley platoon
And announced that today, we’d be armed
With hammer handles direct from the Quarry
We lined up with grace and with charm
Then the Captain he asked Private Beddoe
Of his actions if under attack
He looked down at the shaft of his hammer
‘I’d put the head on,’ he answered back
Chorus
Then with broomsticks we pinched from the Council
We took the Brookrow first light
We mounted a Guard round Reynold’s Marrow
In case it got bombed in the night
Then the Baker took twelve of his bravest of men
And without the slightest of noise
They crept round the back of Will’s mothers
And took Silvington Tump by surprise
Chorus
The ode Hitler decided to poison the water
Which flows from the slopes of the Clee
They put old Billy Adams to guard the park spout
Stood there with his dung fork was he
He shouted out HALT! In the dead of the night
And when nobody answered him then
He charged the Park Spout with his dung fork
And captured five pubs before ten
Chorus
We did manoeuvres with the Hamers from Coreley
The first foot and mouth Calvary
They charged us with nuthucks and bicycle pumps
And ready for Hitler we’d be
We bought in our armoured division
A shipcratch from Cumberley Lane
And we routed them farmers from Coreley
And put ‘em back pickin’ taters again.
Chorus
The enemy came twenty miles from our shore
Herr Loiknant he said to his crew
‘Out there on that islands some queer goings on
Ve had better turn back that is true
For the British haf weapons I’ve ne’er seen before
Well advanced they all seem to be
They might blow us straight out of the water
And the end of the war it would be.
Chorus
So lets give three cheers for the lads of Clee Hill
Who put old Hitler to shame
Let us give thanks for a Broaduck and a Pike
And a sheepcratch from Cumberley Lane
For it was unconditional surrender
Once again all the church bells will chime
And we’ll put up our tack fore’er we hope
And bring peace and goodwill to man kind
Chorus
.................................
Lester Bailey playing Dennis Crowther

From the video - The World Famous Ashdown Mummers perform The Stomp from Clee Hill in Much Wenlock on our 2014 Earthly Paradise Revisited tour of Shropshire. The dance is courtesy of local historian, the late Dennis Crowther, who gave us the details in 1991, which he’d collected many years previously.

 Captain Swing , tune Dennis Crowther May morning at Laxton Castle Notts

Dennis Crowther had a book of poems out 1996- now out of print Reminiscences of Titterstone Clee

'The poems contained in this book have been composed by Dennis to capture a bygone era of work and characters.' The poems are: The Haymaker/ Tom Coxen's Last Move/ Old Habits Never Die/ The Storm/ A Day with the Hops/ Blackberry Boots/ Rusty of Clee/ Titterstone Clee/ Arthur Ore/ The Clee Hill Minstrel Band/ Burwarton Bill/ I Conna Find Ashford for Fog/ The Parsons Annual Ball/ The Last Load.


Dave Bradley of Worcester News wrote
"Dennis Crowther was without doubt one of the funniest men I’ve ever met. He was a natural comic. If you have never or heard of him, his poems of the countryside were superb. They were about people he knew and met and adventures he had. His poems about Bill the sheepdog and the hop pickers were two of my favourites.
Dennis was also a fine musician. I met him many years ago, and became reacquainted on the Sunday morning show when I used to play some of his poems and on odd occasions he would call in."

http://m.worcesternews.co.uk/news/3168229.FRIDAY_FEELING/

Classroom scene with Mr Langley c 1956 and the Bridge at Ron Hill.

Graham Clark added this to the City of Coventry School facebook page. After some discussion they arrived at the conclusion that it was teacher mr langley in the photo. Graham Clark is front, middle - Blount 37.

Graham Clark also added this recent photo of the bridge near Ron Hill -

This bridge was both part of the Cross Country run ( if you didn't have to go through the river!) and where "The Bridge has been rebuilt since our time there. There is now steps up to the bridge as you can see in the picture where as before it was just a style type fence with which I tripped on the top rung and broke my arm (.Had a devil of a job to get me to the car to go to Kidderminster Hospital. Bottom of Ron Hill" Says Graham.

NEW ADDITIONS - VISITING DAYS

A couple of photos of Graham and his parents on Visiting day 1958 on Clee Hill, feeding the sheep.

Graham Clark Used to look forward to parents visiting day. Here a pictures of me on Clee Hill feeding the sheep, Spring 1958. Think we had a old Austin 7 in those days.

Pic of an Austin 7

Paul Rees There was Visiting day (Viso as we called it) per half term if my memory serves me. About every 6 weeks. Coaches came from pool Meadow in Cov for those not driving over.

Sarah Williams I remember visiting days because sometimes Dad had to be on duty and also because we couldn't make such free use of the school grounds.

Rosemary Webb Rehill Yes it was always a Sunday. I liked them because we got cream cakes from Onions. I disliked them because the coaches parked in the driveway and people could see into the living room!! Lol

Sarah Williams Thats why I remember the coaches! Somehow I forgot the cream cakes. Were they ordered for the visitors?

Rosemary Webb Rehill Yes, it was always the same menu. Ham salad followed by cream cakes. I never liked the pink ham with the strip of fat.... Ick!!!!

Stephen Donald I only remember them once a term, but I never got visitors so that maybe the reason I don't remember them too well. I remember one visiting day where 2 teachers took me and another lad out for the day, I think it was Mr Lovatt and Mr Thomas. Another time was having a meal with Mr Webb and his family, maybe Rosemary will remember that. And of course as I mentioned in an earlier post, when I volunteered to let people throw sponges at my face.

Trev Teasdel Stephen's mention of "Sponges" reminded me that on one of the last Visos before I left in 67, the parents / Teachers association organised a fund raiser for the school via stalls on the playground during Viso. My parents were on the PTA and I remember we did a stall near the Assembly hall that day instead of going out and about.

Tim Naylor Yep Trev they did the same thing in the early 70 s, Mick Chopping did a spin the wheel stall, with good prizes....top prize...a bottle of Matteus rose wine...how things have changed....lol

Sarah Williams Someone used to get crockery seconds, whole but unglazed, from Stoke on Trent for a smash the plates stall.

Rosemary Webb Rehill Stephen I don't remember you coming to tea but I know it happened every now and again. My parents were very kind, loving people.

Stephen Donald They were lovely people as I remember, especially considering I was a cause of inconvenience when I ran away.

The Cricket Pavilion - Lower Field

Stephen Donald raised an interesting point when he said on one of his photos

"I wonder how many people on the blog remember the old cricket pavilion getting struck by lightning about 1960 I think. Bottom playing fields near where you used to come in off cross country."

Peter Weaver told us he didn't think it was there in in 1953 and Trev Teasdel and Ray Bothwell couldn't recall it being there after 1962, so perhaps it was demolished after lightening had hit it. We have no photo on here with it on, that I've noticed.

However Rosemary and Stan Webb remembered it as did Michael Billings who was there in the late 50's around the same time as Stephen Donald - here's what they said on the Facebook page -

Michael Billings Yes it was there when I left in 1958. It was half way down the bottom field between the Headmasters Cottage & the road. Was really only used during inter house cricket matches or when we were against the local school from Cleobury. The mower and the cricket pitch roller were kept at the side of the pavilion. The rest of the time it was locked but was pretty ramshackle."

Steve Webb Hmmm- cannot remember a lock on it. It was a very small building- maybe about 10 feet wide only. Made of logs. The space inside was room enough perhaps for 3 ordinary chairs. The entrance was in its centre, and each side of the entrance was a small "balcony" made purely of vertical logs so that when sitting in it, you could watch the cricket! I do not recall the lightning incident, but do recall that it was there in 1957 when we arrived and only lasted another 4 or 5 years before being removed. I never, ever saw it actually being used.

Rosemary Webb Rehill I remember playing inside it. Strangely enough I remember the weird woody smell...!

Steve Webb Yes- I too can recall the strange smell, which was probably creosote. I also recall that adjacent to it, towards the hedge, about 1957, was a small school garden which was no longer in use, (having been transferred onto the other field near to the hedge,) but still productive enough for Rosie and I to pull up, and eat, fresh carrots and soil, and pick and eat red currants.


Paul Nicholas Williamson The cricket pavilion, yes it has come to me, it was a black white wooden structure situated by the apple tree's opposite the dining hall, on odd occasions someone would park his car there when having one or two whiskeys too many. Looking at the photo it was situated to the left of the cricket square.

If anyone has a photo with the Cricket pavilion on, please send it a long / let us know or upload it to the school facebook page.

Old Photos from Pioneer Centre Archives

During the reunion August 2013, we had a look through the archive photos held by the Pioneer centre which go back to the 40's. I managed to photocopy some of the press cuttings that we haven't got on here (they are now on of course) and Ralph Aldhous kindly re-photographed some of the photos which I thought we hadn't got. Some we had got but Ralph's versions are a bit clearer and there are some that are new to us from the 1950's.

Headmaster Mr Morris left of  the Lord Mayor and Directory of Coventry Education Dept Mr Chinn left of Mr Morris.

In this photo "This is from mid 60's.Gary Coulter in trunks in middle. - Chris Appleby)

"Tony Kemp in the back row and Bryce ((click) on the right end." Lauri Lindsay

"Clicker Boyce on far right he came in 64/5" Raymond Bothwell

"Look's like steve pearce front centre." Mick (Dragan( Gajic.

This was on before but a clearer version.

Taken by the Coventry Evening Telegraph c 1966 in the New Library - Frank Dutton standing up reading.

I sat some exams at those tables and was a librarian for Mr Williams (Jake).

Possibly in the 70's as the wash basins weren't boxed in in the 60's.

At the back Tony Baker who tells us " Batsmans Bride was I think 1957 or 58. More likely 57. The fourth year lads were the batsmen and first years the brides. Cannot remember story details but it was a short playlet. On the same bill was another playlet called Dumb Boy put on by the 3rd year. Both were produced by Wally Clarke." So the actually title was 'Batsman's Bride' not Batman's Bride as it says on the photo and which explains the cricketers in the photo. It was (according to Amazon) The Batsman's Bride. An operetta in one act. Libretto by Donald Hughes.

I wonder if this was based on Old King Cole nursery rhyme or something different?

Not sure if this above 1950's production would be deemed politically correct these days!
Tony Baker tells us " Definitely not 1955. I think 1958. It was taken at the old Coventry drill hall. I am on it with the rest of the 5th year. I have a copy . As you say the political correct brigade would have a fit today. We did not think anything wrong back then. A classical example of evil being in the eye of the beholder. The occasion was a concert by all Coventry schools. This was our contribution. We sang about Darius the Mede." Darius the Mede is mentioned in the Book of Daniel and Flavius Josephus etc Read more about it on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_the_Mede