Poppy-Land is an area of North-Norfolk around Overstrand, a clifftop village between Mundesley and Cromer. It gained its name from certain romantic writings, which you can easily discover by googling "Poppy-Land"

Poppycock on the other hand is a word derived from the Dutch and meaning particularly soft and yeilding manure. It can also be applied to written or spoken rubbish or nonsense.

So there you have it: Writing, Romance, Norfolk or Rubbish; any of which may be applied to the stuff I shall post here.

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The first being a cautionary tale of Old Yarmouth (reposted from my Mardlingham blog):


Phillis at the Fish-Shop

Oh, run a
Stick along the railings, rattle the fence,
Swing around the lampost where the fog is dense.
One foot on the kerb, t'other in the gutter,
Hopping down the street where the gaslamps flutter.
Looking for a girl, any ol' girl,
Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.
Yes it's Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.

When there's
Water on the footpath, puddles to splash,
Running by the shop where the cod's eyes flash.
Get a cheap brass ring from the man at the fair,
Tell her that's as gold as the colour of her hair.
Looking for a girl, any ol' girl,
Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.
Yes it's Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.

What if
The girl says yes but her mother says no,
Take the steamer up to Scotland, is what you do.
But steam costs coal and coal costs money,
If you've nothing in your pocket it's not very funny.
Looking for a girl, any ol' girl,
Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.
Yes it's Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.

Should you
Go for a so'ger or 'prentice at the mill,
For many long years you'll be saving still.
Catch herring on a drifter, trawl for cod,
Cast yer nets in the tideway, send yer prayers to God.
Looking for a girl, any ol' girl,
Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.
Yes it's Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.

Why not
Give the fish to her father, flowers to her mum,
Pay the vicar with a tun of smuggled rum.
Totter down the aisle, kiss the lovely bride,
Get a dickey and cart for a honeymoon ride.
Looking for a girl, any ol' girl,
Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.
Yes it's Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.

Well!
Poor Phillis took to fat, and the fish got fried,
Her father passed away and her mum just died.
When the baby came along, Phillis got fatter,
From livin' on 'taters and cod in batter,
Looking for a girl, any ol' girl,
Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.
Yes it's Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.

You see
From east to the west, run the Yarmouth rows,
Watch the beach go by when the seawind blows.
The baby flew away and her mother rolled.
Tis better to drown than starve when you're old.
Looking for a girl, any ol' girl,
Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.
Yes it's Phillis at the fish-shop, give 'er a twirl.

Copyright The Munzly Hermit ©2004

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