Diddyköy

1992

And this little girl called Papa was unruly and her mother couldn’t do a thing with her.

Sings :
My name it is Tom Dixie I’m a blacksmith by my trade.

I hope you haven’t got that down. This young lady likes to catch hold of it. That’s lovely that is. You’ll enjoy that.

My parents kept me from children who were rough.

My parents kept me from children who were rough.

Do you think they’re a clean lot or a dirty lot round here?

Take them on average they’re not too bad but there’s ways and means for improvement.

What’s the sort of things they leave behind besides the fish and chip papers?

Oh toffee papers, sweet papers, lollipops, all the bloody lot. You can get barrow fulls.

That’s a ladies’ symbol and that’s a mans’ symbol. And I’m Maid Marion.

Do you tour around the other villages?

Yes, yes we did. Barclay, Comberodger and Hovely, oh yes different villages.

Wayfarers, Wanderers, Vagrants, Vagabonds. Have we had Strolling Players? Diddykoys, Pikey-Joe Peddlers, Romanies, Toddlers, Hobos. Here we go Swagmen, Pathfinders, Itinerants, Shunters, Dirty-thieving-gippo-bastards of course, Poncers, Gypsies, Vagrants and general Nuisances.

And I think these traditions would go on year after year.

He told me of other people who had been pixie-led in that same field and of horses left in the field over night found next morning covered in sweat having been chased hither and dither by the pixies.

Sings :
For the girls are deceitful and the boys they are so gay they will serve you as they served me whilst swinging down the lane.

He’s a typical traveller boy.

It was a very fine specimen indeed.

They had tied a rope around its neck and were leading it down the high street happily.

I soon found out that such a thing could never happen in England.

Oh yea they’re Romanies and people I suppose, if you could call them that.

They’re Scottish, Welsh, Irish, English, they’re kind people, they’re Europeans and  advanced .

Sings :
Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady on a white horse,
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.
Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady on a white horse,
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.