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A Poem by Arthur Adams (1940).

Dedicated to the Residents of The Anchor Tenants Limited.

The object of this rhyming,
With intentions up to date,
We'd like to let you know who's who,
So listen while I state.

The houses that we occupy,
Are built on roads, not flat,
Until you come to Keyham Lane,
The first is Mr Pratt.
There's Headleys and there's Humphreys,
And Freemans live there still,
And just beyond the Avenue,
You'll still find Mr Hill.
With Langleys and the Spencers,
Old timers you can see.
With Mr Hibbert to complete,
The smallest of the three.
Along the Lane we travel on,
With Johnsons to the fore,
And with Gregorys and the Newcombes
The Dunkleys live next door.
Now we're getting on the move,
I'll leave you all to check,
There's Morris's and Harratts,
Mr Taylor was our Sec.
The Shields are for protection,
If a visit Jerry pays,
Then we have a Patrick,
And our Councillor Mr Jayes.
Another Dunkley on the row
And Harndons not old crocked uns,
And Meades they live at one eleven
And then we have Mr Locktons.
The Chapmans are a useful crowd,
You quite see what I mean,
We also have a Backus,
Also a Mr Green.
Paddisons are next in line,
Then Sharp as sharp can be,
The next to come there's no mistake,
The voice of Mr Mee.
Bowermans and Yardleys
Are names that also blend,
We come to Mr Beardsmore,
With Newcombe at the end.

And so to Chestnut Avenue,
They come from near and far,
The first now lives at 36,
His name is Mr Parr.
The next name seems familiar,
It's Mee no you they say,
There's Carters, Jones and Wesleys,
You can meet them any day.
Mawby, Jones and Mawby,
That's how the rota reads,
Their houses new,
Have lots to do,
They are always picking weeds.
Greasleys, then come Fudgers,
Give help if you say when,
And then comes Cort, a decent sort,
Next door to number ten.
Number tens a nuisance,
His name begins with A.
He does a lot of silly things,
And has so much to say.
Perhaps you've heard of Mr Bland,
She lives next door you know.
Fosters live at number six,
Which leaves two down below.
Bonnetts quite a useful name,
I wore one once myself,
At Newcombes there's a warden,
That means he's for our health.
Back across the Avenue,
You'll find a Mr Smith,
A Mr Wale, a Mr Payne,
With first aid in a jiff.
The last house I'm alluding to
Is one you cannot pass,
Tom, you know, was born up here,
The name is Mr Vass.

Laburnum Road, just where we start,
Is good for cars and bikes,
A Garner and a Russell,
We all know Mr Wykes.
Glovers quite a Darby,
His wife is quite a Joan,
He'll tell you tales about the past,
You'll never hear them moan.
Hudsons are the next to come,
Mr Petrie he lives near,
A Gregory and a Derbyshire,
And now we're getting clear.

You've heard them in the country,
When they're talking of our Jarge,
There's one lives near, it's plainly clear,
He's known as Mr Large.
Its jolly good, you'll find this Wood,
It's sold to us as deal,
The Garners live one door away,
Next door to Mr Seal.
To Frasers take your garden subs,
He has no special hours,
And living close to Mr Clarke,
Next door to Mr Towers.
You've heard of Mr Poser,
The Kirtons hang next door,
We cross from Johnsons to the Clarkes,
And Kirtons we have more.
Retrace your steps across the road,
You'll find there Mr Pratt,
You'll hear him laugh out loud tonight,
And now I'm on the mat.
Now to reveal we have a Neal,
Of course there's Mr Bott,
With Kimpton and a Laundon,
I very near forgot,
Oh yes we have a Kenney,
Who lives next to the shop,
And Mawbys they have lived for years,
Right at the very top.
I know you'll put the Law on me,
If people I abuse,
And so we carry on to Mr ..?
Also to Mrs Hughes.

Now Mr Mobbs lives on the bend,
With Burtons close at hand,
We have a Smith and Webber too,
That makes a four in hand.
The next house that we come to,
Is held by Mr Paine,
We have two more to go to,
And then go back again.
One house that I've mentioned,
It's Adams as I've said,
It really is a nuisance,
But this man's name is Fred.
And so from Charltons to the Rise,
The Monument a mark,
But take good care and never swear,
When walking in the dark.

The names we have are Goodenough,
When walking up Fern Rise,
We Haddon when we needed,
The Law to supervise.
Now Shiltons not a new name,
Of that we must admit,
There's Richardsons and Marshes,
That somehow seems to fit.
You want to find the Howards,
Then trip down to the Hall,
And Hargreaves, he's our Social sec.,
These men are rather Small.
To find our where the Mussons live,
There's no Belisha Beacon,
It might just help a little bit,
Next door lives Mr Deacon.
So here we are right on the hill,
Just in the way of speaking,
There's one house more to fill the spaces,
Lives there a Mrs Meekin.
Right ho. we'll cross the other side,
The names we'll soon be knowing,
We come to Hurst and Peppers (my),
This list aint half a growing.
You want to buy your wife a coat,
Buy this one it's a Seal,
With Dennis and a Potter close,
How comfy she will feel.
Should you ask for Mr Smith,
You won't have far to go,
I very often visit there,
I think I ought to know.
To Duffin he's the man to go.
Should you want any coal,
Reg Kirtons joined the R.A.P.
To help to reach our goal.
And Freeman like George Formby,
Cleaning windows every day,
With Hextalls living one below,
There's Deacons by the way.
Always smiles from Mrs Miles,
To me you're all this sort,
And Cunnington, a man we know,
He's always fond of sport.

You turn up Lilac Avenue,
The top is not so wide,
And Newcombes live right in the nook,
It's on the left hand side.
So Mr Evans lives next door,
And here is food for thought,
To cater for the things we do,
It's Mrs Davenport.
Here we have the Donnellys,
Ray Hern he must be fit,
The army went and claimed him,
He's gone to do his bit.
There's Shilton and there's Rothery,
With Hickling that makes three,
Of course there's Mr Richardson,
The next begins with B.
The Baums live at the corner,
And Collins further down,
A Parker and a Bishop,
But he doesn't wear a gown.
We pass from Mrs Spencers,
To the Clarke down one below,
We reach as far as Kilbournes,
His first name's so and so.
Right opposite them is Wilkinsons,
To Franklyn moving back,
We know that Mr Cornish
And his missus do their whack.
A Bailey and a Hodges,
The next we cannot pass,
A family we all admire,
They're known to you as Vass.
A Cox and Mr Coley,
Who helps us all he can,
A little help is worth a lot,
That's what I call a man.
And here's a plucky lady,
We call her Mrs Wren
She's had that pluck for years and years,
A few more years than ten.
Cigarettes we're not selling,
In China, no sell-ee,
You tell that to our Marines,
But not to Mr Shelley.
Here goes Mr Wilford,
Your house is last but one,
A sticker if there's work to do,
We always find well done.
Although it's Mr Robertson,
Your name has come out last,
We know that you're a warden,
We'll stick close to your mast.
Now you know I and I know you,
We take and do some giving,
A slogan worthwhile listening to,
We all work for our living.

Arthur Adams lived at 10 Chestnut Avenue

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