> Martyn Wyndham-Read > Songs > Banks of the Tees

Banks of the Tees

[Graeme Miles]

Martyn Wyndham-Read sang Graeme Miles’ song Banks of the Tees in 1997 on his Fellside CD Beneath a Southern Sky. He commented in his liner notes:

Also written by Graeme Miles whilst employed as a river surveyor’s assistant with the Tees conservancy at Middlesbrough—one of his jobs was to spend hours at a time sitting in a small boat recording the rise and fall of the tide which allowed ample opportunity to absorb the surroundings and translate them into song and verse.

Jon Boden sang Banks of the Tees as the 5 April 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He commented:

Although my time in the north-east was more on the banks of the Wear and, to some extent, the Tyne, this song by Graeme Miles really captures the atmosphere of the area and of that time in my life. I heard it from Robin Dale and Martyn Wyndham-Read.

Lyrics

Martyn Wyndham-Read sings Banks of the Tees

It’s the banks of the Tees I remember right well
When I think of the places I’ve seen in my time
The glow of the furnace, the coke-oven smell
The misty grey rain in the morning

But the shadow of the crane
Across the still green waters
As the smokey sun comes down
Is the sight I mind the best

Aye the shadow of the crane
Across the still green waters
As the smokey sun comes down
Is the sight I mind the best
Is the sight I mind the best

Aye the banks of the Tees I remember right well
When I think of the places I’ve seen in my time
The call of the curlew, the ferry car bell
Those rose-coloured skies in the evening
Those rose-coloured skies in the evening