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Beacon Park

[ Roud - ; Cyril Tawney]

Cyril Tawney wrote Beacon Park in ca 1968. He sang it in 1970 on his Argo album A Mayflower Garland. and in 1997 on his cassette of non-maritime songs, Man of Honour. He noted:

Beacon Park was the quiet area of Plymouth where I first lodged in 1959, after completing 12 years in the Royal Navy. At first the contrast was welcome, but by 1961 I’d had enough of enforced tranquility and moved to the centre of town. The song came quite a while later. You need to know that Plymouth Albion Rugby Club has its ground at Beacon Park and that Geraldine Lamb ran a Plymouth ballet school (among whose pupils were Angela Rippon and my wife Rosemary).

Lyrics

Cyril Tawney sings Beacon Park

Chorus (after each verse):
Beacon Park is a peaceful place,
If a dog should bark, it’s a shocking disgrace,
And don’t you dare cough when the Sun goes down.
We’re sensitive people on Beacon Down.
Mmmm mmn. Ohmmm mmn.
Mmmm mmn. Ohmmm mmn.

The decibel level determines the rates.
Their cutlery’s rubber, and so is their plates.
The birds never sing in the undergrowth.
Every baby is born with a cork in his mouth.

At the foot of each garden, there stands a screen
Enclosing a quaint little field latrine.
It may be unhealthy; it may make you blush,
But it won’t wake you up like that noisy old flush.

The garbage disposal is done without noise.
The bins are constructed of special alloys.
The gates are spring-loaded so they never slam,
And the dustmen take courses with Geraldine Lamb.

This pious fixation for stifling sounds
Is gaining supporters in leaps and bounds.
The church at St. Boniface muffles its peals
And the Albion forwards are whispering, “Heel!”