The Ballad of the Bath Grounds (to the tune of Tavern in the Town)

 

Chorus (comes after each verse)

 

There is a special place in town, Ashby town

Where people love to wander round, wander round.

The historic spa's long gone, we're afraid,

But the Bath Grounds are our heritage, heritage.

Verses

Rawdon Hastings built the facilities-

It was in the eighteen twenties -

And people flocked to Ashby for a cure, a cure.

Goodbye to pimples, blebs and boils and much worse,

Conditions we'd not dare to put in verse.

Now the spa's waters are all long gone,

But the River Gilwiskaw flows on – underground. (Gilwiskaw = Jilly whiska)

Dolly Shepherd came to Ashby

But her travel plans were risky.

She refused to take the Ivanhoe Line train – oh dear.

She parachuted bravely down, bravely down,

Hit her target in the Bath Grounds, Bath Grounds.

Though once she snagged her knickers on barbed wire,

An Edwardian lady to admire.(hold last note, no repeat)

There was cricket, there was croquet,

Tennis championships and race days

And the hunt and archers met on the Bath grounds, Bath Grounds.

Inside the dancing was divine, was divine.

Champagne was drunk and fine wines, fine wines.

And fireworks exploded in the sky,

But things were changing by and by, .(hold last note, no repeat)

The Spa buildings were amazing,

Well designed and captivating,

But they started to fall into disrepair, disrepair.

Goodbye to the ballroom and the dome, to the dome.

Schoolboys made the place their home, their home.

But sadly they did not long remain,

Driven out by smelly the drains. .(hold last note, no repeat)

Sadly now the spa is long gone

But – rejoice – the Bath Grounds live on

And remember that they're there to be enjoyed, enjoyed.

Cricket, bowls and picnicking, picnicking,

Playing ball and dog-walking, dog walking

And now we have a beautiful new path,

We say, 'What more could we ask?!' .(hold last note, no repeat)