Near Victoria Park

As children, we spent a lot of time in my grandfather’s shop In Canton. He and taught himself watch repairing and jewellery repairs. Victoria Park is in Cardiff and near his old shop. The witch’s hat was lethal playground apparatus and Jimmy Scoular was Cardiff City’s manager in the ’60s.

NEAR VICTORIA PARK

See him in his little shop

Working till he’s fit to drop

Fixing all their watches

With his veined and skilful hands

He hears all the children scream

He’d like to buy them all ice cream

Because their laughter’s drowning out

The ticking of his clocks

Then he hears his daughter laugh

She’s got him Scoular’s autograph

So Jimmy’s making sure the Bluebirds

Rise before the lark –

Near Victoria Park

The voices in the dark sing:

You’ll never see the likes of them again

You’ll never see the likes of them again

The Clarks’ Pie Shop, the Baker’s bun

They feed the children having fun

The witch’s hat is swinging

As it casts them to the ground

Water fountains slaking throats

The birds are singing off-key notes

Mothers slapping sun-screen

At the breaking of the clouds

The sadness strikes at ten to six

As he packs away their Lego bricks

The clocks begin their chiming

Of a final au revoir –

Near Victoria Park

The memories leave a mark

You’ll never see the likes of them again

You’ll never see the likes of them again

I still feel his presence there

Sitting in his leather chair

Watching his grandchildren

Learn to pass the time

He recalls old neighbourhoods

Setting fire to Leckwith woods

So the German aircrews thought that 

They were bombing Cardiff Bay

His shop, it’s selling flowers now

As Canton counts the lonely hours

His ghost still fixes watches

In their back-room after dark –

Near Victoria Park

I still hear Billy bark

You’ll never see the likes of them again

You’ll never see the likes of them again

Near Victoria Park….

(c) 2018 All Music, Lyrics, Instruments and Vocals By Paul D E Mitchell

PRS protected.