the siren

52 hr

'I saw the hand of God upon the canalwaterways' spoke Mr Fitzgarald. 'I saw howman was spendinghis time on the canal- his tireless effortand discontentment.'God spoke t' me andtold m' that he wantedcanals to be a morebetter place for us all.Let everyone sharewhat little they 'ave!'Never underestimatethe innovation of thecanal worker.

R E V I S E D 2 N D E D I T I O N

the siren

(REVISED 2ND EDITION 2004)

Creator Harry Palmer Guest Contributor Olly ShapleyDedicated to Sanj Kavanagh on her 37th BirthdayThe Year of our Lord 12th November 2004

Acknowledgements

This publication wishes to thank the WondersCommission (The Public) and British Waterways andthe continuing support by Funding Pending Live ArtsThe Canal Heritage Centre, Smethwick, Sandwell.Thank you to Eleanor HoadUpdates on website - www.harrypalmer.co.ukContact Mr Palmer - info@harrypalmer.co.ukDesign by Si Walker

The Grand Union Canal had a local and national impact essentially on an economiclevel - making manufactured goods cheaper, travel much faster and trade moreprofitable. There was also much evidence of social and cultural transformation onand around the Grand Union. As canal towns appeared, their names too took onlocal significance such as Smethwick. One of the more fleeting cultural contributionsmade by canal communities was their own language. Many of them saw themselvesas seamen and even though their waterway was an inland one, they very much feltthemselves to be part of the maritime brotherhood, this gave their speech and clothinga nautical feel. Parts of their music and folklore treats the 'raging canal' as if it was theocean and many tunes and terms were borrowed from life at sea.Canal folk characters were divided into three categories: the labourers themselveswho lived and worked along it, 'marginal' folk who had some connection to the canal(or perhaps lived in a town nearby) and folk heroes and celebrities who migrated tothe water, borrowed from other, more established traditions (for example the TiptonSlasher, William Perry and Joseph Darby ‘Spring Heel Jack’) See website www.harrypalmer.co.uk

LIFE ON THE RAGING CANAL

William Perry (right) also known as the ‘Tipton Slasher’ with family

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