Wednesday 3 June 2015

London Pride


London Pride

Someone said to me once what do you want that for its a WEED!  
Weed or not I like London Pride.  It is of the Saxifraga family.



London Pride has been handed down to us,
London Pride is a flower that's free.
London Pride means our own dear town to us,
And our pride is forever will be.
Whoa, Liza,
See the coster barrows,
The vegetable marrows and the fruit piled high,
Oh, Liza,
Little London sparrows,
Covent Garden Market where the costers cry.

Cockney feet 
Mark the beat of history.
Every street pins a memory down.
Nothing ever can quite replace
The grace of London Town.

There's a little city flower,
Ever spring unveiling,
Growing in the crevices,
By some London railing.
Though it has a Latin name
In town and countryside,
We in England call it
London Pride.

London Pride has been handed down to us,
London Pride is a flower that's free.
London Pride means our own dear town to us,
And our pride it forever will be.
Hey, lady,
When the day is dawning,
See the policeman yawning
On his lonely beat.
Gay lady,
Mayfair in the morning,
Hear your footsteps echo 
In the empty street.

Early rain,
And the pavement's glistening,
All Park Lane 
In a shimmering gown.
Nothing ever could break or harm
The charm
Of London Town.

In our city, darkened now,
Street and square and crescent,
We can feel our living past
In our shadowed present.
Ghosts beside our starlit Thames
Who lived and loved and died
Keep throughout the ages
London Pride.

London Pride has been handed down to us,
London Pride is a flower that's free.
London Pride means our own dear town to us,
And our pride it forever will be.
Grey city,
Stubbornly implanted,
Taken so for granted
For a thousand years.
Stay, city,
Smokily enchanted,
Cradle of our memories,
Of our hopes and fears.

Every Blitz,
Your resistance toughening.
From the Ritz
To the Anchor and Crown,
Nothing ever could override
The pride
Of London Town.
                     Noel Coward                               





                              

8 comments:

  1. Never knew it was called London Pride and there was a song about it too! I feel like I should get some too now!!! x

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  2. A weed is only a plant in the wrong place ! If it makes you happy then it must stay!

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    Replies
    1. I SOOOO agree with you on that one my lovely :)
      Tilly x

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  3. How lovely.... I welcome loads of weeds in my garden as they all provide a patchwork of colour, textures for the garden and nutritious bounties for other species in the natural chain of life!
    bring on the weeds that's what I say :)
    Tilly x

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  4. Love the plant and the song. And I love London!

    Helenxx

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  5. I love the plant, and the amazing rendition of the song by Alexander Armstrong :) (Also love London too!)
    Happy week.
    Helen xox

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  6. "A week is but an unloved flower."
    And this one has its own song! Who knew?
    Amalia
    xo

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  7. WE have this in our garden, handed down from my late MIL's garden. We love it.

    ReplyDelete

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