The men we have chosen for wisdom and wit
For the good of the town, in council to sit,
By some strange delusion did all of them jump
To the hasty conclusion “We must have a pump”

A cart we have bought, for flushing the drains,
For fear of them stopping in three or four lances
A horse in the river with that tab at its rump
Will be ruined for ever – We must have a pump.

A pump “yes” say some, we must have on a hill
For many who come there, their buckets to fill
But women are wiser, for old Mrs Grump
Says the water wont lather that comes from a pump

The pump by the way, with its high and white post
All passers-by say it looks like a ghost
And on the frame round it, if two men do jump
By filling the barrel, they empty the pump

Tis a sure sign of wisdom our folly to own
They all now agree the pump must come down
It cost thirty pounds, we may say by the lump
All rate payers say, down, down with the pump.

Tis useless, a frightful disgrace to the town
A fatherless pauper, so let it come down
But the platform might stand for an orator’s stump
And on it be written” Remember the Pump”

by Shirley Dunaetz (nee Evans)

Shirleys original article can be found here.

I remember at least once a week walking to Gill's Garage to pick up pink paraffin. You might think what was that for? Well pink paraffin burns cleaner and doesn't have the smell that regular paraffin has. Pink paraffin was used in the oil lamp that hung from the ceiling. We kids were threatened within an inch of our lives if we touched it. It was a pretty thing, with a brass bottom and a lovely china lamp shade. It of course had a glass chimney and the wick could be turned up our down. When I was very little, I was afraid of the dark, so I was allowed to stay downstairs until the grownups went to bed. If there was no one reading or doing sewing in the room, the lamp was turned down low, I suppose so I would go to sleep. This lamp could be moved from room to room, as needed, but didn't go upstairs, candles were the rule there.

My brother and I recently talked about the "Hunt" that met at the corner of West Street and Old Court Hall. That was a sight to see, all those horses, dogs and the ladies and gentlemen all dressed up in their hunt clothes. They usually started their hunt by going down Silver Street. The Tally Ho's and dogs barking and baying are still with me today. There would be a crowd of us locals watching as they congregated and got ready to leave.

Read more: More memories of growing up in Godmanchester