Advertisment poster for the Rover Safey Bike
This song was given to me by Matt Coffey, who first performed it for me on his 73rd birthday at a Ceilidh at the Sacred Heart Social Club, Heckmondwike in 1984.
Matt was one of the founder members of the short-lived Yorkshire Heavy Woollen District Irish Music Association, and harmonica player with the Calder Banks Ceilidh band.
The safety bike became popular in the 1880s. The first commercially successful safety bicycle, name the Rover, was manufactured in 1885 by J.K. Stanley and Co.. It was the first modern bicycle - it replaced the heavier, more expensive penny-farthing, and was lighter and cheaper than the tricycles of the day.
3. My wife she lately bought some fouls
The chickens would not lay
The eggs they were not large enough
What did she do one day
She got the kitchen bellows
And blew down their necks with glee
And every time they lay an egg
It pleases me to see.
They're getting larger, they're getting larger
First their eggs were tiny and small
Now they're big as a punching ball
All my pals they look at them and say
They're getting larger, larger, larger
Larger every day.
They're getting larger, they're getting larger
First their eggs were tiny and small
Now they're big as a punching ball
All my pals they look at them and say
They're getting larger, larger, larger
Larger every day.