FLASH COMPANY -

YELLOW HANDKERCHIEFS AND STUFF

by Dom O’Connor

 

When Steve O’Brien, Chris Hare, Steve Collett and myself got together to form a “folk club” in Worthing, we decided the club needed a name.

 Chris Hare was a big history buff and was particularly interested in local Worthing history and was almost obsessed with Sussex Bonfire Boys and Worthing’s Salvation Army riots.

He wanted our folk-club name to have a local connection and suggested either “Excelsior” or “Flash Company”, both names coming from old Worthing Bonfire Clubs.

Before anybody else could disagree, he went and got “membership” cards printed which said “Flash Company – The Excelsior Singers”.

 

I knew the song “Flash Company” from the singing of June Tabor, (introduced to me by Steve Trethewey), and so, when we became a proper gigging band, persuaded the others that we should use that name and sing that song.

 Chris was happy with this too and promptly produced a copy of an old newspaper report of the Worthing Salvation Army Riots which referred to the rioters rampaging through Worthing smashing windows shouting “Flash Company!, Flash Company!”.

 We all liked that idea!!!

  

The song refers to a "yellow handkerchief" and after a bit of digging around in a box I brought from home, I found my old Cub Scout scarf, which was…      yellow.

So began the Flash Company relationship with Yellow Handkerchiefs.

 Since then, things have got out of hand.

 Whenever you see Flash Company playing, you will find every spare pole, stand and protrusion wrapped in a yellow handkerchief.

This takes ages… and I get really hung up on what handkerchief goes where.

It’s an obsession.

 

Each year for the Pavilion I, (with a lot of help from my wife Teresa), make yellow handkerchiefs for everybody who takes part; which include their name and the logo for that year’s show.

I also make a few plain ones for sale on the charity stall though the material is quite costly so there isn’t much profit in them.

(Does anybody out there know where I can get a cheap supply of yellow cotton? –let me know at Dom@flashcompany.co.uk)

 

It’s great to see the audience at The Pavilion waving their Yellow Handkerchiefs at us at the end of the night.

 

The Song – FLASH COMPANY

 As I said earlier, I first heard the song when Steve Trethewey played me some June Tabor tapes. (We didn’t have CDs or MP3s in those days).

Chris Hare came at it with a far more “Copper Family” finger in the ear approach.

I used to be in a punk band and wanted every song to have big impact and a lot of energy.

What we ended up with was a kind of compromise between the styles.

 Initially we performed it a capella – without instruments; except the bash of a Bodhran from Gavin Goodall.

We also tried rocking it up a bit at one point when Paul Kennedy played electric guitar in the band. (yes, we did have electric guitar in the band, and Paul used to play a blinding screaming electric guitar solo on The Irish Rover – wey-hey-hey!!!)

We’ve stuck with the chunky 2 time version as recorded on FCOK for several years now.

 

I always assumed the song was English, but read recently some notes on a recording by Cyril Poacher that,

“The song was first noted in Limerick in the 1850's and was still well known recently, not only in East Anglia, but also among Travellers throughout southern England.”

 So we’ve got the best of both for us again; an Irish song with connections to Southern England.

 There are lots of learned views on the Internet, linking the song with “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, “All Around My Hat” and various other hues of handkerchief; e.g. – “The Blue Handkerchief”.

All these have the same theme, ie a mark of waiting for a true love who is far far away. (either at war, in prison, or at sea)

This theme was revived in the 70’s in the song “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree”.  (And no…  we ain’t doing that one…  ever!)

 The imagery of the yellow ribbon was revived in the 80’s and continued through the first gulf war when relatives of hostages tied yellow ribbons to symbolise their hope and resolve to see their loved ones home safe.

 On the notes to an album by “Pigs Ear” called “Choice Company” they point out that the yellow flag used to be flown by ships in quarantine and suggest that the female of the song may have been left with some kind of disease by her now distant lover, but I think that goes too far….

 Mind you, the first verse, (which we miss out), begins...

   "Oh it’s once I loved Thomas and then I loved John

      Then I loved William he’s a clever young man"

mmmm...... 

FLASH COMPANY

As sung by Flash Company of Worthing

 

Now drinking and dancing were all my delight

In keeping such company it has ruined me quite

It has ruined me quite like a great many more

If it hadn't a been for Flash Company I'd never have been so poor

 

(CHORUS)    And it's take this yellow handkerchief in remembrance of me

Wear it round your neck me love in Flash Company

In rememberance of me and a great many more

If it hadn't a been for Flash Company I'd never have been so poor

 

For once I had a colour as red as the rose

Now I'm as pale as the lilly that grows

Like a flower in the winter my colour has gone

So you see what I've come to from loving that one

 

(CHORUS)

 

Let the rocks run to water and the rivers run dry

If ever I prove false to the one that loves I

In the middle of the sea there shall grow a myrtle tree

If I ever prove false to the one that loves me

 

(CHORUS)

 

So come all you pretty flash girls take a warning by me

And never build your nest in the top of the tree

For the leaves they shall whither and the roots shall decay

And the beauty of a young girl will soon fade away

(CHORUS) - rpt 1st verse & (CHORUS)