Beeswing in the Backyard July 23, 2007
BEESWING by RICHARD THOMPSON
Take another song. to imagine over. This one is about a girl “as fine as a beeswing”.
And there is a place, Beeswing, in Dumfrieshire.
Let’s imagine, for the sake of my Songs in The Backyard story-telling, that Richard Thompson had been there once and thought it the most unlikely place from which his heroine could have come.
Or indeed the most likely place, since his songs are ‘eclectic’, unusual and heartfelt – from within.
Let’s imagine Richard Thompson had some roots in Dumfrieshire. An aunt or uncle or even a grandparent or parent who came from Beeswing. He would tried to have develop that feeling of roots and association by imagining a great love there. In the song the heroine, chased by the man til he gives up, travels far and wide and possibly to destruction when so very far from her starting place – the place that gave her such flight.
In my heading to Dalbeattie for a football match and to view again the graffiti I had taken in the town’s team’s mainstand some 10 years before carved out of the wood high up there at the back, smaller than I remembered, yet still there “Jonathan Paynter had Nicola Patterson Up Against The goalposts”, I paused at Beeswing and took some photographs.
I took one of the bus shelter which has a mural inside and it shows a jockey riding what could be a winner past the sign that says “Beeswing”. And there are blue skies and fluffy clouds above. In actual fact inside the shelter hanging on a peg is a macintosh, as if for anyone to put on when waiting should the rain be lashing in the open front.
Across the road precisely, without cover, is a bench with all the greenery bursting through the slats and gaps. I photographed this also and thought of someone travelling – or about to travel, or maybe never travelling, purposely missing the bus on the other side of the road.
Nearby, indeed over the wall was my third photo – the door entrance to the church that doubles as a community centre (I think). Possible venue for a female singer ? In actual fact yes – I read in a leaflet that a very beautiful fine female singer had played here recently as part of the Dumfrieshire Festival.
It is rumoured the heroine inspiration of Richard Thompson’s “Beewsing” was a singer herself.
The fourth picture I took in Beeswing-blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, was of the caravan parked slap bang beneath the church’s main window. Whether it is or was lived in, is left to the imagination.
I came through again at the weekend and saw a girl I thought hitch-hiking – perhaps like us on her way to the Wickerman Festival? No, in actual fact she had just got off the bus and was going home. Back to Beeswing.
Should you want to see him sing it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K18xQgDS3U
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