The proposals made at the beginning of the 20th century to amalgamate (federate) the “six towns” and form the County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent were radical and controversial.
Passions ran high and there were many heated arguments between those who supported amalgamation and those who opposed it.
“Dear Old Burslem” sung to the tune “Auld Lang Syne” was a song published in 1907 by a group opposed to amalgamation.
DEAR OLD BURSLEM
Shall dear old Burslem be snuffed out,
And banished from our mind,
Oh! no, we’ll never suffer that,
It would be too unkind.
Chorus
Then good old Burslem, dear old Burslem,
Burslem shall be free;
We will not federate our town,
But keep our liberty.
Eight hundred years or so ago,
Our history did begin
In Doomsday Book if you will look,
Our name you’ll find therein.
(Chorus…)
Our schools of Science and of Art,
Are now excelled by none,
Our Baths and Park and Hospital,
And splendid Haywood Home.
(Chorus…)
Our Fire Brigade an honour is
For smartness and renown,
A credit to our native place,
And useful to our town.
(Chorus…)
Our slums are cleared, improvements made,
For which you now have paid,
Defend us then my fellow men,
From those that would invade.
(Chorus…)
Our Electric Plant and Gasworks too,
Are now both up to date,
And fifty thousand pounds have gone
Towards reducing rates.
(Chorus…)
And when our days come to an end,
As to an end they must,
Our Cemetery’s a splendid place
Wherein may rest our dust.
(Chorus…)
PH/B
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