Capo Position: 0

Strings from bottom to top: D G D G B D

Back in the 1950's and early 60's Britain was a very different place to now. The 2nd World War had devastated the economy, it was rapidly losing its previously dominant place in the world to the new order of Soviet Russia and the United States and the people of this country, especially the manual workers were very poorly paid.

All luxury goods were prhibitively expensive and in very short supply. The weather, as ever was atrocious.

Britain's old colonies of South Africa and Australia were very short of manpower. It must be pointed out here that in the case of South Africa that was Caucasian manpower, not that of the indigenous people who lived under Apartheid.

These countries put adverts in the British newspapers offering families an 'assisted place' of as low as £12 per person for a one-way ticket to a new life. Tens of thousands of British people took up the offer and there was outrage in the Press at the loss of skilled labour - Britain still had a very large manufacturing base then.

Because air travel was in its infancy and only the province of the rich, the families would leave from railway stations up and down the country to catch the ocean going liners sailing from ports such as Southampton and Liverpool.

These trains were called 'Boat Trains' and many a tearful goodbye was said on the smoky platforms.

This song is about one such parting.