SEAHAM MOURNING

1. All quiet is the sea this morn,
Breaking gently on the sand,

All quiet is the gull in flight,

As the lass weeps in her hand.

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2. All quiet are the men this morn,

Walking to their working place,

The milkwoman has forgotten her smile,

As the lass still hides her face.

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3. All quiet are the seamen's laughs,

Silently, they sail this morn,

From Seaham Harbour, they will go,

As the lass's crying goes on.

November 17th., 1962. Between 2.30 and 3 p.m., the coble 'Economy' left Seaham on routine fishing operations. The weather at 3.45 p.m. : "Visibility was fair, although it was drizzling, and the sea had only a moderate swell." Within half an hour, 'Economy' had sent up a flare and the Seaham lifeboat, 'George Elmy' was out! The wind then was 60 m.p.h., and the sea "monstrous". By about 5 p.m., all hands from the lifeboat were dead, and all but one from 'Economy'. (Quotes are from Coroner's Report).

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This is one of those songs which, to my mind, raise Geordie way above the rest. Most, if not all, disaster songs 'wallow in it' a bit. Understandably enough, given the circumstances in which they are written, of course. But not this one. The milkwoman may have "forgotten her smile" - but she's still delivering milk. The sailors, too, are returning to their ships. They will sail with the high tide, just as they always have. Within fourteen hours of the lifeboat being lost, Seaham Harbour was up and working. No matter how miserably, life went on.

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I'm proud to have this one on the blog. It is, I think, 'reality song-writing' at its very, very best.