The Bath City Morris
Bob Johnson tribute page



Forever Gone but Forever in Our Hearts
 
The caring prayers, the shaking shock -
The awful news our world did rock.
No one knew how it happened or why.
We were all so sad; it made us cry.
How unfair it should have happened now -
Won't someone ever tell me how?
His tears had dried, his pain had healed;
But God chose this time for his life to yield.
It's later now, while we've moved on -
We miss him as though he had just gone.
We'll never forget all the good he did,
Even though, to him our farewells we've bid.
We love him still, we miss him yet;
And on this I'll forever bet.
If he is truly in our hearts,
From us he'll never be truly apart.
 
 Heartfelt memories of a truly unforgettable man on this-the first anniversary of our loss. No tribute could or would ever be able to sum up all that this man was. As always, with deepest love.
17.4.05

 

 

 

Bob Johnson was an occasional member of Bath City, either at Ring Meetings, special events or the Bath ceilidhs, especially the "Albert's out of town" weekends in the mid 1970's. His workshops on playing the spoons were memorable to all who attended! So keen on playing the spoons was Bob that he even tried to make some electric spoons, to go through a PA system. A conventional microphone was too easy, not very good and involved much money (for the stand and microphone). He worked out that a small current through each spoon would result in a click when tapped together. Thus, playing spoons as normal would give a clicking noise through the speakers. He tested this out just before a Bath Ceilidh. Unfortunately, the current was a little too high, it blew the amplifier and we were left with 400 people and a band, but no PA.

Bob's renditions of "Pete, the piddling dog" were also memorable for the gusto with which he delivered it. I couldn't remember the words, except that Pete won all the town's lamppost piddling competitions and it ended something like "now we now why he has beat us, 'cos Pete's got diabetes". We can now, however, reveal possibly the full words:



A farmer's dog came into town, his christian name was Rex
A noble pedigree had he, unusual was his text
And as he trotted down the street 'twas beautiful to see
His work on every corner, his work on every tree

He watered every gateway too and never missed a post
For piddling was his specialty and piddling was his boast
The city curs looked on amazed with deep and jealous rage
To see a simple country dog the piddler of the age

Then all the dogs from everywhere were summoned with a yell
To sniff the country stranger o'er and judge him by his smell
Some thought that he a king might be, beneath his tail a rose
So every dog drew near to him and sniffed it up his nose

They smelled him over one by one, they smelled him two by two
And noble Rex in high disdain, stood still till they were through
Then just to show the whole shebang he didn't give a damn
He trotted in a grocery store and piddled on a ham

He piddled on a mackerel keg, he piddled on the floor
And when the grocer kicked him out, he piddled through the door
Behind him all the city dogs lined up with instinct true
To start a piddling carnival and see the stranger through

They showed him every piddling post they had in all the town
And started in with many a wink to pee the stranger down
They sent for piddling champions who were always on the go
Who sometimes did a piddling stunt or gave a piddling show

They sprung these on him suddenly when midway in the town
Rex only smiled and polished off the ablest white or brown
Now Rex was with them every trick with vigor and with vim
A thousand piddles more or less were all the same to him

So he was wetting merrily with hind legs kicking high
When most were hoisting legs in bluff and piddling mighty dry
On and on Rex sought new grounds by piles and scraps and rust
Til every city dog went dry and piddled only dust

But on and on went noble Rex as wet as any rill
And all the champion city pups were pee'd to a standstill
Then Rex did free-hand piddling with fancy flirts and flits
Like "double dip" and "gimlet twist" and all those latest hits

And all this time this country dog did never wink or grin
But piddled blithely out of town as he had piddled in
The city dogs conventions held to ask, "What did defeat us?"
But no one ever put them wise that ...... Rex had diabetes

Only to be sung in honour and memory of Bob.

At the East Suffolk Ring Meeting on 12th July 1975, we were on tour with East Kent Morris, a lovely bunch but with the charisma of King's Lynn on a wet sunday in February. To liven their dancing up at the lunchtime spot at Thornham Magna, Bob decided to 'fool' by borrowing a bicycle and cycling through the middle of the set. Repeatedly, but just at the right moment to make it through without damage. Later, I think this was the tour when Tubby and Bob did a double jig, wearing Roy Dommett's Bath City baldricks. The two of them inside Roy's baldricks. Tubby slipped over, tore a ligament and Bob had to drive them home in Tubby's work car. Apparently the Police ID card was enough to get them out of any hole on the way back.


(Above) Bob cycling through East Kent

(Above) Bath City dancing 'Princess Royal' Limpley Stoke as their show-dance in Christchurch Park on the Sunday,
featuring the astonishing line-up of Tubby and yellow-jacket Instant playing,
with Bob (right, in smock), Roy Dommett (in Andy Pandy outfit) and Morris Sunderland (Squire of the Ring at the time).
More astonishing is that the dancers' lines actually appear straight!

(Above) Bob at the Stratford Ring Meeting in 1969 (from Derek and Mavis Adams)

(Above) Bob in his early days with Hereford Morris (from Derek and Mavis Adams)

Sadly, Bob died of cancer on Saturday 17th April 2004, in a hospice in Yeovil. This page will be a tribute to Bob's enthusiasm, larger-than-life character and an astonishing brain - anyone who could still be cracking good jokes on Sunday afternoon, having started on the Friday evening, deserved respect.

Incidentally you may like to know that his brother Martin told a joke at Bob's funeral - we'd had a competition while he was in the hospice for his many visitors. We provided the first line of the joke and they had to come up with the punch line. The winner was based on an actual conversation. Joke as follows:

An octopus went into a florist's shop and said, "I'd like some flowers for a funeral on Friday. " The florist turned to her assistant and said, "There, I told you. Everybody knows Bob Johnson." From Rose Johnson

I was Bob's son in law and loving friend. It seems strange that when I first met his daughter Maddy and for a few months after, I did not know about their Morris history. The strange coincidence is that I dance with Leicester Morris Men and my father is squire of Braybrooke morris. Talk about keeping it in the morris. Our son Tom is already very keen to join, but at the age of 21 months i think we'll make him wait a bit!
From Nick Simons.

I was sorry to hear about Bob Johnson. He was very kind to Vicky when she smashed a glass of lemonade on the stairs at the University when we went down for the reunion in 1997. I'll never forget the time when he scared away the carol singers one Christmas at Devonshire Buildings. Somewhere I've got a photograph of him sitting in Betty and Tubby's garden, plucking a chicken. Don't ask me why!
From Angela Raybould, August 2004

So, please send any anecdotes, tributes or whatever about Bob, any scanned photos (no more than about 100K each) to me (sbazire@ukppg.org.uk) and I'll add them to the list.






This page is maintained occasionally by Stephen Bazire (e-mail sbazire@ukppg.org.uk)

First started 18.4.04, recent updates 17.4.05

This is just a page on the Bath City website for Bob. If another or better one appears I'm quite happy to let this lapse and link to it. Meanwhile, many thanks to any contributors and helpers ... and hopefully you too.