We are thrilled to announce the launch of the music videos for ‘Round Here, as part of our work with Historic England across six of their High Street Heritage Action Zones.
In July, in Barrow-in-Furness, musicians Maz O’Connor and Jorgie Wilson worked with the George Hastwell School and Risedale Care Home to write and compose a brand-new song about the High Street.
“When We’ve Finished at the Wire Works” was born out of workshops between the musicians and members of the local community, celebrating the wire works, the cellophane plant, the shipyard, the hotel and all who worked there.
On 17 July, the song was premiered at Barrow Library.
Maz O’Connor said: “Performing here today was amazing. For me, the biggest part was meeting all the other musicians. I left Barrow a few years ago and a lot has changed since then – there’s more of a feeling of community among musicians. It’s amazing to meet these people and hear everybody’s different styles of music. I feel really appreciative of all the talent that is in this town. Hopefully that’s starting to get heard a bit more. The atmosphere was brilliant and we were all really supportive of each other and we had a really good time.”
Jorgie Wilson said: “We wrote the song with residents of Risedale care home alongside some students from George Hastwell school. The song follows the story of a few people: a wireworker, a shipyard worker, someone who works in a cellophane factory and someone that works in a hotel. It’s really nice to be able to include all these roles from these places based on Duke Street in the past. We worked with a group of children between 16-18, who were a completely lovely group of kids. All-round, it’s been a brilliant day.”
Rory Wood of Barrow Borough Council/Barrow Cultural Consortium said: “The performance of ‘When We’ve Finished at the Wireworks’ was really special and people’s memories came through in the performance. It was also fantastic to be able to see the talent of local up-and-coming artists and for them to be able to engage with heritage in a unique way.”
Biographies
Maz O’Connor is a singer, songwriter and composer from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Based in London since leaving university, Maz returns to Cumbria often to enjoy the beautiful landscape and see family. Maz is really excited to delve into the history of the Barrow High Street, and to work with the wonderful community of the town to create some new music.
Jorgie Wilson is a 21 year old singer/songwriter from Barrow-In-Furness. Jorgie is excited to work with community groups including George Hastwell School, to create a composition inspired by the town’s original centrepiece: Duke Street. Jorgie is interested in discovering more about local heritage and gaining further experience in the industry while helping to make music more accessible for others.
Video produced by Con Divers and Harriet Mellor.
Lyrics – When We’ve Finished At the Wire Works – by Maz O’Connor, Jorgie Wilson, the residents of Risedale Care Home and the students of George Hastwell School
My grandad was at the wire works
And the work was hard and long
Taking steel sheets from the furnace
Two inches thick and strong
When the bell went for the weekend
He’d go to Duke Street for a pint
At The Wheatsheaf or The Ambrose
He’d always find someone he liked
When he finished at the wireworks (hey!)
When he finished at the wireworks (hey!)
When he finished at the wireworks (hey!)
When he finished at the wireworks (hey!)
My grandma was a line girl
And she worked for cellophane
Smell the chemicals for miles
All the locals would complain
When the bell rang for the weekend
She’d go up Duke Street for a walk
Get her hair done, pick up her orders
Meet her mates to sit and talk
When she finished with the cellophane
When she finished with the cellophane
When she finished with the cellophane
When she finished with the cellophane
One mill two mills three mills four…
Five mills aren’t there anymore.
Where grandma had her curls pinned up
Now we have a record store
My father was a welder
And he worked at the shipyard
With his boots on and his gloves up
They worked him long and hard
When the bell went for the weekend
He’d ride his bike to Ramsden Square
Watch the football, cheer the lads on
Feel the salt wind in his hair
When he finished at the shipyard
When he finished at the shipyard
When he finished at the shipyard
When he finished at the shipyard
My mother was a barmaid
At the Imperial Hotel
In the old days there were chambermaids
There were stable boys as well
And she went out at the weekend
Dancing at the public hall
Met my father on a Friday
Can you hear the trumpet call
When she finished at the hotel
When she finished at the hotel
When she finished at the hotel
When she finished at the hotel
One mill two mills three mills four…
Five mills aren’t there anymore.
Where grandma had her curls pinned up
Now we have a record store
When we’ve finished at the wire works (hey!)
When we’ve finished with the cellophane (hey!)
When we’ve finished at the shipyard (hey!)
When we’ve finished at the hotel (hey!)
Listen to the all the tracks here:
Watch the music videos here (released between 1-6 November, 2022).
‘Round Here is commissioned by Historic England as part of the High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ Cultural Programme, led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Cultural Programme aims to make our high streets more engaging and vibrant places.
