Johnny Moat Needs Our Help ... again

Steve Aitchison's camera brings truely terrible news to The Pans



Johnny Moat is down ... ... and as a point of honour he must stand up again just as he did on March 10th 1992 pictured below ...... with today's Council Leader Willie Innes standing far right next to former Leader and Provost Pat O'Brien....



His plight was immortalised by Davy Steele but as The Pans rose again so did Johnny Moat.....

ON THE GIRDLE ROCKS AHINT AULDHAMMER HOUSE
STANDS A STANE NEARLY NINE FOOT HIGH
NAMED EFTER A MAN THAT LIVED HERE LONG AGO
SOME SAY HE WIS BUILT THE SAME WAY
WHY IT'S STANDING'S A MYSTERY THAT'S NEVER BEEN SOLVED
THOUGH IT'S BEEN STUDIED BY MEN OF GREAT NOTE
BUT THERE'S NONE CAN BE SURE HOW IT COMES TO BE THERE
THAT GREAT ROCK THEY CALL JOHNNY MOAT

CHORUS:
KEEP STANDING, KEEP STANDING, THE TOON FOLK A' CRIED
KEEP STANDING ALONG THE FORTH SHORE
FOR WHILE YOU ARE STANDING THE TOON 'LL NO DIE
WE'LL PRAISE JOHNNY MOAT EVERMORE

IF YOU START AT THE EAST WHERE THE BLACK ROCKS ARE NAMED
TRAVEL WEST 'TIL YOU COME TAE THE CUTHILL
YOU'LL PASS BY THE HUMLICKS THE HATTLES THE HAYS
THE DOOS RINGANS HOLE AND THE GIRDLE
THEN IT'S ON TAE THE CANTY THE MATHIES THE OX
ALL NAMED EFTER SOME WEEL KENT FOLK
BUT THERE'S NONE O' THESE CRAGS O' BLUE WHINSTON ARE MADE
LIKE THE GREAT ROCK THEY CALL JOHHNY MOAT

CHORUS

SOME SAID IT WIS PLACED BY THE HAND O' GOD
SOME SAID TWAS THE ICE AGE THAT BROUGHT IT
FROM WHEREVER IT CAME IT WAS SEEN AS A SIGN
OF GOOD FORTUNE BY THOSE THAT LIVED ROUND IT
SO LONG AS IT'S STANDING THE TOON'LL SURVIVE
THE PEOPLE WOULD OFTEN SPEAK O'T
A BUT IF IT SHOULD FA' THEN THE PANS WIN AN A'
SO THEY A' SAID ABOOT JOHNNY MOAT

CHORUS

SO JOHNNY STOOD OWER THE TOON THROUGH THE YEARS
WATCHING IT PROSPER AND GROWING
IT HAD OYSTER BEDS THE BEST IN THE LAND
WEEL KENT FOR IT'S POTTERY AND BREWING
IT HAD SALT WORKS OF WORLD WIDE FAME
THE GRANGE AND LINKS PITS FOR IT'S MINING
ALL THESE THINGS AND MORE GREW ALONG THE FORTH SHORE
WHILE JOHNNY MOAT WAS STILL STANDING

CHORUS

THEN ON ONE DARK NIGHT THE GREAT ROCK FELL
AND NOBODY KNEW TILL THE MORNING
AND SOME FOLK RETOLD THOSE STORIES OF OLD
WHILE OTHERS JUST LAUGHED AT THEIR WARNING
BUT THE OYSTER BEDS DRIED AND THE SALT MINES SHUT DOON
THE POTTERY AND BREWERIES SOON FOLLOWED
THEN BOTH THE MINES CLOSED THAT CRUELLEST OF BLOWS
WHEN JOHNNY NO MORE CAST HIS SHADOW