The Fivepenny Piece 'Keep Your Hand on Your Ha'Penny'

Who are The Fivepenny Piece?
The Fivepenny Piece are a five-piece band formed originally in 1967 in Stalybridge in northern England - all members of the band were from Stalybridge or nearby Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire. Originally called The Wednesday Folk, they used to meet up at Ashton's Broadoak Hotel on Wednesday evenings to entertain the locals.
The original band members were:
•John Meeks (guitar, vocals)
•Lynda Meeks (vocals) - John's sister
•Eddie Crotty (guitar, vocals)
•George Radcliffe (bass, vocals)
•Colin Radcliffe (guitar, vocals) - George's brother
Colin Radcliffe and John Meeks formed a prolific songwriting partnership and penned many of the band's songs, although the other members also contributed material, notably Eddie Crotty's humorous Lancashire-style songs.
The band continued with the original line-up until 1981, when John Meeks departed, to be replaced by Trevor Chance. A year or two later Lynda left and was replaced by Andrea Mullins (a former member of The Caravelles). The band broke up in 1985, but it was subsequently reformed and is still occasionally gigging today. By 1996 the line up still included Andrea, Eddie and George, with the addition of Pete Brew and famous Lancashire singer/actor/comedian Bernard Wrigley.

Sadly, George Radcliffe passed away in December 2002, leaving Eddie as the only member of the original band in the line-up. Even Eddie has had health problems and for a while Norman Prince (formerly of the Houghton Weavers) stood in for him at gigs. The Fivepenny Piece continued to perform for a while with the last recorded line-up being Eddie Crotty, Andrea Mullins, Alan Taylor, John Eatock and George's replacement Paul Johnstone.

Keep Yer 'And On Yer 'Alfpenny (Alex Glasgow)
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, cover it well with yer palm.
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, and Molly will come to no harm.
When Molly began to go courin, her Mother was anxious to tell,
How certain young fellows would want her to stray down the pathway to hell.
So Mollys old Ma used to sing:
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, cover it well with yer palm (la, la, la, la, la).
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, and Molly will come to no harm.

Theyll hug you and kiss you so sweetly , make you feel ever so nice,
But handle the fellows discretely, and follow this simple advice.
And follow this simple advice:
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, cover it well with yer palm (la, la, la, la, la).
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, and Molly will come to no harm.
Now Molly and me went out courtin, I told her shed nothin to fear,
But down in the meadow last Sunday, I whispered these words in her ear:
Take yer and off yer alfpenny, look into me bonny-blue eyes,
Take yer and off yer alfpenny, Ill give you a lovely surprise!
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, cover it well with yer palm (la, la, la, la, la).
Keep yer and on yer alfpenny, and Molly will come to no harm.
And Molly will come to no harm.
And Molly will come to no harm.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The
• Fivepenny
• Piece
• 'Keep
• Your
• Hand
• on
• Ha'Penny'

[PhunkyNun]

Great stuff. I have fond memories of the Fivepenny Piece from my own courting days.

I subsequently gave my own daughters the ha'penny advice!

Have a 5-star, and my best wishes.

[trooper7h]

PhunkyNun,

Thank you for your comment.:)

Sadly I have never seen 5p piece 'Live' but I have a great collection of their songs on cd's.

I do hope that your daughters heeded your advice.:))

Best wishes,

trooper7h

Ps. My granddaughter' has the same Christian name as you!

[Kittielips]

What was that? "Keep yer 'ands on yer threppenny bits?"

I'm only joking; I love this group, and I know they wouldn't mind my comment.

Take care.

Jennie.

[trooper7h]

@Kittielips

Ooooh!...you are awfull...:o

...But I like you!...;)

trooper7h

[Corrie121]

Ha ! Ha ! Ha! Great advice! So good, I have added it to my "favourites".

[trooper7h]

Corrie121,

Hiya Corrie.:)

Thank you for your comment and the 5* rating.:)

Best wishes,

trooper7h

[alanfromdarwen]

i saw them live afew times when they came to bolton, they where fantastic..

[57Skippy1]

@waddad1 You're probably right, but this is one Yank who didn't heed this advice....and was married to a wonderful Lancashire Lad for almost 30 years ;) He passed away in 2006 - still my only love...

[waddad1]

I bet the Americans are confused if they come across this!

[blootette]

My wife kept her hand on er apeny till we married, and then forget she had a ha'penny. Life is cruel.

[joehiggs100]

Great, thanks, not heard this for years, I remember the band fondly from my days in Royton.

[quizbuff2000]

Never realised Mike Harding sang with them until now!

[Kittielips]

@trooper7h

I'm sorry, but I didn't foller yer advice...Once I'd looked into his 'bonny blue eyes' I got naughty round 't back er't facterry and charged 'im five pence, but he still owes me an 'alfpenny dun't he?!

Thank you.

Jennie.

[Kittielips]

@Thelovelyreddirtgirl

I've kept it on my rabbit fer a bit!!

Jennie. x.

[haybee12]

intitcowd

[Kittielips]

@trooper7h

Didn't Dick Emery sing that?

Thank you.

Jennie.