The Grand Old Duke of York

Oh, The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.

And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half-way up,
They were neither up nor down.

~~~

There are several versions of the Grand Old Duke rhyme; furthermore, it is also claimed that the duke in question was Frederick, Duke of York. (The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, edited by Iona and Peter Opie, 1997.)

Some believe that it was about Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, who wa slain at the Battle of Wakefield 1460.

The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (Frederick Augustus; 16th August 1763 – 5th January 1827) was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III. From the death of his father in 1820 until his own death in 1827, he was the heir presumptive to his elder brother, King George IV, both to the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Hanover. As an inexperienced young military officer, he presided over the unsuccessful campaign against the forces of France in the Low Countries, during the conflict which followed the French Revolution.

His failures on the battlefield gave rise to the mocking song The Grand Old Duke of York. There appears to be no foundation for linking the song with Richard, Duke of York, killed at the Battle of Wakefield. However, despite the lack of evidence, some still think that there is!

Later, Frederick, as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, made amends for his initial military shortcomings by reorganising Britain's Armed Forces, putting in place administrative reforms which contributed to the defeat of Napoleon.

So, despite the song, the Grand Old Duke had a great deal of merit and left behind him a legacy that has served us well.

(See Wikipedia, The Grand Old Duke of York)

~~~~~~

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

This is the way we wash our clothes,
Wash our clothes,wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

This is the way we iron our clothes,
Iron our clothes, iron our clothes.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

This is the way we scrub the floor,
Scrub the floor, scrub the floor.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

This is the way we mend our clothes,
Mend our clothes, mend our clothes.
This is the way we mend our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

This is the way we sweep the house,
Sweep the house, sweep the house.
This is the way we sweep the house,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

This is the way we bake our bread,
Bake our bread, bake our bread.
This is the way we bake our bread,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

This is the way we go to church,
go to church, go to church.
This is the way we go to church,
On a cold and frosty morning.  

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
On a cold and frosty morning.

The Mulberry Bush is still alive and growing inside HMP Wakefield.