Panic in the Water

Lyrics:

Skeggy beach in the early noughties, Mammar, Dad and me

And the best dog ever Raffles, who ain’t seen much of the sea

I’ve always loved to swim out deep, ’cause a little fear is a little sweet to me, to me

Have you ever had a four stone dog try to climb up on your shoulders where it’s dry?

He’s all terror, claws and heavy fur, and I’m far too young and pretty yet to die

There was panic in the water

There was fear in that place

There stood my Mammar on the shoreline

Sunshine furrowing her face

There was panic in the water

No we couldn’t touch the ground

But I say now with all the pride of any daughter

It was my Dad who kept us safe and sound

Years ago in Bournemouth, family picnic by the sea

Great Grandad Alfred, Mammar, Grandad, My Dad and my Uncle Pete

Dad was small with big ideas and the Isle of Wight din’t seem so far away, away

“Do you think that we could do it Dad?” “Aye, if you want to lad we’ll try.”

But the waves get big when the wind gets up and all you see is you and sea and sky

There was panic in the water

When they couldn’t see the land

Mam was waiting on the shoreline

With an ice cream in her hand

There was panic in the water

Wind whipping spray up all around

“Should we go back Dad?” “If you think we oughta.”

My Grandad kept my own Dad safe and sound

1940s Dunkirk, “We’ll fight them on the beach”

They’re pressed and they’re surrounded and home’s just out of reach

Mammar’s not a Mam just yet, she’s waiting for her soldier to come home, come home

Grandad’s reached the water now but danger’s coming, enemy, beware!

“There’s nothing more that I can do lads, boats are coming, England’s over there.”

There was panic in the water

There was terror on that day

Boys were dying on the shoreline

While they were trying to get away

There was panic in the water

But there is something I have found

The Pioneers built the defences round the beaches

My Great Grandad kept his own lad safe and sound

Grandad David Caine was 14 when he joined the Sherwood Foresters, 15 when he was selected to stand in the guard of honour lining Regent Street, London for the coronation of King George VI. There is a snippet of a story in the family that his Mam, my Great Grandma Gladys had to stand him on a table to wind his puttees on for him. I like to imagine that this was the last touches being put to his ‘Coronation Blues’. He was still only 17 when he had to swim for it at Dunkirk.

He grew up in the Army. Proud of his fitness, he never smoked or drank before he went in. The first time he was ever drunk he was in a hay loft somewhere in Europe with some Polish soldiers who had been sharing their drink with him. As the shells were dropping ever closer he realised he couldn’t move. I’m glad I got to find out my alcohol tolerance in less dangerous circumstances.

Grandad did make it home, although he left the tip of his left ear in a field in Europe. He’d met Mammar Vera while home on leave and they married in June 1945

Me Dad, Uncle Ben and Uncle Pete on holiday at Bournemouth. I’m not sure if this was before or after the aborted attempt to swim to the Isle of Man but it was very likely the same day. I feel a bit guilty for leaving Uncle Ben out of the song, but when Dad was telling me about it he couldn’t remember if he’d been born yet. It wasn’t until we found these photos that we figured out he had been and by then the song was almost a year old.