Ashington

Inland a ways from Newbigin and east of Morpeth lies
The little town of Ashington, where baby Jilly’s eyes
First blinked, and blinking, flashed the bluest ever seen
In Tyne and Wear and far and near and places in between.

The whole North East seems gathered round her birthplace, Ashington.
There’s Bedlington and Cramlington and also Washington
And Abberwick and Bellingham and Urradon and Ulgham
And Amble, Boulmer, Birling, Blythe and Acklington and Alnham.

Not far away are Craster and Cambo, Cambois and, Denwick,
And farther north there’s Rothbury and Guyzance and there’s Alnwick.
The Seatons (Burn, Sluice, Delaval) and Swarland and Old Swarland,
Encircle mining Ashington, as do Scrainwood – Ponteland!

And all those lovely places with names like Eshott, Pigdon,
Or stranger names like Pityme and Snitter and like Togston
And Yetlington and Stobswood too and even names like Thropton

Are happy towns and villages in terrains flat and hilly
To be at least in that North East where came forth precious Jilly!