For the Benefit of Stroud Food Bank

For the benefit of Stroud Food Bank
A match to honour and give thanks
to those who struck a chord and blow
This day a hundred years ago
From North and South and West and East
Again The Strikers face Police
With helmets and flat caps they’ll play
In mem’ry of that long gone day…
when miners made their  stand
The Butlers will all be there
A rousing piece our Stu will share
The Walking Football Team of Stroud
Who make this town and Park so proud
will stroll and amble on the field
To show their skills and never yield
And ev’ryone will gather there
To witness play beyond compare
A feast for all’s in store.
The game begins at ten o’clock
The crowd will be there on the dot
To watch such marvels on display
And see how very slow they play
A walking miracle for all
At snail’s pace they’ll chase the ball
We guarantee a splendid time
The atmosphere will be sublime
When we relive  that day.
Crispin Thomas / Football Poets 2026-
(Words adapted from For The Benefit Of Mr Kite -(Lennon McCartney) The Beatles -Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 (whose words in turn were also adapted from the poster that John Lennon bought.
For context (Following words are from Wikipedia.)
The inspiration to write the song was a 19th-century circus poster for Pablo Fanque‘s Circus Royal appearance at Rochdale. Lennon purchased the poster on 31 January 1967 at a Sevenoaks antiques shop while the Beatles were filming promotional films for “Strawberry Fields Forever” in Sevenoaks, Kent.
 Lennon claimed years later to still have the poster in his home. “Everything from the song is from that poster,” he explained, “except the horse wasn’t called Henry.” (The poster identifies the horse as “Zanthus”.)
The song’s lyrics (based on the original poster) detail the evening’s program, which was to occur at Bishopsgate in the following sequence: On Saturday at 5:50 pm the band was to begin playing while Mr. Kite would perform, flying “through the ring“.
Meanwhile, Mr. Henderson would execute ten Somersets, and then perform on the trampoline, “over men and horses, through hoops and over garters”, and “lastly through a hogshead of real fire”. This act would be followed by the Hendersons dancing and singing. Finally, Henry the Horse would dance the waltz.
Radical Stroud thank the GWR for its support for some events
in the commemoration of the General Strike in our locality and region.
This would not have happened without the GWR.
Radical Stroud also thank Stroud Town Council similarly.