"The Old and Bold"
When England sets her banner forth
And bids her armour shine,
She'll not forget the famous North,
The lads of moor and Tyne;
And when the loving-cup's in hand
And Honour leads the cry,
They know not old Northumberland
Who'll pass her memory by.
When Nelson sailed for Trafalgar
With all his country's best,
He held them dear as brothers are,
But one beyond the rest.
For when the fleet with heroes manned
To clear the decks began,
The boast of old Northumberland
He sent to lead the van.
Himself by Victory's bulwark stood
And cheered to see the sight;
"That noble fellow Collingwood,
How bold he goes to fight!"
Love, that the league of Ocean spanned,
Heard him face to face;
"What would he give, Northumberland,
To share our pride of place?"
The flag that goes the world around
And flaps on every breeze
Has never gladdened fairer ground
Or kinder hearts than these.
So when the loving-cup's in hand
And Honour leads the cry,
They know not old Northumberland
Who'll pass her memory by.
Trafalgar in 1805 was the culmination of a long sea struggle with ships at sea for long periods. Admiral Collingwood (Northumberland) had spent 22 months continuously at sea. Harassing and blockading work by ships and crews such as Collingwood's is not always remembered in the aftermath of battle though it was a large factor in the success. (They know not old Northumberland Who'll pass her memory by.)It is often forgotten that Collingwood, as Nelson's second-in-command would have had a say in the planning and that, after Nelson's death, it was Collingwood who directed the battle and was in command when England won the battle!Jim Saville
