This is a comedy song about Romford.

It occurred one Saturday night at my flat in Romford with some friends.

Having being born ( Oldchurch Hospital) in Romford in 1962, I was inspired to write this song about the memories growing up and around Romford and Essex in the seventies and eighties.
Mentioning and referencing many landmarks and businesses that some have since gone that stood out to myself.
Some of these locations include references to the fountain in The Romford Shopping Centre, Romford Brewery, located at the time in South Street Romford. This is now the site of the shopping centre aptly named "The Brewery".

One of the lines in the goes " It's had cows and a dolphin too", this references the old cattle market that closed in 1958. The Dolphin Centre was a leisure centre and swimming pool built in April 1982 and in June 2003 it was agreed that the centre would be replaced by a £25 million tower block development with 229 flats and a 12,000 square metre Asda store. The river Rom actually flows through Romford Town.
Hornchurch Airfield was one of the major airfields during the Second World War and Battle of Britain, situated just over three miles from Romford Town Centre. It is now a housing estate with many of the street names named after pilots during that period

"If it' dogs you want, it's dogs you got" refers to the Romford dog track on the London Road, famous for its greyhound racing. This is no longer there.

"It's Ken Lee if your car's dodgy" is a nod to the Ken Lee auto supplies centre on north Street, Romford and I am pleased to say it is still open (at time of this writing July 2024).

Near The Drill ( Drill pub on roundabout at the corner of Brentwood Road and Slewins Lane, still there also at time of writing) is the best chippy. Chippy is slang for chip shop and in this case refers to Chris' Fish Bar at the top of Heath Park Road. A great chip shop sadly no longer there.

I am particularly proud of "You're always laughing in Ludwigshafen, it's twinned with Romford, now that's a bargain". This is a true fact although I did alter the pronounciation of Ludwigshafen for artistic effect, sorry to my German listeners.

"Sweet as a nut" just came by divine intervention I think as it is a saying I use and is was used particularly in Essex.

I didn't even mention Romford Snooker Hall ! (too easy)

"Steve Davis , king of the baize, lived near Romford, not in Grays... Romford"




Romford Song (Sweet As A Nut). Lyrics written by John Dawson, Mike Baker, Matt Wilson, Dave Hardy, Bernie Belsham, Jamie Terrell, Simon Juniper
Music Written by John Dawson, Mike Baker
Performed By John Dawson

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