Handsome Page, The

AKA I’m very fond of picking
I’m very fond of picking a little bit of chicken
Raspberry Jam
The Page Boy
Tommy Trotter/Twotter/Totter
First Published 1869
Writer/composer Walter Greenaway / Harry Liston Roud RN31237, V16543, V43506

Music Hall Performers Harry Liston
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Watson, Jack ; England : Yorkshire : 1962		 

THE HANDSOME PAGE
or
I'M VERY FOND OF PICKING

Composed and sung nightly by Mr Harry Liston in his entertainment entitled "MERRY MOMENTS" or "FUN WITHOUT VULGARITY"

Written by [words by] W Greenaway Esq


My name is Tommy Twotter, I'm twenty years of age,
And all ground Belgravia I'm called the handsome page,
When I walk out with missus the people they do stare,
And I mean to say; there's no mistake, we are a 'lobby pair.

Spoken  - Yes! I like to walk out with missus, but the worst of it is, it does make me so  jolly hungry. Cook sometimes offers me cold rabbit pie for luncheon, she does, but I say to her, says I.- I ain't a perlicemon; and therefore I scorns rabbit pie, for -

I'm very fond of pickin' a little bit of chicken,
A little bit of turkey or a little bit of ham;
And isn't I a good- un at a little bit of pudden,
A little bit of pie or raspberry jam.

Oh! when we have a party, that's the time for me,
The blue - manges and the jellies ain't I jolly glad to see:
But there is one thing which I can’t make out, it's very hard I'm sure, -
That's when a fellows' had enough, he can't eat any more.

Spoken  - Now, misses says as I am a weak, growing youth, I wants plenty of support and nourishment, and I believe she's quite correctico in what she says, - but its very hard wheel you’ve had about six or seven plates of meat &c  to find your appetite all gone, isn't it; I know its cruelty to me, because - I'm very food, &c.

I wish there were no bobbies, upon my word I do,
And if you were a page boy, why you would wish so too;
For in the kitchen the other night, one of 'em I did see -
A pickin’ of a chicken, which of course belonged to me.

Spoken - Put down that chicken, says I, it’s my chicken: -  Your chicken? - Yes: that chicken  you're pickin’s my chicken, and you deserve a kickin' for comin’ a pickin' that chicken’ which you're lickin’ - He says, here's a penny to buy a bun. - But I despise them, for - I'm very food, &c.

Oh! dear me, I quite forgot; with this note I was sent out, 
(takes out note.) 
Do you think it would be very wrong to see what its about;
It's time we had a party now, for I’ve finished all the jam,
And I'm sure it must be quite a week since I had a bit of ham. 
(Opens note, reads invitation for dinner.)
Spoken - that's the thing, ain't I jolly glad, for - I'm very food, &c

A Music Hall song of many names, originally sung by Harry Liston in the late 1860s and 70s. It was later collected by Colin Wharton in 1962 from the singing of traditional singer Jack Watson, a former Music Hall artiste.

Another song which featured in Harry Liston’s two-hour one-man show, Merry Moments, this one performed in the character of page boy Tommy Trotter/Twotter. Other songs from the show that have been collected from traditional singers include: I love the verdant fields, I wish mama was here, Nobody’s Child , and The Rustic Damsel

There are dozens of reports of amateur performances of a comic song called Tommy Trotter or My name is Tommy Trotter between the mid 1870s and 1914. I strongly suspect this is the same song. (In the latter decades of the 19th century “Tommy Trotter” was also a comic character in several plays and pantos.)

Sources: