She told me to meet her at the gate

AKA Which gate
One evening at a fancy ball
First Published 1923
Writer/composer Harry Castling & Charles Collins Roud RN10719

Music Hall Performers S.W. Wyndham
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Stringer, Charlie; England: Suffolk; 1984
Gage, Rex; England: Suffolk; c1964		 

One evening at a fancy ball I met a lovely girl
Oh she had a lovely curl, and she was a lovely girl
I saw her into a taxi and her fare she let me pay
She borrowed half a crown from me and then she drove away.

And she told me to meet her at the gate
Meet her at the gate, but she didn't say what gate
I've been to her gate, my gate, Highgate, and Reigate
Aldgate, Moorgate and I'm in such a state
I've been to Margate, Ramsgate, Tollgate, and Billingsgate
I can't find her anywhere
And when I told a policeman, he said, "Pop round to Newgate,
You might find the Lady there”.

She told me that her name was Ward but I found out its Rhia
Oh she set my heart on fire, but she was a lovely liar
Perhaps she's waiting beside the gate in awful misery
To pay me back the half a crown she borrowed off of me.

The way the beauty told me the tale was absolutely great
And I'm here to tell you straight I don't believe she's got a gate
For I've looked over a million gates where lovers congregate
There's only one gate I've not been to, that is heaven's gate.

A song remembered by traditional singers in the pubs of Suffolk in the post-war period . It was originally in the repertoire of SW Wyndham (sometimes Squire Wyndham) a former blackface minstrel performer from North Wales who appeared regularly in the Halls between 1900 and the end of 1923. The song was written and composed by Charles Collins and Harry Castling.

The song was recorded several times 1920s and 30s, with versions by Harry Fay, Tommy Trinder and the version given by The Two Gilberts in the video below..

A 1923 recording by The Two Gilberts:

Sources: