WHY I'VE LATELY BEEN BOUND FOR BOTANY BAY

The sea shanty "Botany Bay" is one of my favourite traditional folk songs, and, for anyone unfamiliar with it, here is the first verse :

"Come all ye young men of learning,
And a warning take from me,
I would have you quit night walking,
And shun bad company,
I would have you quit night walking,
Or else you'll rue the day,
You'll rue your transportation, lads,
When you're bound for Botany Bay".

Now let me reassure readers that I'm not due for "transportation" downunder, even if some of my blogs are critical of the powers that be.

No, I've lately been bound for Botany Bay in South Worcestershire, and the purpose of my journeys has been to pick sloes to make sloe gin.

Some may be aware that sloes are in very short supply this year, so my discovery of a bush with sloes on it the other day, naturally led to further journeys.

As it happens, Botany Bay is one of my favourite spots and you're probably wondering, as I did, how the place came by it's name.

According to "The Place Names of Worcestershire" (Cambridge University Press 1922), the name "Botany Bay" is derived from "Botenaysse" or Bota's Ashtree.

However, the authors of the above also note that : "The modern form of the name is doubtless due to the fact that that it (Botany Bay) is in a remote corner of the parish".

In fact, Worcestershire's Botany Bay lies nearby the famous Spetchley Park and Gardens, and I like to think the name derives from its rich flora, as does that of Botany Bay in Australia.

Nevertheless, it seems that the label "Botany Bay" was in common use at one time, and the place which is now home to Worcester College in Oxford also went by this name.

Interesting stuff, and I'm looking forward to enjoying a drop of sloe gin later in the year, and maybe a bit of "bad company" and "night walking" too !