Walkley Woods...it’s a long way to Tipperary

On Sunday the sun was shining so the welovebearwood team decided to get in some practice for this weekend’s Warley Woods ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’ Walk and walk to Digbeth and back to see the St Patrick’s Day Parade.

We walked 8 miles in total – ouch! but it was well worth it especially after 3 pints of the lovely dark stuff! You can’t beat a pint of Guinness whilst watching tractors, Irish dancers and pipe bands. It was great to see all the different regions of Ireland represented too - especially Tipperary.

It’s A Long Way To Tipperary was written by Black Country songwriter Jack Judge who was born in Low Town, Oldbury, in 1872 and young man worked on a fish stall in Oldbury Market. Music was always his first love though and he wrote and performed many songs in the music hall heyday across Britain and Ireland. It’s rumoured that our Jack was appearing at the Grand Theatre in Stalybridge, in 1912 when he was challenged to compose a song in 24 hours for a bet of five shillings and six cigarettes. So that’s about 25p – life was so much simpler in those days! He was said to have writer’s block until he overheard two men giving directions and saying: "It's a long way to..." He never heard where to but because his parents came from Ireland he added Tipperary. The song was a huge hit and the rest is history.

So, in tribute to Jack Judge Warley Woods Trust is holding a sponsored walk (in aid of the Trust) on Saturday 17th March with the aim being to collectively walk the equivalent distance of Bearwood to Tipperary. Now that’s a long way...

P.S Warley Woods need more walkers to walk the collective distance to Tipperary so click on here for more details.