The Merry Macs - Ashby de la Zouch By The Sea (Castle Abbey) 1946 Zooch

Merry Macs - Ashby de la Zouch 1946 - Ashby-De-La-Zooch was recorded by the famous Merry Macs on Decca No. 18811. ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH (CASTLE ABBEY)
(Al Hoffman / Milton Drake / Jerry Livingston) The Merry Macs formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the 1920's and sang harmony with their mom singing the melody. They attended West High School and sang at school proms and college dances, fine-tuning their close-harmony style.
In 1930 they added a girl, Cheri McKay, to sing the melody line. While searching for a new name (somehow, Cheri didn't qualify as a Personality Boy), they realized all their last names started in "Mc," so they became the Merry Macs.
Ashby-de-la-Zouch often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest.
Lyrics: There's a village that I love in Leicestershire
Always had my heart enthralled
Where the stars are bright above in Leicestershire
Believe it or not it's called
Ashby De La Zouch Castle Abbey
That's the only place that I long to be
Skies are full of blue,
And the cows are full of moo
In Ashby De La Zouch By the sea
Ashby De La Zouch Castle Abbey
It's a little bit of heaven to me
Girls have pretty curls
And the boys have pretty girls
In Ashby De La Zouch by the sea
It's just a little hum-drum place
But you'll be glad that you came
It's such a beautiful someplace
Ain't it a shame that it's got such a name
Ashby De La Zouch Castle Abbey,
That's the only place where I long to be
If you want a smooch
And be happy as a pooch
Go to Ashby De La Zouch by the sea.

[@chrisb9740]

I grew up just outside Ashby, and went to Ashby Boys Grammar School. Hope to visit again soon.

[@waltercook7508]

In 1947 when I was six in far off New Zealand my first memory of radio included reams of Pacific steel guitars, a fruity South American contralto singing La Paloma, a male singer with Ghost Riders in the Sky, and a group that I have always thought were the Andrew Sisters singing this song. I have just finally rediscovered it and that the singers were The Merry Macs. Many thanks to ScrambledEggs.

[@urfinalfantasy89]

To those asking why they talk about being by the sea. It refers to the letter "C" on the map where it says leicestershire, hence why the Americans in WWII were confused!

[@lukefreeman828]

I think this might be a myth. Would be a weird map - the letters would need to be huge and probably overlap with derby.

[@Spitalhatch]

Thanks for this. It brings back a memory of when I was 5 or 6 years old in London. Dad wasn't back from the War yet and Mum and I were waiting in the queue at a fish and chip shop after having been to the pictures. Some young fellow in the queue was singing 'Ashby de la Zouch - lovely gravy!' and I was scandalised. He'd got the words wrong! I couldn't see what everyone was laughing at!

[@Nilguiri]

My mum and her friends used to sing 'Ashby de la Zouch, lovely gravy', when I was about that age, too! It must have been a thing.

[@1934polly]

this brings back memories of when my father was a RAF padre, and I used to go to Gorleston with him and spend time on the air sea rescue boats after the war

[@robvoakes5776]

My dad said this was written by US songwriters in response to English grumbles that the US had more interesting place names suitable for song writing.

[@1934polly]

This is one of my favourite songs that I heard after the war, that helped us to forget some of what we went through in the war, although in no way did it stop us from remembering the sacrifice of so many.

[@cf1934]

For some reason, this song was running through my mind. I was eleven tears old when this song came out.

[@geraintjones6843]

Older maps of Leicestershire showed Ashby-de-la-Zouch town was located next to the letter "C" as in the county of leiCestershire printed diagonally accross the map of the Midlands, so that's what gave birth to this little ditty!!! .Ashby is 100miles from Rhyl in North Wales and also 100 miles from Sgegness on the East Coast

[@ashbytimuk]

Hi Geraint. Sorry to burst that particular bubble but unless the map makers started writing "Leicestershire" somewhere near Burton the "C" would have been nowhere near Ashby.

[@brumster100]

This is what I heard as well, from some older gentlemen in a popular folk band in the Midlands. It's the one I give credence to the most.

[@olly_beast7800]

I live in Ashby de la zouch and I’ve only just found this song 😂

[@michellegibson3084]

"the cows are full of moo" I love this

[@steveknight878]

I went to the Boys' Grammar School as a boarder at Ashby. Whenever I bought a train ticket to get to Ashby the ticket seller would respond "by the sea", which always puzzled me slightly - I assumed they were being ironic, given that it is about as far from the sea as you can get in England. This song solves the mystery, somewhat.

[@amywas1]

Who was your house master? Mr Wiliams, I presume?

[@steveknight878]

@@amywas1 No, I was there from 1961 to 1968. I can't for the moment remember who the house master was - and the house master changed at some point while I was there. The headmaster was Dr Allison, and the deputy head was Mr Redfern. I can't say that I enjoyed my time there.

[@amywas1]

@@steveknight878 I am sorry to hear that. I was there from 85 to 87. There were stories told by the "old boys" about what sort of things went on before Mr Williams took over. Juniors hung out from the window by their feet from three floors up or placed in a cold bathtub full of water with some sort of board over the top so as to leave just enough air for them to breath. Those are the stories as I recall them. Mr Williams still applied the slipper but I don't think anyone was hurt. I suspect that he just made people stand outside the door for as long as possible in a state of dread and then let them off with a sound talking to and then put them on "Jankers" or Bread and Jam for a week (which most of the juniors actually didn't mind). I wonder if they had that same dinner bell back in your day and that "throne" of a housemaster's chair in the dining room! Mr Wiliams was a very good man. In case you were wondering, I was not always known as Jennifer Graf.

[@Hugh7777]

I haven't heard this for at least 60 years. I had no idea what the words meant then (you couldn't hear them nearly so well on the radio), and yes. it's right in the centre of England, could hardly be further from the sea if it tried.There is a castle, but it is an abbey?

[@robjvarney]

One theory was that, in the Napoleonic Wars, prisoners of war would be held at the castle which is surrounded by trees. The winds through the trees would create the sound of waves crashing on a shore. The prisoners believed they were being held by the sea

[@emmamoss1000]

do you know if you can buy an MP3 of this?

[@AshbyAlly]

Small castle, no abbey. Furthest town from the coast in England (just about) - ridiculous words, but people of a 'certain age' do remember the town because of this daft song - must have been a slow day for inspiration!

[@SpamQGamers]

nah for American it is by the sea in terms of distance, the song was made as a joke

[@muso83]

My choir is based in Ashby de la Zouch! This will be perfect for them... except for the fact it's nowhere near the sea! I think they just added that line for something easy to rhyme with...

[@urfinalfantasy89]

It means by the letter "C" in Leicestershire in the map

[@Mialucas7396]

i think its a joke because its one of the furthest places from the coast in englad but im happy to call it home (:

[@ashbytimuk]

No Hugh, it isn't an abbey. In fact it wasn't much of a "castle", more a "fortified manor house". The song was written by two Americans who hadn't even visited Ashby but it did become something of a hit after World War II.

[@dawnkay8594]

I live in ashby de la zouch

[@markdrury4287]

I feel your pain.

[@frazzy8554]

Cheers dawn

[@restcure]

Good old Lester Shure

[@robvoakes5776]

My dad said this was written by US sonwriters in response to English grumbles that the US had more interesting place names suitable for son writing.