O Little Town of Heslington

O little town of Heslington
How still you used to lie!
Whilst near thy deep and dreamless sleep
A campus rose up high.
No ear didst hear its coming,
Yet in this world of sin,
You should have guessed, nay, should have known
the turmoil you’d be in.

How suddenly, how suddenly
It broke into thy peace —
Not student life with all its strife
But all those bloomin’ geese!
As Langwith, Goodricke, Derwent, Al-
Cuin, Vanbrugh, Wentworth, James
Appeared, and more, you all soon saw
The Uni’s dominion aims.

O gentle folk of Heslington
Forgive us now, we pray.
Cast out our sin and welcome in
The students of today.
For in thy main street shineth
Four banks, four phones and “Brown’s”,
And these at least, though shattering the peace,
Do save a trip to town.

Beth Callender