Esoteric London

South Bank, Belvedere Road, London, SE1. Photo © Roger Dean 2011

From Punch, 1862:

The  Song of the Garotter

OH, Meet me by moonlight alone,

And then I will give you the hug,

With my arm round your neck tightly thrown,

I’m as up to the work as a Thug.

Behind you I softly will creep,

And taking you quite unawares,

On my prey like a tiger I’ll leap;

If I happen to choke you, who cares?

I’m out with a ticket of leave,

Which by gulling the chaplain I got,

And I’m free to maim, murder and thieve,

For a cove he must live, must he not?

So meet me by moonlight alone,

Kind stranger, I beg and entreat,

And I’ll make all your money my own,

And leave you half dead in the street.

[ The photograph above shows a section of In Limbo a work by Behjat Omer Abdulla which is being exhibited as part of the Southbank Centre’s celebration of the Festival of Britain. R.D.]