"Me Ole Cock"

When I was a child I heard my father greet his mates with, "Hello me ole cock." I didn't realize at the time that it was a contraction of, "Me ole cock sparra."

He was a country boy but there was an influx of people to our Essex village from London. They came to work in market gardening and brought London ways and speech with them.

Sparrows were very common in the East End and the term cockney sparra has been used to describe its chirpy, quick-witted inhabitants.

Sparrow populations have declined rapidly in London and elsewhere. I never see them where I live now. I was delighted to be able to capture this one up the pole at the family home. I was meeting a man from the power company about resiting the meter for the nursery tenant now that the house is up for sale. He took a pic of the pole too. :) The sparrow chirped throughout.