Let Basil go to Basildon
Let Basil go to Basildon,
Let Lester go to Leicester,
Let Steven go to Stevenage
With raincoat and sou’wester.
Let Peter go to Peterhead,
Let Dudley go to Dudley,
Let Milton go to Milton Keynes,
The pavements there are puddly.
Let Felix go to Felixstowe,
Let Barry go to Barry,
Let Mabel go to Mablethorpe,
But I at home shall tarry.
Let Alice go to Alice Springs,
Let Florence go to Florence,
Let Benny go to Benidorm,
Where rain comes down in torrents.
Let Winnie go to Winnipeg,
Let Sidney go to Sydney,
Let Otto go to Ottawa,
I am not of that kidney.
Let Vera go to Veracruz,
Let Nancy go to Nancy,
But I’ll stay home while others roam,
Abroad I do not fancy.
![This picture is copyright (©) Colin West 2022]()
Let Lester go to Leicester,
Let Steven go to Stevenage
With raincoat and sou’wester.
Let Peter go to Peterhead,
Let Dudley go to Dudley,
Let Milton go to Milton Keynes,
The pavements there are puddly.
Let Felix go to Felixstowe,
Let Barry go to Barry,
Let Mabel go to Mablethorpe,
But I at home shall tarry.
Let Alice go to Alice Springs,
Let Florence go to Florence,
Let Benny go to Benidorm,
Where rain comes down in torrents.
Let Winnie go to Winnipeg,
Let Sidney go to Sydney,
Let Otto go to Ottawa,
I am not of that kidney.
Let Vera go to Veracruz,
Let Nancy go to Nancy,
But I’ll stay home while others roam,
Abroad I do not fancy.

This picture is copyright (©) Colin West 2022
This poem is copyright (©) Colin West 2023

About the Writer
Colin West
Colin lives in Battle, East Sussex. He studied Graphic Design and Illustration and has written and illustrated over 50 children’s books. His poems have appeared in anthologies by Roger McGough and Julia Donaldson. He now writes purely for his own pleasure and enjoys collecting old books, mainly of poetry.