1901
Tinkus & Tonkus
The echoes of history
The Backstory of Tinkus & Tonkus
The Town of Brackenford
Hidden in the rolling dales of Northumberland, not far from the borderlands, lies the town of Brackenford. A cobbled market square, a leaning church spire, and rows of soot-worn cottages mark it out as an ordinary English village. But Brackenford has long held a reputation for its peculiar music: half folk, half hymn, all heart.
According to legend, the townsfolk would gather in the square after market days, weddings, or even hard winters, and sing together in what became known as the Brackenford Gatherings. The songs were never written down formally but passed along by tinkers, blacksmiths, farmers, and mothers at the hearth. They told stories of work and rest, of rain on tin roofs, of feasts cobbled together with scraps, of lanterns lit for weary travelers.
Two brothers, Tinkus and Tonkus, names borrowed from a local children’s rhyme about mischievous lads who were always hammering pots and stomping in parades, became the folk mascots of these tunes. No one knew if the brothers truly lived, but in Brackenford lore, Tinkus and Tonkus represented the soul of the people: rough-edged, honest, and joyful.
From Tradition to Today
For centuries, these songs were sung with fiddles, squeezeboxes, and stomping boots on stone floors. In the early 20th century, folklorists briefly cataloged fragments of Brackenford’s music, but much was left scattered.
Now, the Tinkus & Tonkus album has “translated” those rough old chants and cobbled hymns into today’s arrangements: brass bands expanded into modern horns, lullabies given warm piano textures, market songs turned into gospel-folk stompers, and waltzes dressed with clarinet and strings.
How the Songs Fit the Town
“Tinkus & Tonkus” – Once a rowdy children’s rhyme, chanted in the square.
“Brass on the Cobblestones” – Inspired by Brackenford’s tradition of marching the brass band down the market lane after harvest fairs.
“Tin Roof Lullaby” – A farmstead cradle-song, sung by mothers during stormy nights in the old tin-roofed cottages.
“The Tinker’s Oath” – Based on the pledge of local tradesmen: “By hammer and spark, I’ll keep my word.”
“Pocket Watch Waltz” – Danced at weddings in Brackenford’s guild hall, symbolizing the turning of generations.
“Market Day Hymn” – Sung on Saturdays when the whole town gathered to buy, sell, and barter.
“Lantern for the Lost” – Born of miners’ songs, when lanterns guided men home through mist and moor.
“When the Gears Stop Turning” – Added in the industrial years, reflecting Brackenford’s failed mill and the workers’ humility when machines broke down.
“Feast of Buttons” –Brackenford remembers the day when young and old, rich and poor gathered in unity. Learn more about the history of the Feast of Buttons.
“Quiet After the Bell” – The closing song, sung when the church bell tolled to end both workdays and funerals, marking peace after labor.
The Spirit of Brackenford
The album doesn’t present new songs as much as it does a resurrection. These are the voices of cobblers, mothers, tinkers, miners, and farmers, polished with today’s instruments but rooted in Brackenford’s dirt.
1901
Tinkus & Tonkus
Verse 1:
Oh, Tinkus and Tonkus were two clever chaps,
With top hats askew and mischief in maps.
They’d saunter through town with a wink and a grin,
And folks would all mutter, “They’re at it again!”
They’d polish a penny and sell it as gold,
Convince a young cow it was seven years old,
They once made a chicken lay cubes out of ice—
Oh, Tinkus and Tonkus were never quite nice!
Chorus
Tinkus and Tonkus, what scoundrels, what flair!
Runnin’ through alleys without a care.
Stealin’ the mayor’s best apple pie—
Then sellin’ it back with a bow and a lie!
Tinkus and Tonkus, bold as brass,
Charm in their pockets and jokes full of sass.
If you heard laughter behind your hat…
T’was likely those two—imagine that!
Verse 2:
They juggled fine china down Patterson Street,
Then blamed the old dog with the bunion’d feet.
They taught all the geese in the square to sing,
And married a cat to a porcelain king.
At Sunday church, they’d sneak in the band—
Played “Yankee Doodle” instead of the planned!
Though preachers would scold and the widows would squawk,
They’d tip their hats sweetly and go for a walk.
Chorus
Tinkus and Tonkus, rogues of the town!
Slippin’ on shadows and turnin’ things ‘round.
Sold lemonade that was mostly air—
Yet folks lined up, just to stand and stare!
Tinkus and Tonkus, oh heavens above!
They lied with a laugh and fibbed with love.
You might not trust ’em a single jot,
But you’d miss them sorely if they got caught!
Bridge:
Now years have flown and the street’s gone still,
The lamp post flickers near Thompson’s Hill…
But sometimes at dusk when the gaslights gleam,
You’ll swear you hear laughter drift through your dream…
Final Chorus:
Tinkus and Tonkus, the legends remain,
Like echoes that dance on a windowpane.
No statue stands, no plaque on a wall—
But every tall tale? They started it all!
Tinkus and Tonkus, gone with the breeze,
Two clever clowns who did just as they pleased.
So raise your glass and give a wink—
For Tinkus and Tonkus were gone in a blink!
