Daisies are our silver

[Gill]

Thank you very much Keith for all the information about Joyce Anstruther.

[Juls SwasT]

I have been searching for these lyrics for years and just when I mention to my friend that I cannot find them anywhere - up pops this post! Divine? We sang all but the last verse as our music teacher didn’t like the word “gay” - but refused to change it for another word. Didn’t realise the lady who wrote this also wrote my other favourite hymns - When a Knight won his spurs and Lord of all hopefulness. Thank you so much for this thread. Amazing.

[Happyjay]

Wonderful to read!
I have sung this all my life to myself, but I seem to break into emotion when I try to sing it to others!! It’s so honest, innocent and joyful!
Thankyou to everyone for sharing your memories and all the information about this lovely hymn.

[Gwyn]

Found these wonderful lyrics just a few weeks ago and passed them onto my sister today. We were children of the 60's but they still taught this wonderful song at our Colwyn Bay primary school. We have lived in Australia for most of our lives and I only remembered the first verse. So happy to see this again after so long. Now if only I can find the Welsh song about the 3 pigs, my lost songs list will be complete! Thank you to the poster of the lyrics.

[teppard]

I remember this hymn from primary school in the 60s

[Tina]

I have been looking for this hymn for many years. I remember it from the 60s in junior school in Newbury.
I have google searched several times but only found it tonight.

[ruby]

I loved singing this at school, and recently found out that it was written by my friend's grandmother, Jan Struther
For the 1931 edition of Songs of Praise Jan Struther wrote these words for the tune. given name: Joyce Torrens-Graham (b. Westminster, London, England, 1901; d. New York, NY, 1953) wrote many poems and essays under the pen name of Jan Struther (derived from her mother's maiden name, Eva Anstruther).

[ruby]

Jan Struther also wrote 'when a knight won his spurs' - what a belter!

[debs]

Daisies are our silver..."oh yes! THAT'S the opening line!!" I wanted to check about 'raindrops as diamonds' as the low autumn light was catching the condensation on our windows turning them to starry diamonds!! It was lovely to see - like much of the imagery conjured up in that old children's hymn.

I remember singing this at Dunalley Street Primary School in Cheltenham many moons ago (and long before they moved to new premises on the old playing fields across town and dropped the 'Street' bit!! I believe they're still there!!).

Funnily enough, I DON'T remember the speedwell reference in the hymn but retain vivid memories of sports days and playing field activities sitting quietly (!) by the old pavilion (?) picking those pretty little starry eyed Speedwells - so nice among the old stones of the steps. Happy Days!!

I think pretty little hymns like that helped open MY eyes to the goodness of God around and I've never been bothered about hording silver or gold since!!! Speedwell Blue has always been a favourite and I never see them growing wild without thinking how they tame places forgotten or slightly 'neglected!' Nature Will Out- recover all xx

[seaborne]

Thank you for reviving my memory. While some may find the words too romantic, even sentimental, for me they redress the balance which we have lost, of the underlying importance and necessity of the natural world of which we are a part.