"I Couldn't Believe What They'd Done" by Bryn Phillips

I Couldn't Believe What They'd Done

In 2012 we had a holiday in Cumbria and I visited the site of Marchon (Albright & Wilson), the chemical works, where I had spent the first 20 years of my working life. It had been demolished and all that was was left were concrete pads in a field surrounded by a fence. Marchon had been the main employer for the local town of Whitehaven, and as I stood there looking at the empty site it started to rain and I just couldn't believe what they'd done. I have also made a video of the factory which features a number of photographs taken through the demolition. Please have a look; it could happen to a factory near you - or perhaps it already has.

I couldn't believe what they’d done

And the worst of it was

They couldn't see they'd done wrong

I couldn't believe what they’d done

The factory once stood on the hill

You could see it for miles

It should be there still

I couldn't believe what they'd done

With over two thousand jobs at its prime

It was a beacon of hope

For the town at the time

I couldn't believe what they'd done

I couldn't believe what they’d done

And the worst of it was

They couldn't see that they'd done wrong

I couldn't believe what they’d done

Bad investment decisions overseas

In the redundancies

We were brought to our knees

I couldn't believe what they'd done

The unions just couldn't see

The fallacy

Of closed shop policies

I couldn't believe what they'd done

Greenpeace claimed victory

When they blocked the pipeline

That fed into the sea

I couldn't believe what they'd done

I couldn't believe what they had done

And the worst of it was

They couldn't see that they'd done wrong

I couldn't believe what they had done

The takeover promised a new start

But when the factory was closed

It broke the workers’ hearts

I couldn't believe what they'd done

Now there is nothing left there at all

Just a chain link fence

Surrounding nothing at all

I couldn't believe what they'd done

Grey clouds filled the leaden sky

Then the rain poured down

And washed the tears from my eyes

I couldn't believe what they'd done

I couldn't believe what they had done

And the worst of it was

They couldn't see that they'd done wrong

I couldn't believe what they’d done