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This old man

I have known this song from childhood, it was sung round the fire in the Grainger singsongs back in the 1940's as well as at school St. Stephen's, Worcester. After all those years I have started singing it again (2000) with "The Vegesack Whalermen" would you believe it! It is at complete odds with the groups main repertoire of whaling songs but it sung with great gusto and considerable enjoyment, perhaps because of the double entendres (what can an old man be up to when playing his sticks on somebody's hive for example?)
The version we sing can be found in Andrew Gant's Folk Songs of the British Isles.
"This old man" has been recorded by:
 Various Artists on "Rainbow Sign" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s)
 Various Artists on "Childrens Favourites, Various Artists" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s)
 Peggy Seeger on "American Folksongs For Children" CD(s) & MP3 Album(s)
 Various Artists on "Tonka: Playtime Tunes" 
 Andrew Stewart on "Hushabye Trilogy"