Relocate
Salford, 5th December 2017
It came like a bolt out of the blue.
I cant remember the date – i remember the announcement
“I put an offer in – they’ve accepted!”
we were moving house.
Over the next few days – boxes were packed
and preparations laid,
as carpet and kitchen came in
and walls were painted – blue and beige
Over time – the view outside changed
plants grew, and colours emerged
impromptu rock garden and ferns
brightening up the buildings site opposite
A poem , written on a visit to Edinburgh zoo, with my nephews and the rest of the family
I went to the zoo today,
Saw a small elephant play.
A Tiger with stripes and great big paws
and a Lion with Mane and great big claws!
but that wasn’t everything i saw
Today
Went to the Zoo today,
Saw a spotted leopard sleeping in a bush
as a black panther hid among the brush
and cubs with their mums in such a rush
Today
I went to the zoo today,
and saw the chimps and monkeys at play
Gorillas on trees, swatting off fleas
and Marmosets hanging off branches by their knees!
Today
I Went to the zoo today,
saw buzzards and other birds of prey
‘gainst grand scottish hills
enjoying their scraps and swoops and spills
as i ate my lunch from a restuaurant grill
today
I went to the zoo today,
and saw other animals play.
Saw a Golden Bear, swinging from a tree,
and Monkeys and Gibbons eating their tea,
(Loads of cheeky Chimpanzees!)
and Penguins underwater – like in the sea
swimming past windows – and looking at me
Today
Take a day, any day
And a place, any place
Now take a time, any time
and capture it
Freeze frame
in your memory
That was the day you ate that Sandwich at the quayside cafe
and saw brave souls in Frogsuits dive headlong in the eerie
deep waters of a Salford Canal Basin
They travelled so quickly
Foam rose in the waters
and Canoe based Marshals
Bobbed around in Man-made waves
in response to the prompt –
Glorious
Side, Turkey – 2007
Looking through the old photos again
enjoying a walk in the mangavat valley near to our holiday apartment
as i remember, the sun was a little hot – and this was taken later in the afternoon
remains of a roman wall, set among grains and vines
now i look back – it was a glorious view
Inky, enters the TARDIS again….and lands in Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC High…third year english..and the origins of his poetry
I recall old wooden benches – the ones with (ironically) the old inkwell’s set into the base.
Mountains of Books handed down from pupil to pupil and placed strategically on what i’d now call the Northwest corner of the table
The teacher would begin – and then stopping at a paragraph – he’d pick a pupil at random, going around the classroom
Young minds caught on tenterhooks as the class ventured their way through the story.
On one or two occasions – the book matter changed – the hardback stories stayed where they were – to be returned to on another occasion – and the brightly coloured books were passed from pupil to pupil
The Adventures of Isobel….The Nonsense poems of Ogden Nash….pieces from “Local” poets….Roger McGough, Brian Patten (The regional difference hadn’t hit me in my formative years), not forgetting “The classics”, Kipling, stephenson and all.
And there would even be the time where an adolescent squeaky voice – changing by the day with puberty would have to deliver one or two pieces
“Isobel met an enormous bear….Isobel, Isobel, didn’t care”
(Ogden Nash – The Adventures of Isobel)
I’d write away in my exercise books with glee guided by the work of these poets
it’s something thats stuck with me ever since.
a cold morning on a Salford autumn day
the vapour gathering round lampposts
neon attempts in vain to cut through
roads deserted for miles
dipped headlights order of the day
yet no ones on the road
school patrols in day glo uniform stand lonesome
all football ⚽️ matches in the schoolyard called as score draws
as the fog lingers till home time … can’t see the ball.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC High School, 1987
Stood inside the “New” Amalgamated school by Buile Hill Park, in Salford.
Two sets of kids awaiting to go off to lessons – but first – the set up of forms
The classes had to be put together – Cathedral with St Lawrence’s.
you couldn’t tell them apart – similarity with the standard kit – Black/Charcoal Grey Trousers, White shirt/blouse (light Blue was allowed), Navy Blue jumper….
and of course…the school tie.
The boys would always do something with their jumper – round the shoulders or tied round the waist
The girls on occasion would do the tomboy thing – wearing the school tie whilst messing with the regulation skirt
In the crowded school hall , friends wave to one another that they recognise – How?
The School Tie was ever so slightly different in the way the light blue stripes landed on the dark blue….and till the new stock came in – that’s the way it would stay.
They wore them like badges of honour.
Salford, 6th July 2017
A reminiscence
Out on the great waters of the Irish sea
Seventy two feet of ocean going vessel
designed by a master boatman
Water moving over the hull of the ship
together moving sails to continue the trip
following course – given by the skipper
adventures i’d dreamt of when i were a nipper
Eight novice shipmates with Four Able crew
visiting harbours – some old, and new
steering a course , to places ahead
reaching the dock – before heading for bed
Salford 16th May 2017
Back in Nineteen eighty two – i started taking this long woolly blanket to camp
Like many other scouts i stuck it at the end of my tents sleeping bag, and
As it got cold, i wrapped it round me to keep warm
Now, each camp i went to – i picked up a patch from the campsite – and these were
Kept on the woolly blanket…covering areas from Cumbria to Derbyshire – I
Even had a whole heap of locations such as
Torquay , paignton and brixham and these found a spare spot on my sleeping spot
