Category Archives: books

There Was A Young Poet Called Kevin

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There was a young poet called Kevin
Who said “I may not get to heaven.
But I shall write
Throughout the night,
And get drunk by half-past seven”!

The Disillusioned Dissolute

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Of an evening late
Oft times I would wait
For a click clack
To relieve my lack.

In the street below
Feet would come and go.
Heels would approach
And broach …

Or in the dark
Car park
A door would bang,
Which rhymes with twang.

Looking back, I recall
Bang
And twang
And fall.

There Is An Equalitie In The Grave

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There is an equalitie in the grave
Where the brave,
The coward, the rich and the poor
All must bow down,, to death’s all conquering law.

In the beds of the living,
There may be mutual giving
And equalitie,
But love may not always be free

Long Forgotten Lists

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Long forgotten lists
And secret trysts.
Girl’s wrists
Naked, save for cheap jewels,
So often left behind
For fools
To find.

Inexpensive scent
Grossly overdone.
It is fun
To repent
Over the fact
Of an act
And say, “come future days,
I shall mend my ways”.

The moralist gabs
About heels
And midnight deals
As the stiletto stabs
Again, and perchance leaves a mark
On Lothario’s fickle heart.

There Was A Young Materialist Named Ted

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There was a young materialist named Ted
Who remarked “when we are dead, we are dead”.
He went to Hell
Where the Devil does dwell,
That unfortunate young materialist named Ted!

Whispering Girls

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Whispering girls, I know
not what you are saying.
Perhaps
‘Tis a kind of praying,
For your first lapse
Happened not long ago.

One cold,
Rigid as an ironing board.
The other bold.
Their desire for gold,
And his aching lust,
All must
End in dust.

Final Straw

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An arm thick as the final straw.
The lure
Of the not quite forbidden.
Many have ridden
Down the hidden
track:
Lush
With fragrant bush
And unable or unwilling to turn back
Have themselves been caught
In a mire of desire,
(A secret fire
They aught
Not to have ignited
Or in it’s flames delighted.
‘Ere they found
Their desire was with sorrow crowned

“Beyond the Blaydon Races” by Alan Clothier

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I have enjoyed a number of conversations with the granddaughter of Alan Clothier, (the author of “Beyond the Blaydon Races”), and it was from her that I learned of his work on the Blaydon railways.
The book’s description reads as follows:
“The area covered by this book is mainly that of the five waggonways delivering coal to their staiths on the River Tyne at Lemington from collieries at
Wylam, Heddon, Throckley, Walbottle, Hollywell and Black Callerton. The main objective has been to place the early wooden waggonways fully in the context
of their purpose and usage within the mining industry and continues with their development and the coming of railways up to the demise of the coal industry
in that district. There is a more detailed insight into the multifarious activities of Colliery Viewers whose work it is felt has not always received the
attention which it deserves. For much of this feature, the author is indebted to the wonderfully detailed work diaries of William Oliver held by the North
of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. The opening date for the Wylam Waggonway has long escaped the notice of historians and many well-known
writers have had it wrong; the author is pleased that his researches have at least narrowed it down to the year in which this event occurred. A Glossary
of Terms used in the mining industry is also included as well as numerous plans and a Chronological Listing of Events. Whatever a reader’s interests are,
they are wished as much pleasure in following up their leads as the author has derived from gathering his”. For further information on “Beyond the Blaydon Races” please visit https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XMQ7MJ5.