1055 - Sun in summertime

Rare sunny summer’s day. With Josephine
I’m pleased to say we made the most of it
The Aquatic Centre (la grande piscine)
And ‘Mega Mela’ in Platt Fields, the great
Asian fair in the park. Managed to kit
Josie out in a pink Asian costume
Making the local women smile a bit
As we walked by, both eating our ice cream
One mother even took her picture; seems
There’s nothing as nice as digging their scene
For making people of all kinds unite
It’s so easy: so little in between
The different groups. Saw the Asian rap scene
And had some great fairground rides. We loved it!
Sat 25 July 2009

1051 - Summer in Manchester

The summer drags on… The late light’s okay
But every day it rains. In Manchester!!
I sound surprised. I shouldn’t feel that way
Because rain’s ever-present through the year
In Britain, specially in northern areas
Got some things done at work, drafting guidance
And afterwards, a Chinese and some beers
So much meat eaten lately, and a chance
To stuff myself with mushrooms more than once
I’m back home now and it’s too late to play
Music; a pint of Wobbly Bob beer
Has put paid to my muse: she’s gone to France
Or maybe Mars or Venus. The dark grey
Of nightfall approaches, as I sit here
Tue 21 July 2009

1049 - Manchester monsoon

Today I hoped we’d see the Festival
Of Caribbean Culture in Moss Side
But that plan was scuppered as the rain fell
We ate lunch and kept an eye on outside
Torrential downpours, they became our guide
So we went to the pictures (in 3-D!!)
Wearing ‘sunglasses’ in the dark, inside
I’ve not done that since I was height of knee
To a grasshopper. After ‘Ice Age 3’ -
Though too late - the weather then turned out well
Someone said, “Don’t wear those glasses outside!”
Drove down to Wilmslow to drop off Josie
Right now, after those sweets, I still feel full
Might do more music next, if not too tired
Sun 19 July 2009

1039 - In Ireland - Mayo and Galway

Ireland, day one - a day of big mistakes!
First off, I forgot to pack my glasses!
Not good when I’m driving a hired car. Yikes!
And then, at Liverpool Airport, there is
No BMI Baby check-in, because
My flight’s from Manchester, NOT Liverpool!
My taxi zoomed there (Cost: 50 knickers!)
A late take-off to Knock saved this damn fool!
At Knock Airport the car hire cost a full
Hundred euro more to insure ’gainst breaks
Or pay 300 euro for scratches
No time, or eyesight, to go driving all
Round Mayo. Knock-Tuam-Galway in three shakes
Galway’s always busy; it always is
Thur 9 July 2009

1038 - Bags packed - tomorrow

It’s my last day at work before Ireland
Culminating in a Poetica show
In Central Library, and now that’s done
Tomorrow, pack my bags, and then I’ll go
On foot to Manchester, and wait below
The bus-stop, catch the coach to Liverpool
Airport, and fly to Knock, explore Mayo
Pass briefly through Galway. My schedule’s full
For the next five days over there. Meanwhile
I’m relaxing, now everything’s in hand
I’ve made a checklist I’ll check tomorrow
Morning; for now, I haven’t got the will
To pack my bags. My head is in the sand…
Mañana, mañana, mi amigo…

1027 - The bells, the bells

A lovely day centred in Didsbury
No films worth watching, so we hung around
Fletcher Moss Park, but as we parked, then we
Heard loud bell-ringing, like a wedding sound
The church door open as our ears were drowned
We found a spiral staircase and climbed up
To see the bell-ringers standing around
A hot high-ceilinged room, all reaching up
They smiled and then they invited us up
To sit and watch, and they even let me
Have a go on the rope. Then we popped round
To see Pearl, back from Paris, get dolled up
In new dress and haircut for a party…
And then the heavy rain came pouring down
Sat 27 June 2009

1013 - Long day's journey into Salford

Sitting here in the Manchester Museum
While Josie colours in all her pictures
For two weeks now, we’ve come here for a swim
But the big pool was closed down for repairs
Wasting no time, we flew straight out of there
And came here for a curious look round
We saw glass cases full of stuffed creatures
Bats, foxes, rabbits, birds that made no sound…
Then later, walking to United’s ground
Along the Ship Canal side; evening sun
Shone on us and the Lowry while we paused
For refreshment; then past the Quays we wound
Our way back to my flat. The total sum
Of this was we had our best time for years!
Sat 13 June 2009

996 - Honour Barcelona

Manchester United have lost tonight
To a superior Barcelona
It’s been quite reminiscent of that night
In ’99, when Munich were better
But the Reds won anyway, luckier
Than their opponents. This time luck was short
And the better team won. Poor Manchester!
You were caught short, you were outplayed, out-thought
The ball was glued to Iniesta’s boot
And Lionel Messi and Co have the right
To lift that trophy in the Roman air
Ferguson’s magic has failed; he’s been taught
A lesson by a youngster. Now, the sight
Of Spanish triumph, English dishonour
Wed 27 May 2009

993 - Sunny music

A dreaded sunny day, so rare; so what
Should I do with it now that it is here?
I finished my song ‘The World At War’ that
Has tormented me for half of this year
I improved ‘High Over Liverpool,’ mere
Changes to volume levels on guitar
‘Deborah in February’ was my clear
Favourite to begin work on, but the star
In my heaven was near, in Manchester
And so, rather than start that song, I met
Her for a browse round St Anne’s Square. Yorkshire
Is where we’re going tomorrow by car
Hebden Bridge to be precise. But I put
Some tracks down for ‘Deborah’ this evening. Cheers!
Sun 24 May 2009

936 - No rest for the wicked

The day began round her house, then taxi
Home for a few hours’ rest, then collect parcel
Of Kubrick DVDs, then, shocked to see
How much brick dust there was, cleared up that hell
Under the rug in the spare bedroom: well,
Louis is sleeping there tonight. Breakfast,
Then off to see Josie, who did real well
On her scooter, and made sure not to waste
My two-for-one voucher, a cheap repast
At Gourmet Burger Kitchen, her and me
No time for catching up on sleep; pressed bell
On Louis’ door in Burnage, and real fast
We got the evening’s food from Sainsburys
Watched The Shining, talked scripts and how they sell
Sat 28 Mar 2009

929 - Let's drink to that

I’m excited, a bit nervous, maybe
Because I’ve got a date an hour from now
Quite soon I’ll quickly get myself ready
Change clothes, brush teeth, check hair, then walk to town
She’s coming by bus, from not too far, down
Didsbury / Chorlton way; must want to drink!
The last one was a tee-totaller (frown)
I don’t mind cutting down a bit, but think
That resentments would arise; it’d sink
The new relationship all too quickly
Smelling my breath, certain things not allowed
Let’s not set the bar too high, let’s just clink
Our glasses once or twice to love, for we
Only need love, that’s all we need (and how)
Sat 21 Mar 2009

928 - Walking to the tax conference

Went to Manchester Conference Centre
For tax-related talks and old faces
Not seen in many a boring old year
Because we all work in different places
This gorgeous sunny day, kind of wasted
By being indoors, but the wind’s still cold
Too chilly for the hilly wild spaces
Even down in the town I had to fold
My coat around me tightly as I rolled
Along Regent Road towards Manchester
Dodging the Trinity Way car races
Past the Town Hall where its great bells have told
The time to many passers-by who hear
That it is late and speed up their paces
Fri 20 Mar 2009

911 - Rock and Roll Part One

It’s only ‘Rock and Roll,’ but we liked it
The Tom Stoppard play, Library Theatre
The audience looked like they were past it
But they were old enough to remember
The 60s: they’d been there, they weren’t all square
Ex-rockers, academics, TV stars
All crowded in to recall and to share
The golden age of rock and roll ideas
Ideals of Red Square, books they’d read, guitars
They’d strummed, joints smoked (fake joints and fags were lit)
Seen through a distant haze (I didn’t wear
My glasses, silly me). And now, the cause
Of socialism’s agreed to have bit
The dust, or has it? Might its ghost appear?
Tue 3 March 2009

906 - Salutations!

Ten minute break for a piss and a pint
Inn Verse is running late as usual
Manchester’s friendliest night, in a small joint
Known as the Salutation by us all
It’s stuck like a sore thumb, like old St Paul’s
Before and behind, sixties monoliths
Simplified structures, representing all
The structural, simplified sixties myths
Upward social mobility for Smiths
Then Mrs Margaret Thatcher, that old bint
Played on TV by an actress, yes, all
Slimmed down and sexy…that just takes the piss!
Some have gone home, some smoking. My complaint
Is that I need a piss and pint, that’s all
Thur 26 Feb 2009

890 - Travels in Northern Ireland and northern England

Down by the misty Lagan I wandered
Before the meeting about tax began
People walked over bridges, I wondered
How death had undone so many again
Mist dispersed, snowy hills seen, now and then
Cave Hill supreme, Belfast’s Vesuvius
Up and down May Street where titanic men
Built ships now rotting like them and like us
Big yellow cranes seen from taxi and bus
Back to George Best airport, where I sundered
My brief connection with Northern Ireland
Airborne over the coast, Runcorn-Widnes
Then Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, snow-covered
Eastern hillscape. South Manchester, touched land
Tue 10 Feb 2009

867 - Not yet home, but dry

Yesterday began sunny, but the grey
Took over gradually, till the cats
And dogs fell torrentially, but while they
All puddled Piccadilly, we two sat
Talking of dreams and money, hours of chat
Touching gently through story, opinion
And stolen glances only, or to pat
Each others’ hands quite quickly, touching on
Some point we both found funny, gentleman
And his soon-to-be lady, till the way
Was clear for us to see, that this was that
Fortunate opportunity, and on
We walked to Piccadilly, and away
Went rain, unnecessary brollies, hats
Sun 18 Jan 2009

853 - Student studies

My daughter’s twenty-first has come and gone
Congrats to P for reaching that milestone
Today I took son L down to London
To start his second student term alone
Takes me back to my second term… I’d mown
Off most of my hair, a trendy new cut
Shaved back and sides. The next step was to own
A black raincoat, Echo-style, which I bought
From Affleck’s Palace, and some shirts I thought
Were suitably dazzling, from Withington
And Didsbury charity shops. L’s own
Approach seems to exclude clothes and haircut
He’s blogging rather than out having fun
P’s back to the Sorbonne. I’ll visit soon!
Sun 4 Jan 2009

839 - Blue and green patches

The rain held off while patches of blue fought
For space with those big bullies dressed in grey
We waited, baiting breath like we were taught
But not holding it for a sunny day
Emerging from our holes this dark Sunday
Like frightened rabbits on Watership Down
Scared of the sky god’s blessings in case they
Mess up our hair or splash our shoes with brown
I made a dash for a green patch, high ground
And cautiously explored with map I’d brought
In Heaton Park, North Manchester at play
Amazingly tall tube kids can slide down
Some ponies looked lonely but not distraught
In muddy puddles, huddled by the way
Sun 21 Dec 2008

830 - Windy wanderings

The pubs were full of Christmas revellers
While winds blew hard and rain lashed down outside
The Brunswick, Waldorf, Grey Horse and Circus
The Rain Bar, Briton’s Protection, we tried
And managed two pints, then went for a fried
In some empty takeaway joint with Coke
Recorded some pub sounds, then a piece I’d
Written the other night, bit of a joke
About those office do’s, with the drunk bloke
With roaming hands and overly loud slurs
A year’s worth of resentments he can’t hide
Goes home so pissed, he’s liable to choke
And so the grand finale of this year’s
Finally here, a foaming beery tide
Fri 12 Dec 2008

824 - Saturday shopping spree

A lovely sunny winter’s day shopping
In Macclesfield and then in Manchester
First stop was Aldi, using their parking
Facilities and buying our drinks there
Next stop the charity shops, which was where
I hoped to find cheap clothes, but instead they
Were packed with eighties records; grabbed our share
Ate a snack or two, then drove all the way
To town and braved Primark on Saturday
Okay, maybe I did too much spending
But two coats, eight tops, three trousers later
I felt better equipped than yesterday
Not only that, but it was fun spending
Some time with a good friend, so thanks to her
Sat 6 Dec 2008