960 - Meeting in Glasgow

Morning in Glasgow, light rain was falling
No umbrella or hood, so slightly wet
I arrived with John at that large building
In which, at 10 am, we should have met
Mike C and Dave R. Mike’s not there, Dave’s late
But Clare’s there, so is Chris, so talking starts
As the sun shows its face, and soon we get
Through numerous points. Dave turns up and imparts
His wisdom. After lunch we then report
To Tracey’s desk, then Gerry’s, for briefing
Yes, it seems they are in a right old state
But things are getting better, though it hurts
Right now. Like all of us they are learning…
Newcastle next, more colleagues there to meet
Tue 21 Apr 2009

959 - April sun

A spell of sunny weather and life seems
More beautiful: the land, people, buildings
Driving through London, even though it teems
To absolute excess, becomes thrilling;
Round three and four lane roundabouts, racing
Round Wellington and Marble Arch, Park Lane
Like Italians, sun in our eyes blinding
That was Saturday. Sunday, down the lane
To Mobberley with Josie; pub’s the same
As it used to be: food the stuff of dreams
Josie riding her bike, and I’m jogging
Today, Monday, me and John took the train
Up to Glasgow, where even here it seems
Sultry….Like you, the person I’m missing…
Mon 20 Apr 2009

878 - Poetry can be fun

It’s late, and I’ve had one or ten whiskies
Been to a poetry night, read some stuff
By God, it was a bit cold, felt I’d freeze
But now I’m back home, feel a bit more tough
Read two poems I wrote on the chuff chuff
That took me home from Glasgow yesterday
Not too bad, since both were quite off the cuff
One about Burns Night, one at close of day
As train sped through hills heading England way
The whiskies made me laugh, it was a wheeze
As guys read poems, stifled the odd laugh
I’ve not had much to laugh about, so hey
Why not? It’s cheaper than stand-up, and these
Nights can be fun with wordsmiths spouting guff
Thur 29 Jan 2009

877 - Let's go to San Franglasgow

A warm and sunny day up in Glasgow
Delivered a half-hour presentation
On anti-fraud measures: RDCO
Tied oils , not forgetting post-detection
The oils strategy overview was on
Powerpoint, but it didn’t work at all
So I talked using printed sheets, upon
Which lay my notes and stats; tried not to drawl
On for too long. After my talk, a small
Coffee break, RFTU video
Then down one floor, by lift, to a luncheon
Outside Portcullis House, a technical
Demonstration by a road testing crew
Back down Argyle Street to Central Station
Wed 28 Jan 2009

876 - Not so mighty mouth

My mouth remained bloody all this morning
Again, couldn’t take day off, had to go
Into the office to do some printing
Of hotel locations up in Glasgow
That’s where I am now - Jury’s Inn, you know -
Eighth floor (good view of building opposite)
Bought four CDs from Fopps, then ate real slow
In McDonalds (fries n shake); coped with it
Mouth must be on the mend: might even sit
For my free breakfast tomorrow morning
Help myself to fried egg and beans, although
I may give toast a miss, just in case it
Opens my gum up once again, hurting
My chances of a good speech tomorrow…
Tue 27 Jan 2009

813 - Scottish angels

I finished reading Shadow of the Wind
On the train home from Glasgow in the dark
The sun shone all day. First, we tried to find
Queen Street station, on George Square. Hearing talk
From my colleague about the angels: ‘Look!’
I saw four buxom goddesses of love
Made of stone, holding up buildings. We walk
Away from love, from those girls up above
In the cold morning air, senses removed
Showing the boobs that no hearts beat behind
Got places to go, people to see, work
(In this case, tax talk.) Northward the train drove
Through green fields, orange hills, blue skies, a kind
Vision of Scotland, beautiful and stark
Tue 25 Nov 2008

812 - Sketches from the east coast mainline

The train took us north through pretty Yorkshire
Hills green and rolling, yellow towns nestling
Historic Durham Cathedral, higher
And therefore nearer to God, its choir sings
Plenty of eye candy, pretty young things
Sharing the ride, some jumping off before
Saying goodbye with eyes, pulling, dragging
Their cases elsewhere, gone forevermore
Alternate rain, hail, sun, cloud and much more
In windy Newcastle, but they don’t tire
Schoolkids leap and shout, homeward journeying
Back up to Edinburgh, then change for
Glasgow Central, eighth floor, Thistle. Try a
Japanese sushi. Now TV watching
Mon 24 Nov 2008

808 - Chickening out

To bed last night at a reasonable hour
But still a good few pints and a curry
Nestling in my bloated stomach. Devour
At this rate and, my friend, obesity
Will catch you, or, at least, the pregnancy
Look when you stand sideways by a mirror
And pull your shirt up, as I did in the
Hotel bathroom last night (this was BEFORE
The huge curry at Kushi’s…) We waged war
On Scottish chickens this week with such power
That now it’s over, they will cluck ‘Hooray!’
And try to procreate, even the score
Oh esteemed poultry of auld Edinburgh
We humbly wave the white flag. We’re sorry!
Thur 20 Nov 2008

807 - Scots wha-hay

Tonight I’m writing BEFORE going out
I think that’s the more sensible way round
Last night Princes Street, tonight Grassmarket
Left out the hotel door, near castle mound
I will need to withdraw some Scottish pounds
Or I’ll be unable to buy my meal
I told the group where we would be around
Let’s hope they join us: it could be a squeal
However, last night took its toll on Neil
Too many ciders dispatched down the spout
But John, the hardened drinker, seems quite sound
Took some pics this morning from Calton Hill
A spot I first posed on, well, round about
’86. A cannon points at the town
Wed 19 Nov 2008

806 - Semi-thoughts of a drunk sassenach

Hello everybody in Edinburgh
I’d just like to say that your town’s okay
Although I was disappointed by the
Lack of lighting of Scott Monument: say,
The walk down Princes Street ended in a
Fruitful stay in a bar where the barmaid
Displayed her tits quite nicely, hip hooray
At the Queen’s Arms, all very well displayed
And then another pub, where much was said
About football, including Manchester
United’s prospects. Well, do you think they
Will finish above Liverpool? They’ve stayed
Above them for years, and so I’ll bet ya
That the Red Devils will beat the Reds, yay!
Tue 18 Nov 2008

805 - Edinburgh Choo-Choo

It’s been a busy month for travelling
I went to Paris earlier, you know
I’ve just got back from York, recovering
From that while also preparing to go
To Edinburgh: up there tomorrow
And then, the following week, Newcastle
And on from there to sink pints in Glasgow
Then back home at long last, perchance to chill
I love to travel but my wallet’s ill
Paris was leisure but the rest’s working
Nonetheless, pleasure can still smoothly flow
From pumps in pubs on work trips, so let’s fill
The glasses and drink to more journeying
(And promotion prospects, though they’re quite low :(
Mon 17 Nov 2008

691 - Calmer about Obama

Barack Obama drama as we see
The man in Europe, visiting Gordon
Having already seen Blair previously
And afterwards meeting Dave Cameron
Prior to this, big rally in Berlin
And daring to hobnob with Nicolas
Sarkozy; cosying up to Frenchmen -
Whatever next? Meeting the ruling class
Preparing for power; change, but not fast
Above all, no threat to democracy
No radical wealth redistribution
Looking to future, aware of the past
Seeking to represent stability
And Anglo-American tradition
Sat 26 July 2008

605 - Hard Labour

Ah, lovely May sunshine and ‘Vote Labour!’
In this part of Salford they usually win
But still their van drives round the area
Persuading us to keep their own man in.
No doubt even here that they’re worrying
About the credit crunch and house prices
Even though years of relentless rising
Has made overdue corrective phases.
If only they’d go back to policies
That looked after the long-forgotten poor!
Instead the poor must help themselves, fiddling
With no assistance from accountancies,
From offshore banks, from fellows on the floor
Of the chamber. My vote? Forgot again…
Thur 1 May 2008

573 - Mumbles of eternity

Back from the dragon’s lair, the Welsh wetland,
But against all odds and weather forecast,
The sun shone all day, as we walked the sand
And ate ice cream outside. We had a blast.
Returned to The Mumbles where I went last
Summer, the waves crashing picturesquely
Against the rocks, the white lighthouse steadfast.
Saw a pic of it (1893)
In Waterstone’s bookstore. It seemed to me
As though little had changed. Kids hand in hand
In caps and smocks, women in frocks, all cast
In time, frozen like us. Photography
Preserves the dead, just like our childhood land
That is no more. Lives disappear so fast.
Sun 30 Mar 2008

572 - Tales of Wales

Three hours’ sleep, then up early. Drove to Wales
With P and L to visit sister Claire,
Tom, Lewis and their cats. It rarely fails
To rain in Wales, and as we drove down there
Past Ross-on-Wye, Symonds Yat, Monmouthshire,
The grey clouds rained like women and children.
They started again as the Swansea air
Grew full with silver droplets. That was when
Pearl met her friend from college (called Ellen)
At Tesco’s. While in the pub, Louis nails
His pool shots and beats me. A dismal fare
Of football news: after a crap season,
My team, the Rams, drops down, gone off the rails.
Big meal at Franky and Benny’s. (Trop cher!)
Sat 29 Mar 2008

367 - The British system? It's just not cricket

The British system? It’s just not cricket.
It’s not fair play. It’s still I’m alright, Jack.
We’re not gregarious, so we closet
Ourselves away in small castles while rack
And ruin lie outside. We all stay back
Behind net-curtained battlements, see kids
On the loose, drug addicts, a giant crack
Through which the failures fall, tyre marks and skids
And flowers by lamp posts. Our rich land rids
Itself of guilt for poor death. Soldiers hit
And maim in distant lands. Shareholders crack
Open bubbly to sounds of coffin lids.
Where is our conscience, our empathy? It
Seems there are things our leaders always lack.
Thur 6 Sep 2007

341 - The football season starts again today

The football season starts again today:
Another chance to go all round England
Visiting different towns to see teams play;
All teams, not just my own, you understand,
Because me and my son, years ago, planned
To visit all the stadiums, yes all,
North, south, east, west, middle, even Scotland,
Wales, Europe, anywhere they kick a ball.
So where is it today? I hear you call.
Today’s trip is to Morecambe, with its bay
Of deadly rapid tides that cover sand
And sometimes people, if they’re not careful.
So we’ll stay clear of the beach, and we’ll pray
Our players do as their coaches command!
Sat 11 Aug 2007

308 - We left my sister's home in Trebanos

We left my sister’s home in Trebanos
And headed for the wild Brecon Beacons,
Stopping to see some caves and dinosaurs
(A little scary, perhaps, for young ’uns).
The dinosaurs were just reconstructions,
Of course, but those dark, dripping caves were real
Enough to hush your loud daughters and sons,
And many children had come, with their school.
Leaving former domains of Celtic rule,
We drove back into neater Englishness,
All well-trimmed hedges and rhododendrons,
And Shropshire farmland, Shrewsbury’s appeal
To unspoiled pre-war architecture; pause
For eating, and then home to watch re-runs.
Mon 9 July 2007

305 - Today was spent just driving down through Wales

Today was spent just driving down through Wales,
From Manchester to a town near Swansea,
Escaping endless days of rain and gales
And peering through the car windows to see
Patches of blue sky shining hopefully,
And smiling, welcoming us to the coast;
At long last, fitting weather for July,
Now that Wimbledon’s over - well, almost.
A hearty meal at midday: beans, no toast,
But fried bread, mushrooms, the works. How the scales
Would groan, stomach distended grotesquely!
Next, following the road map’s my next boast.
This is the land of song and dragon’s tails,
The land of hills and clouds and poetry.
Fri 6 July 2007

270 - The heat today took people by surprise

The heat today took people by surprise.
Most still wore coats despite the baking sun,
No doubt because of recent rainy skies.
What a nice change this was for everyone.
Now we’re in flaming June, it shouldn’t stun
Us when the heat is considerable,
But here in Britain, specially Wimbledon,
The summer weather’s very flexible.
(Unlike our tennis players!) A big bowl
Of strawberries might please you, but no lies:
I don’t like fruit. But I do like to run
On summer hills, weather permissible.
Bad things about the summer? Sweat, and flies,
But what a time to travel and have fun.
Fri 1 June 2007