Bread And Butter Theatre Company

Had a great day today. I was in Blackpool,at the sports centre in Stanley Park. I was MCing the Youth Games. There were 1500 young people there all doing some sporting stuff- mini tennis, golf, gymnastics... I met an international hockey player and two athletes are taking part in the Olympics this year. I also met two great blokes who are the Bread and Butter theatre company. There are called Gaz and Fran and they do these two characters that are PE teachers from the 70s. They were great, funny and clever and good to watch. Its great to meet other performers and have a chat with them. The Bread and Butter theatre company, check them out on their website now!!!!!

The Olympic Torch was here and then it wasn't.

I have just done something that i have never done before -no not the washing up - i have just seen the Olympic torch. It was coming through Huddersfield where i live so i thought i'd go and see it. They were a lot of poeple waiting by the road by the train station. It was a bit late and they were loads of policemen on motorbikes high fiving the crowd. A bit of a carnival atmosphere.A few other buses and things went past and then the torch appeared. It was being held by a lady who kind of jogged past us. I don't know if you should really be running with a burning bit of metal but there you go. The whole thing took 2 seconds and that was it. The Olympic torch was here and then it wasn't. Everybody stared walking off. A few of them were saying Is that it? But hey, i've never seen it before and might not see it again so i reckon twas a good thing to do. Anyway i had to get back because England are playing Italy in the quarter final of the Euros. Gulp. Wonder if they'll be a torch...

Look Up

I was up in Newcatsle the other day, doing some stuff up there in the posh library that they have got. I got there early and went for a cuppa. I watched people walking past and everyone looked a bit dowen in the dumps. So, as i sat there watching, i wrote a poem about looking on the bright side...

Look Up

Don't stare at your shoes
as you shuffle round town
Look up, look up, look up
when dust and dirt is all around
look up, look up, look up

When things get a little hard to bare
take a deep breath and then take care
hold you head high and keep it there
Look up, look up, look up


Look on the bright side
don't be afraid
look up, look up, look up
soon you'll fizz like lemonade
Look up, look up, look up

Step out of the shadows and into the sun
make a wish and have some fun
be the icing on life's bun
look up, look up, look up

Away With Words

I am making a documentary for BBC Radio Leeds in July. Its called away With Words and the radio is going to record me in a school for a day. I'm going to talk to the young people, like i normally do and have a laugh. I hope!!!!!! The theme of the program, got to have a theme y'see on the radio, is 'Hellos and Goodbyes'. The plan is this....i am going to go to Leeds train and bus stations, meet people and have a quick chat. Then i am going to waffle on in a poetic stylee about, well, hellos and goodbyes, then i am going into a school and write about what I've just been thinking about!! Hopefully it will be a bit more interesting to listen to then i have just made it sound and i'm really looking forward to it a lot. I love the radio, its just voices, but i have always liked listening to it, i like the pictures the voices paint in my head... I will be recording the doc over 2 days in July. The school is Field Head Carr Primary in Leeds who sound excited to be involved!!!

Hereford

Just come back from a couple of days in Hereford. I was hosting some book awards in the town hall. Its great to perform in a really big room cos your voice seems to go on forever and it can echo a lot when people laugh. Hereford and the surrounding area looks like a good place to me, lots of rolling fields and big hills that I'll have to walk up and explore. I was in hotel by the river Wye and a great old stone bridge. They were swans on the river and you could see the cathedral across the water. It was all a bit poetic. A big ta to Frankie, Julia, Rachel, Sarah and Helen for making me feel welcome and for the cups of coffee and buns.

Snail Varnish

Another pun poem coming up....

Snail Varnish

I'm onto you
you slippery snail
i've seen your
shiny, slimy trail
like a smear of snot
across the ground
that shows me where
you've been snailing around

If i want to find you
i follow the clue
of your snail varnish
that leads me to you

The Scaretaker

I've been messing about with puns recently - a pun is a play on words - like snail varnish instead of nail varnish, which sounds like a good title for a poem. I've come up with this one - The Scaretaker - which started this poem. It's dedicated to all the caretakers I meet on my travels!!!  

The Scaretaker

He’s the scaretaker
the man with the keys
to a magic cupboard no-one sees

He unlocks the door
when the day begins
mends a tap, empties the bins

The scaretaker
he’s a shadow on the wall,
a creak on the stairs, a footstep in the hall

Steely eyes
hands like claws
with his Mop of Doom he’ll clean the floors

If it’s broke he’ll fix it,
never fear
then like a ghost, he’ll disappear…….

Footballski

Oh dear. Somethings afoot. Some strange and mysterious beast is about to come to call!! I ma talking about the European Football Championships!! AAARRRGGGHHH"!!!!!! I have watched En -ger-land play for years bow, since i was a little kiddywinky and its always painfull. I feel really sorry for genuine football fans who go through the same thing every week!! I kind of support Halifax Town but 30 odd years of that makes you feel a bit fed up with the game!! I like to watch football on the telly, like Match Of The day and all that. Love to get to a live gamne when i can. My mate , the poet Ian Bland is Poet In Residence at Wigan so i got some freebies and saw a few games there this season. Twas great to be sure. But watching En-ger-land is hard work cos we don't win anything, we don't get any luck and, truth be told, we are just not good enough when it comes to the crunch. I would love us to do well but thsi time, i ain't holding my breath.I am being ultra sensible and rational. Ps- COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thinking About Thinking

When schools close down for the holidays like now well that leave me with some free time to do stuff. I walk, i play the guitar, i write, i watch telly, i play football with my kids but what i mostly do is think. Cos i'm a poet i think quite a bit. I have always had a voice in my head, all my life, a voice talking to me, telling me things i didn't know i knew. Well i think aboit alsorts like writing and ideas. I have lots of ideas, writing ideas that i want to do and here are a few of them - Thinking about getting my brand new book POETRY BURP out as soon as i can Thinking about the next book after that. Thinking about next years BIG WALK -John O Groats to Lands End ( can i really really make it happen, lots of planning and talking to do....)and the book i will write about it. Thinking about writing another book for grown ups. I have already done one , a few years ago now, but i have another one taking shape in my head. Its going to called The Cake District i think. Thinking about trying to get into schools in Scotland. Never done it, would love to. Thinking about more overseas trips. Thinking about the next poem i'll write cos its always my favourite. Thinking about next year cos next year i celebrate TEN years as a professional writer. I know, i'm as amazed as you. Ten years getting away with it. Thats the reason i am doing the BIG WALK really. if not now when?? Thinking about the next radio documentary i am doing for BBC Radio Leeds. Its called Away With Words. Who says writers have holidays eh????