When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now...

Thought I'd treat myself to a new karate gi on my birthday on the 12th

Open Mic - next 27 May Acoustic Cafe

Preludio Triston plays Derry Boy poem (COMING SOON)

Coming soon to the Arts4Every1 centre with the words of Death of Aunt Martha

First Derry Boy recording on Marlow FM

A couple of friends convinced me I should re - release this . Hope you like it.  Comments welcome.

You read and you said..

Peat Dreams

Click above here to read the poem.
" As with your previous poems, this really conveys strong images of childhood and of the natural world. I love the way your poems seem to draw the reader in straight away – the imagery you use is very powerful and I could really imagine being there. I particularly liked the description of the sheep, the ‘keepers of the mountain’ - their lively characters contrasting well with the harsh image of the dead crows in the next.

The description of the blue bottle in the last verse, desperate to escape, is great and emphasizes the peace and stillness of the room really well. I really like the way your writing conveys meaning so effectively and conjures up such strong imagery! "

" I really enjoy your poems - they have the magic of childhood and their particular time and place. We all have different experiences of childhood but your poems make the memories live for people who have not experienced them.

... I enjoyed your alliteration - those crows and the sheep. I like the way (think it called 'personification') you describe the sheep as 'keepers of the mountain'. I like the unexpected ways you use words, 'tidy death of flies', 'Sunday afternoon sleeping uncles', 'sun spilled, living room'. Lots of visual and sound imagery.

" What can I say - a dreamy long lost time and I wish I could have been there, it sounds so wonderful and warm. The only thing missing is hearing it with the proper accent."

Mandarin is a must for today's workforce

" ......The UK's lack of foreign language skills is problematic for our export performance: a study by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills in 2014 estimates that language and cultural barriers are costing the UK economy up to £48 billion per year.

 Graduates who can speak more than one language will have a significant competitive advantage in today’s job market, and as China is a fast-developing market that the UK has a huge trade deficit with, Mandarin speakers will not only be in high demand by UK companies, but also essential to future-proofing the UK economy.  "


see the full article here....

The Great Walk

There is a saying in Northern China,
(Bù dào chángchéng fēi hao hàn).

不到长城非好汉

One who fails to reach the Great Wall cannot be called a man; you should not give up until you succeed; be determined to reach one's goal, not stopping half way.

It was November 2008 shortly after the Beijing Olympics when I  had stopped  atop the Great Wall, standing on tiptoe on Day 1 of a seven day trek across the northern parts of the Wall.   

I fancied I could see Mum and Dad’s bungalow in South Derry from here, both sitting out on the bench by the porch in the evening shade.
 
I cupped my hands and shouted ‘Mum, Mum, I can see you from here”