Life Experience
Jazz Breakfast in Shoreham-by-Sea, UK Mike Hatchard’s new season of Jazz Breakfasts is at a new, splendid venue, the Sussex Yacht Club with views down the river, a licensed bar
Our son Paul set off at dawn last Wednesday on a long journey busking across Europe with his dog Roxy. For most of the last 20 years Paul has made
Hottest Day of the Year Heatwave The hottest day recorded.Towards ten at nightThe rain started. We walked out Into the garden, naked,enjoying the refreshing rain. The lawn was squelchy underfoot. We lay
Fifty kinds of love – introduction Fifty kinds of love is the longest poem in Poems about love. It is full of ideas and observations – some serious, some appearing to
W B Yeats, Never Give All The Heart, poem analysis William Butler Yeats, age 35, 1900, painted by his father, John Butler Yeats Never give all the heart Never
The poem “Marriage” – part two A wedding group in Sicily, 2017 Here is the text of the poem, and the third of a series of comments on the ideas
Publisher Saxon Books Returns Popular and long established war poetry anthologies are not only back on sale again, but for a short time are being offered at big discounts. For
Love in three plant pics and a poem, The last train We are currently plant-sitting for friends who have gone on holiday. One of the plants we have been entrusted
The poem “Marriage” from “Poems about Love” Here is the text of the poem, and the first of a series of background infos and comments on the ideas behind poems
Love poems – subtle change of title Published as How could you know? – Poems about love, it is now Poems about love – How could you know? Why the
Poems and life – the stories behind the poems 1B The book: Poems about love – How could you know?. The story behind the poems Poem One (B), Marriage That
Marilyn Stafford, distinguished photographer Promoting poetry – a good idea being developed in Shoreham The basic idea is to present a poem, by a local author, on a display board
Stormont Parliament building where the politicians have been refusing to meet for 18 months to govern Northern Ireland. A Poem for Northern Ireland Backward Vision Sadly I see your future:supervised
LOVE POETRY EXTRAORDINAIRE I believe that many people may find a lot to relate to, argue about and be moved or amused by in my new book. Poems about love,
A poem about Iraq in 2003 Tony Blair’s visit to Southern Iraq early in 2003. He explained the wisdom of the war. MY POEM A Message from Tony Blair to
Apple strudel – poem for St Valentine’s Day My darling, you are the apple strudel of my eye, naughty but nice. And yet, friends warn me that you are dangerous
Poem – Love is its own reward A poem for NHS workers and everyone in caring professions who go on caring for others, even though they don’t receive the recognition
My new book How could you know? – Poems about love Love experienced, love observed, love examined from different angles, love in the context of human life in all its
Cleo Laine, brilliant documentary I strongly recommend you to see the Cleo Laine documentary on BBC iPlayer. I bought the All About Me Cleo Laine LP well over 50 years
Fascinating documentary about a musical genius Hans Zimmer is the most successful composer of film scores this century. His story was told in a recent BBC2 documentary which can now
Jazz 2022 in Brighton Fringe This May and June sees the largest arts festival in England in action in Brighton. Here are some terrific jazz events: More info at
Just experienced another brilliant jazz morning at the Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham. Sunday 5th December 2021. Mike Hatchard’s “Jazz Breakfast”. Top musicians on brilliant form. Duncan Lamont saxophone and flute,
I don’t know how widely known it is that some very popular and excellent folk songs were written about The First World War long after the event – poetry often
This is me in the Mojave Desert, California, in 2009 Climate change is not new Ever since there have been climates on earth there has been climate change. Today we
One of nearly 400 memorials at The National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire A Hymn for Remembrance Sunday May be used as a prayer or sung to the music, Finlandia, by Jean
The sculpture by Ian Rank-Broadley is perhaps the best known memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire. It was inspired by the Ancient Greek tradition of carrying
French Film, Aurore, I got Life A witty, insightful and entertaining film about Aurore, a 50 year-old woman looking for love and struggling to cope with men, work and other
Welcome return of that positive, inspiring and cheerful programme about a couple raising 1000 sheep and nine children – OUR YORKSHIRE FARM. New series. 9pm Tuesday 5 October 2021, Channel
DON’T MISS OUT. The Hurst Festival is in full swing in the village of Hurstpierpoint, a few miles north of Brighton. Joe Stilgoe We are going to see Joe Stilgoe
Great TV – Our Yorkshire Farm on My5 Watch Again Our Yorkshire Farm A TV programme that is truly positive and life-enhancing. You may not be interested in sheep farming
Philharmonia – psychological thriller on All4, on demand Philharmonia is a French six-part psychological drama. We are watching it on All4 via our phone and chromecast but there are other
Montalbano – last ever book and film Have we seen the last of Montalbano? One episode has not been shown on British television. This episode is called Beloved Salvo, My
All About Montalbano – the international TV and literary hit Montalbano and The Young Montalbano Montalbano and The Young Montalbano are two crime series set in Sicily.They have enjoyed huge
Ernest Hemingway – 1899–1961 – Fascinating Documentary on BBC i-player We have just started watching a fascinating BBC iPlayer documentary about the life of Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway was one of
For many years I have heard talk of Buddy Rich as “the greatest drummer in the world”. Recently, through the gift of YouTube, I’ve been able to see and hear
Last Saturday (5 June 2021) I went to an exhibition of sculpture in stone, ceramics, wood, and metal by my friend, Brighton artist, Alison McGechie. The exhibition was at the
Concert by the Sea – the famous Erroll Garner Concert Concert By The Sea was one of the first LPs I ever bought. I was 18 at the time and
Iraq, its breakup and exploitation by Western powers, is described in this important and fascinating book by Riad El Taher, O Daughter of Babylon. Riad El-Taher, born in Iraq tells
Two witty, thoughtful and entertaining films about mature women with problems with romance The films, one English and the other French, are about two mature women looking for love and
A United Kingdom – a moving and important film Romance / drama, 2016, 1-hour 51 minutes Directed by Amma Asante Seretse Khama – David Oyelowo Ruth Williams – Rosamund Pike
Bruno Debrandt and Julie Gayet as Florent and Victoire in French drama, “Torn” This 6-part French tv drama has recently arrived on the All4 free streaming service. In French with
The Bridge, Saga Noren, and the pornography of violence The Bridge, Swedish/Danish crime series, is addictive (We’ve watched 29 episodes, almost at the end of series 3.) but isn’t there
Support British Musicians and the British Music Industry Brexit in practice shows that negotiated arrangements are, in some cases, very unsatisfactory. Something needs to be done to correct problems that
Anticipating 2021 My first thought about the coming year is a feeling of great gratitude to the people who have developed vaccines against covid-19. My second thought is a similar
Brewed to commemorate Dominic Cummings’ historic visit to Barnard Castle – Barnard Castle Eye Test IPA, 6% proof. If you tried it you may have needed more than an eye
Poem – What do I know? What does anyone know? What do I know? The origin of the universe its scale its destiny are beyond my understanding. This earth so
The Announcer – great little drama on All4 We really enjoyed and would strongly recommend this powerful story. Described as a period drama The Announcer is set in 1962 in
Spotify dominates the music industry of the world with its music streaming service. In December 2020 it is a company valued at 60 billion dollars. Currently 90% of Spotify’s huge
Written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda (2018) Winner at Cannes of the Palme d’Or. This is a deep, fascinating, absorbing film that you may find yourself thinking about long after
I write the occasional poem. Here are three of them. Writing a poem in ten lines is a useful discipline. It concentrates the mind. I think poems should pack as
For ten years the small town and port of Shoreham-by-Sea, on the south coast of England, just along the coast from Brighton, has had a thriving, popular literary festival. This
Hardly a day’s rain for months and our garden was really suffering. We had done regular watering. We collect water in two large butts but by mid August these had
On Saturday (October 3rd) Julie and I attended the memorial meeting for our friend, Vicky Darling. It would have been her 90th birthday. With her daughter, Josie, she had planned
Juliette Greco, French singer and actress died on the 23rd of September 2020 at the age of 93. She was known for her stunning good looks, her sultry voice and
Bernard Haitink, now 91, (October 2020) is the revered Dutch conductor who has worked for many decades in the UK, as well as conducting orchestras around Europe and in America.
Vera Lynn was a British national institution whose name was known by every member of the older generation and a great many much younger people. She died on the 18th
This is a frothy, light-hearted, witty intelligent and very entertaining film which also happens to be true. It concerns two characters. The first is Julie Powell who is a young
A study of a quartet of stellar classical musicians who, for twenty-five years have toured the world’s top musical venues as a harmonious, finely honed and perfected musical team but
Quartet is a feelgood film that can be seen on BBC One this Sunday (16 August 2020) at 10.30 pm with another opportunity to catch it on BBC Four on
Born in 1942, I now have time to enjoy life more widely and reflect on my experience, interests, and contemporary events.
My books (books I have edited) are primarily books of war poetry (mainly the First World War) and remembrance poems.
I also run a very popular war poetry website www.warpoetry.uk
