Poetry - July 2022

The Fish and Chip Train

Boarding an old steam locomotive
You can see and smell the coal
It really does feel like a bygone era
With the station all displaying vintage signs
There's a real sense of nostalgia
As we check in to get on board
We have a table to ourselves inside
Wooden panelling and much comfier seats
The table is number 23 and we have a view
Looking out over the Norfolk coast
The train starts to head off toward Holt
The fish and chips are served traditional
Proper white paper which unfolds
To reveal the gorgeous cod and chips inside
We get a drink from the bar
An ale to go with the chippy tea sounds good
Admiring the country and the coastline
Before slowing to arrive in Holt to change over
The steam loco negotiates the tracks
And before too long it's back on for dessert
A lovely sorbet to cool down the body inside
As another drink is has for us both
We had along the coast and can see the sea
It truly is a wonderful sight to behold
We both loved the experience so much
It was a perfect dose of the old and the new.

(Definitely can highly recommend the North Norfolk Railway's fish and chips dining trains, it's such a good experience, lovely trains, great food and friendly staff, and a perfectly good journey too. The fact it's fully booked the next few weeks says it all really.)

Calmness By The Sea

A lovely Wednesday afternoon
You'll find us both besides the sea
Relaxing on a nice soft beach
With the beach hut backdrop behind me
It seems so idyllic and relaxing
As we take in the sunshine today
A feeling that we're just enjoying it all
With a lovely warm beautiful day
The headphones are on and I have tunes
So I can kick back and relax with a coffee
Admiring the view we have before us
And having lunch with our picnic with glee
There's a sense of belonging here
With us just feeling so calm and chilled
It's definitely an enjoyable experience
And we were both calm and yet thrilled.

(Wells-next-the-Sea was a lovely relaxing place to be by the sea on a lovely beach. We loved it.)

Piering Over The Edge

Whenever I'm on a seaside pier
I always like to peer over the edge
To see the sand or the sea that's below
And realising how high the pier is as a ledge
I walk down the wooden floor
And see the bar with the theatre too
It's a good space to have a drink
And it's something I just like to do
The far end of this pier has a lifeboat station
With the boat ready to launch to sea
Saving lives when it is needed
And with the pier being in good company
I really like the feeling of walking
Above the sea and the sand below
It's peering over the edge to it all
Makes me feel so tall, I know.

(There's a lot to be said about walking along a seaside pier. The one in Cromer, with its lifeboat station at the end, was rather fetching.)

The Sides of Morris Dancers

Like a lot of things in life
Festivals had to be put on hold
And so when reaching Sheringham
There was a story that had to be told
Of how morris dancing sides would come
And show off their skills in the town
Meaning they once had a world record
As the High Street was closed down
The weekend would start with a parade
And sides dancing the Lifeboat Plain
Before heading to assembly points
And showing off their skills again
Whether it be the bands playing folk
Or throwing their sticks into the air
They danced all through the day
And they danced with skill and flair
It was a sight to see it all back
With the sides showing all types of clogs
And a sense that traditions die hard
As the families sat watching with their dogs
The Potty Festival was back in town
With a vengeance and a sense to roam
As the sides headed off into the evening
And families got the train back home.

(Hard to believe how popular the Potty Festival was with morris dancing sides, but there you go - shows just how sometimes these things work.)

Sleepy Cat Haiku

Brian on the sofa
Snuggled up to his Mummy
Having a good sleep.

(Brian the cat always loves a snuggle and sleep on the sofa. Always.)