Sketch of Liverpool

Chinese Arch in the Evening

Southport

There's a model railway you can't see
And the chips are far too greasy for me
You can't even swim in the sea
Southport's the place to be

If you're near Liverpool it's worth a trip
Just a few miles along the coast, if you're up for it
If you don't like the fairground then there's always Matalan
If you're looking for a bargain
And they've even got fancy trams
Southport is the classic seaside town

But if you like your entertainment more old school
Maybe try the teashops or the Bingo Hall
If you're lucky you might win a tenner
Southport doesn't get much better

And if you're looking for novelty, why not try
The Antiques Market or the Bring and Buy
They've got Darth Vader masks
And postcards of the past
Or if you get really stuck
There's a Lawnmower Museum that's hard to find
Whatever you like to do
Southport will keep you busy for an hour or two

Formby

wandering silently
today the sea is so noisy
it leaves its debris
scattered shells, shrapnel
washed up bits of broken machinery
all around my feet

a continuous conveyor belt
bringing in
all these obsolete jellyfish
masses of green wires
the seaweed
and some kind of seaworm
I carelessly avoid

beneath the heavy clouds
the sand darkens to a thick brown fudge
or a swiss roll
coating my feet
I'm trying not to stick

looking past
a horizon broken by charcoal buildings
ghosts of ships creep by
the city is not so far from here

Liverpool

Despite the bog
The Mersey stands
For when Liverpool was once
So great & grand
And now the Seagulls go wading through
Mud so thick
You could lose a hand
The smell is enough to put off
Even the most determined of bathers
Except frogs

Trauma

These people aren't here for fun
They don't get their kicks
From watching patients being operated on
They're not here to spread disease
Or to laugh at the O.A.P.'s
They're not here for the history,
The queues, or the hospitality
And they aren't looking for a bed for the night
They could be here for their medication
But they're definitely not here for the food, that's for certain
They're here for the trauma, that's all

Sketches of Manchester

Moss Side Millennium Green

N.I.A. Centre, Moss Side

Sketches of Manchester

Levenshulme train station in a hurry

People waiting in Piccadilly train station

Beside Messenger of Peace statue

Empty building On Rochdale Road

Sheep in Pendle

Night Scares

Thin and crispy clouds
Slice through the tomato peach sky
I hate those broccoli trees
Spiky silhouettes of mixed veg
Black against the farmland crust
Cabbage cows
In pizza town
My deep pan
Night-time
Night scares
Have taken their revenge

Rebound Diary Project