THE BACON RINDS, THE BUDGIE & THE WALK IN THE PARK...

The Bacon Rinds, The Budgie & The Walk In the Park

Nan held my hand and walked me through Ward End park,

Down the grassy slope to the edge of the lake;

I’d maybe throw some bread crusts to the ducks,

Which squabbled and grabbed whatever they could take…

Exiting opposite Drews Lane, Nan walked me on

To a house maybe in Ward End Park Road,

Where she would collect ‘Christmas Club’ money,

Which would lighten the next Yuletide load…

I remember this particularly, despite being only six

Because the chap there would chew bacon rind

And the sitting-room seemed dark and dull to me

But harboured a fear of a different kind…

An annoying budgie flew free in the room

And would flutter and flap round my ears,

Then land with the guile of a raptor

On the man’s scalp which heightened my fears…

Bacon rind, budgies and Ward End Park

Were thus on my mind indelibly burned,

But now I really love bacon, I once had a budgie

And sixty years later to the Park I returned… 

Pete Ray

January 2017

The above was true.

Nan ran a club for acquaintances, whereby she collected a small amount of cash from them each week and of course this mounted up over the year and Nan would reimburse the ‘clients’ before Christmas. 

I presume my Nan took a small proportion of the cash as payment for running the club! 

The old chap in the sitting-room I can recall still, chewing bacon rind with the abominable budgie perched and watchful upon his head…

ME, AGED 6...

THE NAN IN THE POEM...

THE SAME NAN IN BOURNEMOUTH...

NOT TREKKING THROUGH THE PARK BUT TRIKE-ING DOWN THE STREET... 

HISTORY: OLD SHOT OF THE BOATING LAKE...

JANUARY 5TH, WARD END PARK AND THE GRASSY SLOPE...

WHERE NAN WOULD WALK ME...

HISTORY: LESS WOODEN A LONG TIME AGO...

HISTORY: THE GRASSY AREA...

HISTORY: THE POOL BEING DUG...

NEAT SHOT...

PARTLY FROZEN...

BLACK HEADED GULL SKATERS...

TARGET FOR STONE THE CROWS?

VERY WOODED AROUND THE POOL THESE DAYS...

ICY...

GULLS FLY...

LEAFY HILLSIDE...

OLD BOATHOUSE END...

CROW & GULLS...