Wednesday, 25 December 2024

MUM'S WARDROBE AT CHRISTMAS... (Growing up in Shard End, Birmingham...)

 Mum’s Wardrobe At Christmas…



It had hidden depths.

Was it mahogany?

Dark and foreboding anyway.

Huge, heavy, hulking,

With a small key.

But I knew with certainty

Where some of my Christmas presents would be…


They were hidden beneath

A clothing miscellany.

Hands were fumbling anyway.

Quiet, quick, quaking,

New annuals to spy.

But I savoured the opportunity

Then withdrew hastily, quite nervous and spry…


Pete Ray


It was always the same. 


The ‘Roy of the Rovers’ annual, the ‘Charles Buchan’s Football Annual’ and the 'Dennis the Menace' annual would be bought by my parents some weeks before Christmas and I usually found them hidden in mum’s dark and huge wardrobe, when she had popped out to the shops in Shard End, Birmingham on Saturday mornings. 



I would check that they were still there at every opportunity.



Never though, would I peek inside. Just touch and hold them, before replacing them beneath the material and clothing at the bottom of the wardrobe. 



And still I showed surprise when the wrapped books were opened on Christmas morning…

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

CHRISTMAS TRUCE... (My poem for Christmas Day...)

 Christmas Truce…



A simple enough icon:

Carved hands gripped in strife’s peace,

Sleeves confirming an equality,

An understanding, a tension’s release…


A simple enough meaning:

Carved hands shake on a mere truce,

Grasp knowing the reality,

When the next shells will cut death loose…


Pete Ray



This memorial at the National Arboretum was special, for I believe that my paternal grandfather was posted to the region in December 1914, with the Royal Warwickshires. 



I have no idea whether he witnessed any of the handshakes, or the alleged football match…


I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO VISIT THE SITE OF WHAT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN WHERE THE IMPROMPTU SOCCER GAME TOOK PLACE.
I JUGGLED A BALL THERE...

The badge on the memorial’s British sleeve is a 

Royal Warwickshire emblem.


I never met either of my grandfathers… 

CHRISTMAS EVE... (My new poem about a Stanhope Forbes painting of Victorian Penzance...)

 Christmas Eve…

(From a painting of Penzance by Stanhope Forbes…)



The unmistakeable, grim church tower hovers beyond

Its interior, lit amber like fire, promising 

A warm welcome in a stone cold nave

To the congregation, milling in a narrow lane

Outside the Dock Inn, beneath a gaslight, glowing 

Orange too, matching the cosy warmth of firelight

Inside a dwelling opposite. And a band plays a seasonal

Carol, their brass tubas gleaming before the small audience.


A woman clutches at her shawl in a doorway, a fond

Memory dwelt upon perhaps, or simply reminiscing,

As solemn children listen and stoically behave.

An intrusive vendor sells his produce, maybe in vain

And the street’s short incline reveals folks going

About their lives, whilst a young housemaid, her apron white,

Converses with a sailor, his arms crossed, a personal

And perhaps covert moment, possibly illicit in essence…  


Pete Ray

23rd December 2024…     


The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897 and these days belongs to Brighton Art Gallery, although it was later damaged whilst being stored during WW2.


Funds were raised to conserve the piece… 

Monday, 23 December 2024

"FATHER CHRISTMAS IS ON THE ROOF..." (My poem about BEING Father Christmas...)

 “Father Christmas Is On the Roof…”



The red-suited, white-bearded Santa

Mounted a ladder onto a school’s roof;

He stepped cautiously across the gravelly asphalt,

Whilst the Headteacher remained quite aloof…


He peered through a long and narrow window

Into the school’s assembly hall below-

Agitated, as if puzzled or confused- then

He was spotted by the kids, row on row…


The pointing! The gasps! The yelling began!

The gesticulating Santa waved in vain;

“Father Christmas is on the roof!” the kids bellowed,

As his sack swung about under the strain…


The Headteacher and pupils then pointed the way

Towards the entrance to the school;

Santa acknowledged, then quickly disappeared to the ladder

And descended like a demented old fool…


In the safety of a classroom Santa stripped off his suit,

The school’s Site Manager took over the role;

He settled down quickly inside his grotto,

Whilst the imposter out into the chaos stole…


He had seen his daughters sitting in the hall,

They’d not recognised their Santa dad,

But excitedly told him that Father Christmas had been on the roof,

Leaving their dad feeling frustrated and sad…


I tell this tale now, for I was that Santa

And neither Lucy, nor Wendy then knew;

They had reacted in ignorance to my disguise

And simply hadn’t had a clue…


Pete Ray




My kids attended Bromford Infants’ School, Birmingham… The school is now known as Hodge Hill Primary.


The school’s caretaker had been ill and was unable to climb his long ladder to the roof, although being seated in his grotto was acceptable, so I was asked to cover his physical duties and do the roof bit.


It was strange to peer through the windows and see the children below, even spotting my two daughters but the race to get changed and act as if nothing had happened was hairy…


It’s what you do though…

Sunday, 22 December 2024

STONE OLD ALLEYNIANS 1-2 1874 NORTHWICH: THE MOWDOG'S INDEPENDENT REPORT + IMAGES WITH CAPTIONS...

 1874 Take A Narrow, If Deserved Win, As Inoffensive Stone Hang In There… 


Stone Old Alleynians 1-2 1874 Northwich


1874 CELEBRATE THEIR SECOND GOAL...

The Mowdog’s thoughts…


Bereft of much goalmouth action, this Midland League Premier fixture, played in grim, breezy conditions on Newcastle Town’s pitch, was often untidy, generally hurried and it lacked a good deal of guile.


However, for 1874 three points were taken further north to Cheshire, strengthening their position in the play-off spots but apart from two skied drives from downtown during the second period by 1874’s skipper Matt Fenton and defender Tom Morris, efforts at goal by both teams were certainly at a premium on the day.  


FENTON: STRONG THROWS, STRONG FREE-KICK GOAL, STRONG GAME....

Before opening the scoring in the closing moments of the first-half, 1874 had been the more adventurous outfit, with Chris McCann and Jacson Coppack looking to find telling passes in a midfield which looked as crowded as an M&S store on the Saturday before Christmas.


L TO R: TOMLINSON, MORRIS, MIKULSKI & FITZPATRICK...

Two early shots at goal by the guests were the best moments of the opening 45, Eden Bailey’s drive being smartly turned aside for a corner by diving home ‘keeper Jack Sandel, then another cross-shot, this time by left-wingback Liam Fitzpatrick seared across the face of goal and wide of the target. 


SANDEL: TWO USEFUL SAVES...

Josh Oultram, the bustling Northwich forward switched wings and was able to set up 1874’s first goal with some persistent dribbling on the left flank, as the recess whistle moved close. He outdid home skipper Sam Wilson, not the luxury homeware brand but the footballer, on the touchline and crossed low towards the far stick, where Amarn Robinson converted easily.  


Little had materialised on offense for Stone, bar a couple of neat flicks by tall central striker Jack Tomlinson and an awkward but tame headed effort by Wilson and thus the interval arrived in Lyme Valley and the temperature on the wall of the cycling track dropped conspicuously…


TOMLINSON: LACKED DECENT SERVICE...

The tussling second-half… 


Remarkably, during the opening quarter-hour of period two, the only moments worthy of note were the other two goals. Right at the start of the second-half, a free-kick was awarded to the visitors, 23 yards out and skipper and long-throw specialist Fenton stepped up to take it. His shot flew head-high to Sandel’s right and although the goalminder got his gloves to the ball, he was unable to stop it from bulging the net. 


1874 were seemingly well in control at that point but on the hour, home replacement Sam Bowater controlled a diagonal pass from the left-flank out on the right-wing. He ran forth and crossed the ball low into the 6 yard box where busy midfielder Jack Van Der Laan glanced the ball into the far corner of the net, leaving 1874 ‘keeper Michael Shorthouse helpless. This was a surprise, for despite the hard work put in by the goalscorer, Wilson and Josh Goodwin in midfield, the hosts had barely managed to threaten the visiting goal. 


SHORTHOUSE: LARGELY REDUNDANT...

The remaining half-hour was certainly a tussle but apart from a decent headed clearance by Fenton for 1874, it was Northwich who created three more chances to score, none of which were taken.


A LULL...

THIS LATE STONE FREE-KICK CAME TO NOUGHT...

Robinson, not often enough involved, cut sharply along the right byeline, swerved inside but shot into the side-netting, replacement Alfie Foy’s low shot was pushed away for a corner by the sprawling Sandel and finally, Fenton’s difficult header from beyond the same post also passed the wrong side of the vertical. 


The final words…


Some might say that 1874 made hard work of their victory but maybe credit ought to go to the way Stone set up to counter their visitors’ aspirations. Player-coach Luke Askey, Joe Baxter and Josh Sedgley defended with aplomb and negated much of Northwich’s well meaning creativity but subsequently, Fenton’s free-kick proved to be the difference.


OULTRAM WAS CAUTIONED WHEN HIS TEAM WAS AWARDED A VITAL FREE-KICK...

...FROM WHICH FENTON WOULD SCORE, DECISIVELY...

1874’s Mark Jones was sterling in defence for the guests, showing pace, initiative and anticipation throughout and he was ably assisted by the rangy Morris, whose aerial presence was often commanding.


WHICH WAY IS WEST?
WHO WOULD YOU BELIEVE?

OULTRAM: A PRESENCE...

However, Northwich striker Eden Bailey was a livewire throughout and contributed to a few counter-attacks by his team, as Alleynians looked to force an equaliser late on. 


A referee who seemed to make a few errors, as most of the players did too, might have offered a chance for Stone to snatch an undeserved late equaliser when he awarded the hosts a free-kick. Morris appeared to reach a loose ball first and cleared it, yet seemed to be fouled in the act but he was the one penalised and immediately cautioned. Fortunately for the official, the resulting free-kick came to nought…


INJURY = DRINKS BREAK...


Ah, consistency… 


That’s all players crave, surely?