TEMPLE BALSALL, WARWICKSHIRE, 31ST DECEMBER 2025... (BADGER SETTS, A FULL POND, REDWINGS, JACKDAWS & A LATE AFTERNOON SKY...)

 

STURMWIND... (My new poem inspired by Marianne von Werefkin's painting, completed during WW1...)

 Sturmwind…

(Inspired by Marianne von Werefkin’s painting, 

completed during World War I…)

Even the moon seems to be retreating, as the gale

Hurls its harsh wrath across the distant landscape 

And curls wintering branches into a blackened arch, where they wail

In the storm’s ravages, like the maimed weep in no man’s land, with no means of escape.

Even the folks lean too, round-shouldered into the violence blustered.

Heading for the sanctuary of a café they trudge, like troops heading for respite

Beyond the reserve trenches, where some semblance of sanity could be mustered

And memories of the slaughtered, the wounded and the insane might fade into the night…

Pete Ray…

30th December 2025…

The vivid colour of the welcoming café is at odds with the stark and wild darkness of the distant landscape.

The painting was completed during World War I and I couldn’t help likening the storm to the war, the bleak background to no man’s land and the café to some estaminet well behind the lines, for resting infantrymen to recharge their mental capacities.

An unlikely outcome, I would suggest… 

  

A WINTER'S DAY... (My new poem inspired by Emma Haworth's painting...)

 A Winter’s Day…

(Inspired by Emma Haworth’s fine painting…)

It looks cold, as the bright morning lures walkers and a fox to the field, 

The brightness stark between a myriad of sketchy trees;

Birds soar above a child upon a sledge and a bicycle really is being pushed,

As more birds perch upon bushes with thin coatings of white

And a sett in the foreground lies hidden from sight…

It seems cold, as the drab afternoon greys are soon revealed,

The pallid snow stark as the field dulls and begins to freeze;

 A few folks with dogs, a fox and a few birds linger in the hushed

Scene, sunless and curiously dusky, in the waning winter light

And the sett in the foreground remains hidden from sight…

It feels cold, as the dark evening stirs other life forms to yield,

As a crescent moon curls above a silent herd of deer and a pheasant, seemingly at ease,

Grazing upon patches of green, quite comfortable and clearly not rushed,

As owls perch like snipers from branches, 

threatening predatory flight

And the sett in the foreground shows badgers, almost in plain sight…

   

Pete Ray…

29th December 2025… 

A neat idea to paint change during a winter’s day…

THE KNOCKER UP... (My new poem inspired by a Steven Scholes painting...)

 The Knocker Up…

(Inspired by Steven Scholes’ painting…)

It’s the shine on the pavement, the cobbles on the road 

Bereft of parked cars and clutter and refuse.

It’s the factories and the smoking stack and the hinted industrial furore.

It’s the chemical sky, its clouds yellowish and curious.

It’s the milkman’s horse and cart and his deliveries placed

Of pints from a dairy upon doorsteps scrubbed scrupulously clean.

It’s the cyclist at his ease and the reflections in the horse road clear and serene,

But mainly it’s the knocker-up, patiently and upwardly faced,

Rapping his pole upon a bedroom window, an alarm, a raucous,

Rude awakening for slumbering workers, offering no excuse  

For their tardiness and thus rile their superiors to admonish and goad…   

Pete Ray…

28th December 2025… 

Wanted to put 'superiors' in inverted commas...

We all look similar whilst sitting in the loo, after all…

Love the painting, the idea, the fascination and the shoving of my mind back to the 1950s… 

COVENTRY COLLIERY 6-0 LEAMINGTON HIBS: THE INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT + IMAGES WITH CAPTIONS...

 Plucky Hibs Take A Beating From The Miners…

Coventry Colliery 6-0 Leamington Hibs…

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

This was a comprehensive victory for Colliery and yet during some periods of the game, Hibs competed very well, although in truth the number of goal attempts favoured the hosts totally.

Had it not been for a display of defensive heroism by Hibs’ Aaron Sahota, Leamington might have been worse off but there were also inventive performances by the lively Brad Bailey and the tricky Robbie Willden for the visitors to savour afterwards. Others worked so hard and goalie Roddy Attwood made several saves but he was often left exposed and with Ty Wilson hovering, Colliery capitalised brutally.

Indeed, Wilson notched a trio of goals, two of them assisted by rather weak moments of defending but his overall performance was commanding as a central striker. Both full-backs, Ben Roberts and Cam Welch were offensively astute and caused problems for Hibs’ often overworked rearguard. The performance of midfielder Jacob Dodds was notable but the second period replacements really did have an impact.

Patrick Ward was industrious and neat with his passing, Callum Morris influenced the game from the left touchline and Edgars Nikolajevs busied himself. However, right-sided forward Cayden Pedley was a particularly bright light, netting goal four and assisting for goal five, as he formed a smart partnership with Roberts.

The early goal by Wilson had been followed by a well contested opening period but two more goals prior to the recess had seemingly killed off Hibs. However, they competed well enough for a while after the break, only to concede three more goals and demoralise themselves further. 

The attacking contributions by Hibs…

Certainly home defenders Jamie Tiff and Joe Wright had work to do, as Willden and Bailey attempted to provide for Aaron 

Francis in particular before the interval but Francis drove a shot too high and then skewed an awkward low right-booted centre from the left across the face of goal but no-one was on hand to convert the opportunity.

Late in the second-half, replacements Paul Bracken and Kallum Blake made a shot each but Bracken’s flew wide and Blake’s was saved at his right post by the sprawling home gloveman Nathan Pearce, who showed some neat moves with the ball at his feet during the second forty-five…

The Colliery’s offensive shift…

Before the break for a cold stroll to the locker rooms, the hosts had not only netted three times but had almost taken the lead in the opening moments. Jason Evans scampered away on the right and stroked a low centre across the face of Attwood’s goal before the goalminder dived left to palm aside a drive from downtown by Jack Low.

ATTWOOD SAVES FROM LOW...

Goal one stemmed from when Evans was released at inside-right by Wilson, who followed up, so that when Evans was closed down, Wilson was free to strike his colleague’s pass first-time from just outside the penalty-box but although there was  not much power in his low shot, Attwood’s dive and grab failed and the ball squirmed into the net at the right pole.   

GOAL ONE FROM WILSON (FAR LEFT) SQUEEZES PAST ATTWOOD...

Roberts’ left-flank corner was somehow scrambled away from the Hibs’ goal-line, Wilson’s next shot was deflected into the path of Low, whose rebound struck Attwood’s legs and the loose ball fell to Wilson but his hurried attempt was gathered by the recovering goalkeeper.

Goal two was scored from Roberts’ right-side corner, which reached the far side of goal and was batted back across goal and into the net by Wright’s powerful header.  

WRIGHT'S HEADER...

...CRASHES INTO THE NET...

Goal three originated from Wilson’s head-on for Evans to break onto at inside-left, which saw Attwood advance from his goal and block the striker’s effort with his thrusting legs. But the loose ball rolled right for Low to convert, just minutes after he had sliced an effort wide of the target, to his dismay… 

LOW STRETCHES TO SCORE...

After the return from the changing quarters, the ever so quiet Bryan Badu-Wa-Badu lifted a shot too high, Attwood saved Low’s shot on the turn, then pushed a decent effort by Dodds behind for a corner but eventually, the hosts settled the outcome.

Morris released Welch for a rush on the left, whose low centre was slightly deflected across the goalmouth by Hibs’ covering Francis and there was Pedley to shoot in from close-range at the far stick. 

PEDLEY CONVERTS AT THE FAR POST...

Somehow, Morris skewed wide with the outside of his left boot with only Attwood to beat and although he thought he had been offside, he then looked down at his left boot and accused it of being terribly selfish…

Four became five, when fine midfield play by Ward saw him play an astute pass wide right for the receptive Pedley to move onto and the forward’s low cross was smartly converted at the far upright by Wilson’s rising left-footer.

WILSON, FAR LEFT, HAS NABBED GOAL FIVE...

An error in the Hibs’ defence was the assist for goal six, the ball falling at Wilson’s feet and I was lucky to press the ‘record’ button on my camera, just in time to capture the tall striker punishing the mistake by lifting a shot over the helpless Attwood from 12 yards, inside-right… It would have been awful had I not filmed that! 

WILSON COMPLETES HIS HAT-TRICK...

There was still time for Attwood to turn a Morris shot past his right post and as the game expired, Welch’s acrobatic shot flew off target, from yet another fine Roberts corner.

The final words…

This match had been my first for many weeks, having become disenchanted with the generally poor response to my match coverage. I had felt that the hours of work involved to produce it all had not really been worthwhile…

So, it was good to return to soccer again and subsequently, I shall probably watch the occasional game…

Thanks to Colliery’s staff for the fab welcome and also to the Hibs folks, who managed to access the two teamsheets for me and also helped me to decode Leamington’s..! 

It really was cold, though…

IMAGES FROM THE GAME...

NOT CELEBRATING A GOAL...

CAUTION FOR COLLIERY SUB. CAWLEY...

CELEBRATING A GOAL...

EVANS: A LIVLEY FIRST PERIOD FOR COVENTRY...

FRANCIS WAITS TO START HALF 2...

JUBILANT COLLIERY...

DESERVED CAUTION FOR THE INDUSTRIOUS HOME SKIPPER, REGAN...

AN EARLY INJURY FOR HIBS TO DEAL WITH...

WILSON: "I WILL KICK OFF, I WILL BE GOOD & I WILL SCORE A HAT-TRICK..."
HE DID, TOO...

THE TOSS...