Poem - Trebetherick (John Betjeman)

In this, the last in our series of John Betjeman poems, Betjeman writes about Trebetherick, in his beloved Cornwall. Here he recalls childhood friends with whom he played on the beach, as they caught the wreckage washed up by the incoming tide.

Trebetherick

We used to picnic where the thrift
Grew deep and tufted to the edge;
We saw the yellow foam-flakes drift
In trembling sponges on the ledge
Below us, till the wind would lift
Them up the cliff and o'er the hedge.
Sand in the sandwiches, wasps in the tea,
Sun on our bathing-dresses heavy with the wet,
Squelch of the bladder-wrack waiting for the sea,
Fleas round the tamarisk, an early cigarette.
From where the coastguard houses stood
One used to see, below the hill,
The lichened branches of a wood
In summer silver-cool and still;
And there the Shade of Evil could
Stretch out at us from Shilla Mill.
Thick with sloe and blackberry, uneven in the light,
Lonely ran the hedge, the heavy meadow was remote,
The oldest part of Cornwall was the wood as black as night,
And the pheasant and the rabbit lay torn open at the throat.
But when a storm was at its height,
And feathery slate was black in rain,
And tamarisks were hung with light
And golden sand was brown again,
Spring tide and blizzard would unite
And sea came flooding up the lane.
Waves full of treasure then were roaring up the beach,
Ropes round our mackintoshes, waders warm and dry,
We waited for the wreckage to come swirling into reach,
Ralph, Vasey, Alistair, Biddy, John and I.
Then roller into roller curled
And thundered down the rocky bay,
And we were in a water world
Of rain and blizzard, sea and spray,
And one against the other hurled
We struggled round to Greenaway.
Blessed be St Enodoc, blessed be the wave,
Blessed be the springy turf, we pray, pray to thee,
Ask for our children all the happy days you gave
To Ralph, Vasey, Alastair, Biddy, John and me.

From 'A Ring Of Bells'.
John Betjeman

Food For Thought

Germany: The Melander Family of Bargtcheide

Food expenditure for one week 375.39 Euros or $500.07

Favourite foods: fried potatoes with onions, bacon and

herring, fried noodles with egg and cheese, pizza,

vanilla pudding.

United States: The Revis Family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week $341.98
Favourite foods: Spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken

Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City
Food expenditure for one week 37,699 Yen $317.25
Favourite foods: sashimi. fruit, cake,potato chips

Italy: The Manzo Family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week 214.36 Euros $260.11
Favourite foods: fish, pasta with Ragu, hot dogs frozen
fish sticks.

Great Britain: The Bainton Family of Clingbourne Ducis
Food expenditure for one week 155.54 British Pounds $253.15
Favouite Food: avocado, mayonaise sandwich prawn cocktail,
chocolate Fudge cake.


Kuwait: The Al Haggan Family of Kuwait City
Food expenditure for one week 63.63 Dinar $221.45
Favouite food: chicken, biryani with basmati rice

Mexico: The Casales Family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos $189.09
Favourite food: pizza, crab, pasta, chicken

China: The Dong Family of Beijing
Food expenditure for one week 1233.76 Yuan $155.06
Favourite food: fried shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce

Poland: The Sobczynscy Family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week 582.48 Zlotys $151.27
Favouite food: pigs knuckles with carrots, celery and parsnips

United States: The Caven Family of California
Food expenditure for one week £159.18
Favouite food: beef stew, berry yogurt sundae,
clam chowder and ice cream

Egypt: The Ahmed Family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week 387.85 Egyptian Pounds $68.53
Favourite food: okra and mutton

Mongolia: The Batsuuri Family of Ulaanbaatar
Food expenditure for one week: 41,985.85 $40.02
Favourite food: mutton dumplings

Ecuador: The Ayme Family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week $31.55
Favouite food: potato soup with cabbage

Bhutan: The Namgay Family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week 224.93 Ngultrum $5.03
Favourite food: mushroom, cheese and pork

Chad: The Aboubaker Family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
Favourite food: soup with fresh sheep meat

The Piano

A very senior couple, Fran and Marlo Cowan, walked into the lobby of the Mayo Clinic and spotted a piano. They proceeded to give an impromptu recital. They've been married for 62 years, and he turned 90 in February. It really is all about having the right attitude. Enjoy!

Incidentally, the piece they play is called 'Old Grey Bonnet'

This really is worth watching, click on the video link below:


http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4365716

Proof That There Is Life After Death

Subject: Spooked at the museum??

Thought For Today

Conservatives say teaching sex education in the public schools will promote promiscuity. With our education system? If we promote promiscuity the same way we promote maths or science, they've got nothing to worry about.
Beverly Mickens