Malcolm tells a story about the Duke of Buccleuch ...

After Dark Horses in Marmion's Brasserie, I was ready for midnight bumpers of fiery red - 

I sat on the balcony with Malcolm and Angie - 

Angie wore a green dress - 

Below us, the wynd was filled with shadow - 

Pale stars sashayed across the sky - 

An amiable labrador nuzzled my knees -

The warm night wind carried dreams across the rooftops - 

Malcolm and I shared memories of Stellenbosch - 

Angie told me how she'd met Malcolm at the Melrose Ball - 

I held a heel tap to my lips - 

The duke sat in the back of the Land Rover Malcolm said - with a Rembrandt between his knees -  

01.00

Thursday 2 July 2015

The Old Grocery

Melrose 

Far from the Madding Crowd ...

Nellecke steered the sleek landship down the twisting driveway - 

On her wrist, Nellecke had written in biro - M3, M25 and M20 - 

Peter sat in the front passenger seat like the navigator in a superfortress - 

Soon they would be overtaking flimsy Skodas - 

I would miss our evenings, sipping Spitfires whilst we watched a movie - 

Last night, we watched Schlesinger's Far from the Madding Crowd -  

We'd visited Max Gate that morning - 

Everything always goes wrong in Thomas Hardy's books Anne said - 

Girls go to the wrong churches - letters aren't read - 

She glared at Sergeant Troy - 

Why Bathsheeba, why? she sighed - 

12.00

Sunday 2 July 2015

Corfe Mullen

Fantastic universes ...

Whilst Nellecke toyed with a frayed boater, I skimmed a bizarre story in Fantastic Universe - 

The foxed pulp skulked between an Agatha Christie and a Sax Rohmer - 

The front cover of the mag depicted a 1950s cyborg smoking a Lucky Strike - 

I remembered reading copies of New Worlds Science Fiction when I was fourteen years old - 

I looked out for domed cities on the moon - rockets flew across the sky - 

Each page I read filled my soul with unease and wonder - 

My dad might drive his Vauxhall Viva into a parallel world - 

Jerry Cornelius might board the Gosport Ferry - 

12,00

Saturday 1 August 2015

Dorset Curiosity Centre 

Dorchester

My swimming costume and towel like sad flags ...

I listened to Union City Blue in the red wounded shark - 

Debbie Harry was singing in the dark heavens - I was wearing sunglasses - 

The travellers had left, leaving two hares carved out of oak - 

Earlier, I'd swum in the cold sea - 

Nellecke, Peter and Anne lay upon the crowded sands - 

You darted in like an otter Anne said - 

Back home, my towel and swimming costume hung upon the washing line like sad flags  - 

16.57

Friday 31 July 2015

Studland 

East Stoke

Dorset 

The chained library ...

The library was like Barquentine's study - 

Immense volumes were leashed by slender chains to cobwebbed shelves - 

We'd climbed a winding stair of twenty six steps - 

Below us were stones inscribed with the precious names of sons and daughters -

Words lay still as crusaders upon dark pages - 

12.00

Thursday 30 July 2015

The Chained Library

Winborne Minster

Wimborne

Dorset

 

Bold menus in Winchester ...

Bold menus are opened around the table in Prezzos - 

Sophie smiles her wise dazzling smile - 

Earlier, I heard Evensong in the Cathedral - 

Peter listened rapt to the beautiful ancient words - 

Nellecke searched for Jane Austen's tomb - 

We drank halves of Alfred In The Old Vine - 

I remembered a wild summer when a girl blew smoke into my mouth - 

19.30

Wednesday 30 July 2015

Winchester 

Watching The Theory of Everything ...

Last night we watched The Theory of Everything with Peter and Nellecke - 

They will be staying with us this week - 

Peter wore a shirt with splendid stripes - 

Nellecke gave me a book about Venice -  

I gazed at Bellini's portrait of the Doge - 

On the screen, Stephen Hawking wept in his wheelchair - 

We ate a take away curry from the Rajpoot Tandori - 

I remembered how my mum had clasped my hand - 

Will we be seeing you soon ? she'd asked - 

19.00

Tuesday July 29 2015

The Old School House

East Stoke 

Dorset