It is lovely to be posting from the Red Shed again. It’s been about 5 months since posting this blog about Langston Hughes. I took a lot of shit from online trolls and commenters about being anti-racist. I’ll write more about that in the next few weeks. That felt frightening and, while I carried on… Read More Poetry: Once in a Lifetime, Snow – by Les Murray
I am furious. I don’t get overly passionate about too many things. But furious I am about the police brutality that killed George Floyd, whose murder has come to represent the visceral, violent, deathly intent behind racism. His is one story which is not an anomaly. A racism, an anti-black racism, that is not only… Read More Poetry: Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes
In the spirit of the good weather at the Red Shed, it was time for a summery poem! ‘Sumer is Icumen In’ is a mid-thirteenth century poem written in Middle English. It is sometimes known as the Cuckoo Song. This translation is by Bella Millett. Hope you’re keeping well. I’ve been busy-ish this last few… Read More Poetry: Sumer is Icumen In
This is a really beautiful piece of music originally recorded by the American group Bread in 1971. This version has lead vocals by Michael Connolly and backing from Patrick and Lorraine. It’s a lovely piece. Have a great day whenever you listen to this! Patrick xo
It’s a day, threatening to be an entire weekend, of high winds across Ireland. Ironically, it’s not that wet and not that cold, though hardly tropical in any sense! After a week of wading slowly through the treacle of wanting to write lots of good academic work, I’m glad it’s the weekend and soon time… Read More Poetry: Wind by Ted Hughes
In place of our recent run of music videos on a Sunday is something not too far away: the lyrics of ‘Fine & Mellow’ by Billie Holiday presented as a poem. It’s a piece full of heart, full of self-awareness and low in expectation of the fleeting nature of love. We’ve also got face masks,… Read More Poetry: Fine and Mellow by Billie Holiday
Look, nobody is saying this is a happy poem about a happy subject. Wilfred Owen is a First World War poet. He is also the writer who left a very visual written legacy of what it was like to be in the War and to witness your colleagues falling around you. In this poem, he… Read More Poetry: Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen
Today’s Red Shed video steps away from the world of music and poetry for a moment to concentrate on my love of crafts and quilts. Those of you who also follow my blog over at ManQuilt.com will know all about that! I make anywhere from 5-10 quilts a year. This particular one, Lexie’s Quilt, has… Read More Quilting: Lexie’s Quilt
We recorded these songs with Éiscara maybe 7 or 8 years ago and each of them has a bit of a special place. None more so than ‘On We Go’. We had a laugh recording this and funnily enough, I think that spirit infuses the song with a bit of special magic. I hope you… Read More Music: On We Go by Éiscara
In today’s Red Shed episode, we have my very faded blue hair, garden things, no apologies to Americans for saying ‘courgettes’, ‘hhhherbs’, ‘oh-ray-gah-no’ and Donald Trump. Full parish newsletter (back to normal, or feck normal until vaccination?) plus a short poem from Mark Twain. Sure you couldn’t ask for more. Well, you could, but you’re… Read More Poetry: Warm Summer Sun by Mark Twain
