'Winter', a Special Solstice eBook

Shingle Street, looking inland from the Suffolk coast (taken 17 Dec. 2023)

 

May I wish you all 

a happy Christmas 

and a productive New Year.

 

Mark Davidson, editor at The Hedgehog Poetry Press, has brought out the fourth in his seasonal Stickleback eBooks. Winter is published today to coincide with the Solstice. The anthology contains ten poems, including my 'Christmas Questions'. You can download a free copy here. 

P.S. My previous post concerns two international anthologies, one from Romania and the other from the USA. Do take a look here. My poetry collection, Driftwood by Starlight (The Seventh Quarry Press) can be ordered here. 

Nativity scene from St Peter and St Paul, Peasmarsh

 

Christmas Anthology

It may be a bit soon to be mentioning the 'C' word while we are still in October, but members of the Association of Christian Writers have just brought out this anthology of stories, poems and reflections about the true meaning of Christmas. I am delighted to have a poem in the volume. 

'Towards the Light' Poetry Anthology - Readings Update

Forthcoming events at which I hope to be reading my Christmas Truce poem from this anthology ...

1. Thursday 8th November, evening - Quay Place (Ipswich)
2. Saturday 10th November 2018 at 2.30 pm - The Minories Gallery (Colchester). This is part of an exhibition exploring aspects of the War and the Home Front in Colchester. On at the same time is an exhibition at Firstsite entitled 'Not Yet at Ease', depicting the history of psychological disorders resulting from conflict and the stigma attached to them.

On the subject of Remembrance, I am due to judge a poetry competition for those who live or attend educational establishments in the (ecclesiastical and civil) parish in which I live.

Review of 'Towards The Light' in The London Grip

There is a detailed review by Thomas Ovans of Towards the Light over on The London Grip site today. As Ovans mentions, my poem, 'Et in terra pax', concerns the 1914 Christmas Truce. It was inspired in part by the stained glass window in the Chapel at Loretto School. 

Christmas Greetings

(My thanks to David for posing)

...And if you do, this next photo shows the scene that awaits you on the inside of Tranmer House (at Sutton Hoo)...

Mouse inside Tranmer House, home of Mrs Pretty on the Sutton Hoo estate.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...'

Clement Clarke Moore 

You might like to click here to see the sheep Tranmer House. 

Snow, Suffolk, December 2017

Seasonal Greetings from Suffolk ...

 Happy Christmas!

Shepherd's Hut at Sutton Hoo

Seasonal Splash: Christmas Greetings

For our friends in Wales and everywhere! (Feature here)

Seasonal Splash (5): Deck the Halls . . .

Christmas preparations: mince pie-making, 2009

Sadly the scene above is one from last year!

I wonder if you have read 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' by Dylan Thomas. I love the illustrations by Edward Ardizzone in my copy. The descriptions are extraordinary: Dylan speaks of 'slap-dashing home' through the 'gravy smell of the dinners of others', with 'the pudding and the mince, coiling up' to his nostrils!

P.S. Steven of The Golden Fish posted a wonderful James Joyce description last year of the rich and regimented fare of Christmas Past: do take a look, and keep an eye open for the seasonal painting at the end of the post while you are there. Enjoy!

... Oh, and in case you are wondering why there is no holly here (after my title), please click this link! 

You might also like:

• Christmas decorations at The Lost Fort

Publications (4): Poem of the Month - and others

A dram, used in the coalfields of South Wales

I was surprised and delighted last night to receive an email, informing me that my poem, 'Elegy for Idris Davies', has been voted Poem of the Month by Anne Stewart on the SecondLightLive web page. This poem was published by Peter Thabit Jones in The Seventh Quarry. You can read it here.

More locally, three of my poems have just appeared in our Poetry Group's Christmas anthology, 'Tuesday Poetry', produced by Jean Salkilld. My poems are about (1) Christmas, (2) the rose-red city of Petra and (3) winter at the Westonbirt Arboretum.

Further reading

• Biography: Idris Davies
• Westonbirt Arboretum

Seasonal Spotlight (4): Christmas Greetings!

'And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night...'
Luke 2:8

Happy Christmas!
Nadolig Llawen!

Snowy hillside near Hay on Wye, Wales, UK

• The nation's favourite Christmas carol
• Vote for a favourite Christmas carol here
  

Seasonal Spotlight (3): Mince Pies and Dylan Thomas

Yesterday,
A Mince Pie Afternoon

(Do please let us know if you bake special biscuits, cookies or cakes at this time of year!)

I wonder if you have read 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' by Dylan Thomas. I love the illustrations in my copy by Edward Ardizzone. The descriptions are wonderful: why not add a pinch of the following to your Christmas reading recipes:

'Then I would be slap-dashing home,
the gravy smell of the dinners of others,
... the pudding and mince, coiling up to my nostrils,
when out of a snow-clogged side lane
would come a boy the spit of myself...'

Dylan Thomas

P.S. Steven of The Golden Fish has posted a wonderful James Joyce description of the rich and regimented fare of Christmas Past: do take a look, and keep an eye open for the wonderful seasonal painting at the end of the post while you are there!