Sharville Christmas NewsPoem 2022
I need a cup of tea, and so I've made it.
I'd written this already - but mislaid it.
The scraps of paper must have gone, I guess,
To be recycled with our other mess.
And I have no idea what I wrote
(Awaiting disembarking from the boat
On which we had our holidays - more later),
Without the laptop's rhyme facilitator...
To start with, Covid 19 still in thrall,
Saw gigs postponed, much misery for all.
Though Fascinating Aida, Alaw,
And our orchestra, the BBC NOW,
Did go ahead; such joy it brought us when
We picked up live performances again.
We were at Scala Radio's birthday do,
Lovely to meet Charles Nove, Penny Smith too.
Covid did get us both, but not too badly,
But meant we missed a trip to Plymouth, sadly.
A
train ride for Ruth's birthday,
to the sea
Involved fish, chips and cider, then cream tea!
Our planned trip to New Zealand could not be.
The Women's World Cup went ahead, and we
Were not allowed to travel. But we still
Of cricket had a more than generous fill!
For Gloucestershire it wasn't their best season
Though winning's great, it isn't the sole reason
We love to go; a day at cricket lends
Great batting,
wickets,
cider, and good friends.
We
froze when at Northampton, though we saw
Some dearest friends, and
a great game (a draw,
But an exciting one... yes, honestly,
A draw can be exciting, believe me)!
In
Canterbury we were treated to
A
hat-trick by Tom Price, fast bowler, who
Has just begun his cricketing career.
Just don't forget that name. You saw it here!
Things did improve for Gloucestershire. They won
Their last two games, but after a poor run
With no wins, they'll play in Division Two
Next season. But we'll still enjoy the view!
Ruth met and had a
photo with young Tom
And
Captain Graeme, and a legend from
The county's past:
Mike Procter. These days, he
Fund-raises for his children's charity.
The Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham
Brought Women's cricket into the programme.
We went for two days, loved it, and while there
So back to music. Do you recall Focus,
The Dutch Prog Rockers, who did "Hocus Pocus"
Back in the Seventies? Well, they're still rocking!
(And seemingly immune to time's tick-tocking...)
Add Steeleye Span and Gryphon to the list,
And comedy that just could not be missed:
Joe Lycett, Andy Zaltzman and the great
Bill Bailey. He's a genius. No debate!
We went for the first time to a Convention -
The Comic Con in London. The intention
Was meeting Star Trek's "Trip" - Connor Trinneer.
We did. He's lovely. Ruth's photo is here!
As well as our Northampton friends, we saw
Long-standing friends of Ruth's from way before
Adrian was on the scene. Some she'd seen never
Since leaving school. We must not lose touch ever!
And when The Queen died, we were on our way
To watch a live stream of a Shakespeare play -
Much Ado About Nothing - with our friend.
We wondered if they'd cancel. In the end
The show went on. The National Theatre
Decided that to go ahead was better
In honour of their Royal Patron, who
They felt would not have wanted much ado...
All's Well that Ends Well – that we also saw
In Stratford-upon-Avon. Furthermore
James Taylor sang in Birmingham, but though
We loved it, he's now past his best, we know...
So to our holiday. A river cruise
Along the Rhine, Main, and the Danube. Booze
Came all included, as did each excursion.
We really didn't need too much coercion!
We saw great castles, cities, scenery,
Cathedrals, views, all steeped in history.
We heard great music, ate more than we'd need,
And watched the world go by at gentle speed.
To come, we've Upstart Crow and Bellowhead
Some Christmas lights in Cardiff, and Ade Ed-
Mondson in “Christmas Carol”. Then (all cheer)
A Christmas Cricket cruise concludes our year!
We sometimes wish that other parts of life
Would move at gentle speed. Chaos is rife
As I am writing. Where will we be when
I'm writing next years news for you? Till then
Whatever happens, you, our friends, mean more
To us than you can ever know. Be sure
That you are welcome any time - just ask.
And there is no requirement for a mask!
Keep warm, keep safe, and keep sane within reason,
And have a lovely light-filled Christmas Season.
Then may we see some hope, joy and good cheer,
As we move in to yet another year.
