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Our guest today is writer Ralph Dartford who works for the National Literacy Trust and is the poetry editor of literary journal Northern Gravy. Ralph kindly made the journey from Bradford to the Lockwood residence in Sheffield, and we settled down in my living room with mugs of tea and a plate of biscuits, surrounded by books and looked down upon by at least three pictures of Larkin. Ralph also co-organises the fantastic Louder Than Words festival that takes place in Manchester every autumn, and is a celebration of writing about music. They gather together amazing writers, broadcasters and musicians to discuss, explore and debate all things music and music industry related. I hope we will continue to see Ralph at more PLS events.Larkin poems mentioned:The Whitsun Weddings, Dockery and Son, Mr Bleaney, For Sidney Bechet, High Windows, Cut Grass, To The Sea, MCMXIV, Here, BroadcastAll What Jazz: A Record Diary 1961-1971 (1985) by Philip LarkinThe Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse - ed. Philip Larkin (1973) I am happy to see Mr. Larkin's taste in poetry and my own are in agreement ... I congratulate him most warmly on his achievement. - W. H. Auden, The GuardianPoets/writers/musicians mentioned by RalphKae Tempest, Joelle Taylor, Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney, Vicky Foster, Steve Ely, Chris Jones, Ian Parks, John Betjeman, John Cooper Clarke, John Hegley, Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Michael Stewart, Blake Morrison, Count Basie, John Coltrane, Sidney Bechet, Alan Bennett, Stewart Lee, David Quantick, Ray Davis, Blur, Van Morrison, Hang Clouds, Evelyn Glennie, Kingsley Amis, Andrea Dunbar, Helen MortOther references:Adlestrop (1914) by Edward Thomas https://www.edwardthomaspoetryplaces.com/post/adlestropArthur Scargill: “Arthur Scargill, the miners' leader and socialist, once told The Sunday Times, ‘My father still reads the dictionary every day. He says your life depends on your power to master words.” Martin H. Manser, The Penguin Writer's ManualBob Monkhouse https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/dec/30/guardianobituaries.artsobituariesLongbarrow Press https://longbarrowpress.com/Valley Press https://www.valleypressuk.com/Kes (1968) by Barry HinesRalph is Poetry Editor for Northern Gravy https://northerngravy.com/Ralph reads Geese and England's Dreaming from House Anthems https://www.valleypressuk.com/shop/p/house-anthemsGareth Southgate https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57816651 Simon Armitage Larkin Revisited Radio 4 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m0019yy2Nick Cave- Honorary Vice President for the Philip Larkin Society- Desert Island Discs https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027cglLyn's English teacher 1982-1989 https://petercochran.wordpress.com/remembering-peter/The Ted Hughes Network https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/tedhughes/James Underwood https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/early-larkin-9781350197121/Albums mentioned:OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead , Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) and The White Album (1968) by The Beatles, Park Life (1994) by BlurSummertime in England by Van Morrison https://www.vice.com/en/article/summertime-in-england-a-monologue-on-van-morrison/Events:https://louderthanwordsfest.com/"My Friend Monica": Remembering Philip Larkin's Partner Monica JonesSat 22 Mar 2025 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Ken Edwards Lecture Theatre 2, University of Leicester, LE1 7RHhttps://www.tickettailor.com/events/literaryleicester/1538331A celebration marking 70 years of Philip Larkin's 'The Less Deceived'For World Poetry Dayhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-celebration-marking-70-years-of-philip-larkins-the-less-deceived-tickets-1235639173029?aff=oddtdtcreatorProduced by Lyn Lockwood and Gavin HoggPlease email Lyn at plsdeputychair@gmail.com with any questions or commentsPLS Membership, events, merchandise and information: philiplarkin.com
Last year The Reader Podcast visited Prospect Park, a psychiatric hospital in Berkshire, to learn more about the 14 year partnership they have built with The Reader. This partnership, powered by the energy and dedication of the Reader in Residence, Sue Colbourn, and the support and belief of the hospital's brilliant staff, has resulted in countless stories that demonstrate how Shared Reading has been a powerful force for good in the lives of both the patients and the health practitioners who care for them. Prospect Park Hospital Partnering with The Reader The Reader Podcast – previous episodes ‘Adlestrop' by Edward Thomas ‘I Remember, I Remember' by Thomas Hood ‘My Own Heart' by Gerard Manley Hopkins
June 24th is the anniversary of British poet Edward Thomas' train trip that resulted in "Adlestrop," a poem much loved in Great Britain. During the 7 years of the Parlando Project, I've sought to bring Thomas to greater attention outside of the UK, and here's an example of why you might want to consider Thomas: a complicated but beautiful love poem sung with a piano trio. The Project has done nearly 700 other examples combining various words (mostly literary poetry) with original music. You can find out more about this and hear those other audio pieces, at our blog and archives: frankhudson.org
We exchange playlists of our own favourite travel sounds and visit the Cotswold village of Adlestrop, the setting for Edward Thomas' evocative travel poem of the same name.
Some well-known poems from favourite writers, brought to life by our actors.
John Greening and our host Julia Copus discuss two favourite classic poems by Edward Thomas, ‘The Owl' and ‘Adlestrop', in Poetry Break.
Amanda Holmes reads Edward Thomas's poem “Adlestrop.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you'll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman. This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
You'll sometimes find Edward Thomas' filed under "War Poets," but his best-known poem "Adlestrop" is an unique peace poem written a few days before war broke out in Europe. In it, "nothing" happens -- the sweetest nothing. This re-release of our performance of the poem with a rock band is part of our celebration of National Poetry Month 2022.
The post Adlestrop by Edward Thomas appeared first on A Mouthful of Air.
Today we celebrate a botanist regarded as the "Father of Paleobotany" - the study of ancient plants that uses plant fossils. We'll also learn about the guitarist who went on a self-imposed 30-year exile - spending most of his time painting and gardening. We hear some thoughts on growing poisonous plants. We Grow That Garden Library™ with one of my favorite garden poetry books - I always carry it with me. And then we’ll wrap things up with a great article that helps us identify trees in winter - no small task. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News The Best Indoor Plants for any Purpose | Garden Design | Anne Balogh Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 6, 1761 Today is the birthday of the Bohemian theologian, mineralogist, geognost, entomologist, and botanist. Kaspar Maria von Sternberg Remembered as one of the most important natural scientists of the first half of the 19th century, Kaspar is regarded as the "Father of Paleobotany.” In 1818, Kaspar founded the National Museum in Prague. Today, the botanical genus Sternbergia honors Kaspar Sternberg. Sternbergia is a genus of plants in the Amaryllis family and comprises eight recognized species of flowering bulbs that look like Crocus. The most popular Sternbergia is the lutea, a garden favorite described by Clusius in 1601. White Flower Farm describes Sternbergia lutea this way: “These lovely, fall-flowering bulbs are Crocus look-alikes with bright yellow blooms. The foliage appears with the yellow flowers in fall and persists until spring. Bulbs multiply freely where they are happy—in a hot, sunny, very well-drained spot. Add a bit of lime to sweeten the soil, and planting will quickly fill out. Try pairing with one of the glorious blue flowers of fall, such as Caryopteris or Salvia, for a heavenly contrast. A member of the Amaryllis family, so the bulbs are essentially pest free, resistant to deer and voles. Heirloom, pre-1601. 10 per sq. ft.” January 6, 1946 Today is the birthday of the guitarist, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett. After his immense success with Pink Floyd, Syd released two solo LPs and then disappeared into a self-imposed 30-year exile where he spent most of his time painting and gardening. Before his life with Pink Floyd, Syd attended the Camberwell Art School. One of the pieces he created was a beautiful watercolor - a delicate-looking still life of a dried flower bouquet. In 2006, Syd died of cancer at the age of 60. Before he died, Syd was a patient at Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge. In 2017, his friend, the sculptor Stephen Pyle, and a garden designer named Paul Harrington were planning to install the Syd Barrett Garden at Addenbrooke. Stephen’s sculpture for the garden depicts Syd riding his bicycle - hands-free - with a guitar in one hand and artist brushes in the other. Unearthed Words The year 1967 started with an all-out alert on the danger of poisonous plants. On January 6th, the Times published a story about a lecture on the subject by John M. Kingsbury, the author of a useful small book titled Deadly Harvest: A Guide to Common Poisonous Plants. At a very early age, I remember, I was to recognize what plants are to be avoided completely. At a very early age, I remember, I was taught how to recognize and stay away from deadly nightshade, poison ivy, and poison sumac. (I was, just as early, taught the delights of chewing tender young checkerberry leaves and sassafras root.) To me, it would be ridiculous, though, not to grow monkshood, foxglove, hellebore, larkspur, autumn crocus, poppies, lilies of the valley, buttercups, and many other flowers now present in my borders just because they have some poison in them. — Katharine S. White, gardener and garden writer, Onward and Upward in the Garden Grow That Garden Library A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane Hunter This book came out in 2020, and like the companion book, A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year, this book is one of my favorites. In this book, Jane has gathered a beautiful and soothing collection of poetry inspired by the natural world and perfect for bedtime reading. “Now more than ever, we need something to comfort and distract us from the cares of everyday life. Keep this beautiful book by your bedside and enjoy a dreamy stroll through the natural world and its wonders every evening, just before you go to sleep. All the great time-honored poets are here—William Wordsworth, John Keats, Emily Dickinson, Robert Bridges—along with some newer and lesser-known voices. The verses reflect and celebrate the changing seasons: read Emily Brontë on bluebells in spring and Edward Thomas’s evocative “Adlestrop” in summer, and then experience golden autumn with Hartley Coleridge and visit John Clare’s “Copse in Winter.” Stunningly illustrated with seasonal scenes, this wonderful anthology will delight you for years to come.” This book is 496 pages of soothing bedtime poetry inspired by the natural world. You can get a copy of A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane Hunter and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $23 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 6, 1996 On this day, The News and Observer out of Raleigh, North Carolina, shared an article called The Naked Secrets of Trees in Winter by Lee Reich. Here’s an excerpt: “Trying to identify leafless trees during the winter is a nice game to play alone or with a companion.” Lee reminds us that trees like the Paper Birch are easy to spy because of their peeling white bark. And the Catalpa tree is another easy one - with its long brown pods. And the Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) is fun to spy: the lower branches droop downward, midlevel branches are horizontal, and upper limbs turn upward. That said, most trees are challenging to identify this time of year. Lee suggests using some expert books that guide you through tree identification steps, such as Fruit Key & Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs by William Harlow or Winter Tree Finder by May Theilgaard and Tom Watts. Now, one of the first steps in tree identification is to look at the buds’ arrangement on new twigs. Are the buds "opposite" - meaning, are they in pairs on opposite sides of each twig? Well, that narrows things down a bit because few deciduous trees have opposite buds. So, think about your Ashes, Dogwoods, Maples, and Horse Chestnut - they're the most common trees with opposite buds. Are the buds "alternate" - meaning that they are single and separated from each other along the length of the stem. Another question to ask is, “What is the shape of the buds?” Flowering Dogwood buds look like small buttons capping short stalks. The Pawpaw has velour-like brown buds. And finally, think about twig color and bark. They can both provide more clues. The Boxelder (Acer negundo) has purple twigs with a cloudy coating. The American hornbeam has smooth blue-gray bark with ripples like muscle. Thorns can provide identification clues as well. Common trees with thorns are the black locust, honey locust, hawthorn, or wild plum. And fruits and nuts provide another clue for tree identification. Finally, Lee writes, “Still at a loss for a tree's identity? Break off a twig and make a slanting cut to expose the pith. Chambered rather than continuous pith characterize black walnuts and butternuts. Butternut trees have chocolate-brown pith, and black walnut trees have toffee-brown pith. The taste of a twig sometimes is the giveaway. Black cherry will taste like bitter almond, and yellow and river birch will taste like wintergreen. There is one more handy identifier. Deciduous trees are supposed to be leafless now, but a few leaves often hang on well into the winter. They will be dead dry and twisted but often still "readable." Not only that, but those on oaks and beeches are so reluctant to fall that one can spot these species even at some distance by their skirt of dry leaves.” Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Edward Thomas Yes, I remember Adlestrop -- The name, because one afternoon of heat the express-train drew up there unwontedly.是的,我记得艾德尔索普--它的名字,因为在一个天气很热的下午,特快列车反常地在那儿停下。It was late June.那时候是六月底。The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.蒸汽嘶嘶响。有人清了清喉咙。No one left and no one came on the bare platform.没人离开也没人来到空空的月台上。What I saw was Adlestrop -- only the name and willows, willow-herb, and grass, and meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,我所看见的就是艾德尔索普——只是它的名字和柳树、柳叶菜,还有青草,蚊子草,晒干的圆锥形草堆,No whit less still and lonely fair than the high cloudlets in the sky.一样宁静,一样有寂寞的美,同那高高悬在天空的微云。And for that minute a blackbird sang close by, and round him, mistier,就在那一刻附近一只乌鸫叫起来,在它周围,隐隐,Farther and farther, all the birds Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.从远处、更远处,传来百鸟的啼鸣,从牛津郡和格洛斯特郡。译注:艾德尔索普Adlestrop是英国格洛斯特郡一个毗邻牛津郡的村庄。《Adlestrop》深得英国人民喜爱,生动地描写了乡村的愉悦。时为1914年6月末,托马斯乘火车,由牛津前往伍斯特,途中意外经停小村,名叫Adlestrop。诗人望向窗外,心生灵感,写下了此诗。
Edward Thomas Yes, I remember Adlestrop -- The name, because one afternoon of heat the express-train drew up there unwontedly.是的,我记得艾德尔索普--它的名字,因为在一个天气很热的下午,特快列车反常地在那儿停下。It was late June.那时候是六月底。The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.蒸汽嘶嘶响。有人清了清喉咙。No one left and no one came on the bare platform.没人离开也没人来到空空的月台上。What I saw was Adlestrop -- only the name and willows, willow-herb, and grass, and meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,我所看见的就是艾德尔索普——只是它的名字和柳树、柳叶菜,还有青草,蚊子草,晒干的圆锥形草堆,No whit less still and lonely fair than the high cloudlets in the sky.一样宁静,一样有寂寞的美,同那高高悬在天空的微云。And for that minute a blackbird sang close by, and round him, mistier,就在那一刻附近一只乌鸫叫起来,在它周围,隐隐,Farther and farther, all the birds Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.从远处、更远处,传来百鸟的啼鸣,从牛津郡和格洛斯特郡。译注:艾德尔索普Adlestrop是英国格洛斯特郡一个毗邻牛津郡的村庄。《Adlestrop》深得英国人民喜爱,生动地描写了乡村的愉悦。时为1914年6月末,托马斯乘火车,由牛津前往伍斯特,途中意外经停小村,名叫Adlestrop。诗人望向窗外,心生灵感,写下了此诗。
An excerpt from a biography of the British poet Edward Thomas (1878-1917), who died in the Great War, this viewpoint introduces his most famous poem, Adlestrop, followed by the poem itself. Adlestrop is a village in Gloucestershire, England, which used to have its own railway station, depicted in the poem. The station has disappeared; the poem lives on.
Leave today's grey weather behind and escape with a classic vision of the English countryside from Edward Thomas.
Hello from Suffolk, England. Here's five minutes of civilised calm to start your day right. With a poem by Edward Thomas, Adlestrop. "Yes. I remember Adlestrop..." From the show: The Cottage Garden The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer George Peacock, mathematical reformer Easter services at St Bartholomew the Great: available from Thursday at 7pm, Good Friday 2.30pm, Saturday 7pm and Easter Sunday at 11am. Lord, I hope this day is good, Lee Ann Womack Sign up to receive email alerts and show notes with links when a new episode goes live at marcsalmanac.substack.com Please share this with anyone who might need a touch of calm. If you like Marc's Almanac please do leave a review on Apple podcasts. It really helps new listeners to find me. Have a lovely day. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marc-sidwell/message
Sean Hughes made such a great point in our occasional poetry episode, that we did a spin off episode to address his ideas about anecdotal poetry: which isn't a thing, but we might convince you that it is by the end of the episode! If you missed that episode, Sean says that an occasional poem responds to an event in the public consciousness--like an inauguration or a war. But, occasional poems will often swerve into more personal commentary about an individual's experience of that event so they seem less about the occasion and more about individual experience. Furthermore, there are many poems that are more engaged with an individual's reflection or memory that describe an event and effect storytelling, but aren't about an event in the public consciousness. To interrogate this phenomenon we discuss "Adlestrop" by Edward Thomas; "Celestial Music" by Louise Glück; and "Anecdote of the Jar" by Wallace Stevens.
Adlestrop - read by Lance Pierson by The Poetry Society
Adlestrop, read by Katrina Naomi by The Poetry Society
Helen Mark visits the small Gloucestershire village of Adlestrop that inspired Edward Thomas' famous eponymous poem when his steam train unexpectedly stopped there 100 years ago, on the eve of war. Helen meets Ian Morton of the Edward Thomas Fellowship to find out more about the poet who died in combat in 1917, as well as people who live and work in this beautiful corner of the Cotswolds. She visits Daylesford, the nearby large organic farm operation, makers of their own Adlestrop cheese, and hears about the Wychwood Forest Project. Producer: Mark Smalley.
Edward Thomas read by Classic Poetry Aloud: www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter:@classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- Adlestrop by Edward Thomas ((1878 – 1917) Yes. I remember Adlestrop — The name, because one afternoon Of heat the express-train drew up there Unwontedly. It was late June. The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat. No one left and no one came On the bare platform. What I saw Was Adlestrop — only the name And willows, willow-herb, and grass, And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry, No whit less still and lonely fair Than the high cloudlets in the sky. And for that minute a blackbird sang Close by, and around him, mistier, Farther and farther, all the birds Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2008
PODCAST: 28 Apr 2013 Sig - Uncle Bernard's - Tickled Pink 01 - The Female Drummer/strong> - Steeleye Span02 - The Lincolnshire Poacher - Dr Faustus03 - The Waters of Tyne - Bob Fox04 - A Shropshire Lad - John Betjeman05 - Trip to Bavaria/Bill Sutherland/Kenmay House - Will Atkinson06 - Geordie - Martin Carthy07 - My Boy Jack - David Gibb and Elly Lucas08 - Adlestrop - Barnaby Edwards09 - Brigg Fair - Jackie Oates10 - Spencer the Rover - Corncrow11 - The Doffing Mistress - Annie Briggs*12 - The Streets of London - Ralph McTell13 - I Was A Young Man - The Owl Service14 - Lovely on the Water - Coope Boyes and Simpson15 - Anthem for Doomed Youth - Wilfred Owen (read by Richard Burton)16 - The Battle of the Somme - The Albion Band17 - Old Woman Tossed Up in a Blanket - Morris On18 - A Place Called England - June Tabor19 - 10,000 Miles - Nic Jones20 - Grandfathers/He Played His Ukulele as the Ship Went Down/Mickey Mouse's Son andDaughter - Flowers and Frolics21 - Some Old Salty - Lal Waterson and Oliver Knight22 - The New St George - Dave Burland Sig - Uncle Bernard's - Tickled Pink
A look at the facts behind Adlestrop, one of the nation's favourite poems, along with the literary and military career of poet Edward Thomas.
E Thomas read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------------- Adelstrop by Edward Thomas ((1878 – 1917) Yes. I remember Adlestrop — The name, because one afternoon Of heat the express-train drew up there Unwontedly. It was late June. The steam hissed. Some one cleared his throat. No one left and no one came On the bare platform. What I saw Was Adlestrop — only the name And willows, willow-herb, and grass, And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry, No whit less still and lonely fair Than the high cloudlets in the sky. And for that minute a blackbird sang Close by, and around him, mistier, Farther and farther, all the birds Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. First aired 9 September 2007 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2008
E.Thomas read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------------- Adelstrop by Edward Thomas ((1878 – 1917) Yes. I remember Adlestrop — The name, because one afternoon Of heat the express-train drew up there Unwontedly. It was late June. The steam hissed. Some one cleared his throat. No one left and no one came On the bare platform. What I saw Was Adlestrop — only the name And willows, willow-herb, and grass, And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry, No whit less still and lonely fair Than the high cloudlets in the sky. And for that minute a blackbird sang Close by, and around him, mistier, Farther and farther, all the birds Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.