Halyards (CTG)

[Christopher T. George]

Halyards

The cab drops me at the curb by Union Station;
the halyards of the streaming state flags clank
against the metal flag poles; I watch the drama
of the three stars and stripes furl and flow

above the station forecourt by the cab line set
against the lemon-cloud late afternoon sky. I wish
I had a camcorder to capture the moment, saunter
across the street as a group of schoolgirls giggle

by me, wonder if I am the butt of their amusement?
On top of the marble globe on Columbus's statue,
a male pigeon is dancing for a female; I think,
soon new chicks will be born; a brief flutter

of wings as they mate. There! The act's done!

Christopher T. George

[Byron]

Hello Chris.

You lived at one end of Allerton Road and I lived at the other.
My best friend at the time was Michael Howley who attended Quarry Bank in your year or the one above.

For a while I worked in 'The Rose of Mossley' and probably served a few of your family.

[Christopher T. George]

Hi Byron

Nice to meet you, Byron.

Indeed I have been in the Rose of Mossley on a number of occasions. Is it still there? To be truthful not one of my favorite watering holes and I seem to remember dingy carpet and dingy wallpaper. Does that sound right? I don't remember Michael Howley unfortunately though I remember a number of the boys and masters, possibly our paths never crossed. When I am in the 'Pool in May I am going on a mini-tour of Beatles sites and plan to visit Quarry.

Chris

[Byron]

'Dingy' is about right. I used to have a glass of beer behind a curtain in each of the rooms so I could have a drink when collecting empties. The boss was a tyrant. That was about 40 years ago. I haven't been there since. Nuff said!

Bye the way, as for your visit, ask Lizzie what she thought of Liverpool. I think we managed to get her to the most popular spots, although we only had a few hours in which to do it.

[lizzytysh]

Bye the way, as for your visit, ask Lizzie what she thought of Liverpool. I think we managed to get her to the most popular spots, although we only had a few hours in which to do it.

The only trouble I had with Liverpool was...

. . . we only had a few hours in which to do it.

.

At this point, I don't know which sight to attach to what named locale, except to say that looking at a wrought iron gate overgrown with vines and reading the small sign that said "Strawberry Fields," whilst looking across the field at the closed building far in the distance was evidence of a broken promise... "Strawberry Fields Forever" and I felt very sad. Sitting next to the bronze statue of Eleanor Rigby felt so much a privilege. England is so immersed in history that even the recent history resonates with heavy vibration. Looking at the street sign reading Penny Lane, I wondered at how these young men who brought so much pleasure to my life had spent so much time here in these environs where their creativity soared... and I swore I could still feel them about.

Walking past the Beatles museum and hearing their music coming up the stairs only made me want to go down them, like following the Pied Piper, mesmerized. Time was the only limitation. John and Margaret were willing to indulge me in whatever I wished to explore... and that meant a lot to me, the 'tourist' drill with someone who wants to see so much when there's so little time can be stressful. It was a full day, and I was grateful for their continuously good attitude. [Now, I won't speculate on what they may have said to each other beneath the covers that night, but to me, they were consummate .]

I remember the dark, but somehow wildly-painted basement pub where the Beatles had performed, the narrow, dark stairs leading down to it [the pub's name I cannot remember], the relatively small seating area where Margaret, John, and I had a beer at the bar on the short end of the "L" of the 'room' [the dance floor/stage was at the top of the L; the few tables filled in the rest and then a turn to the left, and there was the bar]... and Margaret and I walked up to the dance floor and stage [that as I recall was where some of the wild painting was] and she described how it was to go there back in those days, so crowded and stuffy. Wasn't there something about your age on one visit, too, Margaret?

Wasn't it Liverpool, too, where we walked on the wide expanse of concrete out toward the water and looked across to where Dublin is? Time really was a problem for us... we could only walk and look. I could do better in describing my memories if I could get my pictures out right this minute, but time [again ] is too pressing. That day was more than my mind could wrap itself around. It's amazing to me how much Brits do or at least can take for granted.

I loved, too, the gritty, industrial feeling of Liverpool. Don't ask me why... perhaps, only because it brought the world the Beatles. Well, enough reverie'ing... thanks for causing me to remember, John. I'd love to visit it, again, some day. Thank you, again.


Love,
Lizzie

[Christopher T. George]

Hi Lizzy and John

The club you were thinking of, Lizzy, was the Cavern. It is of course a recreation of the original, the city fathers in their infinite wisdom unfortunately having allowed the demolition of the original when nearby James Street underground station was rebuilt.

John, I should think the last time I was in the Rose of Mossley was 1966 or 1967 so you could well have been working there when I supped there.

You might both enjoy an essay I wrote about the "Penny Lane" barber at http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2593 and that whole site Yo Liverpool might be of interest if you don't know it... I'm a moderator there.

All my best

Chris

[lizzytysh]

Yes ~ the Cavern ~ and I remember Margaret and John explaining its reconstruction, now that you mention it. It seemed like its structure somehow replicated its name, too... but danged if it would come to me. Me mind can only hold so much without triggers for memory . I felt transported to the proverbial Sixties, in the best of ways.

There was even more that day... wasn't that the same one, where we stopped for me to see the house with the thatched-roof close up > > > and then visited the Lever Brothers development enroute? I was astonished at the generousity of these 'industrial' types... nothing like that, that I've ever seen over here. Lee Iacoca is known for his common-man generousity, but I don't believe it's ever risen to the level of what I saw there! Oh, gosh... it really was a wonderful day! Buying the English cards in the gift shop... one that said, Happy Birthday, Mum"!!! Oh, reverie... reverie...

Thanks for that link, Chris. I'll go check it out tonite.


~ Lizzy

[Christopher T. George]

Hi Lizzy

It sounds as if you went to Port Sunlight which was the planned community that Lever Brothers set up for their workers. The only thing comparable in terms of an early planned community that I can think of in the U.S. is Levittown, Pennsylvania planned and built by Levitt & Sons, though built in a later decade, 1950's compared to the 1890's onward for Port Sunlight. Not sure where the thatched cottage would have been that you mentioned.

Chris

[margaret]

Port Sunlight was correct, Chris. The lovely thatched cottage was in the picturesque village of Burton on the other side of the Wirral peninsular.

Margaret

[Christopher T. George]

Port Sunlight was correct, Chris. The lovely thatched cottage was in the picturesque village of Burton on the other side of the Wirral peninsular.

Margaret

Right, okay, Margaret. The Wirral is lovely. One of my favorite places is Hilbre Island off West Kirby and I have a couple of poems and a pic related to Hilbre on my website.

Chris

[lizzytysh]

Thanks for the info and the confirmations, Chris and Margaret. Tough to remember these things when you're a passenger in a new land, seeing one thing after another.

Thanks for the links, again, Chris... I'll check them out and look for the poem you've mentioned, as well. Would you mind giving me the title?

Beautiful name "Port Sunlight"... now, I'll have that to write on the back of my photos.

Lever Brothers ~ Levitt & Sons ~ It doesn't seem irrelevant that these are family relationships, where the sense of 'family' was recreated on behalf of their employees. It appears that there was a strong sense of family values in both cases. Did Levitt & Sons do as Lever Brothers did and, even though they were provided housing units, make them architecturally individual? Provide beautiful streets with lots of trees and lovely landscaping? Thanks for letting me know we've done something at least similar here.


~ Lizzy

[Christopher T. George]

Hi Lizzy

Sunlight Soap was and is (I think) one of the products of Lever Brothers.



The two Hilbre poems are "Christmas on Hilbre Island" and "Walking to Hilbre" both on my website -- my friend, Merseyside poet Jim Bennett, told me that Paul McCartney had a private party on Hibre at Christmas and the first poem reminded him of that.

Chris

[lizzytysh]

Oh, yes... I remember all those wonderful pictures in the gift shop, too. I was wishing at every turn that soap wasn't so heavy.

Ahhh... good taste, that Paul .


~ Lizzy