Recently a friend suggested that I ask my army of readers from around the world to vote for their favourite posting on this blog site. It suddenly struck me that since the end of February and over the last 293 postings you have already voted and those votes were available on the stats page! So as one year ends and another starts I present the Best of the Baldock Bard 2012. Firstly your most popular page and then two very different postings that seem to sum up my year…
Most Visited Baldock Bard Blog 2012
The Pendleton Post Box – 7th August
In a moment of genius the Post Office are gold-painting post boxes in the hometowns of Olympic Champions. The small town of Stotfold, near Baldock, has a new tourist attraction thanks to track cyclist Victoria Pendleton…
They’re over by the postbox
With camera and mobile phone
A famous cyclist comes from here
It’s Victoria Pendleton’s home!
It’s become a tourist attraction
Stotfold’s not had a rush before
It’s got a pleasant water mill
Traction Engines by the score!
If she wins the cycling sprint
There’s bound to be euphoria
Lets hope the gold doesn’t ever fade
For Stotfold’s ‘Queen Victoria’!
Baldock is quite jealous
There’s no-one there to win
The only thing that’s golden
Is a dirty road-salt bin!
My Year
Having trawled through all the 293 postings there are two that sum up my year, I present one of loss and one of gain. Both were written when I was emotionally charged, but on the very opposite ends of the spectrum.
Both were about much-loved influences named Marsya.
Gathering Pollen 8th August
Yesterday I attended an interment in a pretty little Staffordshire churchyard. It seemed strange that everyday life hadn’t stopped for those around us…
The vicar intoned some solemn words as we stood around the grave.
Heads bowed, umbrella handles firmly gripped, a rag-tag honour-guard for a much-loved wife, mother and friend.
Thoughts and memories skipped noisily between headstones like naughty children obliterating those final words of dust and ashes.
A quick glance at the surrounding countryside revealed a patchwork bedspread of distant crops awaiting harvest.
While here harvest is done.
All the while bumblebees enjoy the flowers of the Buddleia and life continues…
Grandfather Bard October 4th
There are many rites of passage in life. Some are un-nerving, some are frightening and some are absolutely fantastic! Having been in at the birth of two children, I thought nothing could ever come close to that emotional roller-coaster ride. Well I was wrong!
This morning I became Grandfather Bard.
Our daughter gave birth to a baby girl by text!
Receiving messages at infrequent intervals had me wondering if I should reach for the self-administering tranquilizer gun.
I paced the house, drank far too much coffee (with it allied trips for relief) and even trawled the Internet aimlessly (randomly ending up at Pitcairn Island!).
It took a further two hours to learn the weight (7lbs 11oz) and come to terms with this life-changing event. Now it’s off to view for the first time and I can’t wait.
Thank heavens for a little girl called Marsya…
A very proud
Grandfather Bard
Happy New Year to you all and a million thanks for sitting next to me on the journey…
I was driving through London yesterday and saw a troupe of young ‘scooter-ists’ on a pavement. This set me wondering (as you do when stuck in traffic!) of all the crazes that I have seen in my lifetime, from skateboarding through to the latest must-have shoot-‘em-up console game. Most have become lost in the mists of time, remembered only by aged bores, who long to grip the idiocy of youth one last time! Then I remembered the Sleek Streek balsa wood plane and in the midst of a chaotic London traffic scene, went off on one…
Years ago when I were a lad,
