Spray painted silver boots with tight permed hair,
always right, never to be argued with.
White shirt, cuffed with gold, with tie and suit,
always home late, ready to be played with.
Head-aching pigtails tied tightly in ribbons,
Immaculately dressed with black buckled shoes,
always polished but scuffed away at the toes
Always yes please, you’re welcome and thank you for asking,
‘Remember your manners and look at me when I'm talking to you!’
I am from unemployment, redundancy, closures and strikes
Riots and coal mines and Thatcher
‘Milk snatcher’!
Powercuts , anger and cold housing estates
Fake leather couches stuck to your legs
Two orange bars glowing, heat enough?
Fuzzy images flickering on a just colour TV
The Magic Roundabout, The Clangers and John Pertwee,
The third doctor with daleks , K9 and his tardis
‘Too much of that will make your eyes go square – get out
and play!’
I am from cold and slate grey - drizzle seeping through
tarmac
Face slapped red by the wind, nose always running
Scarf, mittens, pulled up hood on a nylon anorak,
damp, not warm, torn by branches and barb wire.
Hours of freedom with friends and stolen jelly cubes,
Exploring and venturing far from home.
Made-up games, great ideas and adventures abound,
turned wrong and in hot water
‘Did you do that? Wait til your father gets home!’
I am from work hard, play hard and Friday pay packets
Shipbuilders, mechanics, at the pub and in the bookies
strong-armed men; pints cigarettes and jokes
Home-makers, story-tellers, songs round the table
stronger willed women; biscuits, tea and forboding
Air raids and bombings and the Clydebank Blitz
A feuding, fun-loving family, quick to tell you howCriticize within but always as one to the rest
I am from progress and hopes and dreams of the better.
‘I love you and always let those you
do know.’
John Atkinson Grimshaw
