Wi ma hands full o nothing

Caught this programme on the Radio a few weeks ago -

A half hour program full of Dundee poets, including a bit where one poet talks to his grandmother about the jute mills.
Wi' Ma Hands Full o' Nothin: Poets From the Dundee Schemes
Wednesday 16 August 2006 11:00-11:30 (Radio 4 FM)

A documentary series telling original stories about real lives in Britain today - stories that reveal people in a context.

Gary works nights in a factory, Kevin used to box and Mark was a building labourer. They come from Dundee's 'hoosin' schemes', the large estates on the edge of the city. Each of their lives has been transformed - and in one case saved - by writing poetry. They tell stories about the town of jute, jam and journalism in its own language and perform to its people in the pubs and clubs. Now a world beyond their own is beginning to prick up its ears.

After listening I googled the guys and found their site - to have a look and listen try here - well worth a nosey
TribalTongues

Dundee Views.

Recently discovered a site called Pbase where a photographer called Gavin has some excellent photos of Dundee. Emailed him to ask if we could post the link to his work here a few weeks ago and as yet he hasn't got back to us. All we want to do is spread the word - Dundee Is beautiful - and Gavin is a mean photographer! Posting the link in the hope of positive feedback and if he objects to fame arriving at his doorstep we'll take the link back down. Here you go Bonnie Dundee efter aw....

DundeeViews

Balgay Hill

Balgay Hill was dark and damp
the trees stood still
they knew that they were trees
no magic forest

the bridge looked frail
as though the heavy gravestone
hung up front
weighed heavy on its mind

Mills Observatory observed
the dead who passed our car
they checked our eyes for signs
that we might stay

White Lady never crossed the bridge
she crossed the track with stealth
the stairs were stairs to no mans land
but the city lights were stars

s.kennedy. 08/06

Everythings stupid but me......

Last night I drove to Edinburgh airport to pick up my boyfriend from his stupid smoker weekend in London. He phoned mid afternoon saying could i bring his stupid car cos mines is so small - as in too small to hold four stupid grown men and their stupid luggage. I love my car - Picanto! very girly. Anyway, his stupid car makes me feel like Im driving a truck its too high up and when I brake I almost go through the front windscreen. I asked what kind of petrol it took and he said diesel but there was plenty. Fine.
Left at 6pm as flight was getting in at 7.30. Wanted plenty time to park etc. Got in car and there was hardly any diesel so I thought Id stop at Bullionfield an get some on the way. Stopped at Bullionfield and was at the wrong side of the car so had to reverse out petrol station ( not very easy when everyone wants in! ) then go to another side - opposite from my own car - as are the stupid indicators and stupid windscreen wipers. Started filling up then realised I was using some stupid supreme blend of diesel that I couldnt even afford. Went and paid and got back into car. Noticed that when Id put down my window earlier Id pressed the button for the stupid passenger window too. Started driving out station whilst pressing buttons for the stupid windows to go up. Concentrating on approaching traffic so not looking at windows. Get half a mile up motorway an start thinking wheres the draft coming from?
Draft is coming from stupid passenger window which is refusing to go up! Stop car in lay by and lean over to passenger door to push button up from there. NO. Its not happening is it. Window wont close. Start driving out towards Perth and realise stupid window has slid further down. Now half way open. Hit 70 and the draft is really giving me a sore neck. Grab dirty sweaty football top that is lying on back seat forgotten after last weeks game of 5's. wrap it round my just showered perfumed neck and try to keep warm. People Im passing are staring at me as if Im mad having the window wide open - yes - its now wide open - on the motorway in the howling wind but Ive lost so much time faffing about with stupid window Im now running late.

Get to Edinburgh and find parking space at 7.25. Ask stupid attendent if its safe to leave stupid car with window down - No, shut it he says. Look at him as if hes a poo I just stood in and stomp off towards terminal. Grab a latte in Costas and watch as the "boys" troop through - each one drunker than the last. All except two. My boyfriend and one of the others. Boyfriend hasn't had a drink all day at the BBQ or on the plane as he was going to drive home so Im not so tired when we get home after driving there. So thoughtful and normally Id be delighted - but now im thinking, ok, who's sitting in stupid passenger seat with stupid wide open window.
yeh - you guessed it me. suffice to say by the time we got to Dundee the "boys" in the back of the stupid car hadn't half sobered up and were happy to get out stupid car. O well, at least it didnt start raining.......

Barcelona

While we were over in Spain we decided to Visit Barcelona and Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium. It truly is amazing but not as beautiful and realistic as their man made beach - well, not to us girls anyway....



This is the wee chapel inside the stadium. It really was beautiful.

It Was The Crow

it was the crow you see
black and shiny with his hood up
he passed the window as we ate
breakfast
strutting his crow stuff
could almost imagine him singing
you know - Ki ooooora, Ki oooooora
I'll be your dog
told her how I loved the crows
and her lips pursed the cigarette
vile, vicious thugs she said
they pick the eyeballs from the lambs
out in the fields
and I wondered where she got to knowing
about the cruelty of crows and
the gap in the middle of the rainbow
seemed to be pulling me towards some
hidden deeper meaning
only I couldn't quite grasp it
and her five year old dangled the feathery
tail of her pleat in the milk
skimming the cornflakes, sucked the milk off
and challenged us to scold her with
her eyes, which were brown, like her fathers
who lived near the fields, where the lambs
risked their vision on a daily basis
and my baby, who's really no longer a baby
turned and said, I love the crows too Mum
but I love the lambs more
and in my head there was a matt photo finish
of the lambs in the fields, lying on the grass, with
black holes, where their eyes should be
and flies, and I looked around the table
at the lambs, all three of them
and suddenly
I feared the crows

S.K. 09/02

Last Nights Dream Corrected

A workmate of mines scribbles some stuff she calls poetry - dont look at me! I dont get it - the stuff doesnt even rhyme! There's a few of them on this blog if you surf back a bit. Anyway recently she had a couple of them published in a book called Last Nights Dream Corrected and some of the stuff in there is amazing. If you fancy a good anthology check it out here

pretend genius

Dundee Band make the charts!

theView etc.

Dundee band The View made it to no.16 in the charts last week which was brilliant news. They write all their own songs and having seen them live at least ten times or so Im well chuffed. Hopefully the link will work and you can check them out for yourselves ( if anyone actually reads this! )

its been so long....

....since I posted anything. Not really sure where to start. Brief catch up -

Grans out of hospital, out my mums and successfully moved into her new house.
Visited one of the kittens at its new home and its a cat already - kinda.
Went to Salou with my daughters for a week and had the lovliest chilled out time ever.

Joined a gym a week past monday and started working out a week past tuesday. Lost four pounds and feel so much more up for everything already - envigorated! Its bloody hard going mind you - I just dont get it when people say they look forward too/enjoy going to the gym - as far as Im concerned its a means to end an one that Im having to force myself into every day.

Work is work. Renewal times came around again and we're kinda busy but not as busy as we're gonna be come end september when all the numpties who were meant to renew didn't and want to know why their payments have stopped - even thought they've had umpteen letters saying if they dont renew the payment will stop - people are weird - me included.

Eldest got her exam results and is now sitting three highers and one int2 but has dropped biology which she got a 2 for in fourth year for standard grade and picked up PE again which she dropped after getting a good standard grade in fourth year to do biology in fifth year. She drives me crazy with changing her mind and top that with the fact I dont understand the grades system she could be telling me anything - its so long since I left school an life was much easier - you got an A - F and everyone knew what it meant an where they stood!

Partner has taken off for the weekend to London for one of his best friends smoker. sounds like they're having a totally brilliant time and Im gutted cos none of my friends are available to do anything this weekend. Was so bored this morning i went to the gym and its meant to be my day off it! This afternoon I took advantage of Saks pik n mix offer( any three treatments for 40quid ) and had my nails manicured a facial and my eyebrows shaped and waxed. The facial was one of those oxygenator things which tickles like crazy but O god do you feel good when you come out - bit of a waste really - like being all dickied up an nowhere to go.

I think thats about it for catch up but if anything else springs to mind Ill blog it later.

bloguilty

Ive been meaning to pop past here and update the site for weeks and weeks now but so much has been happening and holidays inbetween etc so its kinda been at the back of my to do list.
Over this weekend Im gonna try and update the site with anything that pops into my empty head.