Postcards

- New Living Traditions -

Text-only copy of Christmas poem
Big copy of Christmas card

Text-only copy of Christmas 1980? poem
Big copy of Christmas 1980? card
I have no idea what year I produced this Christmas card in. I first though 1990 but then realised I might be at least 10 years out.

Happy Walburgas Day 25th February 2005.

Text-only copy of Walburgas 05 poem
Big copy of Walburgas 05 card and the story of its writing and making

There is a little about why I send Walburgas, and who St Walburga was, on the about book page.

Text-only copy of Christmas poem 2001 poem
The picture is of Valley Parade, Bradford City's ground. The original of the picture was drawn from a pub window. The view has gone because I drew it between the knocking down of a pickled onion factory and the building of yet another car showroom.

A sack of salt, my Grandma said

A pair should share before they're dead

Before either one can get to know

The other's way and what makes them so

Welcome salt and the bread of knowing

Can start a pair on the steps of growing

Though to finish the 60 kilos of a sack

Will take the sprinkling of a long steep track

So the gain of knowledge and the grit of tears

Come with grains, the flavour added through sharing years

So crystal visions and what books have said

As as nothing, to sharing the table and breaking bread

By Glyn Watkins

I wrote this in about 3 hours, finishing at 7.30 on the evening of 10th March 2005. It is based on my mother's tales of a Karalian childhood. When she was young her sister Mary was talking about knowing exactly what her boyfriend was thinking. Their Grandma told her she could never know any man until she had shared a sack of salt with him. There salt came in 60 kg sacks, which is roughly 135 pounds. Bread and salt are also still traditional gifts to give to new vistors, or people moving to a new home, especially newly weds.

Postcard of Whitby 1st July

Turned by a singer. .
For glory begotten.
A salt was the turning.
For glory of trade.
Now the past is the
bringer
And the lye is
forgotten. From the
City of burning.
Comes a song
For the fade.

The card was drawn on the morning of 1st July 04, sitting near the new road bridge in Whitby. The poem was written in the Lansbury guest house the same afternoon. I had a call from a friend in the morning asking if I wanted to go to Valley Parade to await the, seemingly certain, announcement of my football club being closed down.
The poem is based on the history of Whitby (see: ALUM North East Yorkshire's fascinating story of the first chemical industry, Alan Morrison). The words are the same as the card I had printed at Whitby Print, but I have moved them to a new alignment, using Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.

Happy Walburgas Day 25th February 2005.

Postcard of Whitby 1st July

Turned by a singer. . For glory begotten. A salt was the turning. For glory of trade. Now the past is the bringer And the lye is forgotten. From the City of burning. Comes a song For the fade.

Turned by a singer. .
For glory begotten.
A salt was the turning.
For glory of trade.
Now the past is the
bringer
And the lye is
forgotten. From the
City of burning.
Comes a song
For the fade.