Platform poet on the right track

[Mojo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6936871.stm

A train company has appointed its first ever "poet on the platform" to entertain its customers.

Sally Crabtree will give daily performances at eight stations across First Great Western's network.

She plans to set up her Poetree, a decorated copper tree, and invite passengers to choose an object as the source of an improvised poem or song.

Mock train tickets inscribed with poems will also be given away to rail passengers and station staff.

Ms Crabtree recently performed at Venice Biennale, and said: "To be the first official Poet on the Platform is a dream come true.

"Like many writers and poets, famously WH Auden, I am inspired by the reasons for our rail journeys - the human connections and stories involved.

"We take the train for family visits, lovers meetings or farewells, or interviews for work - journeys that can change the course of our lives.

"Train stations are fascinating places that provide endless inspiration," she added.

The tour begins on 14 August and lasts three days, taking in Reading, Oxford, Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Barnstaple, Paignton and Plymouth stations.

First Great Western's Andrew Griffiths said: "This is an interesting idea that makes poetry more accessible across a large geographic area.

"It's an exciting project which we think is fun and inspiring."

 

[Dennis]

Originally Posted by BBCNews
A train company has appointed its first ever "poet on the platform" to entertain its customers while they wait for their delayed trains.

Sally Crabtree will give daily performances at eight stations across First Great Western's network, but will have to compete with auto-announcers offering apologies.

She plans to set up her Poetree, a decorated copper tree, and invite passengers to choose an object as the source of an improvised poem or song, having first advised the DSM yet still being told to bog off by other platform staff who consider her a nuisance.

Mock train tickets inscribed with poems will also be given away to rail passengers and station staff, these will be valid for travel on overcrowded trains where no ticket inspections are performed.

"We take the train for family visits, lovers meetings or farewells, interviews for work or bash quality Paxman powered trains - journeys that can change the course of our lives.

"Train stations are fascinating places that provide endless inspiration and seem to be great places to just veg out," she added.

The tour begins on 14 August and lasts three days, taking in Reading, Oxford, Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Barnstaple, Paignton and Plymouth stations, the poetree will not be taken to Bristol bacuase it might be stolen.

First Great Western's Andrew Griffiths said: "This is an interesting idea that makes poetry more accessible across a large geographic area - we know that poetry is incredibly popular, all public libraries have shelves full of poetry books.

"It's an exciting project which we think is fun and inspiring, in fact I would go as far as to say it's more fun than a high density HST set."

 

[David]

 

[gingerheid]

posted in a duplicate thread first of all...

I wonder how she will live up to the great poetic history associated with the GWR, and what the poetry will be like.

Could it be something like (with apologies to John Betjemen):

Come friendly bombs fall on the trains to Slough
They aren't fit for humans now
There isn't room to move an eyebrow
Overcrowding fills their breadth

Come bombs, and blow to smithereens
Those airless bright machines
Squashed men, squashed women, squashed children, squashed teens
Squashed minds, squashed like death

Mess up the mess they call a train to town
A ticket for ninety-seven pound down
And once an day a naff breakdown
For another ten years.

And get that man with franchise win
Who'll always charge lots and always weigh in
Who washes his repulsive skin
In commuter's tears

And smash his desk of polished oak
And smash his hands so used to choke
Passengers in his boring dirty joke
And make his trains well

But spare the bald young clerks who add
The profits of the stinking cad;
It's not their fault that they are mad,
They've tasted Hell.

It's not their fault they do not know
The time lost from the go slow,
It's not their fault they often don’t know
When they’ll get home to Maidenhead

And talk of family and mates in bars
In various standard class cars
And can’t look up and see the stars
But stand and wait instead.

In labour-saving homes, with care
Their wives wait in their arm chair
And cry out in despair
And watch paint dry and wail.

Come, friendly bombs and fall on the trains to Slough
To get them ready for improvement somehow.
Cabbages are running them now;
The performance target did fail.