So what did you do after pension day ………..?

Some of my more reflective stories feature the Sunshine adventures of Mable and Eric in their grey days.

The badge, circa 1979

And before someone reaches to accuse me of all manner of ageist and derogative musings, I think I am a tad bit entitled as I collected my concessionary bus pass in 2009, my state pension five years later and I creak a little when lifting the grandchildren.

Added to which I ruefully tell anyone who will listen to me that there are fewer years ahead of me than behind.

But enough of such stuff, instead it is of the opportunities that present themselves to some of us who no longer have to clock on at 8am, have said farewell to the children for the third time as they move out again and refuse to watch adverts for cremations.

Instead, it is of the things many of us do.

So, as I wander across social media, I am constantly impressed by those who with time on their hands now post their photographs, plenty of which stand as good as the professionals, but for whatever reason will not be displayed in galleries. 

And because I do the odd bit of writing I am always fascinated by those who write their first novel in their 60s, undertake major historical research or after collecting their pension compose a  poem. 

And in the last year three poets who I count as friends have produced anthologies of their work.

I first met Rod Whitworth in 1974 when we discovered we both lived in Ashton-under-Lyne, and as we both worked at the same place it made sense to travel in together.

Although I have to confess Rod did the driving and was born in Ashton while I had only washed up there in the spring of that year.

Since then, we have drifted in and out of each other’s lives occasionally meeting up to swap stories of grandchildren, books we have read and where in Manchester to get the best cheese barm.

And it was on one of those encounters that I discovered Rod was a poet, and an accomplished one as many of his poet friends testified when he and others read their poems out on a sunny spring day in Withington Library.

Rod Whitworth reads from his anthology, 2023

His book of poetry 'My Family and Other Birds', came out at the beginning of the year and my copy arrived not long after it was published.*

At which point I could fill the page with reviews but will add just one from Peter Sansom, poet and co-director of The Poetry Business who wrote “it's so compellingly written that it's also that rare thing, a poetry page-turner.  Wonderful”.

More recently two more old friends who go back 40 years have collaborated on “'Poems by Lindy and Pictures by Peter', which combines Peter’s startling images as an artist and the raw emotion created by Lindy’s poetry”.

Lindy at the "poetry event", 2024

Her poetry and flash fiction has appeared in several publications. 

She won the Fresher’s poetry prize and was short listed for the Bridport poetry prize.

Back in June Lindy and Peter hosted the “poetry event” which launched their book to large audience and in the way of these things showcased the work of other Manchester poets.

Inspired by the collaboration with Lindy Peter has produced his own anthology which came out this month and is entitled 'Rhyming Poems and Pictures by Peter'.

It combines his work as an artist with his venture into poems, which are a mix of the “very dark, the humorous and those written from the heart”.

My already well thumbed copy of Peter's poems, 2024

So long may the poems and pictures zip from our three, remembering of course to have first collected the pension.

The work of all three poets can be bought from Chorlton Bookshop.

And in addition, 'My Family and Other Birds', by Rod Whitworth, is available from the author at rod.whitworth@me.com or Vole Books,  https://www.dempseyandwindle.com/rodwhitworth.htm

While Peter and Lindy’s anthologies can be ordered from  www.pubbooks.co.uk or the old-fashioned way on 07521 557888

Pictures; covers of the anthologies by permission of the authors, and the remaining pictures from the collection of Andrew Simpson