Month August 2016

Cash – #SoCS Aug 13/16

freyathewriter 7 Comments

 

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“Ground floor:
Perfumery, stationery, and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food. Going up…

First floor:
Telephones, gents ready made suits, shirts, socks, ties, hats, underwear, and shoes. Going up…

Second floor:
Carpets, travel goods, and bedding, materials, soft furnishings, restaurant, and teas. Going down…“

Anyone from the UK who remembers 1970s TV programming will probably recognise these lyrics… the theme tune to ‘Are You Being Served?”!

I was born in 1970, so my memory of this comedy series, set in the fictitious department store ‘Grace Brothers’, is informed by my childish interpretation, but as I mentioned last week, it was another sitcom that was funny for children and adults alike – it was definitely family viewing in my experience!

Innuendo littered every programme, but most of it passed me by at that age. There was much talk of Mrs Slocombe’s pussy (and yes, she did have a cat, but her leg was constantly pulled by Mr Lucas, the ‘Jack the lad’ junior in menswear, who clearly interpreted it rather differently!). Mr Humphries was the gay archetype, who’s strapline was ‘I’m free!’ when asked if he could serve a customer – of course, there was another double entendre right there. Old Mr Grace, one of the eponymous ‘Grace Brothers’ was always surrounded by a bevy of barely-suitably-dressed young ladies… it was typical 1970s – and certainly not PC. But really, I think that it was a perfect sitcom, taking the mickey out of the British way of the time. And it was harmless, in my opinion.

What has this got to do with cash? Well, the theme tune begins with the sound of ringing cash registers, fading behind the song, the lyrics being what a lift attendant might say whilst shepherding customers between floors.

Ah, reminiscing is such fun!

I’ve included a YouTube video below, so anyone who doesn’t know of the series can get more of a feel for what I’ve been writing about – enjoy!

 

It’s time for Stream of Consciousness Saturday, hosted by the lovely Linda. I seem to have gone down the 1970s TV route again, inspired by this week’s prompt of ‘cash’. I really enjoyed writing and thinking about this!

Please do head on over to Linda’s place, read, enjoy and why not take part?

And… here’s the new SoCS badge – eye-catching, right?

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The little things – dVerse Open Link Night

freyathewriter 37 Comments

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All those tiny details

that, at the time, I failed to mention.

Such as the way you tipped your head

to one side when you were listening,

truly listening.

(I could always tell if you were

only humouring me, or, for that matter, someone else).

I failed to mention that I had noticed this,

and all the other things about you that I loved.

Perhaps my failure wasn’t so tiny,

just like the tiny details of you, that weren’t so insignificant after all.

 

Tonight, it is Open Link Night over on dVerse, where we can post any poem we like – there’s no specific prompt, so we can choose any route we please!

This poem was inspired by a programme I was listening to on BBC Radio 4 where a poet was reading from her latest published collection. Frustratingly, I can’t find it now, nor can I remember the poet’s name!

Anyway, do head on over to dVerse, dive in and enjoy!

Cat Heaven Reprise – dVerse Poetics

freyathewriter 45 Comments

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In cat heaven, there’s always sunshine
And plenty of places to rest
In cat heaven, no-one disturbs you
In cat heaven, cats always know best

In cat heaven, there’s cream and fresh tuna
And your bowl is full to the brim
In cat heaven, your coat’s always glossy
In cat heaven, you always look trim

In cat heaven, there’s room for cats small and large
Moggies and pedigrees too
In cat heaven, old enemies make friends once more
In cat heaven, no-one is blue

So if you are wondering where I have gone
And you miss stroking my fur
Just think of cat heaven, look way up above
From cat heaven, you’ll hear my purr.

 

A bit cheaty, but I’ve unearthed a poem I wrote back a few years ago and submitted to dVerse, in honour of some friends of mine who had just lost their cat. Yesterday was International Cat Day, so it feels somewhat appropriate.

I know there’s a very thin reference to ‘blue’ (although it is about heaven so it is up above us!), but this week is tough on the travelling front for me (a railworkers’ strike, meaning early starts and challenging journeys to and from work). So, inspiration is somewhat lacking this evening!

Please do head on over to dVerse and dive into the blue!

(The cat is my mum’s, called Millie as she came to to family in 2000 at the start of the new millennium).