The Kardomah cafe was frequented by local musicians in the late 70's/early 80's, and a local group The Cherry Boys realeased a single called Kardomah Cafe.
Great! Celebrating 60 years since leaving school, going to work on Tithebarn Street, and being unleashed into the world. Where I now devote myself to the garden, defending the NHS, and planning ever more painful fates for Tory ********. And of course creaking a bit. And you? Horror? Art? (I remember your gothic horror work in the art room.)
1963 marked my escape from school (Brother Kelly was also one of my more benign memories; were our teachers suffering from PTSD?). My seven years there were deeply unhappy. I owe my education to St Ally's primary school and later experiences of further education, although there's no doubt St Eddy's polished me up a bit. My first (and also formative) job was as a clerk in an insurance office. If Substack allowed photo posts I could show you the wonderful Edwardian building where I worked and the monstrosity which now defaces the site. Your output is simply phenomenal.
Sep 2, 2023Liked by Sophie Atkinson, Abi Whistance
A really nice Saturday morning read - unlike other commenters I didn’t find it snobbish but quite affectionate. Also a shout out (as young people say) to photographer Olive whose pictures look like they could have been 60s snapshots. Another article that justifies my subscription
Sep 2, 2023·edited Sep 2, 2023Liked by Sophie Atkinson, Abi Whistance
I enjoyed reading the article almost as much as reading the poems themselves. The Liverpool poets were very influential in popular culture and a big music hero of mine, Paul Weller, cites them and used that method of using the mundane aspects of everyday life to create a song several times, particularly during his Jam days. More articles like this please
Sep 2, 2023Liked by Sophie Atkinson, Abi Whistance
A good and true article. One of the things I love about this city is the amount of different types of food types you can experience. Some really greats little eating places and some great restaurants. Something for everyone. My kids seem to think I am a foodie and for birthdays they look for new places with different foods. Recently we tried the Hong Kong place just by the bombed out church numerous places up and down bold street. (Took a friend from Australia to the fish restaurant there and he was blown away) and for my recent pensions birthday was taken to a wee Korean food place kaibaibo no 5 Slater Street (will be going back) and was amazed to find it had a book club as well..... Would love to see more stories on and around the different food types to be found in the city. Apology for the advertising but I have lived in London, worked in Manchester and Leeds and the restaurants and dining places we have in this city can proudly hold their heads high....long my they be yum yum
Chippys? I’m a huge fan of the Mersey poets and the way that they democratised a polarising and often inaccessible art form. They were deep thinkers though, and clever chaps who I’m sure would know/have known the correct plural of chippy. I would have loved to read an interview with Roger and Brian. That would be worth my annual subscription.
Poetry is a form of literary art. No artist can perform well on an empty stomach as food has always been the fundamental stimulant that brings out the artist in all of us. Come to think of it, poetry itself is very much like cookery which involves different ingredients and methods with varying end results and one person's haute cuisine often is someone else's acquired taste or worse.
As a teenager in the 60s, my friends & I were often in the Phil, crushed up, cheek by jowel, with various members of the Liverpool poets or the Scaffold. We didn’t talk to any of them, of course: it was just the numbers of drinkers in the pub every weekend that caused the crowd, & besides, it would have been embarrassingly infra-dig to do so.
This dose of smarty-pants critique pressed quite a few buttons of mine. Particularly the reference to sausage and mash as being 'ugly'. Sad really. And remarkably snobbish, something I had mistakenly believed to have gone out of fashion. In the same way that a lot of Wordsworth has gone out of fashion.
I too cited the Kardomah in my first ever Liverpool tale, written in 1965. It must be a local thing,
The Kardomah cafe was frequented by local musicians in the late 70's/early 80's, and a local group The Cherry Boys realeased a single called Kardomah Cafe.
And among my one claim to fame is that I went to school with Ramsey Campbell. Great to see you here!
PS El Cabala and La Bussola.
Hey, Kevin! How are you?
Great! Celebrating 60 years since leaving school, going to work on Tithebarn Street, and being unleashed into the world. Where I now devote myself to the garden, defending the NHS, and planning ever more painful fates for Tory ********. And of course creaking a bit. And you? Horror? Art? (I remember your gothic horror work in the art room.)
Hey there! What were you up to in Tithebarn Street?
Lord, I'd have hoped my teenage daubs would have been forgotten by the world. Horror, though - yes, I think we can say that:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsey_Campbell
1963 marked my escape from school (Brother Kelly was also one of my more benign memories; were our teachers suffering from PTSD?). My seven years there were deeply unhappy. I owe my education to St Ally's primary school and later experiences of further education, although there's no doubt St Eddy's polished me up a bit. My first (and also formative) job was as a clerk in an insurance office. If Substack allowed photo posts I could show you the wonderful Edwardian building where I worked and the monstrosity which now defaces the site. Your output is simply phenomenal.
A really nice Saturday morning read - unlike other commenters I didn’t find it snobbish but quite affectionate. Also a shout out (as young people say) to photographer Olive whose pictures look like they could have been 60s snapshots. Another article that justifies my subscription
I enjoyed reading the article almost as much as reading the poems themselves. The Liverpool poets were very influential in popular culture and a big music hero of mine, Paul Weller, cites them and used that method of using the mundane aspects of everyday life to create a song several times, particularly during his Jam days. More articles like this please
A good and true article. One of the things I love about this city is the amount of different types of food types you can experience. Some really greats little eating places and some great restaurants. Something for everyone. My kids seem to think I am a foodie and for birthdays they look for new places with different foods. Recently we tried the Hong Kong place just by the bombed out church numerous places up and down bold street. (Took a friend from Australia to the fish restaurant there and he was blown away) and for my recent pensions birthday was taken to a wee Korean food place kaibaibo no 5 Slater Street (will be going back) and was amazed to find it had a book club as well..... Would love to see more stories on and around the different food types to be found in the city. Apology for the advertising but I have lived in London, worked in Manchester and Leeds and the restaurants and dining places we have in this city can proudly hold their heads high....long my they be yum yum
Chippys? I’m a huge fan of the Mersey poets and the way that they democratised a polarising and often inaccessible art form. They were deep thinkers though, and clever chaps who I’m sure would know/have known the correct plural of chippy. I would have loved to read an interview with Roger and Brian. That would be worth my annual subscription.
Poetry is a form of literary art. No artist can perform well on an empty stomach as food has always been the fundamental stimulant that brings out the artist in all of us. Come to think of it, poetry itself is very much like cookery which involves different ingredients and methods with varying end results and one person's haute cuisine often is someone else's acquired taste or worse.
Thanks for a great read. I am about to search through my bookshelves for my old poetry books.
As a teenager in the 60s, my friends & I were often in the Phil, crushed up, cheek by jowel, with various members of the Liverpool poets or the Scaffold. We didn’t talk to any of them, of course: it was just the numbers of drinkers in the pub every weekend that caused the crowd, & besides, it would have been embarrassingly infra-dig to do so.
Love it. And a great addition to your team of ace writers. Welcome!
This dose of smarty-pants critique pressed quite a few buttons of mine. Particularly the reference to sausage and mash as being 'ugly'. Sad really. And remarkably snobbish, something I had mistakenly believed to have gone out of fashion. In the same way that a lot of Wordsworth has gone out of fashion.
I enjoyed this piece, but I'll not have the good name of Yanni's slandered.
It is in fact the best fish supper in Liverpool, and therefore the world. 😉
Nice article, had the great pleasure of meeting Adrian Henri on various occasions, loved his poetry and his art, the City was enriched by him :)