NewBeat Re-Generation?

We drove to Yeovil this morning for a walk in Ninesprings Country Park, where we were lucky to see a kingfisher sunning itself on a bridge over the pond. It flew off in a flash of iridescence before I could train the camera on it, of course!

Afterwards we walked into the town centre as Tess was hoping to buy some summery clothes for our upcoming holiday. The shopping area has become very run down, particularly since lockdown, with almost as many shops shut down as open, and has a sadly neglected look to it these days.

The local council has set up various art projects to try to help regenerate the area. One of these is a collaborative poetry project, run by poet Beth Calverley with people from local workplaces, schools and care settings, and these 4 poems were on display in an empty shop window.

The town was once a renowned centre of the glove making industry (hence Yeovil football club being known as The Glovers) but that industry has shrunk now; it’s other main industry is the Westland helicopter factory, which the town is heavily reliant on now. Both these industries are referenced in the poems, as is Ninesprings.

The 2nd and 4th poems are particularly interesting if you can get them large enough to read them.

Keep Fat tonight.