THE BEANO (IP)

Cherry

By Linda Wigzell Cress

Tue, 05 Nov 2013
  • 9232 reads
29 comments
 

‘Oy, Elsie, ain’t you ready yet?’

Said Albert, looking worried.

‘I’m almost done, just sort yourself –

You know I can’t be hurried’.

‘Our Ruthie’s waiting at the door,

The kids are standing with her

The charabanc has just arrived

It’s parked up near the river’.

 

It’s Beano day in Bermondsey

All are dressed in Sunday best,

There’s workers, children, Grandad too

With his medals on his chest.

They’re all off to Southend-on-mud

A day out!  Can’t be late!

Some kids have never seen the sea

And they can hardly wait.

 

Halfway there they have a stop

For beer, and squash, and tea

And stand for ages in the queue

At the carsey, for a wee.

Then off they go, all singing now

Songs needing no rehearsal,

And they all cheer when into view

Comes the coach park by the Kursaal.

 

Some head off for the mile long pier

Some go to beach or pub;

Some paddle in the murky sea

Until it’s time for grub.

There’s sandwiches full of actual sand

But Dad wants jellied eels

So off he pops to the eel-pie shop -

However sick he feels.

 

The day is done, they’re on the coach

Some sleeping, heading home.

Mum snores so loud she wakes herself

And finds that she’s alone.

‘My Albert’s gone’ she cries aloud,

Sounding quite irate.

The driver says: ‘I can’t turn back,

My morning trip’s Margate'.

 

They soon got home, and Elsie wept

In anger more than sorrow;

‘Ruthie said ‘He will be home

All safe and sound tomorrow’.

All night they waited, sipping tea

Ruth said: ‘he’s prob’ly drunk’

Mum was sure she’d see him no more,

Convinced he’d done a bunk.

 

And she was right; he’d taken flight

And dumped his nagging wife;

Now he felt happy, young and free

For the first time in his life.

Down at Southend on the front

It’s true, Albert got tipsy.

But he’d gone and had his fortune told –

And run off with the Gipsy!

 

Certificate U
Poem
POETRY
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by scratch on

That is such a blast.  I loved it.

 

Submitted by celticman on

mum woke herself with snoring. Yep. Tick that box.

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Cherries!  Thanks so much cherrypickers!

Linda

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Hi scratch, glad you liked it.  It was fun to write. Thanks for commenting.

Linda

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Hi celticman, thanks for reading.  Off to make a few zzzzzzs myself now!

Linda

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

'Cor strewth, Albie popped out for his eels then he slipped away with Gipsy Rosie Lee! Like all of our IPs this week we are in the land of Just About Could Maybe .... Good fun   Elsie

Submitted by Bee on

I enjoyed every bit of this. So, so well done, Linda! Such fun!!!

Bee

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

IPs been fun this week.  Thanks for the loan of your name Elsie!

Linda

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Cheers Bee, I enjoyed writing it, reminded me of old photos we have of days at the seaside, men in collar and ties looking awkward on deckchairs, women with dress tucked in knickers - those were the days! (not that I remember that particular era I hasten to add!)

Linda

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Great stuff, Linda;-)

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Thanks Tina.  A real fun IP with so many possibilities!

Linda

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Well done on the cherries, Linda. Excellent characterisation of the day trippers and a hilarious description of their eventful journey. Pleased to see the 'charabanc' an 'dressed in Sunday best' mentioned. I too have used those expressions in my version.

All the best, Luigi.

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Thanks Luigi, have just seen yours, reminds me of the 'Jolly boys outing' if you are a 'Only Fools and Horses' afficionado!

Linda

Submitted by prettyrose on

Hi Linda :) Brilliant, loved it. nothing else to say,

 

 

 

Keep Smiling

Keep Writing :)))))

smiley Keep Smiling

Keep Writing xxx

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

And thanks for saying so, Prettyrose. Appreciated.

Linda

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I enjoy you're abilities with rhythm and rhyme too, Linda, and the things you pack in like 'Mum snores so loud she wakes herself' and 'paddle in the murky sea Until it’s time for grub.' but I couldn't help feeling sad in the end, –  so true to life that jollity can end so, sad for the silly nagging wife, and more so for Albert who, would probably soon stop feeling happy, young and free for the first time in his life, and find he'd jumped out of the frying pan into the fire! Rhiannon

 

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Thanks Rhiannon, you are very observant and always see so much in poems.  I thought that this IP was extremely inspirational, so much can be done with it.  Glad you enjoyed my offering!

Linda

Submitted by Luke Neima on

A lovely piece Linda - glad you felt so inspired by the IP! Great rhythm and great storytelling. 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Hi Luke, I am glad you liked it.  Thanks for commenting

Linda

Submitted by The royster on

Oh Linda, How I can relate to this and what days they were.  You've got it spot on as the days used to go.

Remember the wall of death in the Kursaal and Oh what I would give  for a plate of southend Cockles. Yep, full of grit/sand but delicious.  The train ride along the pier and a walk back. Bloody long time ago now.

Well deserved Cherries

I'm still laughing at the finish.  I'm goin'  to Sowfend tomorra!  Royx 

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Oh yes Roy the wall of death, the rides -  waxworks on the front, and the muddy beach!  Them was the days!  and I hope you enjoyed your birthday!

Linda

Submitted by The royster on

Had a great day thanks Linda.  Thank you also for my lovely Card. Made an old fella very happy.

Royx

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

This was so very funny Linda and put a smile on my face.  Well done on a great IP and very deserved of the cherries.  Jenny.

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

Thanks Jenny, it was fun writing it.  Things often seemed simpler in those days!

Linda

Submitted by The royster on

Hi Linda,  I'm looking forward to reading this one at  next weeks Open Mic Night.   Hope you don't mind   but I have slightly changed 2nd line penultimate verse.  to,  In anger more than sorrow. Seems to roll off the tongue a little easier for me.  Roy

 

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

You know Roy, I think you are right especially when read out loud. I was not quite happy with the first too lines of this verse.  I am changing it forthwith. Perfick. Thanks for that.

Linda

Submitted by The royster on

Your very welcome Linda.  I think i'm getting a bit above myself since winning that slot in book hahaha.

We shall se after I've tried performing in front of an audience ;-(.   Royx

 

Submitted by Denzella on

Hello Linda,

Oh how this poem resonated with me.  Mum would take us to Southend on the train and we would sit on the mud laughingly known as the beach and eat our spam sandwiches and drink our bottle of tea and my brother and I would go for a swim no matter how cold it was.

Later when we saw beano trippers they never queued for the Karzi there used to be  a long line of men either peeing up the side of the coach or lined up against the hedge as if waiting for a firing squad.

Harder days but happier I think.  We had the best of it.

Moya

 

Submitted by The royster on

Hi Linda,   Oh yes memories.   We went by boat from Tower bridge to Sowfend.  When we got to the Sowfend Peer, the Sea/River was a complete blanket of pink jellyfish.   Loved the cockles though.  Roy