The Verb

I'm doing a project for The Verb on Radio 3. The piece is about railways, I'm writing a 45 minute commentary of a train journey from Norwich to Sheringham. It will be available to download in mid October. I've been working with Abigail Conway a 'creator of live art performance' - and we've been hanging around train stations with recording equipment talking to people about their days. It's been really fun and I feel like I've got a good piece of work. You can listen to me talking to Ian McMillan on The Verb here.



If you are in Norwich on October 11th you can come and watch me on The Verb at Norwich Arts Centre. Tickets are free but you need to book them in advance here.

This is (sort of) the poem I'll be reading on the night.

The train to Sheringham
All over the world there are people on trains
making the same journey day after day
going through the motions
eating Kellogs Deja Vu
with your same favourite spoon
a quick sniff to see if the milk's off.
It never is.
Insipid FM playing the same songs
the post dropping on the mat at the same time
as you simultaneously clean your teeth, tie your tie.
The same staff working at the station ticket office
and you sit on the same seat with the same passengers
you have nicknames for each one of them:
Pong boy
Bicycle clips lady
Should have Gone to Specsavers.
These commuters are like a britpop band refusing to split up
touring tiny venues in the bassist's dad's van
reagailing bar staff and technicians about the time they were on TFI Friday
and the ITV Chart Show.
like a Britpop band refusing to split up
touring tiny venues in the bassist's van
reminiscing with the technician and barstaff
about the time they were on TFI Friday
and the ITV Chart Show
“This one's called Commuting”
they'll say towards the end of their set
the predictable finale after the landscape
of indifferently received new material
the three chord guitar intro as familiar as those pine trees in the distance
as we edge towards West Runton.

All over the world there are people on trains
Kindles and Nintendo DSs,
Private Eyes and just gazing into the abyss.
But there can be few more pleasant commutes than this
it might get a little weary but it beats those traffic jams
and the Underground. Have you been on the Picadilly Line at this kind of time
sweat patches like paddling pools
people sitting in traffic jams, getting passive aggressive with their sat navs.
'You said we'd be home by now'

so stretch out your legs, sip your Metazza coffee
and think how things could be a lot worse than this
as we arrive at the Unstaffed station of the year 2006.
No-one at the ceremony to accept the reward.