Banana Tree Bench

tiny bananas
and a huge flower
hot house sweats

Chinese Palm, Leamington Spa

How serendipitous!
my last novel was also
'Halcyon Days'

Waltzers, Mablethorpe

they take a spin
on the waltzers,
hip hop blaring

All Saints Church, Leamington Spa

three saints
sneer as photographs
reveal the grime

Dusk

pink clouds
as coloured lights flicker -
the road home beckons

All Saints Church, Leamington Spa

Site of the spring
brings art to the surface
but no water

Willow Tree

startled pigeons
among the branches;
duck on the river below

Bench Friday - Central Avenue

Dank and dreary
with a huge puddle
to the left


Bench outside Robinson's factory, corner of Central Avenue and Goyt Side Road, Chesterfield; looking to Dock Walk

Hitchman Fountain

Hitchman fountain:
modern alterations
to single wet plume

All Saints Church, Leamington Spa

sunny skies
parish church
Leamington Spa

Parachute Fountain, Leamington Spa

This fountain looks a little bizarre. Have you ever seen a parachute fountain before? It commemorates 8 Czechs who all died in 1942 in a series of events that started with a parachute drop and an assassination and ended with a couple of villages being wiped off the face of the earth.

In the early 1940s SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich was the Nazi in command of Czechoslovakia. He was extremely ruthless (he had been appointed to crush the Czech Resistance). His nickname "The Butcher of Prague" leaves little to the imagination. However plans were afoot in London to assassinate him. (The exiled Czech government were based in London.). Four parachutists, Lieutenant Adolf Opalka (who led the mission), Seargeants Josef Valcik, Jan Kubis and Sgt Josef Gabchik were flown and dropped over Czechoslovakia in 1941. Once in Prague, they managed to attack Heydrich's open top car as his chauffeur drove him through the outskirts of Prague at Holesovice on May 27th 1942 . They waited at a very tight bend in the road where the car had to slow down, and then attempted to shoot him. However the gun jammed. Heydrich was furious and ordered his chauffeur to stop so he could shoot back. The backup plan of handgrenades blew bits of car into Heydrich who died in hospital 10 days later. Himmler even sent his personal physician to try and save him. The Nazi reprisals were terrible, they found the paratroopers hidden in a church crypt and killed them all, as well as the bishop who gave the shelter. They then proceeded to wipe out two whole villages (randomly selected) killing most of the population and bulldozing the buildings.

Text taken from HERE

Proximidade Award

Thanks to Mish for this blog award.

This blog invests and believes in the Proximity – nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award.

I generally avoid these, but in the spirit of proximidade I’m passing the award onto everyone who reads this blog. I don't know all of you, but you are all loved.

Dead Flowers

Alfred Walker
had visitors on Father's day -
rainfall whispering

Summer Growth

Waist-high grass
is far overhead
for little dogs

book of the month

An Ungodly Child is currently book of the month at Circaidy Gregory Review

St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield

hot day -
the church spire and a melting ice-cream -
crooked

Friday Bench

Sharp wind
blows sunshine away
black gravestones

Bereft Wife and Child

Black feather on rain-soaked grass
scolded by crows

The Yellow Room Magazine

The Yellow Room magazine, issue 2

The editor, Jo Derrick, sent me a copy and An Ungodly Child is there on page 74. Hurrah!

"Rachel Green has written a cracker. Despite its supernatural setting this is a super, naturally funny tale about the underworld in general and a possible Antichrist in particular."

I'm not mentioned on the website but I'm there in the print copy, which can be ordered at £11 for two issues.

As the website says:

A place where women writers can gather together
for support, encouragement and friendship

They welcome submissions from women (though I've not got a piece in yet!)

Council By-laws

100 yards away
and I get a hit of nicotine
from a woman at the bus stop

Withered Flowers

Faded flowers
tumbled headstones
two crows laughing

Some of my Fibs

Fibs by Rachel Green

Cemetery Garages

Old garages
left unused and abandoned
A shame to waste them.

Cemetery Road

Cemetery road
grey sky and the raucous caws
of treetop crows

Walton Drive Field

Between the storms
puddles on the grass
heavy supermarket steps.

On 'The Voice' in fiction

Stephanie Wright: wrighterly: Voice

and

Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent: Guest Blog Week: Everything You Need to Know About Writing a Novel, in 1000 Words


Image: Triplex Coniunctio by Stephanie Wright

Bench Friday

Granite bench
reflects the sodium sky.
Opera night.

Factory Gennel

Safe on this side -
the other a cycle route.
Buddleia blooms

St Lawrence's Tombs

Neglected grave
tomb split open.
Trees and Ivy buds.

Wetlands Field

Why do people
dump rubbish in the wood?
Falling orange blossom

Iron Man

The viewpoint
of Corporation Street.
Iron Man Watches.

St. Lawrence's, Alvechurch

Childhood haunts
and the basis for a church
in my novels.

Ben Stevens’ 'A Gaijin's Guide to Japan'

When Scott Pack of the Friday Project offered me the chance to review Ben Stevens’ A Gaijin's Guide to Japan, I jumped at it. As a student of Japanese weapons and by inference, its culture, I was fascinated to read it. Add to that my 12 year-old daughter’s fascination for all things Japan and it became a must have.

A Gaijin’s Guide… eschews the traditional format of place name entries and instead provides a whistle-stop tour of popular culture. Some of the entries are hilarious, for example the entry on Bushusuru:

On January 8th, 1992, at a state dinner given in his honour during a visit to Japan, President George Bush Snr. Repaid the hospitality of his hosts by throwing up in the lap of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa. The unfortunate incident was quickly blamed on a feeling of ‘nausea’ that had plagued Bush all day, but soon the verb Bushuru – literally ‘doing a Bush’ – had been invented to describe those who vomited without warning.

I loved this book. As a guide to Japanes popular culture it is invaluable – I would never have known to beware of ‘jozu’ (‘skillful!’) as an insult! It is not a book to find the best (or cheapest) places to stay (avoid those coffin hotels, chaps!) nor a guide to where to eat (try The Rough Guide to Japan) but for casual travellers and armchair Japanophiles, it is worth every penny.

And with my penchant for twenties slang, I’ll try to avoid saying ‘chin-chin, old chap.’

Ben also has another Orient-based book available: From Lee to Li
is an A-Z of martial arts heroes, both in Japan and the rest of the world. Utterly absorbing for both martial arts participators and film buffs alike.

Victoria Square, Birmingham

Fountains
in the rain
I'm already wet

Bench Friday

Dappled Shade
and river behind.
A View of the chippy.

Chestnut Avenue

Childhood haunt -
recursive memories
after 30 years

Chatsworth Road

Furniture shop
and Methodist church.
Little Angels.