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Building Bridges

Poems created at the opening of the Swindon Brunel 200 Festival event Building Bridges at the Wyvenr Theatre on 7th July 2006.

Now

The music has stopped playing loud
And I’m staring at a cloud
Now the music is loud
LOL *

Chainsawchik at Brunel outdoor musical extravaganza Wyvern Plaza, July 7 2006

LOL is text speak for “laugh out loud”

getic

punjabi in the place
all up in here

this group thrills
this group fills
this group

colourful
different
energy
ener
ener
getic
getic
energetic

stroke of the stick
hits home
POW
adrenalin rush
better-than bling rush
POW

culture in ya face
culture in ya ears
punjabi no fears

punjabi in the place
all up in here

The Swindon Dholis (Punjabi Drummers and Dancers) young people speak after their high-powered performance at “Building Bridges” in Wyvern Plaza, 7 July 2006

Asbo–Free Zone

We zoned out Friday
broke every rule in the book
loud music, dangerous diabolos
stabbing stilts, felt tip graffiti
loud music, loud music

Crowds and crowds and crowds of us
posse after posse after posse
and nobody so bossy
they slapped an ASBO on us
that was the Brunel bonus

Theatre Square innit
We wuz innit

Izza Bard observes the official musical and theatrical Brunel extravaganza in the Theatre Square Plaza outside Wyvern Theatre where for the rest of the year an ASBO rules out congregating teenagers.

Yellow Dancing People

Once upon a time
I went Wyvern
watched jugglers
juggling

Alice can see a strange man
strangely dressed
Stephie can as well
with her Willy

Maria gets blinded
by a diabolo
LOL
Robin’s leg fell off

Yellow dancing people
with drums
We’d never before met
Swindon Dholies

Daisy’s skirt keeps
blowing about
makes her not happy
Now Alice will draw this

YAY !!!

Yipee 4 Zippy and mates at Wyvern Square Plaza Brunel Gig 5-11 July 7 2006

Bridging the Gap

Another world
Other worlds opened up to us in Swindon
in Brunel July

Another world, Wyvern World:
Outside you have the thumping dholis
in Foyer you have the jazzy Sun Arise singers
Inside. Yes, that’s inside
Inside you have
A medley of railway songs and dances from the Shows
from Kentwood Choir to Western Players
through Janice Thompson to Judith Hockaday

Against a lit-up night sky backdrop
in a packed musical evening inside and on Plaza Wyvern
there was just left enough time to catch
that midnight Train to Swindon
from that packed auditorium platform
We were ready to receive performers
from Rushey Platt with Love
A heady mix of the old Light Programme
and latter-day Radio Two
This time the applause was un-canned
almost uncanny as

Gems from old films sung to us
then stunned silence as
gems from Swindon Viewpoint videos cried out to us
like splices from an old standard eight film show
Stunned silence greeted Swindon artist, Bill Cox,
works apprentice turned metal sculptor, Gordon Dickenson
unearther and preserver of heritage, Martha Parry
Giving views of Brunelian Swindon

Wouldn’t it be loverly
if some of their dreams came true
the ballet highkicker implied

“I’m getting Asboed in the Morning
Ding Dong Christchurch bells are gonna chime
Kick out the youngsters, for they’re all monsters
But get me to the court, get me to the court
For gawd’s sake get me to the court on time”

Evening dressed to thrill
OTTC sang their rivets out
after filmic Gordon D likened railway loss
to ripping heart from Swindon

With silver top hats and pelvic thrusts
we heard of a light on over in Faringdon
heard there’s a light
in the darkness of everybody’s life
Let’s do the Swindon Time Warp Again

Kentwood Choir saw us out with that old refrain
to Swindon :

“When you’re down and troubled
and your buildings have been rubbled
you need a friend
and as well
you need Brunel”

I vow to thee my country
music is our first love
for Swindon’s artistes
conducted by red salwar kameez
conducted with gusto
the rhythm of life, the rhythm of rails
proving, that through Box Hill and art
both tunnels and bridges can be built
over any of Swindon’s troubled waters
for tonight we made a fresh start

Izza Bard, Tony Hillier, puts his own take on the “Building Bridges” evening of music and film as he sat in darkened auditorium. 7 July 2006

Backstage

and from the sparkling mad professors….

feel
Mad or what
Crazy geeky
Crazy as a clown
Crazy as old people you see on the street

Then we got our marching orders
To shut-up backstage
And strut our disciplined stuff on stage

and from a volunteer waiting in the wings….

Oh my God
Daughter’s out there
Hope she does well
Build up is exciting and fun
It’s loud
They’re all impatient

I’m stuck here with the lipstick
Ready to top-up half time

tlc

tlc announced by Town Crier in green
If you had’ve been there
you would’ve seen
tlc sing in reply :

“Fine
In the pink
Sunshine in our eyes
It’s good to be alive
It’s good to be all smile
It’s good to beguile”

jazz singers superb
town centre by the kerb
atmosphere
positive steps
taken by tlc singing and
in fine Brunel tradition
ending
on a positive note

Thamesdown Ladies Choir (tlc) at Brunel outdoor musical extravaganza, Wyvern Plaza, July 7 2006

stage door

busy
buzz
not your normal buzz
not your normal one company buzz

this is a hive of buzzes
from swarm of dramatic groups
full of workers, a few queens
but the drone sent home
no room for drones in drama
Wyvern backstage
brimming with front door material

there’s a speed to it
a musical momentum
slow, slow, slow
building, building more
signing in at the stage door
signing in
signing in
signing in some more
at stage door

a pause
music stops

signing, signing,
signing out
signing out
signing out at stage door

that’s why I’m staged here at the door
‘cos that’s the stage I’m at

them ? Swindon’s dramatis personae
they’re at another stage
they’re Brunel-bursting through the Stage Door

Izza Bard, Tony Hillier, briefly connects with Stage Door and, as writers do, makes it all up !! at the Brunel “Building Bridges” evening of music and film performed by several Swindon Performance Art groups, 7 July 2006

inside story

take jam sandwiches to work
take one overflowing white-metal furnace

put them close to each other
put toasted sandwich in mouth

wash down with a brew of tea

Former Rail Worker inmate salivates this poem during interval of “Building Bridges” evening of local arts companies performing Brunelian work on the Swindon Wyvern stage July 7 2006

floor frying

coppersmith apprentice
hot hard work
steel floor

fifteen round fires
fifteen furnaces
lined up in workshop
round beds of coke

braised steel flanges
on copper pipes
with brass solder

steel floor
boots on but still hot
hell under your feet

fry ‘n egg on floor

A couple, (Alec Woodward and his wife) who came along to the Brunel show because “we just like the theatre” July 7 Brunel Show 2006. They enjoyed the show and, surprise surprise, another Inside worker had a tale to tell. They say, that when you’re in Swindon you’re never more than half a street away from a Railworks connection.

Last Lines

talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent,

talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent, talent,

Izza Bard reflects on Building Bridges Wyvern Showcase

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