Joe Riley Presents: Cut Grass

My guest today is Rishi Dastidar who is a poet and editor based in London. Rishi discusses his own particular view of Larkin’s portrayal of Englishness in both his letters and his poetry, Larkin’s contemporaries such as TS Eliot and Alan Bennett, and the vibrant role poetry plays in the UK’s cultural landscape.  Rishi Dastidar’s poetry has been published by the Financial Times, The Guardian and BBC and more. He is a fellow of The Complete Works, and a consulting editor at The Rialto magazine. A poem from his debut collection Ticker-tape was included in The Forward Book of Poetry 2018, and his second collection, Saffron Jack, was published in the UK by Nine Arches Press in 2020. He is also editor of The Craft: A Guide to Making Poetry Happen in the 21st Century (Nine Arches Press), and co-editor of Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different: Poems from Malika’s Poetry Kitchen (Corsair). He is the chair of the board of trustees for Wasafari Magazine. Larkin poems discussed: Poetry of Departures, Friday Night In the Royal Station Hotel, Afternoons, The Building, The Whitsun Weddings, Toads, Waiting for Breakfast Other references: Kingsley Amis, Alan Bennett, Ezra Pound The Poetry Review, The New Yorker,  The Delinquent https://delinquentmagazine.bigcartel.com/,  Smiths Knoll magazine (https://poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/index190a.html?id=17),  The Faber Academy https://faberacademy.com/ The Love Song of J Alfred Prufock by TS Eliot (1915) Wild God by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (2024 PIAS Recordings) Sometimes a Wild God by Tom Hirons https://tomhirons.com/poetry/sometimes-a-wild-god (2017) Neptune's Projects  by Rishi Dastidur (2023)  https://ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/neptune-s-projects Time by Pink Floyd ‘hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way’ from The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) George Best, footballer https://nostalgiacentral.com/pop-culture/people/george-best/ UK films/radio of the 1950s/60s:Passport to Pimlico, Whiskey Galore, The Goons, Kind Hearts and Coronets Music: Lazy River by Sidney Bechet Time by Pink Floyd Theme music: The Horns of the Morning by Wes Finch and the Mechanicals Band https://themechanicalsband.bandcamp.com/album/the-righteous-jazz Produced by Lyn Lockwood and Gavin Hogg Please email Lyn at ⁠[email protected] ⁠ with any questions or comments PLS Membership, events, merchandise and information: philiplarkin.com

Reading Larkin’s poetry Eddie Dawes - The Trees (Aug 2022)    Graham Chesters- The First Thing (Aug 2021)  David Quantick - Days (Aug 22) Imtiaz Dharker - Broadcast (Aug 22) Martin Jennings - High Windows (Aug 24) Nominated by Graham Chesters Hans Rutten introducing and reading An April Sunday Brings the Snow in English and Dutch  (Aug 21) Richard Johnson- Sad Steps (Aug 21) Sally Button- To The Sea (Aug 21) Joe Riley - Church Going (Aug 24) Devon Allison- Cut Grass (Aug 24) Nominated by Chris Sewart Andrew Motion- The Old Fools (Aug 2024) Philip Pullen- Show Saturday (March 21) Celebrating Larkin’s Contemporaries Triona Adams reads the opening paragraph of Barbara Pym’s Excellent Women (April 22) Zachary Leader with Julian Henry on the writing of Lucky Jim (nominated by Daniel Vince) (April 21) Ann Thwaite reads Philip Larkin in New Orleans by Anthony Thwaite (May 24) Enjoying Larkin Conversation James Booth and Betty Mackereth- Just what did Betty make of Larkin’s poems? (June 24) (Nominated by Sally Button) John Robins and Robin Allender- Captain Beefheart: Larkin fan. (March 22) Rachael Galletly and Lyn Lockwood-  A house full of Larkin (May 22) Chris Sewart and Phil Pullen- Larkin and The White Album (Nov 23) Rosie Millard and Lyn Lockwood - The wonders of Solar (Feb 24) Music: Monty Sunshine- Petit Fleur Wes Finch and the Mechanicals Band - The Horns of the Morning and The Trees Thank you to all the PLS Trustees, HVPs and members for their support and thank you to the huge support from our listeners and guests. Produced by Simon Galloway, Lyn Lockwood and Gavin Hogg.

Our guest today is Kate Romano. Kate is the CEO of arts centre Stapleford Granary which recently dedicated a whole weekend to celebrating many different aspects of Philip Larkin’s life, photography, jazz and poetry. Gavin and I were lucky enough to be able to head down there and enjoy the events as well as running a PLS stall in the middle of it all, talking about all things Larkin to the good people of Cambridgeshire.  Kate joined me to reflect back on the weekend and what she learned about Larkin in the process as well as to look at Broadcast, The Mower, Church Going and Lines on a Young Lady’s photograph album in particular.  https://www.staplefordgranary.org.uk/whats-on/events Michael Symmons Roberts https://symmonsroberts.com/ Wendy Cope https://www.faber.co.uk/author/wendy-cope/ John Betjeman- Death In Leamington  Life, Art and Love by James Booth (Bloomsbury, 2014) The Importance of Elsewhere by Richard Bradford, with an introduction by Mark Howarth-Booth ( Frances Lincoln, 2015) The Sunday Sessions https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571244058-the-sunday-sessions/ Monica Jones, Philip Larkin and Me: Her Life and Long Loves by John Sutherland (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2021) Larkin poems discussed: Lines on A Young Lady’s Photograph Album, Church Going, Broadcast, The Mower Music:  Nobody’s Sweetheart; Mckenzie and Condon’s Chicagoans One Hour: Mound City Blues Blowers Produced by Lyn Lockwood and Gavin Hogg Please email Lyn at ⁠[email protected] ⁠ with any questions or comments PLS Membership, events, merchandise and information: philiplarkin.com

They might not meant to, but they do... Joe Riley, teacher and poet of no great renown, is a lifelong lover of Larkin. In this series he attempts to read some of Larkin's poems in suitable places with his trusty tape recorder. In this final episode of the summer, Joe heads out with his daughter and reads This Be The Verse. Please note this episode contains strong language. Music: Feeling Drowsy by Henry Allen Junior and his Orchestra (1929) Produced by Lyn Lockwood, Gavin Hogg and Joe Riley Please email Lyn at [email protected] with any questions, comments or suggestions. PLS Membership and information: philiplarkin.com Theme music: The Horns of the Morning by the Mechanicals from their album The Righteous Jazz Join Lyn Lockwood and Chris Sewart in Hull on 21st September for a Larkin inspired writing workshop https://www.eventbrite.com/e/some-dappled-park-a-poetry-writing-workshop-inspired-by-philip-larkins-hull-tickets-940211757677?aff=oddtdtcreator

Today on the 9th August we celebrate Philip Larkin’s birthday and we read High Windows from start to end, in order to mark the 50th anniversary of Larkin’s final collection. Philip Pullen and Graham Chesters chat to Lyn about High Windows. Please note there is some strong language and challenging themes in the collection. Poems and readers: To the Sea- Lyn Lockwood Deputy Chair of the Philip Larkin Society Sympathy in White Major- Dale Salwak Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, professor English, magician The Trees-Carole Collinson Trustee of the Philip Larkin Society Livings: I, II, III-Clarissa Hard Trustee of the Philip Larkin Society Forget What Did- Gavin Hogg member of the Philip Larkin Society, writer, podcast host High Windows- Martin Jennings Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, sculptor Friday Night in the Royal Station Hotel -Alan Johnson Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, writer, former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care The Old Fools-Andrew Motion Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, writer, former Poet Laureate. Going, Going-Kate Romano BBC Radio 3 producer, musician, CEO Stapleford Granary The Card-Players-David Quantick Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, novelist, screenwriter. The Building-Ann Thwaite Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, biographer. Posterity-RM Healey founder member of the Alliance of Literary Societies Dublinesque-Graham Chesters Chair of the Philip Larkin Society Homage to a Government-Trevor Norwood Trustee of the Philip Larkin Society This Be The Verse-Chris Sewart member of the Philip Larkin Society, prize winning poet based in East Yorkshire How Distant-Cath Sked member of the Philip Larkin Society, former English teacher, arts enthusiast. Sad Steps-Blake Morrison Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, poet and novelist. Solar-Rosie Millard President of the Philip Larkin Society, journalist, writer and broadcaster Annus Mirabilis-Stewart Lee Honorary Vice President of the Philip Larkin Society, writer and comedian Vers de Société-Rachael Galletly Trustee of the Philip Larkin Society Show Saturday-Philip Pullen Trustee of the Philip Larkin Society Money-Simon Galloway, audio producer, podcast host Cut Grass-Devon Allison Chair of the Barbara Pym Society The Explosion-Vicky Foster member of the Philip Larkin Society, writer, performer, poet and teacher based in Hull Some references and further reading: Eugene Boudin - 1824-1898- French landscape painter who focused on the outdoors and particularly harbours and beaches. It Happened Like This by Vicky Foster (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024) The Old Fools Animation directed by Ruth Lingford, narrated by Bob Geldof https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376020/ We Peaked At Paper by Gavin Hogg and Hamish Ironside (Boatwhistle Books, 2022) https://www.boatwhistle.com/store/item/hogg--ironside-we-peaked-at-paper/ The Guardian review of High Windows https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/06/philip-larkin-poetry-high-windows-archive-1974 The Giddy Carousel of Pop presented by Simon Galloway and Gavin Hogg https://giddypoppod.home.blog/ Stewart Lee tour dates and news https://www.stewartlee.co.uk/ Martin Jennings public sculptor, Royal Coin https://martinjennings.com/ The Alliance of Literary Societies https://allianceofliterarysocieties.wordpress.com/ The Barbara Pym Society https://barbara-pym.org/ Sleeping on Islands: A Life In Poetry by Andrew Motion (Faber and Faber, 2023) Two Sisters by Blake Morrison (The Borough Press, 2023) Upcoming events Please join Lyn Lockwood and Chris Ewart in Hull on 21st September 2024: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/some-dappled-park-a-poetry-writing-workshop-inspired-by-philip-larkins-hull-tickets-940211757677?aff=oddtdtcreator Larkin Weekend 13-15 September 2024 at Stapleford Granary   https://www.staplefordgranary.org.uk/whats-on/events/larkin-weekend

That Whitsun, I was late getting away: Joe Riley, teacher and poet of no great renown, is a lifelong lover of Larkin. In this series he attempts to read some of Larkin's poems in suitable places with his trusty tape recorder. In this episode, Joe takes his seat on the 11.31 to London Waterloo and reads The Whitsun Weddings. Music: Body and Soul by Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra Produced by Lyn Lockwood, Gavin Hogg and Joe Riley Please email Lyn at [email protected] with any questions, comments or suggestions. PLS Membership and information: philiplarkin.com Theme music: The Horns of the Morning by the Mechanicals from their album The Righteous Jazz

Cut grass lies frail... Joe Riley, teacher and poet of no great renown, is a lifelong lover of Larkin. In this series he attempts to read some of Larkin's poems in suitable places with his trusty tape recorder. In this episode, Joe ventures out on his school field to read and discuss Cut Grass from High Windows. Music: Sidney Bechet - Si tu vous ma mere (Lonesome) Produced by Lyn Lockwood, Gavin Hogg and Joe Riley Please email Lyn at [email protected] with any questions, comments or suggestions. PLS Membership and information: philiplarkin.com Theme music: The Horns of the Morning by the Mechanicals from their album The Righteous Jazz

Our guest today is Douglas Bell, Professor of English Language Education at the School of Education, University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China. Professor Douglas Bell first joined us in April to talk about the 2024 Conference in Hull and kindly stayed on the line to talk to me more widely about Philip Larkin in China. We talk about the reading and translation of Larkin in China, as well as the use of persona and thematic readings of Larkin. We also talk about why Larkin is not a sexist poet, Larkin’s use of rhyme, using Larkin’s poetry to exemplify language teaching, and how Doug found delivering a lecture to many of thousands of Chinese students on Philip Larkin last year. Doug reads Faith Healing and Morning at Last There in the Snow and I read Wires. Please note there are a few glitches in the sound at the beginning but they do ease off. 13-15th September, Stapleford Granary Larkin Weekend, with jazz music, talks and  a photography display. Some of the events are free, some need to be booked. https://www.staplefordgranary.org.uk/whats-on/events/larkin-weekend Writing workshop with former Tiny guest and award winning poet Chris Sewart and podcast host Lyn Lockwood in Hull on Saturday 21st September. We will be based at Artlink on Princes Avenue and taking a gentle stroll around the Avenues and Pearson Park before coming back to the gallery for an afternoon of writing.. There are only 12 places available so if you’re interested you might want to get booking!  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/940211757677?aff=oddtdtcreator Poems mentioned: The Whitsun Weddings/Church Going/To The Sea/Love Songs in Age/A Study of Reading Habits/ Faith Healing/MCMXIV/Here/Show Saturday/Heads in The Women’s Room/This Be The Verse/Talking In Bed/ Wild Oats/Dockery and Son/Days/ Morning At Last there in the snow/Wires/Wedding Wind/ Breadfruit/ Poetry of Departures/ Self’s the Man/Aubade  Warning by Jenny Joseph Further reading and references: Bell, D.E. (2023) The Poetry of Philip Larkin. Universal Themes Viewed Through a Peculiarly English Lens. Public lecture for Ningbo library delivered on September 23, 2023. A recording can be accessed at: https://wx.vzan.com/live/page/2071198589?shauid=YUBtX4II7J_Vc34CAnoK1A**&vprid=0&sharetstamp=1695458198118 John Betjeman interviewing Philip Larkin in a 1964 episode of Monitor, which was a flagship arts programme on British tv during the 1950s and 1960s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coe11pgoj8E David Quantick's keynote address at the PLS conference, 'Something more fidgety and various... 50 years of High Windows' at the University of Hull, 14th March 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPQUTk6hUck The Translation and Criticism of Philip Larkin’s poems in China Wan Furong, Zhang Yan  https://philiplarkin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AboutLarkin-49.pdf Letters to Monica by Philip Larkin ed. Anthony Thwaite (Faber, 2011) Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Thomas Hardy (1892) Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff ( 1873 –1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Frédéric François Chopin (1810-1849)  was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. Music: One Hour by Mound City Blue Blowers Produced by Lyn Lockwood and Gavin Hogg Please email Lyn at ⁠[email protected]⁠ with any questions or comments PLS Membership and information: philiplarkin.com 

'Once I am sure there's nothing going on I step inside, letting the door thud shut...' Joe Riley, teacher and poet of no great renown, is a lifelong lover of Larkin. In this series he attempts to read some of Larkin’s poems in suitable places with his trusty tape recorder. In this episode he explores Church Going from High Windows. Music: Feeling Drowsy by Henry Allen Jr and His Orchestra Produced by Lyn Lockwood, Gavin Hogg and Joe Riley Please email Lyn at ⁠[email protected]⁠ with any questions, comments or suggestions for more readings for the podcast. PLS Membership and information: philiplarkin.com    Theme music: 'The Horns Of The Morning' by The Mechanicals Band. Buy 'The Righteous Jazz' at their Bandcamp page:⁠ ⁠https://themechanicalsband.bandcamp.com/album/the-righteous-jazz

Betty Mackereth was Philip Larkin’s secretary at the library at the University of Hull. They were work colleagues and good friends, growing  closer and more intimate, as the years went on. Betty turns 100 on 27th June 2024. We begin with Betty herself in conversation with James Booth when James was beginning his research into his biography of Philip Larkin . James calls her, Larkin’s ‘ageing muse of vitality’. After this, we hear directly from James Booth who spoke Lyn and trustee Philip Pullen at James’s house earlier this year. Thank you and special birthday wishes to Betty and thank you to Magnus Mackereth, Betty’s nephew, for giving us his blessing. Thanks again to James Booth and Philip Pullen and Simon Galloway for support with sound production. Mary Judd -- See "'What fun we had in the early sixties!' Philip Larkin and Mary Wrench (Judd)" by James Booth, in About Larkin 45 (April 2018). Having appreciated The Less Deceived, Mary (b.1923) applied for a post as Assistant Librarian in Hull in 1956, wanting to see "what a poet is like". Larkin interviewed her himself, and flattered (and also intimidated) by her familiarity with his poetry, saw her off from Hull on the coach with the words "I hope you'll come". She fitted into the Library well, befriending Maeve Brennan and Betty Mackereth, took part in the momentous move of the library into its new building in 1959, and stayed until 1964. She married Stephen Judd and Larkin visited her in the hospital where she gave birth to her first daughter, Helen in 1962. Larkin became a conscientious long-distance godfather to Helen, and kept in touch with Mary, sending her cards and the occasional letter. Suzanne Uniacke. (There is a village in County Cork called Uniacke. The Uniackes came over with the Conqueror. It's a rare name!) Suzanne was a Reader in the Philosophy Department in Hull from 2006 to 2013. Pauline Dennison was a library colleague of Maeve Bennan. She cut a formidable figure in charge of the Issue Desk in the Brynmor Jones for many years. Brenda Moon https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/mar/31/brenda-moon-obituary Don Lee Don was a trustee of the PLS for many years, and developed many Larkin walks in sites across the country that are still used today. Ivor Maw Philip Pullen- My Friend Ivor Maw (About Larkin 42) https://philiplarkin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/About-Larkin-42.pdf Poems mentioned: Love Again, The Dance, I Am Jake Balakowsky, Morning at last there in the snow, When First We Faced, We Met at the end of the party, Aubade, Symphony in White Major, Oxford, Broadcast, Toads Revisited, The Large Cool Store The Philip Larkin I Knew- Maeve Brennan (Manchester University Press, 2002) Philip Larkin: Life, Art and Love by James Booth  (Bloomsbury, 2015) Letters Home by Philip Larkin ed. James Booth (Faber, 2018) The Importance of Elsewhere: Philip Larkin’s Photographs by Richard Bradford (Francis Lincoln, 2015) Philip Larkin Collected Poems ed. Anthony Thwaite (Faber, 1988) The Complete Poems of Philip Larkin ed. Archie Burnett (Faber, 2012) Philip Larkin: A Writer’s Life by Andrew Motion (Faber, 1994) https://philiplarkin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/About-Larkin-35.pdf  Early Days in Philip Larkin’s Library Betty Mackereth https://philiplarkin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/About-Larkin-25.pdf   'New Brooms' Philip Larkin Betty Mackereth Philip Larkin and the Third Woman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRibIbHPAws ‘Former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion discovers an unseen and unpublished poem by Philip Larkin when he returns to Hull to meet one of the poet's former lovers. Speaking for the first time about her relationship with Larkin, Betty Mackereth reveals the man behind the famous poems.’ Cast: Andrew Motion First episode date: 7 December 2010 Robbins report https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbins_Report Music: Laura - Sidney Bechet Petit Fleur- Monty Sunshine Reckless Blues- Bessie Smith