Thursday 3 July 2014

A swim in The Swan

Making Memories, Gallery Oldham


Photo © Lois Blackburn, objects from Gallery Oldham, Handling Collection

Word association games are a great way to get a discussion going, or stimulate ideas for writing. Our discussion this time was themed around pubs and the word used are listed below. We often use pairs of opposites so that the game is more intriguing.



Pub/teetotal


barmaid/mother


a tot/saspirilla


landlord/Salvation Army


pork scratchings/apple pie

Out of the (above) list came the (below) poem:



A swim in The Swan


tavern/show me the way to go home


Oldhamers are proud 

of their drinking

the dust from the cotton

makes them thirsty for a swim in

The Swan

and The Horse Edge

drink in excess and

it takes control

but oh the dust 

in The Gaumont

and on Union Street

they're very clannish

self-contained and

what Oldhamers don't like is snobs or the rich

but they'll do a good job for you

they work hard at

The Mitre, The Randolf...


Extract from group poem 

Oldham
15 May 2013


Photo © Lois Blackburn, objects from Gallery Oldham, Handling Collection

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