HOME
MY NEWS
Poem of the Week:
The Tay Bridge Disaster
Beautiful Railway Bridge of
the Silv'ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
'Twas about seven o'clock at night,
And the wind it blew with all its might,
And the rain came pouring down,
And the dark clouds seem'd to frown,
And the Demon of the air seem'd to say-
"I'll blow down the Bridge of Tay."
When the train left Edinburgh
The passengers' hearts were light andfelt no sorrow,
But Boreas blew a terrific gale,
Which made their hearts for to quail,
And many of the passengers with fear did say-
"I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of
Tay."
But when the train came near to Wormit Bay,
Boreas he did loud and angry bray,
And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
So the train sped on with all its might,
And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sught,
And the passengers' hearts felt light,
Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year,
With their friends at home they lov'd most dear,
And wish them all a happy New Year.
So the train mov'd slowly along the Bridge of Tay,
Until it was about midway,
Then the central girders with a crash gave way,
And down went the train and passengers into the Tay!
The Storm Fiend did loudly bray,
Because ninety lives had been taken away,
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
As soon as the catastrophe came to be known
The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown,
And the cry rang out all o'er the town,
Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down,
And a passenger train from Edinburgh,
Which fill'd all the peoples hearts with sorrow,
And made them for to turn
pale,
Because none of the passengers were sav'd to tell the tale
How the disaster happen'd on the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
It must have been an awful sight, To witness in the dusky
moonlight,
While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray,
Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,
Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,
I must now conclude my lay
By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay,
That your central girders
would not have given way,
At least many sensible men do say,
Had they been supported on each side with buttresses,
At least many sensible men confesses,
For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed.
My News
Please send me your news via the email link, or direct to my hotmail in the usual way.
Job:
Until a couple of weeks ago, I was working for a financial services firm which specialised in SME transactions. My job entailed managing the News and Financial News that would be sold as part of the site membership to our customers, and administering several back office functions. However it was a start-up company that never really started or actually got up... so...
Studying:
I have relocated to Edinburgh and am about to start a journalism course at Napier University. It is a Masters Course which I am hoping will stand me in good stead for a job on an evening paper combined with some subbing shifts... then a staff subbing job with some commissioned features, then a subbing job at a National paper and some broadcasting work... and then before you know it I'll be taking over from Alastair Cook on Radio 4 and editing the Sunday Telegraph!
Friends and Family:
My parents are now looking for property up in Oban... THE HEWINS MASS EXODUS CONTINUES! Scotland beware!
Kate (my big, little sister) has just arrived in Edinburgh to start her new term at the University. I am very excited about this... obviously because it is nice to see my sister... but also because she has brought my slipper up which smell of Georgia (1 year old choc lab).
Tim (old rowing pal) and Anna have just moved into a new house... best of luck guys!
Gwyn and Will (friends from St Chads College) have just released a CD - on the 22nd of September. They were played on Parkinson's Sunday Radio 2 show. For the uninitiated; if you put Billy Holiday, Diana Krall and Nina Simone in a blender, let the mix set, and then bake until golden - you would get Gwyn. Combine that with Top Cat playing the guitar and you're pretty close - can you tell that I'm a fan?. If your interested, you can pre-order their CD here.
Summer:
Went over to New Paltz (upstate New York) for my Uncle Pat's wedding to Aunty Chris. Kate broke her arm falling down the stairs, so the newly weds spent the first day of their honeymoon in the casualty department - classic!
Lovely holiday in the Lake District with Mum, Dad, Kate and Nan. Will get some pics up soon.
Had a great time at the 20/20 cricket finals at Trent Bridge with Paul (college room-mate) last weekend. We ate our way through half a pig between us and several beers. Lovely to see Emily (Paul's girlfriend) too.
Went to the most amazing jazz gig a couple of weeks ago to hear Gwyn and Will play at the Dean Street Jazz Cafe in Soho! (If you check out the link, go to the June listing and scroll to the bottom)
Saw Kate and Mary (my girlfriend) racing in Henley, which was wonderful. Women's Henley is an awesome event; more racing, more food, more drinks and less pomposity than the Royal Regatta.
Went to my first ballet last week - it was amazing! (Thanks to Aunty Olivia) I am sold.
