Lo, smee gen. Finds nother leter fra olde chest box wi goldy andle un shine uns. Wonders wha is ee bee doin out there a Taniul while her waits. Was gud gel a luv eem und ee same luvs her. Muss bin gud luvs though sum sad liken fuh all an we. Smee pinyun thas but won chance a tek it while is before yee. Wees who esitatin be do our sen doon though tis ard be a strongen at times a matter. Tis a bold ting ta speek of - be brave when tis not thee be do it. Sez they faint heart neer wins fair lady. Wish I was fair n comely but tis not ta be. Still I knows - out there is some one body luv fuh all a we. Tis a luvey ting ta muse on. Mee wonders did they ever mek theys way ta the far orf sway. I moight finds more leters. Sez what did tranzpyre

Dearest Beloved

I hope this finds you well.
Still know I am caught twixt lines beyond where I had meant to venture – happily ensnared for my own real good is why my heart is full and hopeful and well entwined with thine - I long to converse with you, to share and play silly games, to make food for you and most, to be true to us in love and life with robust and splendid imagination.
As I sit here with my back to the southern acres I think of you alone by a salt spray blown off our beloved coves and sea side pines – will you be thinking of me and silver bars dancing in the foaming tide as these momentous days pass by? A butterfly drifts in this balmy air which is filled with the scent of exotic flowers that exude the finest fragrances. The butterfly turns to the fire light and it’s fatal attraction but a cool breeze blows her safe away and I am shocked at the strength of my relief – I have become kinder by knowing you
I want to walk with you underneath the green canopy of a summer forest and to feel your skin as, hand in hand, our arms touch lightly as we go together down a flower strewn path. I shiver thinking of the day I will come to you with heart racing to feel you close and then – to wrap you up and never want to let you go or ever say good bye.
We'll sit together quiet. I will watch the light off water reflected in your eyes , see your smiling, happy face and know you again. I miss your girlish laughter. If sister of mine you had been I would have loved it so – though glad am I now, you are my lover fine and wise.
If all goes well I shall soon be on my journey home to you and all I hope for – if winds set fair and well rigged we are, so shall the speed of my travel be all the better.
Here I have seen things that none have told and I have felt more for you than any other. I have found you in profound dreams and understood what I must be where before I wandered aimlessly. Let it be that we shall guide and love each other so – forever.
As you know I am bidden not to reveal my work here and so shall tell you nought save that I love you with all my being and send you my fondest hopes and wishes

Your devoted servant

at the Taniul Spur

Copyright edgar broughton 2007

enemy of democracy or liberator ?

If any one deserves credit and acknowledgement for exposing the real enemies of democracy John Pilger journalist and film maker must be a prime candidate. I have admired his measured and eloquent works for many years. I can’t say I have enjoyed his work but that is not the intention. I watched his film The War On Democracy on ITV a couple of evenings ago. http://www.johnpilger.com/ This looked back at American intervention in the affairs of South American countries since 1950. The usual ex CIA boss suspects were interviewed and none saw any thing wrong with trying to overturn democratically elected governments in fact one Pentagon pig tried to say that the stories of thousands being tortured and killed in El Salvador were propaganda. “ Name me 200” he challenged. Interestingly one of the CIA filth interviewed by Pilger actually said that his brief was “ to co-ordinate the terrorising of any family member or supporter of Salvador Allende who later was ousted by Pinochet’s fascists in Chile. All of the interviewed US criminals waged a war of terror on democratically elected government. Most of us have grown up with this piratical style of US foreign policy The most disturbing case of US intervention cited in Pilger’s chronology of these crimes is US support and collusion with opponents of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela right now. Bush has denounced Hugo Chavez “ in the interests of national security”. On the other hand London mayor Ken Livingstone has negotiated a deal for oil for London buses which will allow people at the bottom end of the income scale to travel half price. The oil will come from Venezuela and provide them with 75 million a year. Nice one Ken! It might be a small thing but it is an intelligent one. It might be a while before we can fairly evaluate Hugo Chavez's performance. This will be especially true if the US continue to actively support his opponents but in the mean time we know that Bush is the most dangerous man on the planet.

The recent ride by shooting of the eleven-year old has evoked an increasingly familiar horror in all of us. Tonight the police are mystified as to why so few people have come forward to give information. They should know it is because they promise much but offer little or no protection to witnesses. In my opinion no amount of government tinkering can address the issues around gun crime and the wasting of so many of our youth. Tinkering is what governments do. It is time for a new way forward. Enough is enough. This is not a policing budget issue, a judicial sentencing review issue or an adjustment in the way agencies like Connexions or Social Services operate. It is about healing a deep wound at the heart of the culture of our society. This society does not love it’s children half as much as it professes and we have to begin the exploration and adjustment of that. Every week a child is killed by a parent or parents. A record number of children was murdered in Britain last year. New Home Office figures show a total of 143 children and teenagers were unlawfully killed, a rise of more than 40 per cent on the previous 12 months.

I have been enjoying my new job and meeting new young people I will be working with after the summer holidays. I’m planning some IT, audio / visual media work shops and guitar tuition as well as work shops around working with boys and young men. It should be a decent menu of activities after a week or so of planning. We took a group to see Stomp in the west end yesterday. It was one hour and forty five minutes long and too long by forty five minutes in my opinion. It is very clever but sonically tiring after a while. Still worth a look if you have never seen it. Luke and his girl friend have headed off for the Leeds incarnation of Reading festival so we hope the weather holds. They were well kitted out so all should be well.

Still on the subject of being well kitted out my hot tip for an advance family Christmas present is - a family size rubber boat with electric engine, two sets of paddles, water purifying tablets, twenty pounds of dried foods, fishing tackle, and a wind up torch and radio. The overground and underground resevoirs are at bursting point and the weather gurus are forecasting a wet Autumn and Winter.

On a more positive note I have been learning my songs in readiness for upcoming rehearsals. I do forget them. Luke finds it surprising and tedious at times but he can always put me right when I forget a part. Art is quite good at this also. So, I have decided to hone up especially on the newer songs hoping to show you a couple of new things in the next shows. It has been a while since the German festival in the rain so it will be good to get back together with the guys and get on the road for a few days.

Copyright e d g a r b r o u g h t o n 2007

Saturday, last in Suffolk – I caught a little pike here just as the sun was fading. A nearby local authority is obviously still diverting excessive amounts of water in spite of the recent down pours. If no one fished these waters I don’t believe a single voice would be raised for the fish. I am thinking of the current state of this river as another example of the insidious way that corporate bodies in both the public and private sectors spoil our habitat. I don’t suppose that many of the hundreds of ramblers who walk the banks of this water see the decline in the water. Why would they? Two miles down stream from where the photograph was taken is the famous Flatford mill, depicted by Constable. The light here is wonderful and magical in the evenings. I have never seen any thing quite like it anywhere else. The skies are almost always, immense and beautiful. No wonder Constable loved to paint here.
Bartholomew Gosnold was born in Grundisburgh, Suffolk in 1571. Bartholomew made his first voyage to the New World in a tiny ship called Concord; it was on this voyage that he named Cape Cod and, further south, found a single small island which, in memory of his little daughter, he named Martha’s Vineyard. After obtaining a charter from King James 1 in 1604 for a ‘Virginia Company’ to settle Virginia, Bartholomew began putting together another expedition and, in 1606, he sailed as second-in-command of a fleet of three ships - Discovery, Susan Constant and his own ship, Godspeed. They landed on May 13th 1607 and named their settlement Jamestown in honour of the king. Many settlers died, including Bartholomew
himself, who died of dysentery in August of that year. Thanks to Bartholomew Gosnold and other brave adventurers Jamestown and other settlements were established and in future years others would come with their families and build on those foundations to make the USA into the country it is today. Little could they have known of the awesomely negative impact their decendants and allies would unleash on the world in our time, in the name of democracy.

As I write this I am hearing news of a savage car bombing that has taken place in Iraq. The death toll and injured list is appalling and it seems that things are escalating down hill at a fantastic pace. No one seems to have much control over any thing. Recently I saw coverage of a Government seminar on how to de radicalise young Muslims. Through out the entire proceedings Government foreign policy was never suggested as a possible cause for radicalisation of young Muslims. While this colonial idea of self-righteousness prevails we will see no peace.

Finally – back to the state of our habitat. On Sunday, all being well, Ramblin’ and I plan to ride out to the Climate Camp at Heathrow Airport. We feel the First Supperists should be represented and there can surely be no better way to arrive there than by bicycle. See you there ?


copyright e d g a r b r o u g h t o n 2007

With his usual attention to detail Dave has arrived at the following judgement of the competition.
The shortlist:

Soldiers of the light - karmel
a definite possibility as a title track, very astute karmel, you're a soldier in the same light as the rest of us and we would never send you to war.
These are the days (if it wins give the cd to the lad who had a disagreement about the seat belt!) tony
i like the sentiment tony!
"The First Supper".- adrian
sometimes the most obvious is the obvious choice, it is a wise man who makes the obvious choice but still..... i will pick something else
FOR THOSE WHO CARE.. - Michael a Joyce you deserve something Michael for the most entries.... if those who cared were as persistent as you then the world would be a better place

The longlist:

North South East West Side Story -nobby smithstein
interesting perspective
'5 minds ago' -seem paul
too retrospective but i do like it, just 2 minds ago you might have wonStill dreaming.Still scheming - dr.h
indeed, we are... time to wake up v.soon
'Special relationship' - adelita
nice idea but sounds like a recipe for disaster
'Time to build The Ark' - ramblinmad
steve's already made one out of 5mm mdf

Dave Cox - Guitar Genius! - shoreham steve
'THIS is Dave Cox' (with special guests) - mario brega
both worthy of another mention!

On another day
perhaps yesterday or tomorrow
i would pick one of the titles
that held my own name in the greatest glory
but what counts, is not what you did yesterday
or will do tomorrow
it is those selfless acts
that we do today that make the difference

it doesn't matter what you did
or what you're gonna do tomorrow
its what you do

soldiers of the light
for those who care
these are the days

my winner: "these are the days" (for selfless acts)

daveX

Tony email me your postal address and I'll send you the CD. Thanks to every one else for their creative suggestions.



copyright e d g a r b r o u g h t o n 2007