yes

Basking in sunshine and a cloudless sky today. A lot? quite a lot. Always? no.

I would say that it pisses down most of the time. John - I will have to make a note of today in my diary, lest we should forget...
Perhaps I should also take a photograph. It will be interesting to see how long this thread can run. Hats off to you Steve - at least it is an original one that hasn't been thrashed to death before.

So convertible stay garage-bound
Save after-sun for later
If rain makes Britain great
Then Manchester is greater
As you dry your clothes once again
Upon the radiator
What makes Britain great
Makes Manchester yet greater

Well it's my home and I love it. Give me rain anyday over some of the soulless shitholes that it's been my misfortune to live and work in in the past :-)

As the T-shirt said - "Manchester - dodging the bullets and the rain"

Seems I can dodge bullets - and rain - but not clichéd emotional poetry posted up on here daily.

I don't often venture, but please, poets, out there, be aware:

http://suspense.net/whitefish/cliche.htm

Add to that list any poem that mentions the word 'crimson'.

John - you are too cynical - maybe life has been too kind to you. You need to go through your own personal crisis to understand - something like the Tudor running out of your favourite brew - not that I'd wish that on you of course.
We seem to have wandered off the original topic though - raining rain to raining tears perhaps. Well - I've awoken to no rain for a second day - best get something on the line quick.

leave Richard & Judy and Oasis out of it. Nothing wrong with the rest Steve :-)

I love the Manchester rain.

I don't have a problem with poetry being emotional, more the use of clichés.

At least in Manchester you can predict the weather for yes rain does fit in somewhere however where used to live (Cornwall) weather is practically un-predictable changing every few miles or minutes in some cases.

Short of making John Crimson with rage, why so much curling lip and aloof distance when a poet, who after all is endevouring to communicate with a universal audience, utilises a cliche or introduces a clever or witty take on a cliche within their poem.

Whilst I am a great admirer of JT's writings I raise an eyebrow to his brooding literacy prejudice.

When is a cliche deemed to become a cliche?

When, why ,how do words or phrases fall into recognised ineffectiveness?

Just very interested.
Gus

Isobel
What would you know about the rain in Manchester/Greater Manchester?
You live in Lancashire, same as any other snobby Wiganer, myself included.

Yes i would agree Baz - who the hell wants to come under the Greater Manchester umbrella? I would far prefer the Lancshire parasol. Unfortunately we are due west of the Greater M and the rain clouds drifting in off the Atlantic start shedding their load before they ever hit the metropolis - most of it in my back garden and leaky gutters...

It is often wet.
It is often grim
I like wet
I like grim

Went to see Coldplay open air in Manchester tonight. A brilliant blue sky and lovely sunset - thought I was back in Oz for a minute - till I realised I wasn't in danger of catching skin cancer and was deliriously happy. There are pros and cons to every location. Manchester is a very happening place - I'm not normally there when it's happening - but I know it's out there...
I seem to be over engaging again - best get off quick.