ray pool

THE OLD KENT ROAD

by ray pool

Friday 25th November 2016 9:02 pm (first posted Thursday 24th November 2016 10:47 pm)

The Old Kent Road

Roman Way

the Dover Road

running straight as a do or die

first step to success

on a monopoly board

coloured brown the dirty sod

at the end of town.

It is the road that hints of abroad

the road that stood the weight of the horde

of Romans on their foraging way

where Bricklayers Arms

terminus for railway goods

rubbed shoulders with

the Surrey Canal

long since removed

like heads of state deposed

replaced by disgruntled estate

and road. It is indeed the road

to end all other roads

the first the last to London Bridge

where battles raged on marsh and ridge

and now the sullen traffic's

eyeless advance

pays scant regard to history's dance.

🌷(1)

london history

◄ RETAIL RISE AND FALL

SHOWBIZ LEGEND ►

Comments

raypool

Sun 27th Nov 2016 23:01

Thanks Mark for sharing your historical references . It all brings colour to the table. The gun shop matter seems a sort of update on the highwaymen legends. Fascinating stuff. I think we should have a poem about the adventurous daughter please. I don't have a copyright on the OKR. That Buntline must have cost a packet!!

Nice to have you on the mailcoach Martin travelling in your mind to London. Ah! those old films.

I was so overjoyed to get so much feedback on this. Thanks again everyone.!

Martin Elder

Sun 27th Nov 2016 19:52

Can't say I am that familiar with those parts of London except on the monopoly board. However it still evokes memories of old black and white films and visiting cousins in east ham. Nice one Ray

M.C. Newberry

Sat 26th Nov 2016 17:34

These lines bring reminders of personal connections with
the road along some of its famous London - Dover length. Thanks for the mental cinema show they evoke.
In reverse order...the great-great-grandfather who was a postilion working out of the Red Lion Inn, Shooters Hill
on the Dover Road at the time of the Battle of Borodino.
I think of him when Dickens' words "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." take us to that
location and the Dover-bound stagecoach straining through the mud.
The visits to the OKR gun shop run by Tom Collins (uncle
of Lewis Collins, actor in "The Professionals"), where I
acquired a vintage Colt .45 SAA Buntline Special, (later sold back to him);
and the niece who came to live off the OKR to be near
her adventurous daughter, both up from Devon to see
what life was like in the big city...and both long since returned to their senses - and Devon!

Jeff Dawson

Sat 26th Nov 2016 07:44

Hi Ray, many thanks for your comment on 'Bolton Calling', much appreciated! And yes enjoying performing it, going well! Enjoyed reading your Old Kent Road, I think monopoly is first thing that most people think or the pearly kings and queens but I love the references to the Romans here, great stuff on the dirty brown OKR!

cheers Jeff

Greg Freeman

Fri 25th Nov 2016 20:19

Lovely stuff, Ray. A psychogeographer's delight. (I'm guessing "hoard" should be "horde"?) And I'm also guessing that there will be one or two open mics there or thereabouts ...

raypool

Fri 25th Nov 2016 16:49

Colin, i'm glad you got the feel - The Old Kent Road area could be a fitting counterpoint to those grimy northern stongholds as a poetry bash area. There were always a lot of music pubs on the way out of town. Famous and still there is the Thomas a Beckett with a boxing club upstairs, scene of many a blooding. South London was always the poor neighbour but not any longer. Plan away my friend!

Very intuitive response David to pick up the main ingredients - I kept repeating Road to try to reinforce the remorseless nature of the subject, Thanks. As a point of interest, the M25 is a bit like a walled in psychological impasse for me, or an unwelcome centrifuge. Apparently some drivers have lost the plot on the way round (that couldn't be you could it?) I was on it once when my alternator faded and just about got home!

Cynthia thanks for liking this. The word Dance is a playful substitute for a more considered alternative, just came to mind!
Congratulations on getting WOL by the way- a clever and socially commendable contribution.

Ray.

Cynthia Buell Thomas

Fri 25th Nov 2016 15:58

Enjoyed this, Ray. I like the final stanza; wish there was another word for 'dance' but can't think of one either. So, it's thought-provoking, and that's a good thing always.

<Deleted User> (13762)

Thu 24th Nov 2016 23:04

love it Ray - the hipsters are gentrifying the city's poorer suburbs whilst the developers gouge holes and replace the bulldozed land with names that echo the past that no-one has an inkling of knowledge of the history - hell, you've got me back on town planning again my friend - all these years my talents have been wasted writing shite poetry!

Old Kent Road and Whitechapel were always my favourite properties on the Monopoly board along with the pinks and oranges. My brother went for the blues, greens, Mayfair and Park Lane - no guessing who always won - I think I'm still paying him back for outstanding rents.

Good night!

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