Thursday 14 March 2013

in memoriam

So. Farewell
Ray Gorbing,
Or "Mr Stevenage" to some.

You planned the town
with no traffic lights -
all cycle tracks
and roundabouts.

Japanese tourists
came to take pictures
in their droves.

Keith's mum hated your orange box,
an eyesore by the station.
I'm sure Gordon Craig was chuffed.

In your young days you looked
a dead ringer for your son.
Without the pipe, of course.

He played violin in our first band.
You looked at me with disdain once,
and you didn't shake my proffered hand.
                                   E.J. Thribb (17½)
the gordon craig theatre

3 comments:

Zouk Delors said...

Seems it took some time for your curse to take effect, Dave.

Btw, it hasn't been orange for some years now - more a dirty shade of cream. Guess you'll just have to photoshop your pic!

And most of the roundabouts* have (part-time) traffic lights controlling them nowadays. Ironic, eh?

*Did you know Stevenage motorists get through 10% (or summink) more tyres than the general population?

Zouk Delors said...

Oh, and the Japanese don't come round anymore.

Dave Leeke said...

Although I have on occasion returned to the home town, we left it about thirty years ago. My abiding memory is of it as it was.

I was going to E J Thribb Alvin Lee's passing but couldn't resist the Gorbing one for some reason.

Er, "curse"?