Back in old the days when I had hair I was writing a mass of light verse. Eventually I steeled myself to offer a few of the autobiographical ones to a publisher. I went to Autolycus Press. After a week or two they told me that would take them, adding the suggestion that they turn the book into two books. They explained why: half of them mentioned trees, so why not do one on trees and the other on me growing up? Of course, I agreed but it had never occurred to me that I was so fond of trees. At home again I told Barbara, adding, ‘It’s funny about the trees’.

Publication day arrived and the two books appeared on shelves; one was called A suburban boy and the other, of course, It’s funny about the trees.

A few are going to appear in the usual place. For your interest, here is the background story to each of the poems.

Cycling Holiday   My friend John and I were just out of our  ’teens  We decided to do a week’s camping/cycling trip to Paris. But the camping bit did become a bit of a drag. Read more…

Growing Pains   I had been photographing the Canterbury Cathedral Choir for a CD cover. I wandered over to the Cemetery and looked for the famous Mulberry tree, planted as a cutting from the original by Charles II in 1666. I found it. It had been brought to the ground by the previous night’s storm and I began to think about a tree’s hazardous life. Read more…

Discovery   I had to shoot a series on the life of young ballet students, and, while framing a boy of about ten being told by his female instructor how to hold himself while turning I wondered how he, the boy, would feel about having to tangle with a girl of his age in one of the more complicated movements. Read more…

Morning Story / The Forestry Graduate   Both were dreamed up after looking at photographs. Read more…

The Apple Tree / Two Trees     The first has an introduction; the second is a simple meditation on the Cross of Christ. Read more…

It’s Funny About the Trees has its own introduction. Read more…