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At Beeching Halt

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Published: 24th September 2021

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Dr. Richard Beeching was the Chairman of the British Railways Board. His report 'The Reshaping of British Railways' published in March 1963 led to the decimation of the UK railway network.

A Halt is a station with minimal facilities where trains usually stop only on request.

a stroll beneath this old stone bridge is a stroll through time and mist where remnants from another age and graffiti coexist. where nitreous oxide cannisters and weeds and grass combine to choke the past from the valley floor of its long lost railway line.

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Sam Kauffman

Date: 4/21/2023 10:46:00 AM

Gary, such a sense of the pensive, a jewel lost, through your amazing images and word choices - "weeds," "graffiti," "choke!" All come together to create a sense of grief and loss. Well done! I always look forward to reading your poems that reflect everyday life and observations put into your marvelous poetry! Congratulations on your win! Blessings and cheers!

Gary Radice
Date: 4/22/2023 7:54:00 AM

Thanks Sam. I wish I had been alive during the golden age of steam. Other than the heritage tracks that run them today I do vaguely remember a couple running between towns as a very young child..or at least I think I remember them. Cheers - Gary

Brian Sambourne

Date: 3/13/2022 7:44:00 AM

Greetings Gary, Your railway poems evoke a lost time, a time of greater riches when rail lines meant passenger + cargo trains sans carbon pollution. A better time indeed. Congratulations on another fine posting! Brian

Gary Radice
Date: 3/13/2022 3:19:00 PM

Thank you Brian. It's a poem I'm very fond of so it's really nice to receive comments such as yours. I just love steam engines and reading about the age of steam. :) Cheers - Gary

Christopher Flaherty

Date: 10/18/2021 12:24:00 PM

You mentioned this in one of your comment you wrote on mine. Very nice indeed Gary glad you pointed it out to me. In regards to Train's Gary Wouldn't you love to still see Old Steam Locomotive Train's Riding the tracks once more again harking back to the glory day's

Gary Radice
Date: 10/18/2021 1:44:00 PM

Hi Christopher. Yes, this is the poem I mentioned in your comment. It's been rewritten as I wasn't happy with it at first. It was only when I read your own poem that it spurred me on to keep at it. So..One big thank you. :) I would love to see a return to the glory days. Cheers - Gary

Geoffrey Brewer

Date: 10/5/2021 7:59:00 AM

A poignant reminder of a lost rich history and culture of the age when the villages of Britain were linked by a web of rail and steam. Ah! The poetry of the ‘Slow Lines’ Thanks for this and your other railway poems, Gary. They give great pleasure.

Gary Radice
Date: 10/5/2021 8:18:00 AM

Thanks Geoffrey. I really enjoy writing the train poems so it's always good to hear when people enjoy reading them too. I'm aiming for about 10 poems in the series. Cheers - Gary

Brian Strand

Date: 9/26/2021 12:35:00 AM

What a lack of foresight Gary,to close the cross country routes,now needed so badly

Gary Radice
Date: 9/26/2021 12:37:00 AM

Indeed Brian. He 'foresaw' the use of road transportation as being the answer. Oh, the irony. Cheers - Gary

Gershon Wolf

Date: 9/25/2021 7:52:00 PM

Your poem sure does engage the sense totally in a mere eight lines. Whoa! Message received! Best, Gershon

Gary Radice
Date: 9/26/2021 12:36:00 AM

Thanks Gershon. This is definitely one of my more stark railway poems that's for sure but I wanted to push home the level of destruction brought about by the stroke of one man's petulant pen. Cheers - Gary

Lindsay Laurie

Date: 9/25/2021 6:07:00 PM

Hello Gary ... your fine poem reminds me witnessing the scarred remains of old railway lines here down under. One good point I suppose; these old tracks are now conservation areas that provide cover and a chance for rare plants - thank you Gary - Lindsay

Gary Radice
Date: 9/26/2021 12:39:00 AM

Hi Lindsay! Thank you for your comments. I find that there can be beauty in faded glory - and so much poignancy. These themes tend to rear their head quite often in my poems. I'm not sure about conservation areas in the UK regarding old railway lines but I know a few have been turned into cycleways. There is talk of bringing back some of the old lines so fingers crossed. Cheers - Gary

Michelle Faulkner

Date: 9/25/2021 8:15:00 AM

Vividly put, Gary, the past of those old railway stations comes alive in your verse~

Gary Radice
Date: 9/25/2021 8:19:00 AM

Thanks Michelle :)

L Milton Hankins

Date: 9/24/2021 8:21:00 AM

Although I'm not privy to the facts behind your poem, Gary, I throughly enjoyed reading it. So well-written.

Gary Radice
Date: 9/24/2021 8:36:00 AM

Thank you Milt. It's a poem that originally saw light of day last year but I wasn't happy with it so I pulled it. This is the original poem albeit with several alterations. I'm glad you like it. Thanks so much for your comments. Cheers - Gary

Tom Cunningham

Date: 9/24/2021 8:00:00 AM

He certainly swung the axe Gary, evidence of Beechings cuts are everywhere, overgrown and as you pointed out graffiti everywhere. Enjoy your weekend and hope you are well. Tom

Gary Radice
Date: 9/24/2021 8:07:00 AM

Hi Tom! I was only 2 when he swung that axe but would have loved to have been able to tell him what I thought of his report. Some lines I believe may be getting opened up again..well, we can hope. Have a nice weekend yourself and thanks for your comments Tom. Cheers - Gary