LDV: Washwood Heath (Necropolis)

Cherry

By Philip Sidney

Mon, 01 Sep 2014
  • 3971 reads
12 comments
 

Grit,

backbone of Midland industry,

ground out by the elements,

glacial drift,

geological shift.

Upon gravel

the city made its shape.

 

Halls of construction

rang to the clang,

Deliver!

Light Duty

belittles

lives lived under the

relentless regime.

Flesh shaped

by flesh shaped

machine.

Spine snap,

vertebrae crumble

 

the industrial carcass

classified

with clinical precision:

Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar.

To be picked over at leisure.

 

 

Certificate PG
Poem
Necropolis
Biography

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

for those of a medical disposition those are rich picking.

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks celticman.

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Philip

I love all the alliteration. The phrasing echos the message of slowly grinding down. Beautifully done.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Jean.  I really like writing to images so I'm going to do a few using my some of my son's photographs.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Helen, can you give some clues. Are you picturing building and then demolition, a graveyard of industry? The bit about 'Light duty' and the 'flesh-shaped machine' have me flummoxed, I'm sorry. but I'd like to understand it better! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Hi Rhiannon, it comes from the photograph, which is of the LDV factory in Washwwood Heath Birmingham. LDV standing for Light Duty Vehicle.  They made ambulances, post office vans 'white vans etc.  'Flesh shaped by flesh made machine', is to show the circle of factory work, the wokers' bodies are shaped by their work, by the machines that they made; originally I made more of this with and had some lines about the ambulances, there are also remains of medical language.  I cut the poem to reflect the vertibrae of the spine (I didn't use the fused part of the spine), I  guess all this is quite obscure unless you know the context.  The photograph is quite small here. but it shows the factory post-deomlition, everything heaped into piles.  This poem is part of project writing for a collection of photographs cataloging the industrial decline of the city.  The geology of Birmingham made it a prime location for industry, gravel being an important feature.  It's always interesting wandering around the city just off the main route, down by the canals, ruined factories and buildings, which are rapidly being replaced;  you get a sense of the different layers of history and lives lived without recognition when you see what's beneath the the fabric of the city.  I'm not a Brummy but I've lived here for many years and both my partner and I have done a stint of factory work long ago.  I'm interested in those side streets and post-industrial places that are so often out of sight.  Oh my I have rambled on here, sorry!  Reading back over this I realise that I probably seem very odd, oh well.

Thanks for being interested!

Helen

 

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Not odd at all! and thank you, that is what I wanted, to get behind the bones! I thought gravel must be important to B'ham history, and I had got to the LDV factory but hadn't connected to ambulances. I had wondered whether to dowload the photo to try enlarging! I was thick in not clicking to the meaning of 'flesh made machines', and I'm afraid I hadn't thought about the skeletal shape - much to think about. Your explorations sound really interesting. One of my sons lives in Kidderminster and works at the uni in Birmingham, and has often cycled on the canal paths I think. Good to chronicle the morphing of the landscape a bit. Thanks! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thanks Rhiannon!

Submitted by torscot on

I liked this one and your exchange of LDV history  plus an insight into other lost buildings with Rhiannonw.

ps. As  your son  is interested  in photography, perhaps he make like to visit the website of the artist Arthur Lockwood. He spent a lot of his time capturing decaying industrial sites in water colour.

All in and around Birmingham/Wolverhampton.

Regards

torscot

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

Thank you so much!  I had a look at his website and I love these paintings!  I shall definitely let my son know as it is right up his street. They've given me the shivers, (in a good way).

Submitted by Starfish Girl on

Great images and fantastic replies.

I am a Brummie, now living not far away in Worcestershire,  I have learned a lot.

Especially like the paintings of Arthur Lockwood.

Lindy

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

There's much to be admired in the Midlands, which may surprise some.  Worcestershire is very pretty.