Podcast: A poet's life in Borth with Rychard Carrington

This podcast comes from Borth, home of poet Rychard Carrington. Rychard explains why he decided to leave Cambridge, his home for 30 years, and live in a village on the coast of west Wales. Rychard explains how this small community has become a haven for many artists, nestled between mountains and the sea in a remote and beautiful part of the country.

"There's all sorts of artists but it isn't like there's an elite or underground. The artists are very much a part of the mainstream of the village culture."

Rychard shares some of his poems and sets a prompt to write a poem about another poet. There are also poems on Dave Daggers' prompt from the last show to write about an inflatable Elvis Presley.

Scroll down to read a poem by Rychard

Albion My Way

Of all one hundred and ninety-six countries in the world
You were allocated to me
So when the team called England scores a goal
I'm supposed to shout 'whoopee'

I ate your chips until eventually
I came to hate the word 'quintessentially'
Tomato ketchup, HP sauce
Custard for the second course
Pork scratchings for the morris dance
William the Conqueror go back to France
When Queen Victoria finally dies
I'll admit I prefer French fries

Convert your feet into Shakespeare's meter
Sherlock Holmes, Geoffrey Boycott, Blue Peter
Kenneth Williams, Sting, Boadicea
Arthur Scargill, Charles I, Edward Lear
English breakfast, there's bones in your kipper
Union Jack, Jack Tar, Jack The Ripper

We live in hope but few true glories
Half of us vote for the fucking Tories
There's great scenery in England
And in other countries too
There are good people in England
And in other countries too
All the depression and mediocrity and crime
I've witnessed have been in England, each time

What I have taken I now give back to you
And no damn foreigner is going to spoil it
Plant a flag in my patriotic deposit
English shit in an English toilet

God save the Queen and the English Band
Captain Birdseye and the ship he sails
Enough merry stiff upper lip England
I don't believe your old wives' tales
Adieu boo sucks to you dear England
I am going to live in Wales

Rychard Carrington

Show: 06.02.08 With Rychard Carrington

Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia 
Love - Alone again, or 
International Trust - Bruce Lee 
Peter Howard - Tomahawk
Steph Brown - The Argument Song
Jim Copp and Ed Brown - The Picnic
Mozzy Green - Blue Lullaby 
Echo and The Bunnymen - The Cutter
G Dog and the Pups - Sunshine
The Chinese Fighters - Hong Kong Lizzy
Hot Blood - Soul Dracula
Ronnie Aldrich - Close Encounters
Moth Conspiracy - Super Clean
Rychard Carrington - Poetry
Toma - Some Cities
Richard Mcguire - Learning to Fall
Aidan Smith - Drapes of Black
Harry Partch - The Wayward lll - The Letter
the broken family band - Honest Man's Blues
Half Man Half Biscuit - 24 Hour Garage People
J B Priestly - Women and the war
kazoo funk orchestra - Carnivale
Duro Jaiye - Buddha's Birthday
OOIOO - Moss Trumpeter
Woody Allen - The Moose
Portico Quartet - Zavodovski Island
Alex Brooke - Rattle Snake Baby
Tarika Sammy - Jono
Son House - Death Letter
The White Stripes - Jimmy The Exploder
John Guy - The co-existance question
Smouldering Door - Flirtations of the moth and the flame
John Hayden - That Ass is your meal ticket

February 2008 with Rychard Carrington by Headstand on Mixcloud

Show: The Final Headstand

After nearly 7 years on community radio in Cambridge I'm moving on to new things. I was joined for the last show by three guests offering a variety of touching and entertaining contributions. First JS Watts with an evocative set of poetry then Rychard Carrington plunging us into his bizarre yet intellectually stimulating world. Finally Maciek Pawlikowski from Cambridge 105 show Polish Waves turning the spotlight on me with a recording I did for the show whilst living in Poland. There wasn't enough time for everything I wanted to include in the final hour but I've added on a song by An Echo November recorded for the show while I was based in Poland.

Headstand may be ceasing regular broadcasting but I'm always coming across new and interesting music and poetry which I will share here from time to time or maybe via a new show or platform I may develop over time. Thank you for listening and reading over the years. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

19.08.14 Finale with Rychard Carrington, JS Watts & Maciek Pawlikowski by Headstand on Mixcloud

Show: Rychard Carrington and Romsey Poets

Headstand may have finished on Cambridge 105 but I'm still broadcasting from Brighton. This show features recordings from last month's Romsey Poets night including Rychard Carrington's headline performance. Tune in for poppadoms, Welsh Haiku, TS Eliot and more.

The event was organised by Alex Blustin. If you're in Cambridge on a Thursday do visit his poetry stall in the market.

7.9.13 - Rychard Carrington and Friends at Romsey Poets by Headstand on Mixcloud

Ian Keteku and Wordfest

Hammer and Tongue is back this week with headliner Ian Keteku all the way from Canada. Ian has played Hammer and Tongue in Cambridge before and it's great to have him back. Tristram Fane Saunders will also be performing and of course there's the slam. I can exclusively reveal that slammers will include recent Headstand guest Rychard Carrington. His performances are infrequent but always surprising and memorable. If you fancy slamming yourself be sure to book in advance as it's been a full slam the last couple of months. Full details here.

On Thursday head down to CB2 for an hour of comedy plays by Paul Richards. There appear to be two performances in the evening and the shows touring various other parts of the country. details and tickets here.

Finally next weekend is wordfest. Whether you like poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction of whatever genre there's bound to be an event for you as some of the best known contemporary writers come to Cambridge for this leading literary event. Head over to the website: www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk.

Show: 24.3.13 with Rychard Carrington

Rychard Carrington performs poems and prose and picks tunes with Patrick Widdess in a special show recorded in the comfort of his living room.

Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster
John Shuttleworth - Life Is Like A Salad Bar
Lady Lamb The Beekeeper - The Nothing Part II
Rychard Carrington - Poetry
Loudon Wainwright 111- Donations
Mwahaha - Love
Peter Blegvad - Mama’s Boy
The Doozer - Burn The Tape
Jonathan Richman - Abu Jamal
Clorinde - Morello
Rychard Carrington - Prose
Jagwar Ma - The Throw
Neil Innes - Evening Sun
The Magnetic Fields - Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree
Sam Inglis Our Work Here Is Done

24.3.12 with Rychard Carrington by Headstand on Mixcloud

World Poetry Day

Happy World Poetry Day! Here's a video from my guest this Sunday Rychard Carrington.