Department to Highlight National Photography Month
The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will celebrate National Photography Month in May with an exhibit at its Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center featuring the photographs of Louis Draper.
The exhibit, titled “Louis Draper, Master Photographer,” opens on Friday, May 10 with a public reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be on display through
James River Park Manager Named
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities has named Nathan J. Burrell as manager of its James River Park. Burrell follows in the footsteps of the well-known Ralph White, who worked for the park for more than 30 years until his retirement in December 2012. His appointment comes after a nationwide search and review by a citizen advisory committee.
“I am confident in Mr.
Department to Host Community Yard Sale
The department will host a community yard sale on Saturday, May 4, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Blackwell Community Center, located at 300 East 15th Street. The public is invited to participate both as a vendor and as a shopper.
If you want to get rid of all the items you no longer use that are cluttering up your life, for just $5 you can reserve your space and rent a table or bring
Happy St George's Day!
 |
| St George slaying the dragon |
To celebrate the day of the
patron saint of England,
VisitEngland enews
Here are the headlines this April from VisitEngland:
- Wallace & Gromit have been recruited as 'Tourism Trailblazers' to inspire Britons to take a holiday at home this year in a nationwide campaign; the first ad is due to be aired on 12th May. More
- Listen Up! is a guide containing tips and advice to help tourism businesses welcome customers with hearing loss. See this page for a video and pamphlet
- VisitEngland is working with destinations to develop exciting itineraries for all visitors including those with access needs - find out more here
- VisitEngland has now published 2012 year end results from the GB Tourism Survey, full report here.
- Awards for Excellence 2012 - the Awards shortlist of finalists is now available.
- Arts Council England has launched the Creative Employment Programme fund providing young people with an opportunity to pursue a career in the arts and cultural sector; employers can receive funding for wage contributions. More information here
Celebrate 2013 Earth Day at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market
The Richmond Earth Day Festival kicks-off on Saturday, April 20, from 11a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 17th Street Farmers’ Market in the city’s historic Shockoe Bottom. Admission to the festival is free.
The Richmond Earth Day Festival will entertain and educate attendees about local resources that make the world a better place, as well as featuring great live music and local food, beer and wine
City, Comcast Partner to Beautify Byrd Park
Hundreds of Volunteers Expected on Comcast Cares Day, Comcast’s Annual Nationwide Day of Service
WHAT: Local volunteers, including City of Richmond and Comcast employees and their families and friends; the Mayor’s Participation, Action, and Communication Team (MPACT); Friends of Byrd Park, Clean City Commission, and Sierra Club – Fall of James chapter; and students from
Municipal construction
Given the (relative) popularity of the post about municipal fountains (http://recreationground.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/top-five-municipal-fountains-eastern.html), here's a news story from Macedonia about its current monument-building programme: no mention of fountains per se, but the picture at the bottom apparently shows a partially constructed one: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/new-bach-of-statues-erected-in-skopje
The financial implications of killing children
Quote from today's Guardian (5/4/2013): "David Cameron has strongly endorsed controversial comments by George Osborne in which the chancellor highlighted the killing of six children by Mick Philpott to raise questions about welfare payments."
Quote from nowhere: 'Tom Phillips strongly invites David Cameron to endorse controversial comments by yours truly in which I would highlight the killing of numerous children (and adults) in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the name of the UK government to raise questions about tax payments to said government.'
Quote from nowhere: 'Tom Phillips strongly invites David Cameron to endorse controversial comments by yours truly in which I would highlight the killing of numerous children (and adults) in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the name of the UK government to raise questions about tax payments to said government.'
Easter in England
In the light of Tory welfare cuts, IDS idiocy, Daily Mail hatespeak and the BBC's inadvertent sparking of class war (amongst the, erm, Facebook classes at least), here's Czech dissident Jan Urban, only months after the Berlin Wall came down: ‘There is much that we want and need from the West but there is one thing which I do not want: carelessness with people.’
Register Now for Youth Soccer, Baseball
Registration for youth soccer and baseball is currently underway at all City Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ community centers.
Children must be between ages 4 and 15 to register to play co-ed soccer. To play co-ed baseball, girls must be between the ages of 5 and 11 and boys must be between the ages of 5 and 15. Girls, ages 12 to 16, can register to play girls’
Department Offers Lifeguard, Water Safety Instructor Training
The department will offer a Lifeguard Training course starting April 1. Participants who complete this course will receive an American Red Cross Certificate for Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED that is good for two years.
To take this training, you must be at least 15 years old and pass a prerequisite swimming test that includes being able to swim continuously for 300 yards, tread water
Do You Want to Be a Lifeguard?
Are you 18 years old or older, and would you like to work as a lifeguard for the City of Richmond? The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities operates eight public swimming pools in Richmond and currently is seeking qualified candidates to hire as lifeguards and pool managers.
Safety is the highest priority at City pools, and all lifeguard candidates must be certified
On Blog Stats
Although it's obviously flattering to know the overall number of people who've bothered to look at this blog (nearly 10,500, as it happens), what's far more interesting, and indeed intriguing, is where these people have logged on from and what they've been looking at. Curiously, according to the latest figures, Recreation Ground is most popular in Latvia (followed by the UK, Germany and USA), while the most popular post seems to be 'Top Five Municipal Fountains (eastern Europe)' from June last year. Techie types will no doubt be delighted to know that 62% of visitors to this page used Internet Explorer to do so.
Destination Management Forum
The first Destination Management Forum (DMF) of 2013 took place on 6 February, bringing together senior executives from England’s Destination Management Organisations in order to share best practice. The forum focused on the need for greater collaboration in order to ensure greater economic viability of events, venues and attractions.
Department Offers Developmental Lacrosse Program for Girls
The department will host a Developmental Lacrosse Program for girls ages 8 to 14 on Sunday, March 24.
The program will be held at the Blackwell Playground, located at 15th and Maury streets, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by Nick Costas and the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, and is free to attend.
For more information, please call
Travel Writing Competition
Rough Guides, in partnership with WorldNomads.com are once again offering the chance to win a scholarship in travel writing.
This year, it's Beijing, to work with Rough Guides author Martin Zatko on the new edition of the 'Rough Guide to China'. Then it's three days with a freelance journalist to discover Beijing through his local perspective, and to finish off, there will be a magnificent culinary odyssey.
Free Eggstravaganza Set for March 23
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, in partnership with Radio One, will hold a free “Eggstravaganza” for children 11 and younger on Saturday, March 23. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the department’s Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, located at 4901 Old Brook Road, and feature three egg hunts, each for a different age group. A total of 25,000
English Tourism Week - 16-24 March 2013
English Tourism Week
is a week-long celebration of events showcasing the quality and vibrancy of visitor experiences and the value that tourism brings to the country.
Find out how to get involved in this year's English Tourism Week, or take a look at what happened in previous years at the
VisitEngland website.
Find out how to get involved in this year's English Tourism Week, or take a look at what happened in previous years at the
VisitEngland website.
ITB Berlin Convention 2013
Following this year's ITB Convention in Berlin, a number of presentations have been provided on the ITB website. These cover a variety of tourism and hospitality related subjects, including Business Travel, Social Media and Wellness. Selected videos are also available to watch on the website. Sign up to their newsletter to find out about future events.Department's City Dance Theatre Wins Regional Awards
City Dance Theatre, the department's youth dance troupe, won an award for every piece they performed in Portsmouth at the DanceAmerica Regional Competition, that was held the weekend of March 1.
The troupe performed 12 pieces, and of these, ten received first place trophies and two received second place trophies. This more than qualifies the company of young dancers, who range in age from
Organizations Wanted to Give Away Free Summer Meals
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is looking for organizations to help provide free meals for children during the summer. Any group, organization or church that offers summer programs for youth age 17 or younger can participate in the department's Summer Meals for Kids program and receive free meals for the children in their program for any length of time between June
New Summer Camp for Teens Offered
The department is offering a new summer camp for teenagers ages 12 and 13 this year. The camp will be held Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., June 24 through August 23. Registration is $300 and includes breakfast and lunch each day.
The camp program is designed especially for teens to help them discover the world, experience new things, and make new friends. It will include
Register Now for Summer Camp
Now is the time to register your child for summer camp with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. The department’s summer camp for children ages 5 – 11 will be held at 16 community centers around the city from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday starting June 24 and continuing through August 23. Each day the children will be provided with breakfast and lunch
Department Celebrates Young Artists
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will celebrate Youth Art Month in March with an exhibit at its Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center featuring the artwork of nine Richmond children.
The exhibit, titled “Little Mermaids,” opens on March 15 with a public reception for the artists from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will be on display through April 19. The
Two Rivers Press reading at Oxford Brookes
I'm reading alongside fellow Two Rivers Press poets Kate Behrens and Peter Robinson at Oxford Brookes on Tuesday 19 March, 6pm. The full details are available by clicking here
ABTA has issued a manifesto urging the government to support all three sectors of the industry – domestic, outbound and inbound – in order to maximise its benefit to the UK economy. Valuing the UK's Tourism Mix, presented to parliament last week, outlines four policy priorities: - Strategic infrastructure support;
- Creating a more competitive product;
- Good regulation for confident customers and businesses;
- Promoting the industry as a key employer.
The paper states new airline connections with the emerging BRIC markets should be encouraged, but warns healthy inbound and outbound markets are required to justify new routes.
The document also puts forward suggestions for new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick, reduced departure taxes, shorter queues at border control, support for SMEs, marketing the UK abroad, and investing in training and skills.
The document also puts forward suggestions for new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick, reduced departure taxes, shorter queues at border control, support for SMEs, marketing the UK abroad, and investing in training and skills.
Leisure Opportunities
Tourism news in brief...
Twenty seaside towns around the UK are to receive a cash boost for projects that bring new leisure and business opportunities to coastal communities. The money will support projects such as rejuvenating old heritage and leisure facilities, schemes to provide skills training and advice to help businesses embrace digital technology.
Arts Council England and VisitEngland have joined forces in order to boost cultural tourism across the country. A figure of £3m in Arts Council Lottery funding is to be invested in supporting destinations that have “real potential to grow”. There will be a number of coordinated events to encourage the development of arts and cultural experiences and targeted holiday packages for visitors; these will include cultural aspects as well as more traditional accommodation and transport elements.
Twenty seaside towns around the UK are to receive a cash boost for projects that bring new leisure and business opportunities to coastal communities. The money will support projects such as rejuvenating old heritage and leisure facilities, schemes to provide skills training and advice to help businesses embrace digital technology. Britain has been named as one of the most sought after destinations for international shoppers, with figures showing last year’s 18m visitors spent £4.5bn on retail therapy during their stay.
Arts Council England and VisitEngland have joined forces in order to boost cultural tourism across the country. A figure of £3m in Arts Council Lottery funding is to be invested in supporting destinations that have “real potential to grow”. There will be a number of coordinated events to encourage the development of arts and cultural experiences and targeted holiday packages for visitors; these will include cultural aspects as well as more traditional accommodation and transport elements.
Community Centers Closed, Programs Cancelled
The department has closed all of its Community Centers for the remainder of the day, cancelled all department youth basketball games scheduled for today, as well as cancelled all classes and programs at Pine Camp Cultural Arts and Community Center for the remainder of the day.
Travel and hotel website lastminute.com has joined forces with VisitEngland to promote last minute short stays across the country. A two-week campaign will target commuters in London and Birmingham, with advertising on the Tube and at key rail hubs promoting 11 easily accessible destinations across England. A 24-hour sale on 7 March will include reduced hotel rates and promotions on shopping breaks, weekends of culture and coastal getaways.
Story from Leisure Opportunities.com.
Story from Leisure Opportunities.com.
The ASEAN Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2012
It provides economic profiles of 139 countries, allowing cross-country analysis on how attractive a country is in terms of potential for development in travel and tourism, for making well-informed business decisions.
Adventure Tourism Newsletter
The latest issue of the Adventure Tourism newsletter gives updates on UCB student expeditions taking place across the globe - reports are to be included in the next issue. Two ex-students talk about how they set up their business 'Trail Trekkers' as well as a round-up of news stories from the world of adventure.Tourism Highlights: 2012 edition
Tourism Highlights, a report by UNWTO, presents a concise overview of international tourism in the world based on the results for the year 2011. The 16 page booklet includes:- Key trends in international tourism in 2011
- Results by (sub)region and country of destination
- World’s top tourism destinations
- Outbound tourism by region and top spenders
- Long-term forecast: Tourism towards 2030
Fenlanders
Perfectly flat source
of glass-half-empty wisdom
(You never gain without you lose),
these drains and fenland ooze;
unbroken horizontals
bred smallholders quick
to silence, feuds.
Cousins, not on speaking terms,
learnt allegiances, who was who,
precise degrees of indifference to use
in the family’s every orbit.
A lack of generosity in nature, then,
accounting for a hardness of heart?
Well, yes, there was that – breeding fruit
and veg from plots that felt the brunt
of poor winters, North Sea winds,
relentless, giddying skies.
No wonder they took the dim view,
were adamant they knew what they knew,
distrust of water, close observation
of changes, levels and rules,
the fragile treachery of things,
a closed world better off for keeping closed.
From here, though, also, eccentricities of will:
great-grandfather who made do
and the most out of left-overs,
sticks, old hat. Always on the loose,
ditch-strider, habitual trespasser,
or, back home, his having to explain,
if anyone should ask, why the swan
he’d killed was better called a goose.
Such stamina for living on the hoof:
as if each morning, bent-double and running,
he was tempting snipers to shoot him down,
which on such open ground they could have easily done.
'Fenlanders' appears in the collection Recreation Ground (Two Rivers Press, 2012), available here
'Fenlanders' appears in the collection Recreation Ground (Two Rivers Press, 2012), available here
Balkans Peace Park Project 2013
It's still not too late to volunteer this summer ... teaching English, teaching cricket, making a community play .. . Details here: http://balkanspeacepark.org/ and films from summer 2012 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIopLoBwDSc and here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDwFHvtEjE
Department Stages Production for Acts of Faith Festival
The department has partnered with the Friends of Dogwood Dell and the African-American Repertory Theatre Company to present “Ecce” as part of Richmond’s Acts of Faith Festival. The Acts of Faith Festival, a collaboration of the faith community and professional theatre companies, is the largest faith inspired theatre event in the country.
The premise of “Ecce,” by Washington-area
Tuesdays, Thursdays are Line Dancing Nights
Come out and have a good time line dancing every Tuesday and Thursday night from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ Blackwell Community Center, located at 300 East 15th Street.
This fun group is lead by Yolanda Wilcox, who welcomes everyone from beginners to those who know the steps and just love to dance.
There is a participation fee
Department to Hold Mardi Gras Party for Seniors
The department will hold a Mardi Gras party for senior citizens at its Ann Hardy Plaza Community Center on February 26 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. The program will feature music, karaoke, games, door prizes, other fun activities and food.
The program is free to attend, and there is no need to pre-register.
The Ann Hardy Plaza Community Center is located at 3300 First Avenue. For more
"Developing a Code of Ethics for Disaster Tourism"
By Kelman, I. and R. Dodds. 2009.
International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters,
vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 272-296.
Journeys : new issue
This latest special issue focuses on the places or trails where traumatic or miraculous events took place, and on the significance and meaning people put in the act of walking to and around these sites. The act of walking and the process of remembrance are combined in order to discuss how these two voluntary actions intertwine. Articles in this issue:
- In the Footsteps of Walter Benjamin
- Bodies in Motion: Pilgrims, Seers, and Religious Experience at Marian Apparition Sites
- Touring the African Diaspora
- Walking Memory: Berlin’s “Holocaust Trail”
- Mobile Sepulchre and Interactive Formats of Memorialization: On Funeral and Mourning Practices in Digital Art
Will be available online soon or order articles via ILL - ask in the Library for more details
Iraq: ten years on
Here's the poem written for '100 Poets Against The War '(Salt/Nthposition) on the occasion of the Blair/Bush decision to invade:
Life After Wartime
Some things never change.
The garden bushes wag their beards
like arguing theologians while the orange fists
of passion fruit take cover in the leaves.
The sky aches with unmapped distances
and the sun hides nothing.
At dusk, it surrenders to the moon.
When there’s small-hours muttering in the street
remember it’s only someone deciding to go home or go on,
pushing the night for the last of the great good times
and into a shell-shocked morning after.
At least there’s coffee again.
It takes our minds off the radio,
the smooth-voiced reassurances,
the metaphors encrusted like barnacles
on every announcement, your almost
imperceptible jump at the sound
of a pamphlet shoved through the door.
Things never change.
People wear their silence like a caul.
To bring them luck against drowning.
They were parents. Or siblings. Or both.
They are the ones that nothing surprises,
the ones who no longer look up
when a jet comes roaring in above the city,
framed against the orange sky,
picking its way among the towers.
Tom Phillips 2003
Flat Holm island - new tourist destination?
According to Somerset Tourism Association, Flat Holm island, which is owned by Cardiff Council, may be sold to help save £110m. The island could be combined as a tourism package with neighbouring island, Steep Holm. The possible sale of the island is one of many proposals which will be decided later this month...read the article
Guided Walks to James River Park's Heron Rookery Offered
The department has partnered with the Richmond Audubon Society and the Virginia Audubon Council to offer guided walks again this year to see the Great Blue Herons making their home in the James River Park.
The popular walks will be offered on three Saturdays; February 16, March 16 and April 13, from 10 a.m. to noon. Each walk to the rookery will bring its own sights and sounds as these
Black History Month Cook-Off
Richmond Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will celebrate Black History Month with a Soul Food Cook-Off on February 28 from 7 to 8 p.m. at its Randolph Community Center, located at 1415 Grayland Avenue.
The public is invited to bring their favorite homemade soul food dish to the community center to share, whether it’s a main dish, a side dish, a dessert or bread. Everyone who
Spring Cleanup Scheduled for Cemeteries
Owners of lots and gravesites in city-owned cemeteries are reminded that according to City Code, Sec. 22-30, all flowers, decorations and non-approved vases must be removed from the ground by March 1 in preparation for the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ annual Cemeteries Spring Cleanup.
The city-owned cemeteries are Barton Heights, Shockoe Hill, Oakwood,
My Destination.com are an online travel website which specialises in comprehensive travel information by local community experts from across the world; the website offers travel articles, guides, insider tips, videos and panoramic virtual tours.They have just launched a competition to win a 6 month all expenses paid worldwide trip to 25+ destinations and at the end of it a lump sum payment of US$50,000.
Learn the Mystique of Belly Dancing
Register now for classes in beginner or intermediate belly dancing at the Humphrey Calder Community Center, 414 N. Thompson Street, starting February 5.
The beginner classes will teach students the basic steps and etiquette of American Cabaret Style Belly Dance as well as provide an introduction to Richmond’s belly dancing community. Along with teaching the basic steps, the class is
World Travel & Tourism Council
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) aims to raise awareness of travel and tourism as one of the world's largest industries. Its members include Chief Executives from a hundred of the world's largest companies in the tourism industry, making it a leading authority in the field.
The WTTC website has a wealth of resources, which include events, research, activities, news and media. The Research hub has reports which measure the economic impact of tourism in countries and regions worldwide, illustrated with tables of statistics and graphs; the site also gives monthly tourism updates.
The WTTC website has a wealth of resources, which include events, research, activities, news and media. The Research hub has reports which measure the economic impact of tourism in countries and regions worldwide, illustrated with tables of statistics and graphs; the site also gives monthly tourism updates.
Not entirely reliable omens
Work in progress
Always the last to get it,
our warmer city waits on sightings,
news from Mendips and Quantocks,
the snow's disruptions
closing in from coast and moor,
first gusts reported
from ring road embankments.
And you might detect it coming
in behaviour of seabirds
or office workers hurrying home,
a thicker kind of rain
and the children going to bed
in high hopes of a holiday snuck in
just after Christmas.
But then, showing our age,
we're more concerned
with finding shovels, gumboots, grit,
seasonal implements long left beneath the stairs.
Because of these rumours, these rumours
that solidify into the night,
we're going to be ready,
ready for what they throw at us.
Tom Phillips
Always the last to get it,
our warmer city waits on sightings,
news from Mendips and Quantocks,
the snow's disruptions
closing in from coast and moor,
first gusts reported
from ring road embankments.
And you might detect it coming
in behaviour of seabirds
or office workers hurrying home,
a thicker kind of rain
and the children going to bed
in high hopes of a holiday snuck in
just after Christmas.
But then, showing our age,
we're more concerned
with finding shovels, gumboots, grit,
seasonal implements long left beneath the stairs.
Because of these rumours, these rumours
that solidify into the night,
we're going to be ready,
ready for what they throw at us.
Tom Phillips
"Think off the beaten path walking tours guided by locals, nature hikes with wild cavemen and cooking classes hosted by professional chefs"
Gidsy.com is a new website offering a 'marketplace of authentic experiences' around the world. Tourists are given the opportunity to meet locals to try something new, from a cooking masterclass with a top chef to a street art graffiti tour. The business is in its early stages and they are encouraging more people to get involved. Read more about the start-up here.
Early Closings, Cancellations for Today, Weekend
Due to the forecast for inclement weather, the department has canceled its After School Programs for today, Friday, January 25. The department has also cancelled all of its youth basketball games for today and throughout the weekend.
In addition, the department’s community centers will close today at 6 p.m., and the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center will close at 6 p.m. today and remain
Art Opening, Panel Discussion Celebrate Black History
In celebration of Black History Month, the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will host an art exhibit featuring the works of several local African-American artists. Titled Dark Waters,” the exhibit will open with a reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, February 8 at the Spotlight Gallery located within the department’s Pine Camp Arts and Community Center at 4901
Extreme Sport Tourism
A recent article in Leisure Opportunities reports that Manx tourism officials are looking to diversify the economy of the Isle of Man by pushing extreme sport tourism. Director of Manxtreme.com, Simon Crellin, is working with tourism officials to push sports such as sea kayaking, mountain biking, open-water swimming and coasteering, making the most of the island’s natural resources such as mountains, coastline and mountain bike trails.
 |
| www.manxtreme.com |
The Three-Day Melt (via Google Translate)
The poem below translated into Albanian and then re-translated back into English mechanically. After waiting a week it begins to beat an old tattoo. And we are among the few, digging out our slush neighborly provided at the expense of metal smelting, and thinking himself heroic. Glossed by the sun-suffering snow path reaches a glaze, as a hotel lobby magazine, before stronger, Grays, cover stained newsprint. Here are the furrows have done, footfalls disappear. Now we are forgetting claustrophobic days, beating around the bush to clear the roads negotiable back to the usual rush. From suspension now, acceleration hours push on; clouds clear and we can not mark time, appreciate, at least not to watch every step.
Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn,
which one is right for you?
The Institute of Travel & Tourism (ITT) has launched a series of Masterclasses which aim to teach participants all they need to know about Social Media. The first in the series will take place on Friday 8 February at TTG's offices, London. Register and find out more here.
VisitEngland
A message from the VisitEngland Team:
VisitEngland manages an extensive programme of research and insights, measuring the volume and value of tourism in England, assessing business performance and observing consumer trends.
In addition to the team’s core work programme, there are many other areas of research that are relevant to the organisation and to the Strategic Framework for Tourism in England, which we are not in a position to address by ourselves. We believe that some of these may well align with academic research programmes and so we are keen to explore opportunities to work with Universities to bridge the gaps we have identified. Our research interests are published online here (follow the “work programme” link). If you would be interested in working with us across any of these areas, please contact Sharon Orrell, Head of Research and Insights at VisitEngland (sharon.orrell@visitengland.org) to discuss.Many Thanks!
VisitEngland Research & Insights Team
The Three-Day Melt
After waiting the week
for a damaged gutter’s steady drip,
it starts to beat an old tattoo.
And we are amongst the few,
digging out our neighbourly slush,
metal offered to the melting ridge,
and thinking ourselves heroic.
Glossed by sun-tormented snow,
the street achieves a sheen,
like a hotel foyer magazine,
before it hardens, greys,
maculate as newsprint.
Here are the furrows we made,
footfalls disappearing.
Already we are forgetting
the claustrophobic days,
beating around the bush
to clear negotiable ways
back to the ordinary rush.
Out of suspension now,
the accelerating hours
push on; clouds clear;
and we can no longer mark time –
grateful, at least, for not
having to watch every step.
Tom Phillips
'The Three-Day Melt' appears in Recreation Ground (Two Rivers Press, 2012): http://tworiverspress.com/wp/recreation-ground/
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