Cities were ugly places, centres of grit and grime.
Their working population growing old before their time.
Along came a man of vision surveying the dreadful scene;
Observing the various symptoms and vowing to make things clean.
He’d wanted to doctor the people but grew sick at the sight of blood;
So he would strive to heal the city. He would do whatever he could.
He became a man of business yet not afraid of each new thing’
He grasped opportunities as they were offered and harvested the riches they’d bring.
But he was no grasping Yorkshire tyke — clinging fast to new-found brass.
He used it to help his workers, a sure sign of his class.
He vowed to make life better and create a future bright
And for his brand new factory he sought a suitable site.
He found, twixt rail and river, with a canal close at hand,
The perfect new location for the enterprise he had planned.
He searched for the best of everything to make his dream come true.
He wanted an architect of stature and found not one but two!
They designed him a mill for his business and homes where his employees might dwell.
They planned schools and shops and chapel, and a bell tower with no bell.
Built with bricks and mortar. Built with stone and slate.
Built with care and vision. Neat clean and up-to-date.
Near thirty years in the building, a monument to Victorian might.
It’s still a vital community. Saltaire, World Heritage Site.
Author notes
Saltaire is the place where, from 10 to 20, I grew up. I still live close by and every year I try to write something for their festival poetry session. This is my entry for 2008.
http://www.saltairevillage.info/yz_history_0001.html
Comments
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Just when I think I have heard of all the places I'd like to visit in my lifetime, along comes another one. I love the history written here. I hope you plan to read this at the Festival. Great wokr dear man!
Much Love ♥
Renee
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I did read it at the festival and they published it in the village journal for September (festival month).
A number of people have stopped me to make a comment and I feel 10 feet tall!!
Jim -
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Awesome poem man!
Wrote brilliantly, describing the place, the person who bought changes and about the present look of the SALTARIE site.
Good write, keep it up!
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Many thanks for reading and writing Glenn. Saltaire's a good place.
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brilliant...
like all your work is to me! Every time I read something from you about the UK my desire to go there increases
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Thanks for stopping by HM. This is my home-town where I went to school.
Having performed it three times tonight I've had to correct a few minor flaws but
it has been chosen for publishing in the local mag 
Jim -
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Congrats on the publication!
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I am so glad ...
that you've added some more author notes since I was here this morning. Your poem certainly had my curiousity stirred and I did a quick Google search to see more about this place! I then got lost, as we all do when surfing, and forgot to come back to comment. Your poem was written in a good style and I wish you the best for the festival poetry competition. j y
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I did the finishing lines sat in my local library and posting it to AP was the best way to save and print it before I went to hand in my entry.
I added the links when I saw Jed's comment.
Jim
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Wow! What a story this tells, and I'm sure it is a magnificent place. I think I'd like to see it some day, and would like to know even more about this town. You did a great job creating a vision of it in my mind. I particularly like the way you describe how it was built in the final verses, and of course the rhyming.
Have a blessed day,
Ron
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Thanks for reading and writing Ron.
I grew up in Saltaire and live within walking distance still. All the facts and allusions are verifiable.
I finished this this morning for a competition in the village bookstore this evening!! That's pushing the deadline a bit
I have written for the competition since it started a few years ago but this year we have to read out our own verse. Should be interesting.
Jim
PS I've added a link so you can see more.
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Interesting
Leave it to you to write an informative and enjoyable poem. Sounds like another place to visit in the future.
Jim
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Thanks for those words Jim.
This is a real-life competition entry within the village and so I wanted to appeal to the locals with little local snippets. For example the bell tower without a bell is a factory chimney built in the stile of an Italian campanile.
Tonight I must read this to the judges
Jim
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