Category Archives: Songs

Museum of Carpet film

In December I posted about the imminent closure of Kidderminster’s heritage asset, The Museum of Carpet. Today I write with better news, and to share a video from 2013 of a song I wrote during my Weaving Yarns project. In the film, shot inside the Museum alongside the power looms, I interview historian Melvyn Thompson before singing “Tying the Knot”. The song is the true love story of a weaver and a picker who met as teenagers. To watch it, scroll to the bottom of this post.

The good news is… the Museum will be open in February for FOUR days only – on Saturday 14th, Tuesday 17th, Thursday 19th and Saturday 21st from 10.00am until 14.00pm – thanks to the sheer commitment of our volunteers, who are prepared to put in the time to prepare the museum, open it up, speak with visitors and run both the power-looms and the hand-looms. Additional good news is that entry will be FREE on these days, although we are currently discussing some extra activities, which we may need to charge for. If you can, please do visit the Museum on one of those days, so that we can demonstrate the level of support for the heritage of our special town.

Film: Tying the knot by Heather Wastie

(Words in italics quoted from the Museum’s Facebook page)

Holding a candle for you

My first post of 2026 is song lyrics, written for my band Ridgeometry. To hear the song for free, click the link: Holding a candle on Bandcamp. The whole album, Voice on the Radio, is available to download at the very reasonable price of £8.

Holding a candle for you

Rosy cheek,
hearth light,
silver eyes
shine bright.
Blink and she’s gone:
one-two-three-one with you.
Lost in a photograph on the shelf,
dancing so gaily all by herself.
No words can break through,
she’s holding a candle for you.

Days have names,
hours chime,
seasons change,
out of time.
Blink and they’re gone.
Summers were long with you.
Holding the past in a fond embrace,
keeping her heart in a distant place.
No words can break through,
she’s holding a candle for you.

Silent room,
empty chair.
Go to talk,
no-one’s there.
Tell her he’s gone.
She doesn’t want to know,
playing the record she’s played before,
waltzing so lightly across the floor.
No words can break through,
she’s holding a candle for you.

Tears will fall,
flames will die.
Memories
cloud the eye.
Blink and they’re gone.

© Heather Wastie
April 1996

Thanks to the Women

Last week in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, one of my canal-related songs was performed by a community group. The song was originally composed for the show I Dig Canals which I co-wrote and toured with Kate Saffin (Alarum Productions).

I wasn’t able to see the Stoke production but was delighted to receive a clip of the song being performed, complete with audience participation, in the Mold Room of Middleport Pottery (as featured in TV’s Great Pottery Throw Down).

Here’s the clip. I’m so pleased with the performance! Click HERE to watch on Instagram. (You should be able to watch without logging in.)

Chorus lyrics:
From wielding a shovel to holding the baby
From making the tea to rocking the boat
Protest cruises, covered in bruises
Buckets and barrows, sickles and scythes
Pioneer boaters, labourers and caterers
Thanks to the women who made sure the cuts survived
© Heather Wastie

Video Credits
Soloist Jess Simm. Featuring the Clay Chorus led by Kate Barfield and Greg Stephens (on Guitar)
Sung as part of Boats, Barrels and Bottleovens (performed 4th/5th October) as part of the Stoke 100 celebrations funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund with support from Arts Council England. Produced by Alarum Productions and B.ARTS, Stoke.

Verse lyrics were adapted to reflect the real life experience of Stoke Boat Club members Jackie, Jean, Jenny, Joyce, Kath and Vera and veteran campaigner for waterways rescue and restoration Mrs Bessie Bunker.

47 years on…

In June 1971, Joni Mitchell released her landmark album, Blue.

In 1973, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Genesis’ Selling England By The Pound were all released.

In late September 1974, with this rich musical diet vibrating in my head, weeks away from my 19th birthday, I was walking along Edgbaston Park Road with a girl called Alison who I’d just met. On the opposite side of the road were two fellow Birmingham University students heading for the same Halls of Residence.

Andy – long dark hair parted in the middle – had rebelliously pinned his name badge onto the inside of his trench coat. Andy and Paul, friends from Leicester, were staying in High Hall, a tall structure for men only; Heather and Alison were bound for the women-only block which lay prostrate at the foot of the men’s accommodation. Each Hall had its own large communal room and there was a connecting gallery between the two. The no-men-allowed-after-10pm female block was called Ridge Hall.

It wasn’t long before guitarist Andy had organised a music night in High Hall, with the help of his friend, Jock, for any students who wanted to take part. Andy and I performed Joni Mitchell’s Little Green and Big Yellow Taxi together, and soon started collaborating on our own songs in a downstairs room in Ridge Hall. Andy called that first music night Moulin Ridge and the name stuck.

47 years later, we (Moulin Ridge) have finally released our debut album! Many of the original vocal recordings – some going back to the late 1980s – have been used, as each captures a moment in time. We’re launching the CD on 26th April – see the poster for info and click on it to listen to the songs!

A live streamed show & a workshop

I’m popping in to plug a livestreamed performance of I Dig Canals this coming Sunday 21st November 6pm and a humorous poetry writing workshop on Thursday 25th November 2-4pm. See below for more…

[Photo removed]

I DIG CANALS livestreamed performance – Sunday 21st November 6pm

Stand by for winching and rocking, pulling and sweating, bucket-hoists of mud and canal-clearing clobber. And you can share in it all live or via Zoom! It’s 1970, and we’re off to a rally of boats on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. On the way we’ll meet Sheila and Josie, Tina and Jean as they put on their sturdy boots and roll up their sleeves. Women labouring, cooking, boating, organising… united by a common cause – to save the Black Country waterways.

Join us for a livestream at 6pm on Sunday Nov 21st, or, if you can’t make that time, the video will be available to stream until 7pm the following Sunday (28th), all for a fiver! The show is just under an hour long, and will be followed by an additional half hour Q&A and some more stories from the project if you would like to stay. Click the poster above to go to the Eventbrite page

Click on the photo to go to the Eventbrite page for more info. Photo by Jan Warsop.

WRITING HUMOROUS POETRY – ONLINE WORKSHOP – Thursday 25th November 2-4pm

From limericks and four-liners to lengthy sagas; from clever wordplay to corny rhymes and punchlines; from nonsense to wild imaginings; from wry humour to laugh-out-loud funny. Bring your funny bones and we’ll have a go at different ways of writing humorous poems, inspired by a variety of examples.

We are offering our 2021 workshops on a Pay What You Can basis. The minimum payment is £5 (£5.12 with the booking fee); after that the sky’s the limit!

There are two free places available for anyone who would find the minimum donation difficult. Click on the photo of me looking cheeky to go to the Eventbrite page for more info.

Bye for now!

BBC Panel: Black Country Tongue and Talk

Next Thursday, 11th February, 7.00-8.00pm, I’ll be taking part in this online event:

Behind the Tongue and the Talk – panelists talk about their role in the creation of the Black Country edition of the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Tongue and Talk – The Dialect Poets’. Join City of Wolverhampton Poet Laureate, Emma Purshouse, as she natters to actress, writer and series producer Catherine Harvey, poet and playwright Brendan Hawthorne (Poet Laureate for Wednesbury), singer songwriter and poet Heather Wastie, along with dialect expert Esther Asprey. Expect discussion about our local vernacular, with some Black Country dialect poetry and song thrown into the mix.

As you may have guessed, you’ll be getting some poetry and a song from me, plus some canting (which has absolutely nothing to do with being hypocritical, pious or righteous). If you’re from the Black Country, you’ll know what I’m talking about; if not, do tune in and find out! Here’s the link for more details and to book.

The Black Country Museum

#BostinNews Alex Vann

Not long after lockdown started at the end of March I applied to become a content editor for a Creative Black Country project called Bostin News. Together with three other editors, alongside producing our own pieces of work, we were also able to commission other creatives from across the Black Country. This blog is the first of several in which I will share links to the work produced.

I commissioned three other artists working in different disciplines, and created two pieces myself. We each responded to our chosen theme of ‘Water’, thinking also of Black Country locations.

Alex Vann is a singer/songwriter and visual artist based in Wolverhampton. Real Arts Workshops run a weekly arts session with residents of Mossley estate, near Bloxwich, Walsall (online during Covid). Alex worked with the group to write a poem about a visit to Sneyd Reservoir, set it to music and created a video incorporating art by the group. To find out more about how this beautiful song was created and to watch the video, click HERE.

As an unexpected bonus, the group entered their poem ‘The Bliss of Solitude – Ode To Sneyd’ into the Mossley residents’ newsletter poetry competition. They were over the moon to win a £20 Amazon voucher for their entry. The voucher has been used to purchase art materials for the group so they can get busy creating more artwork!

Breakfast Blues

Turtle Song

Having worked extensively with people with dementia for many years, in 2016 I was involved as composer in a Turtle Song project with Turtle Key Arts. It took place in Wolverhampton and was one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever done. Turtle Song are celebrating their 10th Anniversary and have shared a video of one song from each of the projects on their website. Do click the link to see the wonderful work they do. Our song, Breakfast Blues, is here: https://vimeo.com/256636243

Suitcase Stories 2

banner - Reminiscence and music dementia social media banner 2018

I have just started work on a new project, as you will know if you read my recent blog post Grandma’s little box. Suitcase Stories 2 is an 18 month reminiscence and music project for people living with dementia and their carers in the Wyre Forest, Redditch, Bromsgrove and Wychavon districts running from November 2018 to March 2020.

Fortnightly music and reminiscence sessions will run on Mondays at The Museum of Carpet from 10.30am to 12.30pm and Forge Mill museum from 2.30pm-4.30pm and Fridays at Wallace House, Community Centre in Evesham from 10.30am to 12.30pm for just £2.50 per person. I will be kicking things off with Museums Worcestershire staff supporting with their handling objects.

There will also be monthly music workshops/performances in Bromsgrove on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 1.30pm to 2.45pm just £2.50 per person.

This project is generously funded by Arts Council England, Elmley Foundation, Bransford Trust, Wyre Forest District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council, John Martins Trust, Wychavon District Council and Museums Worcestershire.

If you want further information and to book contact Jenny Davis, Project Manager from Arts Uplift CIC jenny@artsuplift.co.uk 07946 585978

Don’t Oil The Hinges

My seventh poetry collection will be launched in September!

Don’t Oil The Hinges is a celebration of my year as Worcestershire Poet Laureate — a collection of poems and insights into 2015-2016. On Saturday 15th September the book will be launched at an evening of poetry and song with guests, Kate Saffin — writer and actor; Sarah Tamar — poet; Sunny Ormonde — actor, and Dave Sutherland — singer-songwriter. There may be another special guest too. The venue is Park’s Cafe, 4 Victoria Square, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 8DS. I chose it because of its hinges.

My first batch was delivered to my door yesterday by Tony Judge from Black Pear Press who had a hand in the cover design — literally. Talented singer-songwriter and artist Jess Silk produced the artwork and Tony added that final touch by writing the text with his finger, and the whole thing, I think, has a homely feel about it.

DOTH Front cover image

I hope you will be keen to open that door and find out what’s behind it. Here’s a sneak preview:

Wipe your feet

Shag pile, tufted,
high pile, long pile,
loop pile, got a pile!
Wipe your feet!

Don’t bring your muck in here,
our carpet’s cream.
Slippers all lined up,
pick your size.

No foam backing here,
grip gripper underlay,
offcuts in the loft
gathering dust.

Shag pile, tufted,
high pile, long pile,
loop pile, got a pile!
Wipe your feet!

(extract)

You can pre-order your copy from Black Pear Press, price £6.00 + p&p.

If you can, do come to the launch. It’s free to attend and we’re going to have fun!