A Careful Harvesting of Words
This is the website of Charlotte Peters Rock: writer. Charlotte is a poet-performer, songwriter-singer, who also dances. Dancing pleases. Welcome! Make yourself at home here.
Tuesday
Thursday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday
Thursday
Sunday
Wednesday
Aspects Of The Great War - And After
Aspects Of The Great War - And After
has just gone on display in Knutsford Library
It will remain until 19 November 2018
Do call in and read your way around
This exhibition
using the facts as known
takes particular human stories
to highlight the human cost of war
It also shows what decisions were made
in the Knutsford area just as the war ended
There are little seen documents showing the original
plans for a War Memorial
7.pm - 9.30 pm
on Tuesday13 November 2018
Knutsford Library is also running an event
War Is Over
during which various of us will perform
Monday
Saturday
Wednesday
Thursday
Charlotte Peters Rock - Home Page
Charlotte Peters Rock - Home Page
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Hello,
Pleased you called in.
'This life is a work in protest'
Lots to read on this site though.. songs, poetry.
Sit back. Scroll down and click links.
You will find videos of some of my work at my
Facebook page - go to top bar - right hand side - click 'videos'
There are more on YouTube
Enjoy!
Charlotte
***
Events - past and future
2019
During June, I have a month long Peterloo Exhibition at Knutsford Library, which may run longer.
Thursday 25 July 2019
I'm currently involved in the Commemoration of 200 years since
The Peterloo Massacre
took place on St Peter's Field, in the centre of Manchester
I have an hour of completely new work, a dramatico-sung piece, called
The Peaceful Weavers of Peterloo
A part of the Manchester Histories series of events.
It will take place on the site of The Peterloo Massacre:
18.00 - 19.00 - Thursday 25 July 2019
The Performance Space
Manchester Central Library
St Peter's Square
Manchester
M2 5PD
It is a FREE Event. Booking is now required. EventBright link
Please feel free to wear your Caps of Liberty/Bonnets Rouge, at this event!

These pictures were taken
as I performed my lead song,
"The Peaceful Weavers of Peterloo"
at Manchester Histories'
Peterloo Bicentennial Commemoration Launch Event
on 06 June 2019 at Manchester Central
Also looking for other venues in which to perform
"The Peaceful Weavers of Peterloo". Contact me
****
Previous Performances Composite picture - below - is made up of various performances over the years at Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza.

Hover your mouse over the words - and click
Scroll down the page for a biography and a link to exhibition photographs
A broad ranging series of installations across the town of Northwich, Cheshire
Northwich Town Centre Installations 2014 - Parrots n People n Poetry
Northwich Town Centre Installations 2014 - Park to Park to Park
World War 1 - no celebration *****
Northwich Salt & history
And in Knutsford, Cheshire
18 October- 16 November 2014
Knutsford 'Old Town Hall' and Canute Square
And in Middlewich, Cheshire
04-05 October 2014
Middlewich Library
Songs and Poem-Stories - links and stuff
The links below are to various aspects of my work in song and poem-story. Enjoy! Songs
British Lifeboat men
Health and Change
Read my 'Community Centre Poster Plan for Empowerment
A few songs of disaster and comment
The Royal Charter 1859
MPs and expensive manure
Cranage Airmen - Defenders of Peace
Waltzing with William
Alcock and Brown
Tales of Alfie
The High Arctic
Salacious Urban Fish
SS Waratah
RMS Leinster
Our Bloody Language
Ritalin Johnnie
Lancashire's Pits
Survivor of the Wells Lifeboat Disaster
The Gander
Forgotten People
PQ-17 to Murmansk - 1942
Col-Sgt P Humphreys CGC
Protest poems and songs
Dementia and Will
Tracks'n'Trains
When this Delightful Dawning Ends
Friends and Remembrance
The Poppy for Remembering
Joan Leach MBE
John Reginald Holmes
Poetry site - ***New uploads - 25Apr2014
An eye on the void
Lapis lazuli
Justice
If I'm corrupt..
Bluer than the moon
What degree?
Windmill
Time away
A degree of thought
The point
Give me jade
Animal Poems
Anarchy
Canadas
2am hare
A Tail to wag
Rabbit Trap
Pantry interloper
November Swans
Russian Poems
Kreka of Vyatichi
The Warrior of Siberia
Canadas
2am hare
A Tail to wag
Rabbit Trap
Pantry interloper
November Swans
Russian Poems
Kreka of Vyatichi
The Warrior of Siberia
the Chinchorro poems
Chinchorro at the shore
Chinchorro child lament
Chinchorro teaching
Leaving the ocean
the Altai poems
Apprentice to The Telling
Bronze Mirror of the Ice Maiden
Pazyryk Chief
The Magic Lake
The Wiser Man
Tillya Tepe
Destroying History in Tillya Tepe
*****
Curfew
There is no money..
*****
Exhibition photographs
Chicken Feather
Dragon Lady
Elaine's Mother
Grannie Shopping
Grannie and Scot at the Seaside
Grannie Scot and the Robber
Newspapers and Sunday School
Responsible for Me
Statia and the Standing Stones
Main site
Poetry
Songs
Child Poems
Dragon Lady

Grannie Shopping
Grannie and Scot at the Seaside
Grannie Scot and the Robber
Newspapers and Sunday School
Responsible for Me
Statia and the Standing Stones
Main site
Poetry
Songs
Child Poems
Labels:
Charlotte Peters Rock,
history,
ideas,
poetry,
songs
Location:
Western Europe
Knutsford - Aspects of The Great War - etc
A full installation of
Aspects of The Great War
The Old Town Hall
and Canute Square, Knutsford
18 October - 16 November 2014
By kind permission of Mr Henry Brooks
and Tatton Estate Management
This links to a performance of some of the songs and stories which are to be found in the Old Town Hall.
That performance will take place at
Knutsford Heritage Centre
12 - 2pm
Saturday 08 November 2014
£8 ( £7.20 to Friends) from Knutsford Heritage Centre
Aspects of The Great War
Five Windows in The Old Town Hall
The side window shows aspects of the end of the war
and its aftermath
Along Top Street to
Canute Square, Knutsford
for further installations
World War 2
Side Window
Front Window
Other Conflicts - & People
Tabley History
Child & Childhood Window
Please come to Knutsford and read.
I do hope you enjoy the stories found here.
Your feedback would be welcome.
Middlewich Library Aspects of The Great War 04-05 October 2014
This installation took place, by agreement with Middlewich Library, during
more information should appear at this Middlewich Heritage link
This installation moved on later to Knutsford, taking over the entire window space of the Old Town Hall, opposite the Court Building for the month 18 -October - 16 November 2014.
Further instalaltions, in Canute Square showed World War 2, Other Conflicts, The History of Tabley, People - local and distant, and Children and Childhood.
back to main site
back to main site
Labels:
Aspects of the Great War,
Charlotte,
library,
Middlewich,
Peters,
Rock,
weekend
Wednesday
Northwich Town Centre Installations 2014 No 1 - Parrots n People n Poetry
Parrots n People n Poetry
14 June to 13 July 2014
Northwich Town Centre
back to entrance page
This consists of a series of installations across Northwich town centre, in otherwise empty shop windows and market hall spaces. This is achieved with the kind help of Cheshire West and Chester Council, Colliers and Andrew Hynes.
Please Note: The shop windows displays are all open for viewing between 7am and 6pm since the centre area has shutters pulled down after 6pm
This years extensive displays are very broad ranging and include parrots in every window, to complement and cheer the written word
In Town Square there are 4 shop windows
No 4 - above - has writing about how humans spread around the world, about the Indus Civilisation in what is now Pakistan, the Chinchorro Civilisation of South America and about North American history. There is also a piece on an aspect of more modern India.
Nos 5 & 6 - above - are concerned with many animals an birds
No 9 - above - has writing around Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears, an Arctic love story about the balloonist Nils Strindberg and his love Anna Charlier - and reference to the patient Christmas Cat
On the corner of Town Square and Weaver Square -above - there is a large Guest window, which contains some of my own work and Guest work on parrots, produced by pupils of University of Chester Academy, Rudheath - and a Wall hanging produced by pupils of Witton Church Walk, C of E School
In Weaver Square there are
Nos 16-18 - show child poems and children's stories
Nos 20-22 - above - has a Guest window which shows more child and animal poems and stories but also contains photographic and authorial work by Jane Butcher, the author of "Joel".
No 29 - above - has Aspects of World War 2 which might be less familiar.
During the convoys to Russia, the PQ 17 disaster, and aid willingly rendered by the Captain of the Murmanetz.
RAF Cranage and 96 Squadron.
HMT Scotia during the Dunkirk evacuation
Russian women fighter and bomber pilots
Nos 31-33 - above - have Aspects of World War 1
The world before the war
The call up
The Pals Battalions
The families
The after effects
In Market Way there is one shop
No 6 - This is another Guest shop, its front window being largely taken up by an enormous flying Seagull, made by the pupils of Witton Church Walk C of E School. Otherwise there are poem-stories about the Romans in Britain, animals, birds etc
Its side window shows "The Lady of The Lord of Household Tai"
Please Note: The two markets are open for viewing during the daytime on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Indoor Market - Display backing onto the Shop at No 6 Market Way

This shows more aspects and pictures of World War 1
Also Aspects of the British Empire in India, with the story of the family caught in the Siege of Fort Gulistan, Kohat, in the Samana Range
The small window just round the corner shows a story about the vagaries of life in Calcutta.
The Covered Market display shows a large range of song-stories about Lifeboat heroes.
These will follow shortly - just as soon as I can get back to take the pictures
back to entrance page14 June to 13 July 2014
Northwich Town Centre
back to entrance page
This consists of a series of installations across Northwich town centre, in otherwise empty shop windows and market hall spaces. This is achieved with the kind help of Cheshire West and Chester Council, Colliers and Andrew Hynes.
Please Note: The shop windows displays are all open for viewing between 7am and 6pm since the centre area has shutters pulled down after 6pm
This years extensive displays are very broad ranging and include parrots in every window, to complement and cheer the written word
In Town Square there are 4 shop windows
No 4 - above - has writing about how humans spread around the world, about the Indus Civilisation in what is now Pakistan, the Chinchorro Civilisation of South America and about North American history. There is also a piece on an aspect of more modern India.
Nos 5 & 6 - above - are concerned with many animals an birds
No 9 - above - has writing around Arctic Foxes and Polar Bears, an Arctic love story about the balloonist Nils Strindberg and his love Anna Charlier - and reference to the patient Christmas Cat
On the corner of Town Square and Weaver Square -above - there is a large Guest window, which contains some of my own work and Guest work on parrots, produced by pupils of University of Chester Academy, Rudheath - and a Wall hanging produced by pupils of Witton Church Walk, C of E School
In Weaver Square there are
Nos 16-18 - show child poems and children's stories
Nos 20-22 - above - has a Guest window which shows more child and animal poems and stories but also contains photographic and authorial work by Jane Butcher, the author of "Joel".
No 29 - above - has Aspects of World War 2 which might be less familiar.
During the convoys to Russia, the PQ 17 disaster, and aid willingly rendered by the Captain of the Murmanetz.
RAF Cranage and 96 Squadron.
HMT Scotia during the Dunkirk evacuation
Russian women fighter and bomber pilots
Nos 31-33 - above - have Aspects of World War 1
The world before the war
The call up
The Pals Battalions
The families
The after effects
In Market Way there is one shop
The Seagull
No 6 - This is another Guest shop, its front window being largely taken up by an enormous flying Seagull, made by the pupils of Witton Church Walk C of E School. Otherwise there are poem-stories about the Romans in Britain, animals, birds etc
Its side window shows "The Lady of The Lord of Household Tai"
Please Note: The two markets are open for viewing during the daytime on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Indoor Market - Display backing onto the Shop at No 6 Market Way

This shows more aspects and pictures of World War 1
Also Aspects of the British Empire in India, with the story of the family caught in the Siege of Fort Gulistan, Kohat, in the Samana Range
The small window just round the corner shows a story about the vagaries of life in Calcutta.
The Covered Market display shows a large range of song-stories about Lifeboat heroes.
These will follow shortly - just as soon as I can get back to take the pictures
Monday
World War 1
back to entrance page
This song was written around the terrible slaughter of our shire and farm horses in this senseless war:
This song was written around the terrible slaughter of our shire and farm horses in this senseless war:
The Stallion Tom
Ch1 Fair stood the wind fur France
The waves wus roarin mighty
Fair stood the wind fur France
An wi wuz leavin
Blighty
The stallion Tom an mi
Wi served the mare-run farmland
Then Kitchener
called fur wi
So wi walked down frum Cleveland
(ch 1)
An Tom ee wuz called to war
To aul the guns in battle
The reason they called im fur
To aul wur bullets rattle
(Ch 2) Ill stood the wind
in France
The rain wus pourin mighty
Ill stood the wind in France
An wi wuz outa
Blighty
An ee wuz a Shire alright
Iz eart wuz big an steady
Fur aulin the guns all night
An ee stood ever ready
(ch 2)
But Tom i wuz flesh an bone
Wi shells an bullets rainin
An ee’d work on alone
You'd not ear Tom complainin
(ch 2)
The shell that kilt im came
As a stood on iz leaside
Twas wun that bore mi name
An that wuz ow owd Tom died
(ch 2)
Ee lay as if asleep
Along the meada dreamin
The mud it wuz slick an deep
The very air wuz screamin
(ch 2)
An a wuz screamin too
The shell took both mi legs out
Well wat wuz a to do
The dragged mi ter the dugout
(ch 2)
A dreamed an screamed fur Tom
A dreamed that wi wuz walkin
Along the fields of ome
An Tom could ear mi talkin
(ch 2)
Ah wish a ad died wi Tom
A wud na wonce abandon
The patched mi an auled mi ome
Ee Tom i were a grand un
(Ch 3) Fair stood the wind frum France
The waves wus roarin mighty
Fair stood the wind frum France
An wi wuz back in Blighty
The stallion Tom an mi
Wi wauked the northern farmland
Iz mares an then mi tea
Wen wi wuz ome in Cleveland
(Ch 3) Fair stood the wind frum France
The waves wus roarin mighty
The waves wus roarin mighty
Fair stood the wind frum France
An wi wuz back in Blighty
© 1999 Charlotte Peters Rock
***
John Jem an Willie an Winnie
They'd been cuttin an rakin an cockin all week
They'd been cuttin an rakin an cockin all week
When Polly wuz backed inter shafts fer the walk
An piled on the ay wain we rode - fur ahr cheek
John Jem an Willie an Winnie
Aggie an Mary an me
Aggie an Mary an me
Wi watched as the pitchers put cocks on the wain
The loader built corners an rose on the ay
An just as the corner poles vanished again
Arry an Polly got goin
Back up the lane te the yard
She pulled past the owse an the stables an such
An roun be the shippon an inter the barn
An we followed on wi the pitchers te watch
John Jem an Willie an Winne
Aggie an Mary an me
An as wi got older wi worked fur the men
Wi carried the ale te the fields an the barn
An John Jem an Willie got big an joined in
An Winnie an Mary got married
Leavin just Aggie an me
But that wuz the golden time when we wur warm
Before the boys left fur the Marne an the Somme
An only the memories still linger on
Of John Jem an Willie an Winnie
Aggie an Mary an me (+rpt this verse)
© 2000 Charlotte Peters Rock
***
Mametz Wood
“Let our memories live
on..”
The regiment was
mostly gone
All pals together joined the war
The Fusiliers now gone before
were good brave men - who served and fell
at Mametz Wood through gas and shell
“Let our memories live
on..”
The regiment was
mostly gone
The fields are dressed in vivid green
Tall stones are ranked in greyish sheen
where all those men - who served us well
at Mametz Wood collapsed and fell
“Let our memories live
on..”
The regiment was mostly
gone
Now birdsong warbles in the trees
Where summer flowers aswarm with bees
remark the gentle drifting spell
of Mametz Wood whose poppies tell (
no ch)
a tale of Royal Welch Fusiliers
whose brave young men these many years
have lain below the place they fell
by war which put boys into hell
“Let our memories live on..”
The regiment was mostly gone
The regiment was mostly gone
Now young men still so bright and brave
Remember comrades - each who gave
his life to serve through shot and shell
You serve us now - You serve us well
“Let our memories live
on”
The Regiment was mostly
gone
“Let our memories live
on..”
part of the inscription to those who fell at Mametz Wood, on
the Somme .
© 2002 Charlotte Peters Rock
***
The Tara from Holyhead
Oh Megan fach don’t play that seranade
The one my lovely darling used to
know
He laughed and joked whenever it was
played
Oh Megan fach please no Megan no
Hibernia was such a safe old ship
From Holyhead across the Irish Sea
Dun Laoghaire back to Holyhead each trip
Megan fach why did it have to be
They sent her out to Egypt for the war
Renamed her Tara
not to get confused
What do you think they needed my boy for
And all those lovely men they took and used
A u-boat in the Gulf of Sollum aimed
She sank just one month after she had gone
And some men died but some of them were maimed
The rest were starved beneath the desert sun
And now its 1916 and they’re back
Four months they starved til some of them were dead
But my boy’s not amongst them - that is clear
Was he blown to bits or starved instead
Lovely men from war to Holyhead
Back to start the fighting once again
How..how can I face them now he’s dead
I’m so glad they’re back - those lovely men
Oh Megan fach don’t play that seranade
The one my lovely darling used to
know
He laughed and joked whenever it was
played
Oh Megan fach please no Megan no
© 2002 Charlotte Peters Rock
***
Middlewich World War 1
Marchin off ter war mi lads
A fine upstanding bunch yer are
Marchin off to war – now get
Them shoulders up an back
The call as cum to serve yer
King an country
An all the farms an works are
in a quand’ry
Dunt leave that lorry body on
the gantry
ch
Yer big an brave – dunt lissen
ter yer Muther
Yer used ter workin ard in
any weather
Cum on mi lads – jus sign up
all together
ch
Eres yer docket fur the train
that’s leavin
Kiss yer girl – cum on an old
the shovin
Practicin yer marchin not yer
lovin
ch
Overseas before yer know – mi
sailors
Old yer sickness – eat yer
grease yer foulers
Worse than this ull soon be
yours – yer wailers
ch
Weeks away an silences an
worry
Ow ahr lads were marched off
in a flurry
Nah thur comin omeward –
thurs no urry
ch
John’s gon blind an Little
Eddie’s wailin
Tom an Rob an Arry’s all ome
limpin
Most of ahr lads brought back
in a coffin
ch
See the empty fields an read
the roll call
Widders - orphans - family by
the church wall
Never loved these lads to see
thur youth fall.
Marchin off ter war mi lads
A fine upstanding bunch yer are
Marchin off to war – now get
Them shoulders up an back
© 2014 Charlotte Peters Rock
***
Weeds an War
Brave weeds are growin taller
now
The tow path carries flower eads
Ahr lads were taken off to
war
What were they workin for?
Wi childer sproutin up like weeds
Their clothes are falling
from their backs
Their Dads were taken off to
war
What were we livin for?
We wash and bake and do wi out
No money comes to keep us fed
Last night we heard more died
in war
What are they dyin for?
Wi babbies due and nowt to do
We work or rest our feet a
bit
An soon we’ll see the back of
war
That’s what we’re waitin for.
Old on to what we ave as ope
Tend men an babbies all the
same
There’s only one sad end to
war
What are we grieving for?
Ahr tender boys grow starved an chill
Let this war end when they
are young
Or else they’ll send them off
to war
We need an end to war.
© 2014 Charlotte Peters Rock
Labels:
horses,
Mametz Wood,
Marne,
Middlewich,
poem,
Somme,
song,
Tara,
World War 1
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