This early version of ‘Cycling Round the West Country’ was broadcast by BBC Radio Devon, and recorded from the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway while I was on my 2021 #CyclePoet tour. It’s filmed just after me, bikey, and a load of heavier panniers took the funicular railway up to the top. I’d already cycled a long way, and the previous day had to have been one of the most miserable I’d ever felt on a bike ride, in a whiteout across cold and soaking wind and rain over Exmoor.
This is an updated version of the poem:
Cycling Round the West Country: Cycle Poet Tour 2021
by Caroline Burrows
I cycled around the West Country,
A bike bard on tour, performing my poetry,
I started at my local bike shop in Bristol,
Then onto Somerset,
Past a dragon, sleeping in Worminster Hill.
I found an Albatross and an Ancient Mariner,
Saw Jupiter and Antares out being a stargazer,
I heard shanties sung on Watchet’s sea shore,
Watched wagtails while camping up high on Exmoor.
The Lynton & Lynmouth railway took me up a clifftop,
That was a relief, looking down was a 500 ft drop,
In my cold tent, I made a blanket from an unfolded O.S. map,
Stayed in a B&B run by a Basil Fawlty,
Without the humour,
That was crap.
I found it hard to say goodbye to a statue of Tarka the Otter,
Was greeted to Lundy Island by a seal in the water,
A vandal seagull stole my porridge
And ripped a hole in my tent.
Then a shrew moved in,
I wanted to see wildlife,
But that wasn’t what I meant.
I told poems in bikeshops, campsites, Coleridge’s Cottage,
A ferry, and a village hall,
There was wind and rain, even fog, but also sunsets galore.
The story’s not over, that was only part of my journey,
But I had quite the adventure,
Cycling round the West Country.
Copyright © 2024 Caroline Burrows.
Caroline Burrows’ poetry has featured on BBC Radio 4, been printed in BBC Sky at Night Magazine, and a documentary ‘The Bristol Bike Bard’ was selected and shown at Kendal Mountain, Sheffield Adventure, and Adventure Uncovered Film Festivals. Her year of daily eco-poetry verses ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’ was short-listed fo/r the Sustainability First Art Prize and exhibited at Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival. Her own one-woman poetry show by bike ‘Turning Pedals into Poems’ was shortlisted for best show in the 2023 Saboteur Awards, and also gained her a place in Cycling UK’s #100WomenInCycling 2022 for cycling to perform in venues from Bristol to Berwick-upon-Tweed. She has previously worked on poetry commissions on the theme of mental health for Glenside Hospital Museum, Bristol Ideas; and eco-poetry for Triodos the Ethical Bank. In 2023, she performed and taught poetry at Durham Cathedral as part of the Gaia/Earth installation; was Poet in Residence at Cromarty Arts Trust, and appeared at Morecambe Poetry Festival. As well as poetry, her short stories have been published in The National Flash Fiction Anthology, and The Charles Causley Trust, and she has written articles for several publishers including Cycling UK & Adventure Cyclist magazines. Her first full poetry collection will be released by Jawbone Press in March 2024.You can find out more on IG/Twitter/Facebook/YouTubes/LinkTree: @VerseCycleYouTube/Facebook/Twitter/IG.
YouTube: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@versecycle
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/versecycle
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerseCycle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/versecycle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VerseCycle
#100WomenInCycling #CyclePoet #lyntonandlynmouthcliffrailway #poetry #cycletouring #carolineburrows #versecycle #poet #spokenword #womenscycling #westcountry #lynton #funicular #lynmouth
I’m cycling around the West country on a bike tour performing my poetry I found an albatross and an ancient mariner seen Jupiter and Antares while being a stargazer I’ve heard Shanti sung down by watch it Seashore watched wagtails while camping up high on xmore the Linton and
Linmouth Railway got me from sea level to clifftop which was a relief looking back down it’s a 500t drop I’ve told poems in bike shops book shops Cooler’s Cottage a campsite and a village hall there’s been Wind and Rain even fog but also sunsets Galore this story is not over I’m only
Partway through my journey I’m on quite the adventure cycling around more of the West country