WHERE I LIVE IN WHARFEDALE - ILKLEY IN WEST YORKSHIRE - THE YORKSHIRE DALES

I am indeed inspired to write about the natural world and a lot of my inspiration comes from the view from my window and the immensely beautiful area in which I live. I will try to link some of my poems with the following film which you might like in your homes or classrooms:

On The Worth Valley Line:This poem is written with the rhythm of the steam train and I am speaking of the Keighley and Worth Valley Line. The train runs from Keighley (pronounced Keethley) to Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters. This railway is famous because it was filmed for the children's film: "The Railway Children". It starts off:
"Hurry up, please hurry up. It's twenty five to nine,
And a handsome train awaits us on the Worth Valley Line." See this film:

The poem I wrote last winter, one of the worst winters for 20 years was called: "Waiting Their Turn" and as I looked from my window at trees, hedges and garden completely covered with snow, I thought of the hungry birds. Boots on, I trudged to the hedge with a tray covered with food for them. Immediately hungry seagulls flew in and danced over and down onto the tray. The poor crows, our regular visitors, watched from a tree in the distance. They awaited their turn on the food tray. Here is a film of our town during this time:

Many of the ducks here will have flown from the lake at the back of my garden to the river bank. Oh, they were so very hungry. They did try to get to my back door - yes, walking as they usually do - but the snow covered them and eventually they flew off down to the river. (River Wharfe). The little mandarin duck on the park seat has been to my home. We named him "Napoleon" because he was smaller than the mallards, but definitely the boss. Hope you like this film.

I'd be really pleased if you bought my two Yorkshire poetry books because I have worked so hard to make the poems truly lovely. They match the beauty of this lovely part of the world. I would especially be pleased if schools in the Yorkshire area bought the book and became members of this website. You'd not only get the Yorkshire poems but all the poems in the other books too, ie the Weather and Seasons poems and also those in the two books of performance poetry.

I am pleased that you have visited my website, hope you like my poems and that you'll recommend them to other teachers, parents and children.

My very best wishes to you all - Josie Whitehead