Friday, May 26, 2006

A E Housman and the Squeezy Lemon

The South Shropshire Journal has the story of the day:

Villagers were due to meet last night in a bid to halt a gay pop festival taking place in their parish.

Residents in Clungunford, Leintwardine and surrounding villages were expected to meet last night, Thursday, to discuss a licensing application submitted for the Squeezy Lemon Festival, which organisers want to hold on fields at Marlow Farm, outside Clungunford.

The vice-chairman of Clungunford Parish Council, Jonathan Roberts, says:
“Author A E Housman said Clungunford was ‘the quietest place under the sun,’ but if this is allowed to go ahead then it won’t be."
Agree with him or not, how can you fail to like a councillor who quotes Housman?

The verse Roberts has in mind is the 50th poem in A Shropshire Lad, which begins:
Clunton and Clunbury,
Clungunford and Clun,
Are the quietest places
Under the sun.
So Clungunford has to share the honour.

Incidentally, it is hard to resist the thought that Housman would rather have enjoyed the Squeezy Lemon Festival.

1 comment:

HE Elsom said...

Hm. I doubt if Housman ever enjoyed anything except the thought that he might be dead one day.