Read Herrings Poetry Competition for Herring Day!

Holy Mackerel! A poetry competition for Herring Day!

Local people were invited to make a contribution to the Time and Tide Museum by submitting a short poem about the humble herring for National Poetry Day on the 8^th October.   The winning  poem is reproduced on the new text panel for the  iconic Yarmouth Bloater King sign (see image)  unveiled at Time and Tide’s annual Herring Day on Sunday October 18^th . Entries were judged by published Norfolk based poet Esther Morgan.

Winner of the Read Herrings poetry competition for Herring Day 2009:

My Silver Darling

By Charles Huggett

Skin tanned and burned by the keen east blow

Burnished rosy cheeks shine and glow

Back complaining and feet sore

Hands chapped bleeding red and raw

Still you can laugh and share a smile

Although you know in a little while

The next herring catch will land

So you stand ready knife in hand

To gut and wash the silver throng

And so you work all day long.

Your clothes are coated in silver scales

And glitter my eye assails.

Like sequins on a fine ball gown

Or diamonds set in a royal crown.

Transformed from dull and dowdy starling

To my shiny glistening silver darling.

But no ball will glimpse her sparkling clothes

Just a small dark pub in the Yarmouth rows!

The Bloater King in person

Summer Wednesday Evenings at Time and Tide

Diagram by Jonathan Tooke

Jonathan Tooke

a-b The shortest and safest route through beams of moonlight