Report by Ms de Meaner
This was a popular comp. Bill Greenwell had two goes, one of which was Coleridge's "Kubla Khan". But, I felt, it wasn't really in the spirit of this comp's rules - to attract youth to boring-sounding places, such as Little Gidding and East Coker. For the same reason, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" didn't really work - rappers will probably go there anyway. £20 to the winners, the best of whom (Bill again) also gets the Tesco vouchers.
On Dover Beach
Moon onna water inna midnight hour
Ya ain't done nuttin till ya feel the power
Ovva Dover Beach sea soundin long and low
Hear that surf suckin back downa shore?
C'mon now baby, doncha know the score?
Come close cos the tide's goin out with a moan
That muthafuckin sea poundin rock with a roar
It tellin ya the Lord ain't around no more
It sayin how we all in the dark on our own
So shake yo ass baby, an keep holdin on
Anne Du Croz
Adlestrop
Check it out, no doubt, and the theme is steam,
And there ain't no trains where the trains has been,
And the scene is mean where the X-press passed,
Where the willow 'erb ain't disturbin any grass,
But my brother, tho there ain't no others, no crowd,
Say it loud, my man, for the light white cloud,
For the blackbird knack with the warble in his vox on,
Feather friends together in the whole of Glos and Oxon,
Late June, and soon it bein' August and September,
But the cream-crop stop is Adlestrop, y'all remember?
Bill Greenwell
Upon Westminster Bridge
You're scoping something here that's quite unique
Ya don't get the vibes, you nothing but a geek
Ya don't know nothing 'bout a sight that's king.
See, the town's like a ho wearing classy bling
Early in the morning when no dudes are there
All that urban stuff is, like, everywhere
And ya see for miles when there ain't no smoke
And the sunshine hits you like a deep-down toke
Like the rush you get by the dawn's early light
And it chills you out, makes you feel all right
Then you're floatin' cool, like the river Thames
And you don't want to fire off them IBMs
Just wanna lie down and get some zees
Cos the whole goddam city be at peace
Basil Ransome-Davies
Set by John Crick
A total ban on smoking in enclosed public places will come into force in England on 1 July 2007 (the last after Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland). What else would you like to ban . . . and why?
Max 125 words by 31 May
Email: comp@newstatesman.co.uk
