A train in the distance ('Night Mail')

Send us Fan MailCanals and railways are often very close near neighbours and so trains can be a frequent part of the canal soundscapes. This week we explore why the sound of a train in the distance (thanks to Paul Simon) can be so evocative which gives me the opportunity to reminisce about my childhood and revisit some wonderful poems. Journal entry:  24th January, Tuesday.“Racing head. Not much sleep. So I am out here, trying to walk it out.The ground crunches and splinters into Icy shards. The kingfisher pool has now frozen over. Today, the ice, the cold, seem to exhibit a deliberate malevolence.In front of me the morning sun emerges above the trees Making the canal ice and frosted towpath glitter with golden fire. I stride out of the woods. Today, for a while, I walk on jewels and sun light. Episode Information:In this episode I read the following poems:Philip Larkin – ‘Whitsun Weddings’ (excerpt) Edward Thomas – ‘Adlestrop’ Paul Simon – ‘A Poem on the Underground Wall’ (excerpt) Robert Louis Stevenson – ‘From a Railway Carriage’ WH Auden – ‘Night Mail’You can watch the film, Night Mail, free (and I highly recommend it!) at the BFI website: Night Mail. You can watch Vanessa and Zephyr on The Mindful Narrowboat.For more information about Nighttime on Still WatersYou can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com. It will also allow you to become more a part of the podcast and you can leave comments, offer suggestions, and reviews. You can even, if you want, leave me a voice mail by clicking on the microphone icon. General DetailsIn the intro and the outro, Saint-Saen's The Swan is performed by Karr and Bernstein (1961) and available on CC at archive.org. Two-stroke narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.All other audio recorded on site. ContactFor pictures of Erica and images related to the podcasts or to contact me, follow me on:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoswPod·       Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw  I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message using the voicemail facility by clicking on the microphone icon. Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.ContactFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.socialMastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw  I would love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. For more information about Nighttime on Still WatersYou can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.