unclemaryspoetry

The poem "Florrie" may need some explaining. In October 2011 I was invited to stay in Dylan Thomas´birthplace, nr 5, Cwmdonkin Drive, Swansea. The evenings were spent with other poets, artists of many kinds and a little audience sat in the front room holding wine and cheese in their laps. This was a part of British National Poetry week, I was the international guest! The house itself has been open to the public for three years now thanks to the amazing couple Annie and Geoff Haden, who bought the house, decorated with the exact colours from the original home of the Thomas family who moved in after the (very modern) house was buily in 1914, shortly before little Dylan was born! Florence was his mother, they were very close, later she was the last one of the family to pass, but that was after the house was sold... (to people who hid the one window upstairs that overlooked Swansea bay so that it looked like the ships sailed on the rooftops!) All the furnishing is recent (found in auctions etc) in the exact style of the epoque!