Ours is a God-Given Peace

Subtitled 'Verse From the Mersey Beat Era", this cycle of poetry, now expanded to 42 verses in a new edition, records, by one who was "there", the passionate buzz of an era which, spearheaded by the Beatles but involving other legendary Liverpool bands, revolutionized popular music. Stomp with the incomparable Liver goddesses in the Merseyside and Hamburg dance halls and cellars, the Cavern, the Iron Door, the Star Club Hamburg, and the Majestic Birkenhead, where Brian Epstein may have received a time-tingling phone call. Haunt the backstage of the Essoldo with Billy Fury and Jimmy Tarbuck. Squeeze with the Beatles into Allan Williams' old van for their epoch-changing journey to Hamburg via Arnhem. Jump on the ferry with Gerry, search with the Searchers, hit it big with the Big Three, roar with Rory, measure up to Kingsize, nail it down with the Undertakers. and be the last to leave the building with the Roadrunners. Exalt the Rialto Ballroom two decades before it bayned down. Wear the purple with Dixie Dean and Bill Shankly. See Sirius arising from Laird Street at sunset, where Sir Gawain nearly lost his head, the King is cloaked in cynghanedd, tears of haiku mirror the Three Stars, and Taliesin turns forever in the icewind. Finally, slip into something timely on Deeside to beat the nicks out of the double-edged knives of urban legends, conspiracy theories and internet chat groups.