The inspiration for my blog this week is the Haiku Heights prompt word “Sugar”. My readers know that my mind moves in mysterious ways so please bear with me on these haiku ~ they truly are connected to sugar!
Memories caught in
spun sugar clouds, on sticks
At the Spanish City
When I was a little girl I lived in the North of England. Holidays were unheard of, but days out were de rigeur. As we had no car we used to catch the train from Newcastle to the coast, usually South Shields or Whitley Bay. They were equally wonderful. South Shields had sand dunes and miles of white beaches while Whitley Bay had the “Spanish City”. It was actually named the “Whitley Bay Pleasure Gardens”, but to us and everyone else who went there, it was the “Spanish City”. It was the most exotic and exciting place in the world with carousels, coconut shies, waltzers, ghost trains, magic mirrors, and any number of other ways to lose what little money we had.
I was obviously not the only person bewitched by the Spanish City as Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits had a hit record called “Tunnel of Love” in 1980 which is all about the place. They too had their origins in Newcastle. If you listen carefully you will hear it mentioned many times. This is the chorus
And now I’m searching through these Carousels and the carnival arcades
Searching everywhere from steeplechase to palisades
In any shooting gallery where promises are made
To rockaway, rockaway…. Rockaway, rockaway
From Cullercoats and Whitley Bay out to rockaway
And girl it looks so pretty to me just like it always did
Like the Spanish City to me when we were kids
And girl it looks so pretty to me just like it always did
Like the Spanish City to me when we were kids
The link with sugar comes from the Candy Floss which is forever in my memory. Made of spun sugar, it was huge and soft and fluffy, like a cloud on a stick. So here are my Haiku
Capturing childhood
In pink and white sugar, spun
Into candy floss
Memories meld, of
Days by the coast, sea-mist and
Fairground fantasies
Sadly the Spanish City is no more. The last I heard the dome had been restored and there were plans for a four star boutique hotel, a care home, new public spaces and an outdoor performance areas on the 7 acre seafront site.
Lovely… Ive missed a few of these lately 😉
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Good to keep it up I think, gets me thinking creatively all through the week x
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I love the spun sugar clouds.
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Thanks Alice x I value your comments x
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Great haiku, as always. I know I will never be disappointed when I visit. 🙂
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What a lovely thing to say x It is a privilege to be able to greet others through the blog and I really appreciate your interest. Thank you x have a great week x
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Thank you for that story of Spanish City! Dire Straits through the 80’s was the music of my youth. – and while I enjoyed the lyrics back then knowing more of the unseen influences adds such richness to the songs.
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Great, I am so glad you enjoyed it. I used to travel all over Europe in the 90s listening to Dire Straits and I still have all their CDs. There were a lot of good musicians came from the North of England. I actually went to the same primary school as Sting who also grew up in Newcastle! I think the tough Northern culture made us all strong and determined to get on in the world.
Happy days ~ music has the power to take us right back and awaken all sorts of memories. Did you open the link to Tunnel of Love ~ awful 80s video but great music!
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lovely spun sugar writing. my best wishes.
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Thank you for reading and enjoying ~ and taking the time to comment ~ it is much appreciated x
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not a bit quirky as you warned . beautifully spun words too 🙂
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Lovely comment x Thank you x
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You have spun a sweetly nostalgic tale. I enjoyed the spun sugar clouds!
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Thanks x I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane and dug out my old CDs and played Tunnel of Love all afternoon! I am loving your poetry ~ I am so busy at the moment I have hardly had time to comment but I always read and enjoy them. You really have a gift with words x
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So love the image of “spun sugar clouds”! In Australia, we call “candy floss” “fairy floss”! Always good when going going to the Easter show!
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Oh I love the name fairy floss! That is so much more romantic and expresses the delicate quality better than the word candy! Very jealous that you are in Australia ~ enjoy Easter x
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Thank you for sharing your well-spun memories.
Sugar Me a Haiku!
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You’re welcome x I enjoyed this one! I could just eat a Candy Floss, but i am on a diet!
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Love the spun sugar clouds…
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Thanks x This is literally what they look like isn’t it. I don’t think my poetry is very metaphysical or even good, but i do see beauty in everday things which is a blessing x
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I think your poetry is beautiful. None of us ever really and truly likes what we write.
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