THE WILLIAM TYLER

THE WILLIAM TYLER

(With appreciation to the great Charles Dickens

And his work ‘Characters’, as seen in Sketches by Boz.)

There’s a wonderful public house

That is very close to me

It encapsulates the area,

And its varied history

From Catherine of Aragon

*

To the custard factory,

The manor of Blakesley Hall

And William Tyler with his story.

The place is full of characters

Each with their own tale,

So I settle down to people watch

With a glorious pint of foaming ale,

The old man with his ‘Racing post’

Studying form and deathly pale,

His yellowing eyes avoid the crowd

His life is dull and stale.

He looks up at the office staff

His grimace toward the noise,

With the shortest skirts and highest heels

The girls giggling attracts the boys,

They totter about after too much drink

Not much elegance and poise,

They’ll enjoy the attention for sugary shots

The low cut top and fleshy leg the spongers decoys.

The factory workers clear glasses for the cards

The leather clad biker shuffles and deals,

An old lady, hunched and frail, licks her sagging lips

Her eyes following a serving girl with steaming meals,

Back to the young office lads in cheap tailored suits

One’s got slapped after grabbing a feel,

The bottled blonde he’d fondled with mock anger

Let out an indignant yet feigned, girly squeal.

The warming hum of chatter, mingled with laughter

Without the drone of awful music, like a club,

Good well priced food and a fine selection of ales

With attentive, chatty and well mannered staff the hub,

The archers war bows drawn to welcome all

And this is the nub,

I’m convinced the late great Charles Dickens

Would’ve found plenty of material in this place

The William Tyler

 My wonderful local pub.

**

Phil Hall  June 2013

* 'Catherine of Aragon' an original painting on tile

which hangs in the 'William Tyler' Free house Yardley Birmingham

** The public House named after the first recorded tile maker in Yardley in 1401.