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International Poet Profile
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- Name:
David Monteath
- Country:
England
- County:
North Yorkshire
In this
edition, we introduce you to England's David Monteath, who
has been a regular contributor to the VoicesNet community
of writers.
Mr. Monteath
is a very diverse individual with many talents.
Enjoy
reading about Mr. Monteath.
Here is
Mr. Monteath's article that he wrote for us:
"My
origins lie in the south of England where I was born, in Wembley,
yes, you're right, The Wembley of football fame.
I moved
northwards to Yorkshire at the ripe old age of three! It was
in a small industrial town called Bingley where I attended
my very first school. Although I attended school in Bingley,
I lived in a very rural place called High Eldwick. It was
so small - one pub, six farms and our house - that it could
not even be classed as a hamlet in fact I would describe it
more of a dwelling!
However
I have very fond memories of these early years, like the first
winter when we were snowed in and I couldn't get to school.
Even the snowplough got stuck. That year was a particularly
bad winter, but as a young child I didn't see it that way,
after all what better way was there of spending your hours
other than tobogganing, building snowmen or having snowball
fights with the neighbours. To me this was a dream come true!
Unfortunately
the snow like my dream melted and reality kicked in and it
was back to earth with a bump.
Eventually
we moved from High Eldwick to a small market town called Ilkley
and it was there that I spent my time at Junior School and
then went on to Secondary School. Ilkley has its origins in
Roman times as an important garrison town called Olicana.
I guess Ilkley, and to a certain extent Bingley, left an indelible
impression on me for it is these earlier times in Yorkshire
that inspired a lot of my writing.
In my
teens I went to the College of Advanced Technology in Kingston-upon-Hull
(known by its shortened name of Hull), where I studied Marine
Electronics. Having qualified, I moved back to London to work
for the Decca group (the very same company famous in their
day for turning down the Beatles).
Whilst
in southern England I met my wife and started my poetry writing
in earnest.
I have
had some of my work published in a talking book for the Kent
blind. I also had a couple of interesting commissions - one
to write an epitaph and another to write a poem that the Bride's
father used instead of the conventional speech. I have also
noticed that one of my poems has been framed and hung in a
pub in Kent, they did ask my permission first!
I moved
back to North Yorkshire seven years ago and started contributing
to different forums on the World Wide Web. On some forums
I was known by the pen name Outsider, the reason for this
choice of name was based on the fact that I live on the edge
of the North York Moors in the middle of a National Park.
The views here are beautiful and the walks throughout this
area are beyond description. The scenery is really a contradiction
in terms - it is rugged, bleak and yet we have areas of lush
green fields. From my windows I look out across the valley
to the farms on the other side and yet within two or three
minutes drive I am on top of the moors and its desolate, deserted
countryside. You can walk here for miles and never see a soul.
Truly an Outsider experience.
I am currently
awaiting the proof of my first book 'Who pays the Ferryman?'.
It is a book set in Eire that I wrote under the pen name of
Pat Monteath. It takes the reader into the twilight zone of
Military Intelligence, undercover agents, Special Forces and
the IRA! All of the incidences are true and the book is based
on a good friend's biographical account and is one of a trilogy.
Today
I no longer work in industry, but for the last seven years
I have worked in my local college (Whitby Community College).
Here I work within the Inclusion Unit, a small team of dedicated
Teachers and Advanced Teaching Assistants, who work with students
requiring that bit of extra help in their learning. Whilst
I have been working here I have, in partnership with the Deputy
Head of English, set up a college Poetry and Prose Website
and a writer's club called 'The Quill Club'.
In the
last couple of weeks I have embarked on a brand new project
- Quill Publishing. This is a brand new venture and I hope
that through this venture, my colleague and I will capture
and publish the works of some of the exceptional writing talent
that can be found in our local schools who would otherwise
probably be lost for ever. Further down the line I hope to
publish the remaining two sequels to 'Who pays the Ferryman?'
plus my own poetry and work of other people."
Copyright
2003
David
Monteath
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Gentle on your Mind
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Go gentle,
as the night does fall
The birds to rest go one and all.
Shadows gather under trees
Darkness spreads below the eaves
So, go gentle as the light it fades
Lest you stumble where it lays.
The owl with its haunting call
As the bark of the fox it shouts to all.
Go gentle through the rustling trees
As invisible hands strokes dark leaves.
Go gently onward through the night
As quietly sleeps the sun so bright.
Go gentle now as you lay in bed
With silver moonbeams overhead.
On gentle dreams you’ll drift away
As you head towards break of day.
So go gentle, go gentle.
David Monteath © 27 July, 2003
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