One of the most remarkable exchanges I have read on Write Out Loud. Thanks, both.

Comment is about The Ballad of the Harbour Bar (blog)

Original item by R A Porter

Thanks David for this thoughtful and kind response - “I love a place that hated me” - that really got me. You have certainly seen a side of Portrush that I haven’t. The ghosts of The Troubles are always there though. I remember upstairs in the Harbour Bar the night before I got married being asked: “are ye working over here?” “No, I’m getting married” “Aye, but are ye working over here??” Short hair and an English accent could easily have landed me in trouble. I also remember when the bomb went off in the centre of Coleraine - November 1992, mercifully nobody was hurt - my wife and our first child were over in Portrush. And I vividly remember Omagh - we had just got back after shopping that morning in Coleraine to hear the awful news. My wife’s uncle (who married us) was a minister in Belfast - he also did a weekly Radio Ulster programme and his broadcast the following day was deeply moving. Thanks again David.

Comment is about The Ballad of the Harbour Bar (blog)

Original item by R A Porter

Well I like this one RA,

I am familiar with the fine establishments of Portrush. Your poem captures their warmth and comforting refusal to succumb to the washed out pastel blues often seen in provincial towns.

That said my friends and I back in the day would not have been collectively welcome in such places.

We would indulge ourselves in fishing trips from the harbour, almost always cutting them short to retire to establishments that dispensed The Bushmills and creamy pints. With our desingnated driver eventually driving us back to our grim and pointless barracks where we would piss on our own doorsteps.

I'm so glad that place has progressed and is still progressing, although at some point those who refuse to come along will have to be considered, and rightly so as within any democratic process.

All my bollox aside, it's a grand piece of writing.

David

PS, A friend of mine had his car dismantled in Portrush back in the day, lovely stuff...three people walked away unscathed....amazing. Thank fek this is more or less over, for now.

https://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=136401

Taken from that fine publication known as An Phoblacht...with some fine misreporting for the sake of propaganda.

Please delete my links if you find them inappropriate to your wonderful poem. Your work opened this up for me, is that not what creative writing is all about? My links are songs of hope, sometimes it's all we have.

My boy was born in Derry City, I love the place...I love a place that hated me.

Comment is about The Ballad of the Harbour Bar (blog)

Original item by R A Porter