Below Flodden
Below Flodden is poet and author Noel Hodgson's debut collection, first published in 2003 and, having proven hugely popular, now into its second printing.
Filled with much local insight, rich historical detail and wonderfully lyrical flights of fancy, Noel's poems – and the simple yet effective commentaries upon how they came to be written – are by turn evocative, informative and wise. A native Northumbrian, Noel Hodgson takes his readers on a unique voyage of discovery and exploration, high into the Cheviot hills, far into the past and deep into one's own mind, heart and soul.
Axe swinging in frenzied fury
He hacks through an English line,
Escaping from the hideous crime
Of careless, ruthless butchery.
Running madly towards the Tweed,
Desperately he gasps for breath,
Only glancing back fearful to heed
Any who might be in foul pursuit.
Below Flodden by Noel Hodgson | The Reiver Press | £5.95 | ISBN 0-9545181-0-1
Dancing Over Cheviot
Noel's second collection, Dancing Over Cheviot, features more than fifty of his poems on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from historical figures with local connections, such as Lord Collingwood, who planted oak trees on his Hethpool estate for use in the building of English naval vessels, and Victorian prison reformer Josephine Butler, born near Milfield and buried at Kirknewton, to more recent noteworthy events and themes such as the annual Chevy Chase, Alnwick Music Festival and the ongoing debate about the merits of wind power and its potential effects on the Northumbrian countryside.
Noel's love of north Northumberland and his knowledge and experience of the area, its history and its people illuminate the pages of Dancing Over Cheviot. And as with its predecessor, the new book also features fascinating background detail about the poems, their various subjects and how they came to be written.
Many of the poems in Dancing Over Cheviot are accompanied by splendid complementary photographs, taken by well-known Alnwick photographer, Kevin Temple. The book was designed by Bill Grisdale Design, Alnwick and printed in Berwick upon Tweed.
Dancing Over Cheviot by Noel Hodgson | The Reiver Press | £6.90 ISBN: 0-9545181-1-X
Noel's love of north Northumberland and his knowledge and experience of the area, its history and its people illuminate the pages of his third collection, A Grand Land. And as with its predecessor, the new book also features fascinating background detail about the poems, their various subjects and how they came to be written.
Many of the poems in A Grand Land are accompanied by splendid complementary photographs, taken by Noel himself, friends and family. The book was again designed by Bill Grisdale Design, Alnwick and printed by the Billingham Press.
A Grand Land by Noel Hodgson | The Reiver Press | £6.50 | ISBN: 978-0-9545181-2-7