Les Barker BBC Radio 4

Subject: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 01:33 PM

I turned on the radio as I was turning in last night and found I was listening to Deja Vu (a rhyme), being delivered by the author on Wondermentalist Cabaret . This was followed by Any news of the Iceberg, and also Les's favourite poem (in Welsh). I think this is the first time I've heard Les on the BBC...

Kitty

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: sian, west wales
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 02:09 PM

Yes, I caught it too. Lovely to hear him on the Beeb!

sian

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: GUEST,Maria
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 04:46 PM

I happened to hear this program last night and discovered Les Barker. (I am French living near Paris)
I enjoyed his texts which I would like to write down.
But I find it somewhat difficult to catch every word of Deja vu.
I only found videos on the Internet. Could someone help me with the text ?
Thanks.
Maria

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: Leadfingers
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 05:43 PM

GUEST Maria - There are a lot of Les's recitations on line in various places ! Goodle shows a STACK of videos and all sorts !

Subject: ADD: Les Barker: Déjà vu
From: Noreen
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 06:41 PM

Here you are Maria:


Déjà vu : Les Barker

Déjà vu - a rhyme
It is impossible to experience déjà vu for the first time.
I reckon the first time déjà vu happens is the second.

Déjà vu- a rhyme
It is impossible to experience déjà vu for the first time
I reckon the first time déjà vu happens is the second.

I started with verse 2.
Verse 1 must stay unlistened
Because the first time you say déjà vu it isn't.
But then to get a little more immersed,
You can't experience déjà vu twice
Because you didn't experience it first.

To recap:
Déjà vu- a rhyme

I know what you're thinking
This is not the first time
Three times and still it isn't true
How do you qualify?
What do you have to do?
How do you climb this mountain ?
Or you may think it just a hillock
You may think this man is a philosopher
You may think this man is a pillock.
I've been called a pillock before.
Strange but true.
When I hear the word 'pillock',
To me it is Déjà vu
- a rhyme
It is impossible to experience déjà vu for the first time

There again, and this is interesting
There are those who say déjà vu is a once in a lifetime thing
Then they say it again
And at the risk of being a bore
If you go back to the first time déjà vu happened
You'll think that's happened before.

We should explore the supernatural
Put knowledge in place of mere feeling
Edinburgh University has a chair for the paranormal
They can't get it down off the ceiling.

Too many gaps in our understanding.
Is time-travel a thing of the past?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
How long does this poem last?
Are Blackpool Hallucinations real?

But to return as to an old friend:
Déjà vu.

The end.

(Far better in performance, of course!)

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 23 Feb 11 - 09:59 PM

Maria, did you find his website? Lots of good stuff there...

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: JohnB
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 12:19 AM

Very good it was too.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: GUEST,Maria
Date: 24 Feb 11 - 04:41 PM

Thank you to all of you.
I was looking for the text which had caught my attention when listening to the BBC program.
Since then I visited LB's website as suggested and looked at a number of videos of his recitations, and had a wonderful time !
It is so good to be able to forget the gloomy news of the world for a moment.
Maria

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: autoharpbob
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 09:56 AM

It really is the way he tells them though!

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 25 Feb 11 - 12:43 PM

Yes, I agree Bob - as the saying goes, "Les is indeed more"!

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 03:58 PM

And "any news of the iceberg?" featured on Ian Macmillan's Pick of the Week this evening, too!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: GUEST,folkiedave
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 04:28 PM

And very good it was too.

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 04:55 PM

I think I've heard Deja Vue before, or was it after?

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 02 Aug 11 - 03:20 PM

Did anyone else hear Les being interviewed on 'Word of Mouth' on Radio 4 this afternoon - it's repeated next Monday evening. Also nice to hear Frances Jones of Dawnswyr Delyn (she was also my Welsh tutor for a time).

Subject: RE: Les Barker BBC Radio 4
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 09 Aug 11 - 08:58 AM

See somebody else noticed.