The Pier Is Shut Till Easter

Tracks

1. 1. The Retirement Clock Runs SlowThey gave me a card, a slice of cake and a pen with my name on. I walked out lighter than I'd been in forty years.retirement folk, joyful indie folk3:54
2. 2. Frost Ferns Are Gone by NoonThe pond has put a lid on and the frost ferns are gone by noon. A song about everything that's briefly beautiful.winter folk, dreamy acoustic3:25
3. 3. Unpacking in a City of StrangersTwo suitcases and a houseplant, all I carried through the door. The houseplant has done better than I have.fresh-start folk, hopeful acoustic3:30
4. 4. I Count My Mornings with YouThe tea has gone half cold again while you read by the window. I counted, and I've had a great many mornings like this.love-song folk, tender singer-songwriter4:25
5. 5. The Pier Is Shut Till EasterThe ice cream hut has shuttered and the gulls hold a meeting on the rail. I like the seaside best when it's pretending to be asleep.seaside folk, off-season acoustic3:56
6. 6. The Hairpin Bends Know My NameMy father drove this road before me, hands steady on the wheel. Now I take the hairpins slowly, and I think of him at every one.road folk, family acoustic3:40
7. 7. The Kettle Clicks Off, and I DecideA letter on the table by the sugar bowl, and a pen I haven't picked up yet. The kettle clicks off and I finally decide.decision-song folk, warm singer-songwriter3:40
8. 8. She Never Looked Down at the CrowdI sat in the third row of the village hall with a soft, folded programme. She never once looked down at the crowd, and I was so proud.village-hall folk, tender singer-songwriter3:43
9. 9. I Said I'd Plant It, and I DidI promised my mother a pear tree twenty years ago, and last autumn it fruited. I sang this to it, which I'll deny later.garden folk, hopeful acoustic3:48
10. 10. Dance With Me on the Empty PromenadeThe deckchairs are stacked in a chain and the promenade is all ours. Dancing in an empty seaside town is one of life's very best secrets.seaside folk, romantic parlour waltz4:07
11. 11. Down the Coast Road With the Roof Rolled BackThe first warm Sunday and the car has been asleep all winter. I closed the record with the roof rolled back, since spring was always the point.coastal road folk, joyful indie folk3:39