{"id":3768,"date":"2025-10-28T19:26:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/?p=3768"},"modified":"2025-11-27T09:43:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T09:43:32","slug":"thames-valley-texas-poems-from-normal-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/?p=3768","title":{"rendered":"Thames Valley Texas: poems and songs from Normal Town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So finally here it is the all new revised second edition of Thames Valley Texas published to coincide with the reading I giving at Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot on Friday 7th November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I will be supporting the acclaimed new country singer Hannah White and The Dreaming Spires whose new LP &#8216;Normal Town&#8217; is a suite of songs about Didcot and has photographs taken by me on cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/corner.png?resize=640%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3770\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/corner.png?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/corner.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/corner.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/corner.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/corner.png?resize=676%2C676&amp;ssl=1 676w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/corner.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In preparing this new edition I have also been collating a &#8216;Best of Trailer Star&#8217; CD called Thames Valley Texas: The Songs and that and the new pamphlet are available via bandcamp to download for FREE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVSS.png?resize=640%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVSS.png?w=1417&amp;ssl=1 1417w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVSS.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVSS.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVSS.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVSS.png?resize=676%2C676&amp;ssl=1 676w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVSS.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><br>By Friday 7th I also hope to have the first draft of a new booklet called &#8216;Normal Town Sounds: Local music-making in Didcot and District 1945 &#8211; 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/album=2958154074\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"912\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?resize=640%2C912&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?w=1796&amp;ssl=1 1796w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?resize=211%2C300&amp;ssl=1 211w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?resize=768%2C1094&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?resize=1078%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1078w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?resize=1437%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1437w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?resize=676%2C963&amp;ssl=1 676w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wheelcrop-scaled.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The PDF is available in the Bandcamp bundle but for those who wish to download separately it also available HERE<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVTNEW.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of TVTNEW.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-cecd89f3-b0ee-400b-b187-66509117120b\" href=\"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVTNEW.pdf\">TVTNEW<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVTNEW.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-cecd89f3-b0ee-400b-b187-66509117120b\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OR CLICK ON THAMES VALLEY TEXAS LINK ABOVE TO TO GO TO THE THAMES VALLEY TEXAS PAGE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-shaun-belcher-writes wp-block-embed-shaun-belcher-writes\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"1gsuhgeYc3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/?page_id=2693\">THAMES VALLEY TEXAS<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;THAMES VALLEY TEXAS&#8221; &#8212; SHAUN BELCHER WRITES\" src=\"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/?page_id=2693&#038;embed=true#?secret=vZ8Pv6Fng5#?secret=1gsuhgeYc3\" data-secret=\"1gsuhgeYc3\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So finally here it is the all new revised second edition of Thames Valley Texas published to coincide with the reading I giving at Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot on Friday 7th November. I will be supporting the acclaimed new country singer Hannah White and The Dreaming Spires whose new LP &#8216;Normal Town&#8217; is a suite&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[109,48,33,113,59,106,91],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","category-photography","category-poetry","category-poetry-readings","category-politics","category-new-poems","category-working-class-poetry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6nhh-YM","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TVTG-scaled.jpg?fit=1810%2C2560&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3768"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3793,"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3768\/revisions\/3793"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaunbelcher.com\/writing\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}