Stroud Goods Shed, January 10th 2015

It’s an atmospheric railway station

At Stroud, at night, slipping into gas light time,

 And it’s a great venue, Stroud’s good shed,

Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel,

Built back in broad gauge 1845

(Where was the stone quarried?

If time could run backwards,

Where would the goods shed go?),

Inter-war legend still proudly proclaiming

To passengers to Paddington:

‘GWR STROUD STATION

EXPRESS GOODS TRAIN SERVICES

ONE DAY TRANSITS  BETWEEN IMPORTANT TOWNS’;

But inside, you can still scent the ash and steam

And still hear the clangour of the wheels and points,

While outside, the tail lamp of an express

Disappears into the Stroud valleys’ darkness,

With only the signal lamps or weavers’ candles

To stipple the damp winter gloom of the past;

But tonight, Jack Wimperis has rekindled the shed,

With a 3-D scintillant refulgence,

A dazzle of artful light that sends railway

Timetables spinning into a vortex

Of illumination and bright colour.

And I swore I saw, over there in the corner,

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, himself,

Top hat, fingers in his waistcoat,

Smouldering cigar,

Smiling a gentle smile of approbation.