beneath a northern sky

beneath a northern sky takes us on a tour of the North focusing on the places where Martyn lived, from childhood in Blackpool, Padiham and Lancaster to teenage years on Merseyside and eventually to Manchester, where he settled and taught English for many years in various secondary schools.

The Lake District, home of his father’s family forms a permanent backdrop, its landscape a familiar presence throughout his life. Liverpool in the 60s with the advent of The Beatles and The Mersey Sound, provides a counterpoint to the lakes and fells.

The urban and the rural are both represented in poems that express some sense of regret for things that have been lost like children playing outdoors or communal gatherings, but also celebrate what is characteristic of the North.