Shows
Readings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep9: 'Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal' by Alfred Lord TennysonIn this episode, we have an extract from a much longer Tennyson narrative poem, 'The Princess', published in 1847. The poem tells the story of a heroic princess who 'forswears the world of men and founds a women's university where men are forbidden to enter' (source: wikipedia). 1847 was also the year of the founding of Britain's first university for women.
This extract 'Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal' is from Part 7 of the poem and demonstrates Tennyson's interest in traditional forms of Persian poetry, which he could read. The poem consists of five stanzas, all beginning with "Now" and...2025-06-2202 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 8: A Conversation with Akshobh Giridharadas: The WTC Final, South Africa, and the future of Test cricketWelcome to the Pavilion End podcast, where today's conversation with AKSHOBH GIRIDHARADAS, a former sports journalist turned geopolitical specialist, traverses the fascinating and ever-evolving world of cricket. Bill (in Singapore) and Akshob (now based in Washington) traverses a 12-hour time difference to delve into the imminent World Test Championship final at Lord's, a thrilling face-off between Australia and South Africa.
The episode unpacks the complex layers of South African cricket fandom, reflecting on their trials and tribulations in ICC tournaments and contemplating South Africa's prospects in the championship. Akshob and Bill explore the fluctuations of South African...2025-06-0939 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 7: Two poems for VE Day, 80 years on, 'some kind of record seemed vital'On 8 May 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces and VE (Victory to Europe) Day was celebrated across Europe and the UK. The war in Japan would continue till August 1945 and the repercussions of the war, and the pain it left for millions who were affected, last even till this day. But on that day, there were celebrations for the ending of almost six years of fighting.
On the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe, we reflect on the ambivalence of living in a world where the echoes of past wars collide with the r...2025-05-0803 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 6: Some People Like Poetry by Wisława SzymborskaIf you are listening to this, you probably enjoy poetry, but then...
Some people –
that means not everyone.
Not even most of them, only a few.
Not counting school, where you have to,
and poets themselves,
you might end up with something like two per thousand.
Like –
but then, you can like chicken noodle soup,
or compliments, or the color blue,
your old scarf,
your own way,
petting the dog.
Poetry –
but what is poetry anyway?
More than one rickety answer
has...2025-04-1501 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 5: You Are Old, Father William by Lewis CarrollIt is the start of April, and we begin the month with a nonsensical poem to celebrate April Fools. Lewis Carroll's "Father William" was first published in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 in a scene where Alice recites this poem to the Caterpillar. Presented as a whimsical exchange between a boy and Father William, an elderly man whose actions defy conventional expectations of aging, the poem is actually a parody of Robert Southey's didactic poem "The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them", originally published in 1799.
You might also enjoy S4 Ep 3 The Walrus a...2025-04-0202 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 4: Night Mail by W. H. AudenToday's poem was part of a 1936 British documentary, produced by the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit to demonstrate the postal system's modernity, and to boost morale of postal workers following the Great Depression. The film, which you can find online, documents the nightly steam train that travels from London to Scotland. The so-called Postal Service train is dedicated to carrying only post, and moves from Euston station in London, to Glasgow, then to Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The film ends with this poem, which vividly captures the quiet drama of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's Scots Guardsman, touching...2025-03-1903 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 3: Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf by Roald DahlA little bedtime story for small and big kids, enjoy!
2025-03-0503 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 2: Sonnet 29: When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes by William ShakespeareToday we have Sonnet 29, one of the most beloved love sonnets of all time. You might be surprised that this forms part of the 'Fair Youth' series of 126 sonnets that scholars speculate were addressed not to Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, but to a young man. This compact sonnet consists of a single sentence and its meaning is direct, clear.. the speaker, in love and loved, would not trade his disgrace position with the state of kings. It's a little late for Valentines, but here's a belated greeting.
Find the sonnet here.
2025-02-2401 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS5 Ep 1: The Power of Taste by Zbigniew HerbertToday's poem is a translation of Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert's The Power of Taste. Herbert, who lived through both Nazi occupation and communist rule, understood how far-reaching and oppressive authoritarian regimes were. This poem offers a sharp critique of the vulgarity of totalitarianism, suggesting that an aesthetic sensibility, the pursuit of beauty and dignity, can be an effective form of defiance.
Find the poem here.
2025-02-1703 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndGalle Test Cricket 2025 - Day 4 (Final Day)Bill's comments on the fourth and final day of the Galle test in Sri Lanka. Tell us what you think of the series, and find more cricket related writings on the blog.
2025-02-0906 minReadings from the Pavilion EndGalle Test Cricket 2025 - Day 3 (Moving Day?)Bill reports live from Day 3 in Galle, Sri Lanka, an intriguing day.
2025-02-0808 minReadings from the Pavilion EndGalle Test Cricket 2025 - Day 2 (all rather inevitable)Bill reports live from Day 2 in Galle, with Australia finishing in 'complete command' - Australia 330-3. A splendid partnership between Smith and Carey.
2025-02-0705 minReadings from the Pavilion EndGalle Test Cricket 2025 - Day 1 (An old-fashioned day)Bill reports live from the Galle Test in Sri Lanka.
2025-02-0604 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS4 Ep 7: Byzantium by W.B. YeatsWe complete the final half of the Byzantium poems which was published a few years after Sailing to Byzantium (which can be found in Season 4 Episode 6). If in Sailing, Yeats aspires to become immortalised into a golden bird, a work of art, the spell seems to break in Byzantium as night falls agonisingly. The speaker is surrounded by eerie, nightmarish images of death-in-life and life-in-death. It is a dense and complex poem, somewhat puzzling poem that reflects Yeats' position as a romantic-modernist poet.
Today's episode also features a preview of an upcoming cricket series where Bill reports on...2025-02-0505 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS4 Ep 6: Sailing to Byzantium by W.B. YeatsToday we have the first of two canonical poems by W.B. Yeats that form the 'Byzantium poems'. Sailing to Byzantium, dated 1927, was written in the later years of his life and crystallises the poet's 'persistent longing for spiritual redemption through the timelessness of art' (David A. Ross, Critical Companion to William Butler Yeats: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work).
The poem is sensuous, describing the natural world in its fullness that quickly descends also into decay. It recalls Keats' 'Ode to a Nightingale', but where Keats' nightingale pulls the young man towards an afterlife (Aw...2025-02-0403 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS4 Ep 5: For the 60th death anniversary of Winston Churchill24 January was the 60th anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill. Today, Bill reads from Bernard Levin's "The Pendulum Years: Britain in the Sixties". Extracts describing the impact of Churchill's decline and his grand state funeral in 1965 gives us a glimpse of a passing era.
For a visual accompaniment, take a look at this article: Winston Churchill's funeral - in pictures
2025-01-2912 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS4 Ep 4: A brief Review of Mens' Test Cricket 2024In this episode, Bill reflects on Men's Test Cricket in 2024, reflecting on what made 2024 such a special year for the sport.
For more essays and commentaries, visit https://billpavilionend.com/
2025-01-2210 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS4 Ep 3: The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis CarrollToday's poem is a humerous, nonsensical narrative poem from chapter four of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass (1871). The poem is recited to Alice by Tweedledum and Tweedledee who ignores her request for help to get out of the woods. The poem tells the story of a walrus and a carpenter who were walking along the beach. They encounter a group of oysters and lure them into joining them for a walk, only to be eaten by the end of the poem.
The poems' meaning and characters have been interpreted many ways in literary and popular culture, most fa...2025-01-1405 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS4 Ep 2: Say not the Struggle nought Availeth by Arthur Hugh CloughThe first poem reading for 2025 comes from a Victorian poet, Arthur High Clough. He was relatively unknown save for this one poem which then Prime Minister Winston Churchill quoted in a speech in February 1941, and was part of the literary exchange between Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The poem speaks of the universal struggle against light and darkness, progress and retreat and urges the audience to persevere. It is an important reminder for us as we begin the new year, to hold on to hope. Find the poem here.
2025-01-0602 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS4 Ep 1: The Border-Gavaskar Trophy: The Real World Test ChampionshipWe're starting a new season and a new year with an op ed on The Border-Gavaskar Trophy: The Real World Test Championship.
In this piece, Bill explains the history and fierce competition between Australia and India, two of the most celebrated teams in Test cricket. From Australia's early dominance since the 19th century to India's transformative victories in the 1970s and beyond, recounting pivotal moments, legendary players, and unforgettable matches.
As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy hangs in the balance next week, the stage is set for another enthralling chapter.
2024-12-3117 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: A Christmas Carol by Charles DickensIt is Christmas Day today and the final edition of this year's literary Advent calendar.
A Christmas Carol is a familiar Victorian classic by Charles Dickens following the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who receives a visit from the ghost of his former business partner and three Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Bill received a lovely illustrated version of this for Christmas decades ago and it remains a cherished tale of kindness and transformation.
Merry Christmas all and stay tuned for more episodes in the new year!
2024-12-2505 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: Journey of the Magi by T.S EliotToday's poem was first published as a pamphlet in 1927 as a commission by Faber & Gwyer, the first of T.S. Eliot's contributions to a series entitled 'The Aerial Poems'. The series paired an unpublished poem by a leading writer with new artwork from an eminent artist. Thomas Hardy, Siegfried Sassoon, Barnett Freedman and John Nash were among the contributors to the first set, which broadly carried a Christmas theme and which sold for one shilling. The publisher's hope was that the pamphlets might double-up as greeting cards, and Eliot himself sent them as festive gifts to the writers on...2024-12-2404 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: Shrimp Tree by Gourmet Magazine (1966)If you are still wondering about what to bring to the Christmas Potluck, how about a Shrimp Tree, dressed to impress? This recipe was found in a 1966 edition of Gourmet Magazine. Interestingly, in the same year, the Florida Department of Natural Resources also distributed a similar recipe card to encourage the use Florida seafood products in their holiday meal planning.
Intro music: Santa's Lunchhour, Free Music Archives
2024-12-2102 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: Talking Turkeys by Benjamin ZephaniahThis poem was recorded in 2023, shortly after the death of British poet Benjamin Zephaniah. No surprises that he was also a vegan: be nice to yu turkeys dis Christmas!
Intro music: Santa's Lunchhour, DeeYanKey, Free Music Archives
2024-12-1803 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus by Ogden NashToday's poem was written in 1942 by American poet Ogden Nash. It is about a child, not born in Bethlehem but Baltimore. All ye who sneer at Santa Claus, beware and take heed from this cautionary tale of Jabez Dawes.
Intro music: Santa's Lunchhour, DeeYanKey, Free Music Archives
2024-12-1604 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: Christmas by John BetjemanToday's poem is richly descriptive of familiar Christmas tropes like snow, silver bells, presents in neat setsets only to bring us to the sobering question of the Christmas story: is it true, is it true? Betjeman leaves us to wonder alongside in the Divine Mystery of it all.
Intro music: Santa's Lunchhour, DeeYanKey, Free Music Archive
2024-12-1403 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: The Oxen by Thomas HardyToday's poem was first published on Christmas Eve in 1915, when WWI was well underway and would continue to 1918. The poet recalls an old folk tradition in which oxen were said to kneel at midnight to mark the birth of Christ, whilst finding in himself only a faint hope and nostalgia for simpler times.
Intro music: Santa's Lunchhour, DeeYanKey, Free Music Archives
2024-12-1201 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: Rebecca, Who Slammed Doors for Fun and Perished Miserably by Hilaire BellocThis one is for the kids, naughty and nice: a cautionary tale about a little girl who will not be receiving presents this Christmas. Find the poem here.
You might also enjoy Season 2 Episode 7.
Intro music: Santa's Lunchhour, DeeYanKey, Free Music Archives
2024-12-1002 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan ThomasToday, a vivid portrayal of Christmas around a sea-town corner in Wales by Dylan Thomas. Emerging from an earlier piece written for BBC Radio in 1952, the work recalls Christmas from the perspective of a young boy. Here in busy Singapore, it is Sunday, a good day to savour this scene from long ago and far away. Find the text here.
Intro music: HolyNight Lo-fi, Hozlina (FreeMusicArchives)
2024-12-0805 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: Mistletoe by Walter De La MareToday's poem is dreamy and romantic, for Anita, whose birthday was celebrated yesterday on 5 December. Find the full poem here.
Intro music: Holizna Holy Night Lo-fi (Free Music Archive)
2024-12-0601 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: [little tree] by e e cummingsToday's poem was published in January 1920, one of e e cummings' earliest published works. As with many of cummings' poetry, it is best visualised on a page to appreciate its playful and deceptively simple construction. Take a look and find a commentary here.
P.S. Spread the cheer, share this with your friends!
Intro: Santa's Lunch hour (Dee Yan-Key, Free Music Archive)
2024-12-0402 minReadings from the Pavilion EndAdvent Calendar: The Christmas Life by Wendy CopeCount down to Christmas with an Advent calendar of readings. Today's poem is by Wendy Cope, after a child said, "If you don't have a real tree, you don't bring the Christmas life into the house." Hear Cope's narration here.
P.S. We don't all have the luxury of a real tree, but this podcast is free so share it with your friends!
Intro: Santa's Lunch hour (Dee Yan-Key, Free Music Archive)
2024-12-0201 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS3 Ep 1: A Conversation with Nirgunan Tiruchelvam: Who was the greater bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan or Shane Warne?Today's conversation is with the esteemed Nirgunan Tiruchelvam discussing the merits of two of the greatest spin bowlers of all-time, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia's Shane Warne.
Read also 'Clash of the Titans' on the blog.
2024-11-1831 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS2 Ep 7: Charles Augustus Fortescue by Hilaire BellocToday is Monday, where some might begin with fresh resolve to start the week doing things right. We might take inspiration from the subject of today's poem, Charles Augustus Fortescue. Mutton fat for supper, anyone? Carpe diem cras – seize the day tomorrow.
Find the poem here.
2024-10-2802 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndS2 Ep 6: Joe Root: England’s Greatest Batter?In this episode, Bill writes from the Pavilion End. Listen to his case for why Joe Root might just be England's greatest batter. Find the full essay on the blog: https://billpavilionend.com/joe-root-englands-greatest-batter/
2024-10-1912 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS2 Ep 5: Fifteen Million Plastic Bags by Adrian MitchellMitchell was a journalist, playwright and protest poet committed to Nuclear Disarmament. The subject of this poem are the vast reserves of body bags stored up in anticipation during the Cold War for millions of fatalities. Angela Carter described him, a “joyous, acrid and demotic tumbling lyricist Pied Piper determinedly singing us away from catastrophe.”
Find the poem here.
2024-10-1402 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndS2 Ep 4: To Autumn by John KeatsThis sensuous poem is the final work in Keats's '1819 odesto' - recall the Nightingale from Season 1, Episode 5. The abundance of autumnal harvests is set against an undercurrent of unease and transience. Notice how the florid descriptions of nature is set against the formal rhetoric associated with odes.This also poem marks the poet's own autumn as he succumbed to tuberculosis in 1821 at just 25.
2024-09-2903 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS2 Ep 3: Life by Anna Laetitia BarbauldWe are nearing the end of September - alas! Today's poem is an extract that reminds us of how mysterious life is. The opening lines of the poem, not narrated in this episode is 'Animula, vagula, blandula' or, 'Charming little soul, hastening away' purportedly attributed to a dying Emperor Hadrian.
Read the full poem and a commentary here.
2024-09-2301 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS2 Ep 2: September 1, 1939 by W. H. AudenToday's poem is a dense and complex work written at the beginning of WWII. Composed of 99 lines, it addresses the bleakness of war and violence, ancient and modern, and responds to the threat of annihilation through an eerily tidy structure.
A poem that Auden would try (and fail) to revise, describing it as "infected with an incurable dishonesty", it nonetheless continues to resonate 85 years later.
2024-09-0204 minReadings from the Pavilion EndS2 Ep1: A conversation with Imran Khwaja, Deputy Chair of the International Cricket CouncilWe begin season 2 with a chat from the Pavilion End from the insightful Imran Khwaja (International Cricket Council). We have a wide ranging discussion, beginning from his love for cricket to issues like the effects of inequality of membership statuses on elite performance, and musings on the future of test cricket. Enjoy!
2024-08-3125 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 14: We are such stuff As dreams are made on.. Prospero's soliloquy, The Tempest, Act 4 by William ShakespeareProspero addresses Ferdinand and Miranda's after their wedding masque. The temporary revelry of the masque is compared to the fleetingness of life. It is commonly interpreted as an autobiographical reflection on the temporality of Shakespeare's own theatrical career as, based on scholarship, the play was his last solely conceived play.
Find the text and a short commentary here.
2024-08-1802 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 13: Little Red Riding Hood by Roald DahlIn celebration of Singapore's National Day, we're bringing you something a bit different today: a cheeky narrative poem by the legendary children's writer Roald Dahl. He offers a twist on the classic tale, adding his signature wit and dark humor. As we take a day off to celebrate Singapore's birthday, with red proudly displayed on the flag, enjoy this delightful retelling.
Find the full poem here.
2024-08-0903 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 12: Sea-Fever by John MasefieldToday is a Sea Sunday, where we remember the seafarers who make so many of our modern day conveniences possible. We've got a classic British poem today, by John Masefield (1878-1967) who was English Poet Laureate from 1930-1967 and published Sea-Fever in 1902. Listen to the way the poem propels readers forward, as if calling us to join him to go along to the seas too!
Find the full poem here.
2024-08-0402 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 11: This Be The Verse by Philip LarkinToday's poem was recorded in May 2020, a tongue-in-cheek request from Sarah to little Josh who would be about four now. Find the full poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48419/this-be-the-verse
2024-07-2102 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 10: The Road Not Taken by Robert FrostToday's poem is a well-known but often misinterpreted piece. Interestingly, the poem was written after Robert Frost took a walk with Edward Thomas. Coincidentally, we've just published a poem by Thomas in Episode 8 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken).
Find the poem here: www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken
2024-07-1201 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 9: A conversation with Abbas Ali BaigToday we have a special interview with the legendary former cricketeer Abbas Ali Baig.
https://billpavilionend.com/you-must-remember-this/
2024-07-0744 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndEp 8: Adlestrop by Edward ThomasToday's poem was written many Junes ago, after a train journey taken by Edward Thomas in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. Thomas enlisted in 1915 and was killed in 1917, before his collection of poems was published.
Find the full poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53744/adlestrop
2024-06-2601 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 7: Why We Watch Cricket (essay)This episode features an essay written in August 2017 on Why We Watch Cricket. For cricket and not-yet-cricket fans alike.
2024-06-2513 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndEp 6: Never give all the heart by W. B. YeatsToday's poem was recorded on May 6, 2020. It was a birthday dedication to Margaret.
Find the poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57306/never-give-all-the-heart
2024-06-2501 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndEp 5: Ode to a Nightingale by John KeatsFind the poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44479/ode-to-a-nightingale
This was a request from Joanna.
2024-06-2305 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndEp 4: The End of an Era by Bill RicquierThis post was written in April 2024, when English cricket lost one of its great performers in the left-arm spinner Derek Underwood. Read the post and other essays on cricket on the Pavilion End blog.
2024-06-1921 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 3.2: Venice by Jan Morris (prose)This is part 2 of a 2-part episode recorded in May 2020, during the Covid pandemic. It is an extract from travel writer Jan Morris's 'Venice'.
Morris was born in 1926 of a Welsh father and an English mother. She is a travel writer and author of several books.
https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571168972-venice/
2024-06-1808 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndEpisode 3.1: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud/Daffodils by William WordsworthFind the poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45521/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud
This is part 1 of a 2-part episode, recorded during the Covid pandemic in May 2020.
2024-06-1802 minReadings from the Pavilion EndEp 2: The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel (1937) by John BetjemanFind the poem and a commentary here: https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/the-arrest-of-oscar-wilde-at-the-cadogan-hotel
To contact me for requests, visit //billpavilionend.com/contact/
2024-06-1802 min
Readings from the Pavilion EndEp 1: Naming of Parts by Henry ReedFind the poem and a commentary here: https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/naming-of-parts
To contact me for requests, visit https://billpavilionend.com/contact/
2024-06-1702 minReadings from the Pavilion EndIntroducing Readings from the Pavilion EndHello! Welcome to Readings from the Pavilion End, a podcast featuring poetry and occasionally prose, and even cricket, by me, Bill Ricquier.
https://billpavilionend.com/contact/
2024-06-1701 min
StumpedEngland's Pakistan tour: The falloutWe discuss the fallout from England withdrawing their men and women from their October tour to Pakistan and what consequences it could have for international cricket.
We talk about Virat Kohli's decision to step down as Captain of India's T20 side and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
We also hear why boycotting Afghanistan cricket might not be the best option for women's cricket in the country in the second part of our interview with Tuba Sangar, the former women's development manager at the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Plus we’re joined by cricket historian and blogger Bill Ri...2021-09-2339 min