Nick Degg, HS2. Staffordshire.
Poet Nick Degg waxes lyrical about major projects promised, but not always delivered, in more northern regions of the country.
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Stoke-on-Trent Poet Nick Degg: The last word on HS2 and other flagship projects… for now

1 min read

Often, nothing captures reality better than the art used to imitate or parody it.

So when all the hurly burly is done, and the controversy around HS2 has come to the end of the line, these words by Stoke-on-Trent poet Nick Degg will continue to resonate in many quarters.

He wrote the poem The Great Northern Powerhouse a few years ago for an audience in Yorkshire, but believes it links perfectly to how many in the North and Midlands view the recent decision to scrap HS2 Phase Two, how other flagship projects have been promised and the bouncebackability of the area.

Nick said: “I wrote this because I was performing in front of an audience in Beverley, West Yorkshire, and wanted something that would resonate with them.

“But I look at it now, six years on, and it is almost as if it was put together looking through a crystal ball and talking about the situation now with HS2. So it’s worth reminding people about it.”

Read Nick’s poem below, or view the video of him reading it. (Warning: it contains some strong language towards the end).

The Great Northern Powerhouse

The Great Northern Powerhouse is coming

Or so we are told,

When they have finished Crossrail of course,

Then there’ll be Crossrail 2

and Crossrail 3

Battersea Power Station

Chelsea Waterfront

Royal London Hospitals

The Scalpal

The Spire

The Thames Tideway tunnel

Phase 1 of HS2

and the Heathrow expansion 

But yeah, the Great Northern Powerhouse is coming

Oooh, the Great Northern Powerhouse is coming,

It will be just like the olden days,

A Mill on every corner

A Corner Shop in every parlour

Fishing fleets in every harbour

Trains for Donny, Steel for Scunny

and Yorkshire men will have so much money

They’ll have to wear two flat caps,

And the cobbled streets will be paved in Gold,

Or so we’re told

The Great Northern Powerhouse is coming is it?

I’ve seen the plans..

8 new lamp posts for Liverpool

A Bus shelter for Sheffield

Widnes gets a new Wheelbarrow

And the old one goes to Driffield

Newcastle gets 5 tins of Bridge Paint

to cover the rusty bits

And Manchester, oh Manchester

a new front door for the Ritz

Yes, the Great Northern Power House is coming….

Ahhh, F*** off London..

The North is already Great

But we know that if we want some power,

It’ll be a long

long

long

long wait

Nick performing his poetry in Stoke-on-Trent.

Nigel Pye

Experienced journalist with a 30-year career in the newspaper and PR industry and a proven record for breaking stories for the national and international press. Nigel is the Editor of Daily Focus and Head of Creative at i-creation. Other work includes scriptwriting, magazine and video production, crisis communications and TV and radio broadcasts.

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