Do not take my poem from my streets.
In 1998 my poem “Flags” was embedded into the pavement of Tib Street in The Northern Quarter of Central Manchester. See the photo above. The font was designed by artist Tim Rushton to give The Northern Quarter its distinctive style. Flags stretches for one mile in verses from the title page at the bottom of Tib Street to the last verse at the top. In 2021 the poem received a much needed makeover and was launched with a jubilant crowd who followed me as I read it up the street from my signature to the final verse.
In 2025 construction started on the building adjacent to the poem at the start of Tib Street. Hoardings have been placed over the title and signature and the first verse. You can see my signature and the first verse in the photo below and you can see the hoardings which have disappeared them. It is concerning because beneath the hoardings the flags look cracked and distressed.
I am flagging this up, as they say. On the scaffold covers it says
“a development by AM Alpha for rylandsmanchester.com .”.
And on the hoardings a sign reads
“We are registered with Considerate Constructors. If you have concern about this construction site or would like to provide feedback contact us: publicsupport@considerateconstructors.com”.
I am sure that everything is going to be okay for the art which was written about and for the community but I just need some acknowledgement and ‘consideration’. that it will be returned to the state it was found. I am tracking this as are others.
