Andrew (Andy) Wilson - The Northern Voices Poet - An Obituary

It is with sadness that we have to report the death of the Dukinfield poet, Andy Wilson, who died in Tameside Hospital on 2nd March aged 63 years.

A factory worker for many years, Andy, worked for James North in Hyde and was also a union shop steward. He last worked as a supervisor for Boris Buckley`s a textile manufacturer on Whitelands Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. After working for the company for 20 years, he was made redundant in his late fifties. A former pupil of Crescent Road, secondary modern school, he was a well known figure in Dukinfield and in his local pub the Albion, which stands at the junction of Oxford Road and Birch Lane.

As a writer of poetry, he was also a well known figure among the circle of poets(People`s Performance) who met regularly in the upstairs room of the Q inn in Stalybridge. The group which was set up by Jan Malpas, a poet from Hollingworth, gave recitals and produced an anthology of poems entitled 'Poetry Live' and a CD (People Perform Poetry) of local poets reciting their verses. For a number of years, Andy wrote poems for Northern Voices magazine about themes as varied as Viagra, 'Ode to a Beer Pump', 'Ode to a Flea', 'Dieting on the Dole', and the 'Taproom Q.C'. He was also a great fan of the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan and in particular, the Canadian poet, musician, and songwriter, Leonard Cohen. Cohen is on record as saying that a prominent influence on him, had been the Spanish poet, Federico Garcia Lorca.

About four years ago, Andy, was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which in turn, led to other health complications. Despite his health problems, he could still be seen on occasions walking to the pub for a few pints with his mates. He was a genuine character who will be sadly missed by his many friends and his family. His funeral takes place on Tuesday 15th March at Dukinfield Crematorium, at 2.00 pm.

"Burn in the shadow of the mill,
Put to the loom to brake their will,
They toiled all day from dawn to dusk
And lived on sweat and cotton dust,
But in their country`s hour of need
They left the loom to go and bleed,
And in a field where poppies grew,
They gave their lives for me and you,
No more toiling at the loom
or dancing to the gaffers tune,
They lie with comrade cold and still,
Like empty bobbins in the mill."

Children of the Mill - A poem by Andrew A. Wilson.