Continual Dew

Mr Betjeman has always been a vieux jeu verse writer. A well known left wing poet has described his poems as 'full of the prejudices of the 19th century bourgeoisie in their most corrupt and inverted form'. That corruption lies between the boards. It consists of new poems and, by special requests, a few drawing-room favourites from 'Mt Zion (Jones Press: but long out of print). The verse is nostalgic and designed for those who appreciate Sunday in a provincial town, the subtleties of high, low and broad churchmanship, gaslit London, bottle parties in the suburbs, civil servants on the hike, and half-timbered houses on the Southern Electric.