Bill Noble in 1978 - bookseller and poet

Further to my post yesterday about the retirement of Bill Noble from UBS Otago the good folk down there have come up with this photo taken in 1978. 

Coincidentally that was the year I joined Penguin Books in Auckland and when I first met Bill in his role of general books buyer at UBS Auckland. Kitty Wishart was manager of UBS Auckland at the time and Gil Hanly was the text book buyer.

The photo was taken by Mike Pritchard – Bill is on K Road getting his groceries. The photo ran in the Spring 1978 issue of ‘The Double’ together with two poems by Bill called ‘K Road Promenade” part 1 & part 2.  Here is part two of that poem - thanks Bill.

Grafton Bridge Song

(K Rd Promenade – Part 2)

Back at the ass end

of K Rd

eleven poems later

I forgot something …

yes …

I guess I glossed over the bridge

too lightly

last time.

It has, you see,

an antisuicide screen

which is a perverse sort of a challenge …

…sneaking away from a party

who expects a witty goodbye?

The river below – motorway, sorry –

attracts the way

nausea attracts

one

(me)

to the sink

the dirty sheet

someone’s trouserleg

whatever’s handy.

Though I could be wrong after all

I was dreaming on my feet then

as always

and as always scared

to death

of heights.

- Bill Noble