Keith Hutson’s debut collection, Baldwin’s Catholic Geese, looks at the delight and heartbreak of being human through the lens of beloved music hall and variety stars like Hylda Baker and Frankie Howerd, as well as less celebrated, now long-forgotten acts of the past: The Bryn Pugh Sponge Dancers, Macauley’s Leaping Infants, Willy Netta’s Singing Jockeys, and many more. Hutson’s vividly realised portraits bring back to life a whole cast of the extraordinary characters who have entertained us for over two centuries. Comedy is brought into sharp relief by hardship. His Baldwin’s Catholic Geese is a social history chronicle in poems, focusing on what it means for all of us who have to make the most of our luck – the good, the bad, and the bizarre.

Table of Contents:
11 The Opener 12 Juvenile 13 Coming On Strong 14 Revival 15 The Fish Fryer 16 No Contest 17 Lady Be Good 18 Hylda 20 Heart 21 Glasgow Empire 22 Bad Impresario 23 Accept No Imitations 24 Family Business 25 My Old Man 26 The Call of the Wild 28 Raising Steam 29 And They’re Off! 30 Night Class 31 The World’s Greatest Whistler 32 Morton Fraser’s Harmaniacs 33 The Man with the Xylophone Skull 34 The Ray Conniff Singers 36 Tiddly Om Pom Pom 37 Slave Song 38 Straight Man 39 Frontiersman 40 The Reluctant Sitter 42 Anthony Howell and His Disenchanted Sow 43 Largesse 44 The Art of Hunger 45 Praise Poem 46 Zazel, The Shooting Star! 47 Without a Net 48 Dr Zhivago 49 Power Sharing 50 The Dancing Quakers 51 Inextricable 52 The Audience 54 Exotica 55 Widow Twankey 56 Burlington Bertie 57 Out from Under 58 Mary Poppins 59 Self Help 60 Saddled 61 Better Out Than In 62 Beyond Belief 63 Crowd Control 64 Engagement 65 Controlled Explosion 66 Le Pétomane 67 Castrato 68 Tragedian 69 Nightmare Scenario 70 Lo! Hear the Gentle Lark 71 Foreign Exchange 72 Counter Culture 73 Brass Band 74 Pleasure Craft 75 Response 76 Bad Rap 77 Roughage 78 Three Sightings of Batman 80 The Hard Stuff 81 Little Wonder 82 Go Gentle 83 Street Cred 84 The Man Who Killed Houdini 85 Here’s Looking at You 86 Lament 87 Buccaneer 88 Double Act 89 Scandal 90 Vintage 91 Clever Bugger 92 Civic Theatre 93 Hostess Trolley 94 Dumbing Up 95 Town Crier 96 Light Brigade 97 Speech Coach 98 A Funny Thing Happened… 99 Dun Roamin’ 100 Confidence Trick 101 Caretaker 102 Immense 103 Above All 104 Vera 105 Eleven, Plus 106 Stepping Out 107 The Belly Dancers of Burnage 108 Crossing the Floor 109 The Highland Live-Wire 110 Hostilities 112 I’m Here All Week! 113 All the Rage 114 Chanteur 116 Memory Man 117 Soul Mates 118 That’s Your Lot 119 Notes 127 Bibliography