Rachel Schaufeld
1. Shoppers, workers, homeless folks Walk past the dull obstacle ‘Made safe’ with boards Guarded with wire Fronting Cathedral Green. ‘Five years and nothing done’ ‘Disgrace! 2. ‘It’s on fire! The Royal Clarence!’ Maggie, Jeanney and I Watch the worsening disaster On TV in the Langstone Cliff Hotel On October 28, 2016. Before our party nibbles with the girls. We then go down for dinner and disco At the South West Wine Federation Annual Weekend Dot has spookified our table Maggie wears a spider fascinator I wear my witches hat Maggie spotted the news first Which seems about typical For us three. 3. The fire started in the Castle Fine Art Gallery It spread to the 53 bedroom Grade II listed hotel More rapidly because of voids, empty areas of roof At 5.10 the alarm was raised and all guests evacuated Over 100 firefighters worked on the blaze 95 different fire engines attended Pumping water from the Exe 4 aerial platform ladders were used After 3 days the fire was put out. 4. No one was killed Though 2 firefighters received minor injuries But the land was scarred And jobs were lost The story that rose from the ground in 1769 Became soggy rubble. After a wall collapsed The firefighters has to get out They could only watch it burn out From outside. 5. Not firefighter or hotel staff Or conference delegate or even wealthy guest But I worked there too! On market research hall tests. ‘Excuse me I’m carrying out a survey’ Our team lured passing shoppers Into the big ground floor hall With true promises of coffee In the Royal Clarence. They viewed ads replayed on computers And we asked them which was the better ad Or something. When it didn’t drive you nuts It was an alright job. 6. Five years on Big plans have come and gone. South West Lifestyle Brands Who acquired the site from Andrew Brownswords Hotels in 2020 Said that even pre-pandemic Their plans for a 74 bed hotel Were ‘unviable.’ However they have met with Exeter City Council ‘Talks have taken place.’ 7. Five years on Jeanney died last year. Maggie was isolated during lockdown And moved nearer to her daughter In Oxfordshire. I still see the girls from Wine Club Perhaps next year I’ll go to the Annual October Weekend Again. 8. Writing – the well ran dry Right now I lead a happy life With music, close friends and U3A. At Circle Dance I learned in the break That Todd Gray, local historian And the only expert on the Royal Clarence Will give a talk at the open general meeting On the fourth Tuesday of the month And I’m sure he’s good – but 9. I want the lot! The voice of the first bricklayers And before that the architect and draughtsperson And before that Exeter City Council Voting that it would be good for Exeter. And the waiters and housekeepers and reception staff And kitchen porters and night managers And some of the guests And the fire officers and electricians Who did the annual safety checks And could not possibly anticipate the blaze The staff at the Mercure Southgate Who accommodated a lot of flustered individuals At around 5.30 am The firefighters The camera crew who arrived first The local journalists from whom I have lifted my facts. And the split-second glance of the rabbit in 1769 When the spade broke her warren before She bolted to burrow and rebuild And the ’awareness’ of the air on 28.10.2016 Of how the heat above the flame made changes. (Want the earth now, don’t I)
Rachel is an amateur writer with 40+ years experience of writing and performance
Old Water Rat Publishing 