Pam Ayres on Animals

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In March 2021 a new edition of Pam’s book, With These Hands, was re-issued by Ebury Press/Penguin Books. First published in 1997, this book includes many of Pam’s most popular earlier poems including Yes I’ll Marry You My Dear, Will I Have To Be Sexy at Sixty, The Wonderbra, and How Can That Be My Baby? Hugely," she replies. "It's a drug, of course, this performing. You can never come off it. It doesn't take long to get hooked. It's amazing to feel you can touch people just with words, and arranging them in a certain way. (They) have an amazing effect on an audience. Many of her poems are in school textbooks around the world including the UK, USA, China, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, South Africa, Ireland and Singapore. Pam’s autobiography, The Necessary Aptitude, was the UK’s bestselling female autobiography of 2011. Much-loved poet and broadcaster Pam Ayres has brought together all the verse she has written about animals over the last five decades for a wonderful new book of poetry.

Ugh!” she groans. “It makes my flesh creep! I saw it in the newspaper in a petri dish and it looked like an enormous amalgamation of little worms. If you don’t want to eat meat, then I respect that very much. But this is such a better way of doing it than going into a supermarket and buying any old lump of meat that might have come from Kazakhstan.” Pam Ayers has been fascinated by animals since her first encounter with a friendly golden Labrador at the age of three. She has owned sheep, hens, and mischievous puppies, as well as fallen in love with British wildlife ranging from hedgehogs to bees. Three poems in particular always really affect people and you see them being visibly moved. September Song, about the empty nest when children leave home; Pollen on the Wind, about moving out of the family home, as I've done myself, and leaving memories and a garden which you've poured love into and where family pets are buried; and Tippy Tappy Feet, about the death of a pet."Having said all that, this collection is hugely enjoyable, and it’s been great bedtime reading at the end of yet another pandemic day. Not only funny and giving plenty of opportunity for reader identification but also poignant and moving at times. Thank you Pam!

There’s an extra reason for coming to the farm park nowadays; a six-month-old reason, who features in Pam’s latest book of poetry, You Made Me Late Again! A beautiful collection from much-loved poet Pam Ayres, compiling her best verse dedicated to her love of animals, including brand new poems and illustrations I think, 'If this is affecting me, it probably affects everyone else', and I try to express it in as few well-chosen words as possible. It might be the stress of giving a dinner party, getting depressed about the news and current affairs, or those irritations like restaurants and pubs serving food on pieces of slate, not plates. It's impractical because there's no edge, so the food falls off - and I worry about the hygiene. It’s interesting you say that because, when I sent the poem to my editor, Charlotte, she said she has to take a photograph of her tongs turned off before she goes out.” Pam laughs. “That does seem to be taking it a bit far!”

But I’ll never forget the day my daughter-in-law came home from hospital and we went over to see the baby. There was my son, with his darling little baby in the crook of his arm; it was very emotional. So I have been overwhelmed and I can’t see enough of my grandson: he smiles and he beams and is a sunny little boy.” I didn’t like the Grand National very much because I hated to see the horses hurt. I know it’s improved now and safer, which I’m glad about, but I always dreaded the green screens going up and the shot that rings out. I do love this poem, though. It’s one of my favourites.” For BBC Radio, Pam has recorded six series of Ayres On the Air for BBC Radio 4, she is a regular guest on Just A Minute, and she is one of the comparatively few guests who have appeared twice on Desert Island Discs, the first time in 1979, and again in 2018.