Teacher’s poetry is full of adventure
A teacher from St John’s RC Academy in Perth has published a book of poetry which hopes to be uplifting and light-hearted to help in dark times.
‘From Lessons to Memories’ is the title chosen by English and maths tutor Noreen Hickey for her first book of poetry.
Noreen hails from Paisley but has worked in Perth for over 30 years.
She was best known at first as Miss Hickey among the children of St John’s RC Primary School, but then, latterly to pupils of all ages, from primary, through secondary and in college, she moved to becoming a private tutor whose services in English and Maths are always in high demand.
Since leaving the classroom, Miss Hickey has travelled the world with her lessons, earning herself the name ‘the flying tutor’ because before recent restrictions, she commuted each week to London and worked locally in the Fair City.
Helping her pupils to explore a depth of meaning in the written works of famous authors, Miss Hickey never before imagined that, one day, it would be in her own writing that she would uncover the poetic muse.
“The time seemed right to share some of my amazing adventures,” explained Noreen.
“I really wanted to publish a ‘feel good’ book in response to the worries of lockdown.”
From the variety of poems within its 48 pages, it is clear Miss Hickey has many a tale to tell. She shares her many exploits in a lighthearted way, taking our minds off the present hard times.
The book is illustrated by local photographer Andrew Mitchell.
Andrew gave the book images inspired by the verse. His photographic images take the reader from the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, through the streets of Kensington and the skyscrapers of Monte Carlo back home to Perthshire and the Big Tree County.
Noreen dedicated her book to the memory of her former Catholic parish priest, the late Monsignor Hendry. Noreen wanted to pay tribute to a man whose work in the Perth areaw spanned over 60 years, and from whom she drew much inspiration.
“He enjoyed stories of my travels and would often chuckle at the situations I found myself in. With his ‘old school’ learning, he had a great eye for punctuation and spelling.”
Noreen’s book, ‘From Lessons to Memories’ costs £5 (+£1.60 post and packing if required), with a donation going to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Copies can be obtained by emailing flyingtutor@oakfordmedia.co.uk or text 07922090655.