1. Nicholas Freeston was an English poet who spent most of his working life as a weaver in cotton mills near his home in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire.
17 Facts About Nicholas Freeston
1. 2.
Nicholas Freeston published five books of poetry, occasionally writing in Lancashire dialect, and won fifteen awards including a gold medal presented by the president of the United Poets' Laureate International.
3.
Nicholas Freeston was listed in the third edition of Who's Who in the World and appeared on television and radio reading his own work.
4.
Nicholas Freeston was born in Kendal, Westmorland in August 1907 and moved with his family to Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, at the age of 8.
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Nicholas Freeston took a correspondence course in English during the economic depression of the 1930s when he was out of work for six years, but it was 1947 before his first poem was published.
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Nicholas Freeston published his first book of poetry, Christmas Bells and Other Poems, in 1950, followed by The House of the Croft in 1952 and The First Christmas in 1953.
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Nicholas Freeston was able to publish the books thanks to the generosity of local patrons.
8.
Nicholas Freeston donated proceeds from the book's sale to Nazareth House, a charity in Blackburn, Lancashire.
9.
The profile described how Nicholas Freeston found inspiration for his poetry in the loneliness of 'the deafening clash of the looms' in a weaving shed where he worked the night-shift:.
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Nicholas Freeston described being completely alone in the noise of the weaving shed, "I could never lip-read so I composed 200 poems and committed them to paper during my supper break".
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Nicholas Freeston explained how he could only write when he could feel and see the words in pictures.
12.
Nicholas Freeston won fifteen awards for his Lancashire dialect and lyric poetry, and by the time of his death in 1978, was listed in the third edition of Who's Who in the World.
13.
Nicholas Freeston made a number of appearances on television and radio in the north west of England:.
14.
Nicholas Freeston read 'Th' Art Lookin' Sackless' on the BBC North regional children's hour programme, Lancashire Hot Pot.
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Some of Nicholas Freeston's poems were set to music by Ivy Mason Whipp and performed by, among others, the Oswaldtwistle born opera singer Vivian Townley.
16.
Nicholas Freeston's works have been performed on BBC radio by the singers Cynthia Glover, Gladys New, Donald Pilley and Raymond Budd of Black and White Minstrels fame.
17.
Nicholas Freeston published five books of poetry between 1950 and 1966:.