You have just entered SHY YETI'S SHY PLACE. It's been around for over 20 years now and covers all manner of Shy Yeti related nonsense; from his poetry - to his books and novels - his videos and more recently his podcast, THE SHY LIFE PODCAST which has now run for 700 episodes and nearly 8 years. If you'd like to know more about the many various goings on of The Shy Yeti then please mail him, post haste at shyyeti@yahoo.co.uk
Thank you!!
ALL WRITING COPYRIGHT PAUL CHANDLER - 2001-2024.
A NEW POEM IN TIME FOR THIS WEEK'S POETRY CAFE SHOW...
Greetings beasties!!
This week we have a slightly shorter post as it's my Poetry Cafe Show on Friday and I'm busy getting ready for that. We do have an exclusive - an as-yet unpublished poem for you! It's a pretty new one too - as I only finished it just before Easter...
Before that though, as we're already more than a quarter of the way through the year - I thought we'd cast a quick eye over the ratings for the recent SHY YETI ON LOCATION episodes. As I was saying last week - although some of the newer films are taking longer to get hits, we are still getting around 1500 hits a month and the older videos are still receiving frequent views. A good deal of them have had another 100 or so views each since we last did this, late last year. So, let's take a look...
RATINGS FROM YETI VIDEOS – AS OF 12/04/2013 1stA YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 1 = 495 views 2ndSHY YETI ON LOCATION IN DORSET = 489 views 3rdTOO LATE – A SHORT STORY = 475 views 4thSHY YETI GOES TO HOLLYWOOD= 472 views 5thSHY YETI'S VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL = 471 views 6thA YETI IN WINTER = 442 views 7th BEWARE OF THE VAMPIRE COWS!!! = 429 views 8th SHY YETI TALKS = 428 views =9th YETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 1 = 418 views =9th SHY YETI LIVE - 06/03/2010 = 418 views 11th A YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 4 = 417 views 12th SHY YETI - OUT AND ABOUT = 414 views 13thYETI DANCE A-GO-GO… = 406 views 14th SHY YETI OUT IN THE COUNTRY = 394 views =15th YETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 3 = 379 views =15th A YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 3 = 379 views =17th YETI HUNT U.S.A. – PART 5 = 373 views =17thSHY YETI IN A SECRET LOCATION = 373 views 19th SHY YETI LIVE – 02/04/2011 = 367 views 20th SOMETHING TO CHEW ON – A SHORT STORY= 366 views 21st AN EVENING WITH SHY YETI – AND... = 365 views 22nd A YETI ON RADIO WEY = 363 views 23rd A DEVIL WITHOUT HORNS – A POEM = 359 views =24th SHY YETI OUT IN THE NEW FOREST = 357 views =24thA YETI IN PARIS – PART 1= 357 views 26th SHY YETI’S MINI EUROPEAN TOUR 2011 – 2 = 356 views 27thSHY YETI RETURNS TO THE COBALT CAFE = 354 views =28thSHY YETI WELCOMES SPRING = 352 views =28thA PERFECT MATCH = 352 views 30th SHY YETI GOES BUSHY = 350 views =31st A TALE OF 2 CITIES, 1 YETI - 1 = 346 views =31stJUNK/FOOD GIG 1 = 346 views 33rd A YETI IN PARIS – PART 2 = 345 views 34th YETI HUNT U.S.A. – PART 4 = 343 views =35thROCK ‘N’ ROLLERCOASTER SHOW - 1 = 339 views =35th SHY YETI TAKES (A TRIP) TO BATH = 339 views 37th SHY YETI BACK ON RADIO WEY – PART 2 = 337 views 38th SHY YETI GOES WILD = 336 views 39th ROCK ‘N’ ROLLERCOASTER SHOW - 2 = 332 views 40th ANOTHER EVENING WITH SHY YETI… = 328 views 41st SHY YETI’S INTER-WEB/BLOG BONANZA - 1 = 325 views =42ndA TALE OF 2 CITIES, 1 YETI - 2 = 319 views =42ndSHY YETI GOES WILD ON THE RADIO - 1 = 319 views 44thA YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 2 = 265 views 45th BALLAD OF A GO-GO BEAR = 228 views 46th SHY YETI’S MINI EUROPEAN TOUR 2011 – 1 = 225 views 47thSHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – LIVE REVIVED = 217 views 48thYETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 2 = 200 views 49th SHY YETI VERSUS AUTUMN – PART 1 = 178 views 50thUNGRATEFUL VALENTINE = 169 views 51stSHY YETI AT THE COBALT CAFÉ = 164 views 52ndI AM NEVER INVITED TO ORGIES = 160 views 53rd SHY'S SNOW SPECTACULAR = 156 views 54thSHY YETI BACK ON RADIO WEY – PART 1 = 140 views 55thYETI SPAGHETTI = 131 views 56thSHY YETI LIVE - 06/03/2010 (2) = 123 views =57thYETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 8 = 122 views =57thYETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 7 = 122 views 59th ...ON LOCATION IN DORSET (OUT-TAKES) = 121 views 60thSHY YETI VERSUS AUTUMN – PART 2 = 117 views =61st ...IN A SECRET LOCATION (OUT-TAKES) = 116 views =61stSHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – PART 1 = 116 views =63rdSHY YETI’S HAUNTED KITCHEN = 114 views =63rdJUNK/FOOD GIG 2 = 114 views 65th YETI HUNT U.S.A. – PART 6 = 113 views 66th SHY YETI ON RADIO FOR VALENTINE’S = 110 views =67thSHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – PART 3 = 106 views =67thSHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – PART 2 = 106 views 69thYOU CRAMP MY STYLE = 99 views 70th LITTLE PIG = 94 views 71st SHY YETI LIVE FROM BROADSTAIRS = 91 views 72ndSHY YETI GOES WILD - 2 = 87 views 73rdA VERY YETI CHRISTMAS (2012) = 86 views 74thSHY YETI’S BEST OF BRITISH - 1 = 83 views 75thSHY YETI’S SEA-SIDE SHUFFLE – PART 1 = 82 views 76th MY MOMENT IS NOW = 78 views 77thSHY YETI’S BEST OF BRITISH - 2 = 73 views 78th SHY YETI’S SPOOKYCREEPY SHOW = 69 views 79th SHY YETI COOKS… = 68 views 80th SHY YETI’S “LOST” HOLLYWOOD VIDEO = 67 views 81st YETI SPAGHETTI (OUT-TAKES) = 65 views 82nd SHY YETI GOES WILD ON THE RADIO - 2 = 61 views 83rd PICCADILLY CIRCUS = 60 views =84thSHY YETI’S SEA-SIDE SHUFFLE – PART 2 = 57 views =84thTHINGS AIN'T... = 57 views =86thA YETI BACK IN DORSET = 53 views =86thSHY YETI’S SEA-SIDE PREVIEW = 53 views 88thGOOD HUG = 51 views 89th DAREDEVIL = 50 views 90thSHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER = 49 views 91stTHEY WARNED ME... = 48 views 92ndCRASHTESTBOYFRIEND = 47 views =93rdSHY YETI – THE ADVERT = 46 views =93rdSHY YETI LIVE - 18/11/2008 = 46 views 95thSHY YETI GOES WILD – LIVE = 45 views 96thMY DOG IN A DRESS = 37 views 97th A YETI IN GHENT = 36 views =98thSHY YETI’S THIRD TIME LUCKY SHOW = 35 views =98thTHE TRUE LIGHT = 35 views 100thSHY YETI’S BLOG BONANZA – 2 = 33 views 101stA YETI IN BRUSSELS = 30 views 102ndAN EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME = 29 views 103rdSHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER – TWO!! = 28 views 104thSHY YETI’S BELGIAN POSTCARDS = 27 views 105thTHE SORRY TALE... = 26 views 106thRECKLESSLY = 24 views 107thA VOICE IN HIS HEAD = 21 views As for the Poetry Cafe gig on Friday... John Smallshaw and I have been tweeting away about it and hoping to encourage people to come along with the chance of doing some open-mike. Hopefully that will help! Can I give anything away? Not a lot, to be honest - I haven't made an exact list of what I intend to read this time... That said I want to read some pieces from ARE WE THERE, YETI? as the evening is dedicated to this new collection and I also have one or two older pieces that I've been recording for future SHY YETI ON LOCATION episodes, mostly from GO 4TH AND DIVIDE and THE AUTUMNAL E.P. I'd also like to read a number of really new pieces too... As already mentioned, John Smallshaw will also be there on the night, of course! We wouldn't be without him - and hopefully we'll get a few new faces too. We shall see!!
Next week we'll be discussing what occurred at the show - hopefully there will be one or two photos - and I may have a new SHY YETI ON LOCATION episode for you - from Venice, no less! Until then, enjoy the new poem...
More soon!
Yeti hugs,
Paul xxx
P.S. I finished another poem this week, one that I've been working at over my Easter holidays - it's called A HAPPY YETI HOWL and joins the long list of yeti poems that I've written which I can perform at gigs or during the location films.
P.P.S. I also spent this weekend putting the finishing touches to a new episode called SHY YETI - HOME AND AWAY which will include the recent Paris footage and some filming that I did back in Salisbury last September. I also recorded a version of my recent short story A HARMLESS PRANK in my parent's back garden. More on this, including a photo gallery, sometime in the next few weeks.
PICCADILLY IS A RUBBISH CIRCUS Piccadilly is a rubbish circus!
Heck! Where is the fire-eater?
Oh, where is the lion-tamer?
I cannot even spot a Cheetah!
Oh, where are the madcap jugglers,
In all their pomp, so very fine!?
Oh, where are the creepy clowns –
Whose sense of humour's so divine?
Where is the big top celebration?
So very droll, yet rather silly!
There's really nothing much of note,
Along the streets of Piccadilly...
Trafalgar is a rubbish square!
I'm not convinced it isn't round!
I feel, for sure, it lacks all merit –
That nowt of interest there be found!
Yes, Nelson's column stands so tall –
Buy tell me now, what does it do?
It isn't even interactive nor –
Made of jelly through and through!
I hear it's meant to simply sit there –
In memory of our noble past!
Just knock it down to build a cafe;
'Cos coffee cravings also last!
Covent is a rubbish garden –
I cannot see a single tree!
Only endless swathes of tourists –
Yes, far too many, you'll agree!
Oh, the court at Earl's is hopeless –
It cannot even call a trial...
And Hyde Park is not in hiding –
Because the Serpentine's in style!
So many places in this city –
Are either dull or muck encrusted!
Piccadilly is a rubbish circus –
I fear dear old London Town... is busted!
PICCADILLY IS A RUBBISH CIRCUS will appear in one of Paul's collection of poetry and prose in the near future. This post and all contents and Copyright Paul Chandler 2013.
Well! My holidays are all over now - but I still have things to report from the Paris trip! Not only that, but there's a new SHY YETI ON LOCATION video too - so we'll begin with that!
AN EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME has just burst out of the Yeti Archives and contains a number of pieces that have never appeared online before - a couple of them from the next collection, NOT AS SHY AS I WAS... Poems include: WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?. BEE-SOTTED and I'M A JELLY FISH... There is also plenty of daftness and a yeti dance! This episode was filmed in Surrey, during July 2012 and features a guest appearance by Mr Dominic McCauley. Camera: Paul Chandler and Dominic McCauley. Editing: Paul Chandler. Music: Luca and Spooky Yeti. This film and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2013.
There is also a sequel to this episode, filmed in back in September 2012, but I'll be saving that for a while before releasing it - probably sometime during the Summer.
I am also glad to be able to announce that the first episode of our new two part Venice series is now completed and will probably be released in a couple of weeks time. That said, from the look of our ratings recently there are quite a few videos that people still have to catch up with - so I won't hurry. As it is, I'm currently working on the 2nd episode of this two-part series and have had a bit of a change of heart about what I am going to include and leave out of the final edit. Originally I had intended A YETI IN VENICE to be a sort of giallo / slasher film serial and had begun to reveal a few mysterious truths about "Shy Yeti's manager..." However, when I was out in Venice the episodes didn't quite come together as I had imagined them, so I may play the long game with the "manager" character in the show - especially since I got the thumbs up about the casting of said character. One of my former SUTTON PARK cast members has agreed to play him! More on that when it happens. The long and the short of it is that I did film a few rather bizarre scenes in Venice which were meant as "flashbacks" or visions and sort of replaced the slasher element of the episodes - but I'm not really sure they worked, so probably won't appear in any great detail during the finished edit; although you will hear at least once from the "manager". Anyway, more on future videos at the end of the post...
Now, as promised I'll update you on how I got on whilst filming in Paris with my trusty partner-in-crime, Mr Toby Warburton. Toby has helped direct a number of segments during more recent SHY YETI ON LOCATION episodes, most recently the poem TWO VAMPIRE HUNTING YETI which appeared during my recent A YETI BACK IN DORSET episode.
Friday 5th April 2013
In the end I didn't do any filming at all today, I spent the day in London with Calum - but only took photos and had a very good lunch in Hoxton Square at an American diner called The Red Dog Saloon, which I highly recommend. In the late afternoon I met up with Toby and we travelled to Paris on the 6.30 train - but we didn't arrive until after ten, so no filming that day. One thing I did forget to mention was that when Calum and I were travelling to Hatfield Forest on Thursday I wrote a new short story called A HARMLESS PRANK, which I'm pretty pleased with and which I may well post online relatively soon.
Saturday 6th April 2013
Today, Toby and I visited a number of Parisian locations, The Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe, Louvre etc and I began filming the first two verses of an old poem called HE WAS JUST AN EVERYDAY WEREWOLF. At this stage I had already decided that I probably wasn't going to be filming a complete episode in the city on this occasion. In the late afternoon, whilst Toby took a nap, I visited Monmartre Cemetary, which was very close to the hotel - and completed the poem in that area.
Sunday 7th April 2013
Today, I mostly just filmed footage for the episode around the Sacre Coeur and also near both Monmatre and Pere Lachaise cemetaries. The weather was lot brighter, but I was loaded down with bags - but it was definitely a successful trip all in all.
I have decided to include the Paris footage during an, as yet-untitled and unfilmed yeti film - as a bit of a surprise; in the same way as I used footage of my 2010 trip to Venice.
Now, to finish with I'm going to be concluding with a schedule of roughly when I hope to be putting further SHY YETI ON LOCATION episodes out up until the end of the summer...
FORTHCOMING "SHY YETI" EPISODES
APRIL
A YETI IN VENICE - PART 1 A YETI IN VENICE - PART 2 LIVE GIG VIDEO
MAY
EPISODE WITH PARIS FOOTAGE SEARCH FOR SPRING
JUNE / JULY
LAKE DISTRICT 1-4 WINTER ON A SUMMER'S DAY
AUGUST
SHETLAND EPISODE AN EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME 2
Next week, we'll be looking forward to the next Poetry Cafe show and I may have a new poem or prose piece to share with you all...
More soon!
Yeti hugs,
Paul xx
PS Thanks again to Toby for letting me use his Paris photos - there will be more when I decide which episode the Paris footage will be going into!
All photos, except for the last, are copyright Toby Warburton, 2013. All other content of this post are Copyright Paul Chandler 2013.
This week I'm off work - so although there is another video ready to be posted I have decided to hold it back until I get back from my trip and instead I intend to share with you some of what I've been up to whilst I've been off this week,
What I do have for you this week, in just a while, is a new interview by Mr Yeti with the Beargrrrian Press. Those of you who know, may remember that the Beargrrrians are rather fond of our yeti - partly through his connection with a certain Charlie Grrr, Beargrrrian superstar and general all-round greedy guts. This time Mr Yeti will be discussing new books, new poems and what is coming up for over the next few months in both his writing and his videos.
But first I'm just going to share with you what I've been up to over the past week or so, having finished work on Wednesday the 27th. I didn't get up to much on Thursday, other than some editing and - but things soon got busier after that...
Friday 29th March 2013:
Today was Good Friday and the weather, which had been cold but sunny yesterday, decided to be relatively kind to us today too... Other than continuing with the editing for A YETI IN VENICE - PART 1 I went into Woking with Dominic and alongside shopping etc there was time for me to record some material to round off my forthcoming WINTER ON A SUMMER'S DAY episode of SHY YETI ON LOCATION. We headed off to the woods on the outskirts of the town, but didn't get too far as it was extremely muddy out there. Still, we got far enough to record a poem called ALL THE RAGE which is from my collection THE AUTUMNAL E.P. which comes out this autumn in a 10th anniversary special edition.
Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st March 2013:
Saturday I did quite a bit more editing on the first Venice episode - but otherwise I was busy getting excited about watching the new episode of Dr Who and also attended an awesome Suede gig up in Alexandra Palace... On Sunday 31st March 2013 we did do some filming around London, originally I did consider recording a new mini episode called SHY YETI LIVE AND IN HYDE-ING... Basically an episode filmed in Hyde Park; however the weather simply wasn't bright enough. In the end I filmed an old poem from GO 4TH AND DIVIDE called KILLING TIME and then a little later recorded a few lines of my recently completed poem PICCADILLY IS A RUBBISH CIRCUS in both Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square - two of the locations that are name-checked in that poem. This footage will now probably appear in an episode called SHY YETI'S SEARCH FOR SPRING which I expect to be filming during the rest of the week.
Monday 1st April 2013:
Today I managed a few extra scenes which I expect will go into the SHY YETI'S SEARCH FOR SPRING episode. The first couple of clips were filmed in our hotel near Lancaster Gate, one acting as a brief introduction to the episode and the other acts as an end of episode "silly" bit which mentions me doing cookery in a future film; that's where the photo above comes from! I'm really not sure what the thing on my head was - some kind of magazine rack, maybe!? There's was nothing for it though; it HAD to be worn on my head! The other scene of filming was done back across the road in Hyde Park and was the last verse of PICCADILLY IS A RUBBISH CIRCUS which mentions Hyde Park. Covent Garden and Earls Court are also mentioned, but I doubt I'll be filming at those locations on this occasion. Sadly the weather, in the morning, was pretty bleak - annoyingly the sun came out in the afternoon once we had long since finished filming and had returned home! I also spent quite some time this day continuing with the editing of the first Venice episode.
Tuesday 2nd April 2013:
Today, I had considered beginning a new episode, however although the weather was very sunny it was still very cold in the shade and there was also quite a breeze, which is always a problem when filming with the rather basic equipment that I like to use. I was filming around Brentford and Greenford and recorded an older poem called THE CALL OF THE MILD, which is also from my AUTUMNAL E.P. collection from 2003. This poem will also fit into the SHY YETI'S SEARCH FOR SPRING episode and I also did a brief intro for this title today.
Wednesday 3rd April 2013:
Today the weather was cold and overcast, but not as overcast as had been forecast - basically there was a bit of sun from time to time which helped make the filming look a little more cheerful. As for me? Well, I was cheerful too because I got to have a delicious thai green curry for lunch (not to mention an ice cream!) But anyway, I'm jumping ahead of myself... Where exactly was I filming today? Trent Park, near Cockfosters - which is where they filmed one of my favourite 80s Dr Who stories, Mawdryn Undead. It's a location that I've long known of, but which I'd not visited in quite some time. What exactly did I film? A mixture of bits and pieces - a yeti dance, a couple of daft sketches - including the return of the "ghost hunter" character and I read a shirt story from GO 4TH AND DIVIDE (2003) called WE HAVE MICE. This pretty much sees SHY YETI'S SEARCH FOR SPRING completed. In addition to all the filming I stayed up late both ends of the day working on the Venice episode - which is now nearing the length that I want it to be!
Thursday 4th April 2013:
Today, didn't work out quite as planned due to the weather - the snow returned, a little half-heartedly, but it did return and it made everything extremely chilly. Calum and I still went out - travelling out to Hatfield Forest near Bishop's Stortford... I didn't film any poems, just a few shots in the snow and a couple of "ghost hunter" sketches which I will probably include in the our wintery Summer Special later in the year. Oh yes - and I finished the Venice episode today too, although you'll have to wait 2-3 weeks to actually see it!
There will be photos from all this week's adventures as the episodes near readiness and more diary entries from the last few days of my week off next post.
As an overview - the episodes that I've been working on so far this week are as follows:
WINTER ON A SUMMER'S DAY
The poem ALL THE RAGE was recorded on Friday 29th March in woodland near Woking; this was the 4th poem for this episode. I also added a few quick sketches for this episode whilst filming in the snow in Hatfield Forest on Thursday 4th April. This film is now completed and will be edited in time for release in July 2013.
SHY YETI'S SEARCH FOR SPRING...
This episode is an unofficial sequel to last year's SHY YETI WELCOMES SPRING, but I thought I'd give it its own separate title. Filming took place between Sunday 24th March and Wednesday 3rd April 2013 and the episode is now completed. It includes the poems KILLING TIME and THE CALL OF THE MILD from THE AUTUMNAL E.P., as recorded on location in London during my break. The episode also contains a very new piece, PICCADILLY IS A RUBBISH CIRCUS, recorded in Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park - as well as featuring additional footage recorded back in Salisbury during my last trip there. There is also a short sketch called WE HAVE MICE from my GO 4TH AND DIVIDE collection. This episode also includes a number a daft sketches, recorded in central London on Monday 1st April and also in the Cockfosters area on Wednesday 3rd April; where a yeti dance was also recorded. I have no exact release date for this film, although it makes sense to release it by May, maybe once I have finished work on the two A YETI IN VENICE episodes.
ARE WE THERE, YETI? - THE MOVIE...
I had intended to film an episode which would include pieces from the new collection, but in the end this never happened. However, next week I'll tell you more about the episode I intend to film between Friday 5th April and Sunday 7th April - A YETI BACK IN PARIS... I'll keep the location of that one secret until then too... Oh...
Now it's time to move onto the interview that I mentioned earlier...
A FIFTH SLIGHTLY-OVER 60 SECOND CHAT WITH SHY YETI
Here is another, what has become bi-anuual interview that I did recently with Beargrrria’s top magazine for chat; THE GROWL GAZETTE. They know me over there due to my dubious connection with a certain Beargrrrian superstar named Charlie Grrr. This is the fifth time that they have interviewed me recently! They really MUST be short of people to interview. This time I’m speaking mainly about what the next few months hold in store and about my forthcoming collection – NOT AS SHY AS I WAS and the reissue of my fourth collection, GO 4TH AND DIVIDE. So, here’s what they asked and what I said in reply – straight from the yeti’s mouth, as it were!!!
Q. So, Paul – you’ve recently released another book, ARE WE THERE, YETI? Wasn’t that due out last autumn? What delayed you? You must be very pleased that it’s finally out there. A. Yes, very much show. But you are right – there were a few problems. Alas – my writing is not my day job and I didn’t want to rush release an inferior product. ARE WE THERE, YETI? is over 350 pages long and contains a lot of short stories and to do them justice I wanted to make sure they got the best proofreading possible. In the end I asked my friend, Dan Hodges to help out, which he very kindly did – but as Dan also has a full-time job I only gave him a story at a time. I had hoped that the collection would be ready by November, but it wasn’t and so it seemed more sensible to take my time and to release it after Christmas and so in the end I launched it in early February which seemed to work, as it very quickly sold out and moved into a second and third reprint.
Q. That all sounds fair enough - and you're already working on the final stages of your next collection, NOT AS SHY AS I WAS?
I am, indeed! That and the 10th anniversary editions of my fourth and fifth collections, GO 4TH AND DIVIDE and THE AUTUMNAL E.P. I may not be releasing quite as many books this year – but those that I do I am pretty excited about.
Q. We’ll return to those re-issues later… But as for your next book I understand that the writing in NOT AS SHY AS I WAS has been ready for a while…
Yes, that’s true… I usually work on two (or even three collections) at a time – but obviously I’m at different stages with each. There was a time, until recently, that I was working on finishing ARE WE THERE, YETI?, whilst finishing the writing and beginning the formatting on NOT AS SHY AS I WAS and then adding very new pieces to a third collection, provisionally entitled either GRANNY ATE MY AFTER-BIRTH or A YETI WAY OF THINKING.
NOT AS SHY AS I WAS, which I was working on for most 2012, is now entering the final proofing stage, as well as working out what photos I would like to include. There’s a lot more poetry in this book compared to ARE WE THERE, YETI?, which means it may be quicker to proof – even so I don’t imagine that it is likely to be out until Autumn 2013, maybe in time for my September Poetry Café show.
Q. Has it all been formatting so far in 2013 or have you been writing new things?
A. Yes, indeed. The usual mixture of poems and short stories – although I’m not having enough time to write as much as I’d like to… There are a number of other projects, including a couple of Mouse Of Commons collections, that I’ve put on the back burner – with my main project currently being NOT AS SHY AS I WAS and the two poetry re-issues. The 2nd series of THEBEAST OF FRIENDS is probably the only completely new thing that I’m currently working on to any extent this year – a lot of the plots were worked out last year and I’m finding it enjoyable to finally get around to writing the dialogue for these episodes. A third series is also looking likely…
Q. As already mentioned, you’re continuing to release your early books as 10th anniversary editions this year too? Have there been any poems that you’ve especially enjoyed revisiting or which you had practically forgotten?
A. Exactly! I’ve already been busily recording poems from the 4thcollection, in fact my A YETI BACK IN DORSET video includes 3 poems from that volume, DARK HORSE, A GAP IN THE MARKET and FROM THE MIND OF A TURNIP – all pieces that I’ve rarely performed. Since then, whilst working on the latter half of that book I’ve found another half dozen or more that I intend to record during the year.
Q. When are these two re-issues likely to see the light of day?
A. GO 4TH will probably be out by late July, so that I can read from it during any Summer holidays that I have. I’m due to be returning to the Lake District for a week around that time, for a start –where I am considering working on my Halloween Special for the year. THE AUTUMNAL E.P., although it wasn’t published until December 2003, I am hoping will be out by early November 2013 so that I can read from it when I go away for my 40th birthday. As already mentioned NOT AS SHY AS I WAS should also be ready around this time, fingers crossed…
Q. Which collections reach their 10th anniversaries during 2014?
A.LOVESONGS FOR THE BITTER AND TWISTED is the only one that actually came out in 2004, but MUGSHOTS and POETIQUETTE both came out in early 2005, so I will probably be working on all three at once over the course of next year, although I will only actually release the first of those that year. It’s really nice to be well on the way to completing the reissues of those first eight collections, so that they are now available as they were originally released when hand-published.
Q. How are you going with the SHY YETION LOCATION videos? I hear that there were a lot of episodes left over that were originally filmed during 2012?
A. Yes, that’s true – but we’re doing very well at catching up with them. To date I have released three mini-episodes set in Brussels which I filmed back in October 2012. I had a few problems with these episodes and ended up doing three shorter episodes, rather than two longer ones – but it all worked out okay in the end; doesn’t hurt to have a few shorter episodes. In addition to this I have completed the second SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER episode and the first AN EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME. I am currently working on the two-part (or it could be three part!) Venice special from November 2012. This only leaves me the four part Lake District series and a second AN EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME episode from those held-over from last year. I am beginning to film new episodes this year, although because the weather has been so bad I’m not rushing to complete them. I’m still getting over 1500 hits a month, but at the moment it’s the older episodes that still seem to be getting the attention, as I presume they must have been highlighted by some other site that I’m not specifically aware of.
Q. So you have been working on new SHY YETI episodes too?
A. Oh yes… A YETI BACK IN DORSET, filmed in late December / early January 2013 is one of those that I filmed quite recently which is already out there to view. A number of other episodes that I’ve been working on, so far, this year I have been putting together in slow time and in a number of cases they’re not all quite complete. These include an episode set in my old haunts around the Salisbury area near where I grew up, a wintery-summer episode for release in July, an episode or two focussing on writing from my ARE WE THERE, YETI? collection, an episode set (one again) in Paris, another in the Shetlands… Well, then we’re into the Summer season and I’ve not even confirmed what I’m up to – although I do want to do an episode with my ghost hunter character set up in the Lake District. I’ll also be filming more live material at the Poetry Café when I have shows – although I may end up putting the footage into the normal On Location episodes rather than doing as many exclusively live videos.
Q. How is the performance poetry going?
A. Again, quietly as far as having the time to do other shows or even open-mike nights – although as mentioned earlier I have four Poetry Café shows lined up during 2013 which I’m looking forward to, Friday April 19th being the next one in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support… There are a lot of open-mike nights in London as you would imagine, but when I’m working during the week I have a pretty early start which means that I couldn’t go to a lot of events, especially as you only get to read for up to five minutes or less. It can make for a long evening! I suppose this is why I’d rather do my own shows and meet new poets that way – or why I do the videos and talk to other writers a lot on Twitter and Facebook… The videos bring me to an audience who wouldn’t necessarily follow poetry, but who enjoy my SHY YETI ON LOCATION films for one reason or another.
The London Poetry Scene is still a bit of a mystery to me – although in other way it also feels like a potentially open playing field of talent. There will always be people with more experience than you, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve not written something new and marvellous yourself – there are a lot of really talented poets out there who are struggling to be heard. When I was down in Broadstairs last summer for the folk festival everybody was encouraging and helpful and there was no feeling that anybody was better than anybody else. London never feels quite so friendly - there are so many poets out there and yet very few names draw you in by their reputations alone. I guess it’s also a case of who you meet and who you know as far as getting noticed or on the bill of poetry events. I do find it a bit frustrating that there can still be a certain air of superiority about what makes a good poem in the 21st Century. I do also get a feeling that poets don’t always like the same poetry as their potential audience might and I do wonder how much thought goes into trying to attract new converts. I’ve always been more inspired by lyricists – but that’s just my background; but I have heard lyricists referred to as the poor man’s poet. I often think it’s quite the opposite! The competitive side of the poetry scene isn’t everybody’s cup of tea – it’s a way of meeting new people, but I’m not really into big groups; so it’s a catch 22… As much as I like to perform my poetry, writing can be quite a solitary pursuit, which is the last thing an open-mike night is! As far as competitions are concerned I’ve always been a bit wary of people setting them and charging people to enter – we could all sit in judgement and do that, but I worry that it makes us look like we’re saying we’re better than those who are entering. I am probably missing the point! I guess I’d prefer people to get out there and publish their own collections rather than waiting to be told that they are good by a stranger. I very much feel that if you like your work then fight for it – don’t wait to be told whether it’s good or not. If you want advice, fair enough – ask for it, but if you’re in love with what you’re writing then get excited about it and don’t let anybody slow you down.
There are 101 ways for a poet to try and get wider exposure these days and none of them are the right or the wrong way; it’s about trying different things and seeing what works best for you as an individual and sometimes a competition might be the perfect starting point. It’s this sort of do-it-yourself approach that leads to people doing their own shows, forming their own publishing houses, setting their own competitions, launching their own groups etc. Still, it can often seem quite a maze as far as taking it to the next level in an attempt to make it more than just a creative hobby.
Q. You mentioned earlier that you have another show coming up. Tell us more.
A. Yes, indeed. The date is Friday 19th April 2013 at The Poetry Café, Covent Garden. I hope to be reading from my new collection, ARE WE THERE, YETI? It won’t just be me – I do hope to have, at least, one special guest on the night and I’ve tried to make it clear that there is also the chance for anyone in the audience to come up and read if they’d like to… I know what it’s like – getting a chance to share some of your own work is often the incentive that I need to come along to a show. Also, if you’ve got a room full of creative people then doesn’t it make sense to air as many voices as possible? So, I’m always happy to share the stage with someone who’s come along to see John or I at one of our shows. The more the merrier.
Q. Will there be any non-poetry related projects this year?
A. Oh yes. I’m working on more Mouse Of Commons stories – but I’m not sure if there will actually be a collection released this year as I need to finish typing up all my notes and then rework them before getting them proofread! It all takes so much time! A more likely release will be the 2nd series of THE BEAST OF FRIENDS, which I have written almost 7 of the eight scripts of. It’ll be a lot quicker to round off this project as conversation is a lot easier to tinker with, I find. With a bit of luck this second script book should be out by the autumn. I also have, at least, two more SUTTONPARKepisodes to edit – which I had hoped would come out last year, but which never did… If I ever catch up with my SUTTONPARK backlog then I’ll happily record more – in fact I have had a few ex-cast members asking to return!
Q. That's good news. Thank you for answering our questions, Mr Yeti.
A. That's okay, thank you for inviting me back – hopefully we’ll growl again soon. Once again, I’d just like to pass on my thanks to every one in Beargrrria for all their support and good will over the years
END OF INTERVIEW...
So, there you have it... Next week I'll be letting you know how the Paris filming shoot goes, as well as releasing a new SHY YETI ON LOCATION episode called AN EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME, which was filmed back in July 2012 but which has only just been edited...
So, you may ask... What are you up to over Easter?
Actually, you're probably not asking that as you're going to be very busy doing your own things and won't for a minute be wandering what I'm up to! Still, that has never stopped me, so I intend to tell you what I'm going to be up to whether you like it or not...
As you can see from the main photo above, we have a new Poetry Cafe gig coming up pretty soon - but more about that nearer the time.
What we do have this week though, as promised - my Easter present to you, is a new SHY YETI ON LOCATION episode. Not a short mini-episode, either - this is a full length film of almost 13 minutes in length. Here's what it's all about!
SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER - TWO!! is Mr Yeti's second attempt at containing summer - on this occasion he actually remembers to bring a bottle with him! This film was recorded back in July 2012, but now in March 2013 - whilst the British winter seems to drag ever onwards - this seems to be the right time to unearth a little of that bottled summer preserved from last year. This film contains two short stories, MIST YOU and AUTUMN'S COMING and two poems, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM and A WAKE-UP CALL... which all come from my forthcoming NOT AS SHY AS I WAS collection, due out later in the year. There is also plenty of sillness and, of course, a yeti dance. The episode includes Paul Chandler (a.k.a Shy Yeti) and special guest: Dominic McCauley. Camera: Paul Chandler, Dominic McCauley and Calum Williamson. Music: Luca and Spooky Yeti. This film and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2013. There will be another Shy Yeti On Location episode soon!
I also posted up an exclusive Advert for Youtube explaining what exactly Shy Yeti videos are all about. It's only a minute in length and features clips from the forthcoming Venice episodes and can be viewed here: SHY YETI THE ADVERT... http://youtu.be/EGmxDxoBZ50
As I may or may not have mentioned, I am all finished with the next SHY YETI ON LOCATION film, which is entitled THE EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME... This episode will probably be up the week beginning 8th April, once I'm back from my Easter break. Next up, I'd like to share a few behind-the-scenes photos with you, from this film.
THE EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME PHOTO GALLERY...
As the title suggests, this episode has no real theme - it is actually one of two episodes that I filmed last year under this title. This first instalment was recorded during July 2012, slightly before I worked on the recent SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER - TWO!! episode and was filmed in a number of secret locations between Surrey and Kent.
Next week I'll probably be posting a new interview with a bit more information on what's coming up in the next few months - I'll also be busy out and about and filming things, so I may leave the post to slightly later in the week and include a bit of a diary of what I've been up to so far, over Easter...
More soon!
Merry Easter Egg Eating Time!
Yeti hugs,
Paul xx
PS I've finished a couple of new prose pieces and a poem in the last week, titles include A CULT FOLLOWING, ONE LAST NIGHT and PICCADILLY IS A RUBBISH CIRCUS...
This post and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2013
This week we're going to begin with the links to the third of the three Belgian mini-episodes of SHY YETI ON LOCATION... After a rather slow start to editing this series I'm rather pleased to have been able to finish the last two videos in one weekend...
SHY YETI'S BELGIAN POSTCARDS is the third of three mini-episodes from Belgium; this one mainly coming from Brussels - with just a fleeting visit to Ghent. This video features poems from Paul Chandler (a.k.a. Shy Yeti's) 3rd collection, ANOTHER PATHETIC ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, COMPUTER DATING, THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE (PT 1) and SOON ON YOUR WAY - there is also still time for plenty of yeti daftness! This film was recorded in early October 2012 with both Paul and Calum behind the cameras. Music is by Luca and Spooky Yeti and the video was edited by Paul Chandler. Thank you to Anthony A for showing us around Brussels. More yeti films will be loaded up soon. The content of this film, including all poems are Copyright Paul Chandler, 2013.
As I mentioned a post or so ago I'm working on a new episode, SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER - TWO!! and next up I intend to share some photos with you from it...
SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER - TWO!! PHOTO GALLERY...
Our next episode dates back to July 2012 and is the earliest series that I still had to edit of all those left over from last year. I chose this one particularly because it's the sequel to a video that I released back in late summer 2012 - and the idea of summer and "bottling" some of it seems particularly relevant in March when a lot of the country is still encountering snow! This winter never seems to end... Still, hopefully it's on its way out now... Almost!SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER - TWO!! was filmed in a couple of locations, near me in Weybridge and also down in West Sussex near Arundel. This episode contains a couple of short stories and a poem from my forthcoming collection, NOT AS SHY AS I WAS - which is due out later this year.
Next week, we're going to look ahead to what's going on over Easter... I'm not entirely sure myself as some of my plans have changed; but I guess I'll probably film a new episode whilst I'm out and about; probably using ARE WE THERE, YETI? as the theme.
SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER - TWO!! should also be ready for posting next week too! I know... I know... As far as Easter presents go you'd rather have had a chocolate egg - but I'm sorry, that's the best I can offer... Anyway, you're looking a bit chubby, maybe skip the chocolate eggs, this year? No? Okay... It's your choice! *swallows 12 pies one after another*
That's about it for now...
Yeti hugs,
Paul xx
PS I don't think I've posted them before - but the book covers are the final ones used for the ARE WE THERE, YETI? project.
This post and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2013.
As you may remember, last week, I was having trouble editing what was to have been a two part SHY YETI ON LOCATION series from Brussels and Ghent. In the end I decided that it was easier just to release it in three shorter episodes, the first of which went up last week...
Well, I'm happy to announce that both part two and part three are now ready to be watched, but I don't intend to make them both available this week - part two has been posted this week, with part three to follow next week. You can view part two at the following links:
A YETI IN GHENT is the 2nd of 3 mini-episodes from Belgium; this one from Ghent. It features poems from Paul Chandler (a.k.a. Shy Yeti's) 3rd collection, THIRD TIME LUCKY: the title poem and another piece called KEY-HOLES which I have never, previously performed - there is also still time for a yeti dance! This film was recorded in early October 2012 with both Paul and Calum behind the cameras. Music is by Luca and Spooky Yeti and the video was edited by Paul Chandler. The third of these mini episodes will be loaded next week. The content of this film, including all poems are Copyright Paul Chandler, 2013.
Having sorted you out for all of 7 and half minutes, I'm also posting a piece from my new collection, which you may remember is called... (altogether!!!)
ARE WE THERE, YETI? contains over 100 pieces, mostly
short stories, a few sketches and a dozen or so poems. Some of them a funny,
some sad, some quirky, some plain creepy. They are stories that Paul Chandler
(a.k.a. Shy Yeti) wrote between July and December 2011; much of it during his
summer and autumn trips to the States. Poems include: GLUE TO MEND A
BROKEN HEART, NEVER TRUST A SKINNY FISH AND CHIP MAN, INVITE A YETI ROUND FOR
TEA, IS IT CHRISTMAS ALREADY!?, JOHN – I’M ONLY RHYMING, MY LONG LOST
FRIEND and the title verse. Stories include: THE
CREEPY SHOW, A CUP OF SUGAR, RATTLESNAKES, SANTA’S BIT ON THE SIDE
and A YETI HISTORY LESSON OF
HOLLYWOOD.
The piece that I'm going to share with you is called, A PHOTO, FALLEN - as follows:
A PHOTO, FALLEN…
Visiting your house for the first time in a week I am left
disturbed...
Last time I was here I gave you a photograph of
myself...
You propped it up on your desk – intending to frame it
later, you said.
But during the course of the evening I noticed that
the photo had fallen;
Down from your desk and into the darkness beyond!
“I’ll move the table and fetch it out when I vacuum...”
you said.
I would have retrieved it myself, but it might have
seemed fussy or rude –
And you did promise...
But now, a week later my photo is still nowhere to be
seen...
Except that when you are making coffee I look closer
and notice that –
That edge of it is sticking out from the shadows
behind your desk!
I attempt to rescue it, but the table wobbles and you
walk back in at that moment…
I feel embarrassed and pretend that I have dropped a
contact lens;
I do not wear contact lenses, but still…
All the time that we are watching TV all I can think
about is that photo…
That’s me there – lost in the darkness somewhere!
I don’t like the dark at the best of times – what if I
get scared!
I try again later, padding about on the floor – I get
dust on the knees of my jeans!
The photo, meanwhile – stays exactly where it had
fallen!
I will give you one last chance to fetch it out…
It is quite obvious that you haven’t even attempted to
vacuum since my last visit!
Perhaps you don’t care enough to spare
the time. I must try not to dwell on it…
Except, that night I do not sleep - it is so dark down
there behind your desk.
Please
rescue me – oh please…
A PHOTO, FALLEN... is included in my latest collection, ARE WE THERE, YETI?, further details above.
More next week, when I'll be unleashing that third Belgisn video and we'll look forward to what I might be doing over my Easter break!!
Yeti hugs,
Paul xx
P.S. I can also reveal that I've chosen SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER - TWO (filmed back in July 2012) as my next SHY YETI ON LOCATION episode to be edited; in fact I spent all of my evening last night working on it and it's going pretty well, so far... With a bit of luck I may even post it up before Easter; whether or not that happens I'll certainly be posting a photo gallery from behind the scenes, in a week or two...
This post and all contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2013.
Book writing, poetry rhyming, podcasting, pie eating, coffee guzzling, music listening, Yeti-loving, Paddington Bear wannabe, 50 - seeks well, you know - stuff... But only if it's presented to me as an amusing rhyme!
A NEW POEM IN TIME FOR THIS WEEK'S POETRY CAFE SHOW...
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