ALL ABOUT .. . edenbray .. .

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. .. a magazine of autobiographical thoughts, related and unrelated observations, recollections and insights .. .

‘I’ve always enjoyed writing and that is all I want to do .. .

I’m not sure why I ever stopped writing ~ was it 9/11?’

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I am a writer .. . a ‘beat’ poet, who began writing poetry back in 1966  …

‘edenbray is born ugly, wet, covered in blood, mucous and bodily functions,

the effluence of my short life’

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.. .  I wrote my first serious poem in 1966 – it was entitled ~ ‘The day I redrew myself in mine own eyes’.  …  In 1972, whilst a victim of a subliminal and ‘religious’ radicalisation,  I mistakenly burned all my earlier adolescent and significant works, alongside hundreds of early photographs and artefacts I believed belonged to my ‘old’ life.  

I self-published my 1st solo Anthology of Poetry in 2023 – ‘edenbray edits’ – it is a representative collection of some of the best of 60 years of writing poetry  as an amateur.

Previously and for nearly 40 years I ran my own Art Supplies Stores before I became a full-time writer. I am also an avid Blogger who has posted well over 1,200 poems on various sites. Most of these are now available in a vast collection of themed and titled pamphlets or chapbooks  … please ask for details, leave me a ‘like’ or a ‘comment’ in the box at the foot of this page for my ego and encouragement.

.. . thank you for listening – I truly value your opinion of my work whatever that may be as I genuinely survive on creative response, input and feedback!  

                                                      thank you  ~  edenbray

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edenbray

… is born ugly, wet and covered in blood, mucous and bodily functions. The effluence of my short life – I’m a Writer, Artist and Blogger ~ poems, essays, articles, reviews, opinion + comment. 

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a further introduction and welcome .. .

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WELCOME to a page where all I talk about is myself in a fairly posturing attempt to make you like me .. . This is something the character and personality that is edenbray is not particularly good at.

I have always aspired to a more Bohemian life and lifestyle, although you really might not think that if you met me in the flesh, as I usually appear such a pleasant fellow, more akin to Dannie Kaye than Ernest Hemmingway, likeable and loveable.

The character that is edenbray however, lies somewhere beneath the surface and always has. An enigma and a radical partizan – a social misfit and exile who feels things deeply, is wounded easily and cares not for the trifles of the petit bourgeois one sot. Those same social graces and pleasantries that I appear so comfortable with and happy among. The truth is however that since 2020 I have become a little more scary as those 9/10 months of covid-Isolation caused the failing pretences of the socially acceptable to fall away from me like one of those goddamn masks we all had to wear. The mask has fallen to the floor and left me a little naked and a lot exposed, not a pretty sight some might say. 

Read on then dear reader and learn some more about the man behind the words in this magazine of notes because guess what, you may even like what you find – i am really not so different from you and believe me ‘the bear’ is still much a possum and the scent more more akin to blossom than of musk .. .

                           . ..  edenbraytoday05.01.2020 .. + edits

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a letter from Benjamin .. .

a letter from Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin wrote me an introduction to my first Anthology of verse .. .

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an essay .. .

‘Indians’

I feel my most alive – when I am writing.

When I was a child I took part in a game of ‘Indians’. We were cubs on a weekend retreat in the country, somewhere near Guildford in Surrey. We were staying in a wood cabin. Two players were selected from the group as ‘cowboys’ to round up the remaining ‘Indians’. The game was a ‘tag’ game and two cowboys had to ‘tag’ the ‘Indians’ and thereby make them ‘cowboys’. We wore handkerchiefs tied round our heads to assume our ‘Indians’ role-play. We were given so many minutes to disappear into the area of bracken, scrubland and a further wood of birch and oak. I buried myself in an area of dense bracken with nettles, some of which stung my bare knees and I listened carefully as the boys ran around excitedly tagging each other, shouting, squealing with laughter and enjoying the game and that ‘thrill of being caught’ as boys tend to do.  

My heart was pounding as I lay in the bracken and the day travelled on and the sun dipped to make it cool and damp. I changed my position several times, running to the woods, hiding in bushes and then returning to the bracken as I heard the hunters getting closer and closer and then gradually drifting away, while more and more ‘Indians’ were caught and began ‘hunting’ also. The game had turned into hours as the area was large and the boys searched thoroughly. I continually tightened the bandana round my head as it absorbed the sweat from my brow and drifted down my head.

I had begun to feel wild and very alone as the day progressed, like a character from William Golding’s dystopian novel ‘Lord of the Flies’ or a true wolf cub as our society club imagined we were. I ran … and hid … and crept …  and felt the sweat … and the muck cling to me … from the bracken … and the dust … and the trees.

Eventually Mr Street the pack leader and our ‘Arkala’ blew his whistle to end the came.  I, still hidden in the bracken, felt remote, strange, wild, unsociable, – ‘Indian’. I wanted the game to be real and to continue forever. Eventually I emerged from the long grasses something like an astronaut plucked from the ocean and reunited with his comrades with cheers and back slapping. It had been a memorable game, a great game and I and maybe a couple of others were never caught! 

It is like this when I am writing.  I have been hiding in bracken but when I write I step out from the undergrowth, out into the light and I can hear applause and back slapping .

thanks for reading ~ edenbray

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edenbray ~ a writer and artist .. . since 1966

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edenbray was born and raised in Cheam in the county of Surrey in the UK during the 1950’s and 60’s and after leaving school in 1966 at 14 years old he worked consistently for 55 years as a draughtsman, artists agent, furniture warehouseman, removals technician and hospital porter before becoming self-employed for 35 years .. . he worked as a freelance graphic artist and signwriter before owning 3 popular and successful arts and craft stores. The first in south London and two more in Lincolnshire. The second in Boston, Lincolnshire was forced to close due to arson and the subsequent third held the Meridian Artist’s Gallery and provided art classes for all ages. After closing his third shop due to rising costs and Internet trading he worked as a sales advisor for an established Department Store from 2005 – 2020. Since retiring in 2020 he continues to work as a talented fine artist and also began a dog walking service for fitness and companionship.

… edenbray loves Art, Literature and Sport. He began following Chelsea FC after seeing the young Jimmy Greaves in 1958 and developed a love of American Football, especially the San Francisco 49ers which began around 1985. He began playing Walking Football at age 64 years in 2014 and he continues on into his 73rd year. He is a keen advocate and active member of this growing sport and has become a coach and manager of a successful over-70’s side.

… edenbray has always held an affinity, appreciation, love and respect for women, due in part to being raised solely by his mother, Roma Joan from the age of 11 and he genuinely enjoys female company. He has been happily married since 1976 and with his wife and life-partner Ruth, they have raised 4 children. 2 girls and 2 boys. All 4 of his children are happily married with individual life partners. He has 6 grandchildren 5 of which are boys and 1 a sweet girl. Both his sons are artists in their own right. One working in graphic and computer design, the other has an MA in fine art which he also teaches. One of his daughters is a receptionist, creates hand-crafted silver jewellery and is a devoted cub/scout leader, the other is a most beautiful flower who worked for many years in care for the elderly and is currently a school janitor. They are all wonderful children.

 … edenbray has always enjoyed writing and has written creatively and seriously since 1966 when he left school. He has enjoyed painting and drawing all his life, a family tradition and skill … He had 2 very successful solo Art Exhibitions of his paintings in various mediums and has had poems printed in many anthologies. In 2020 he catalogued 55 years of creative writing and later has self published 30 chapbooks of essays and verse. edenbray is currently working on his next solo art exhibition and continues to write extensively as a ‘beat’ poet within his own self-classified and titled genre – ‘prog-prose’.

… edenbray has posted to this WordPress blog – written poems, essays, short stories and a novel he has been working on for over thirteen years … edenbray consistently welcomes comment and criticism of his work. Many of his poems are available to purchase in a series of chapbooks and pamphlets, beside his published Anthology of verse.

Go to > https://edenbray8.com/edenbray-pamphlets-and-publications-to-purchase/  for more information and to purchase any of these titles!

edenbray’s 24 ORIGINAL CHAPBOOKS STILL AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE .. .

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… edenbray runs several blogs you might like to visit. You can click on the links below to visit any of these sites  :~

edenbray 1 – SITE ‘A’  – the original edenbray blog which began in 2010 and received over 31,000 hits   >  https://edenbray.wordpress.com

Da’ Bear’s Renamed ‘No-Diet’ Blog – for those who struggle with their weight  as I do>   https://wordpress.com/view/dabearsyo.wordpress.com

K=DU ARTS MAGAZINE– edenbray’s LIGHT-HEARTED LOOK AT THE ARTS and MEDIA BLOG – ‘through the eyes of a KUDU’ (the prince of antelopes)

edenbray’s beautiful game >> BLOG DEVOTED TO HIS LOVE OF PURE FOOTBALL

edenbray’s beautiful blues – BLOG DEVOTED TO CHELSEA FC

49ERSFAITHFULUk – BLOG DEVOTED TO THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERs NFL TEAM

a sassanachs guide to scottush fitba, wumen n’whuskey – BLOG DEVOTED TO A LOVE OF ALL THINGS SCOTTISH

also FOLLOW edenbray on TWITTER >  @edenbray8

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edenbray connecting with his irish/gaelic roots

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VIDEO TO VIEW >>>

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ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO TO VIEW >>>

this sure makes you think how important WE ARE to someone!

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edenbray .. .

a photo gallery .. .

edenbray in 1967 – such a nice lad .. . where did it all go wrong?

edenbray in 1973 – up in Scotland – ‘ma hailen’ hame’ – and my favourite country on planet earth

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edenbray – ‘learning to be honest … to God and anyone else who may be listening’

The mask has fallen to the floor and left me a little naked and a lot exposed, not a pretty sight some might say. 

edenbray is BALADiN my alter-ego and companion for many years – I have written a SERIES of 11 POEMS under the TITLE – BALADIN’S DREAM and OTHER STORIES – available to purchase