The Tay Bridge Disaster: Death by Design | Flimsy Metal & AWFUL Poetry!

[@georgecoventry8441]

You have shown great courage in reciting ALL THREE William McGonagall poems about the Tay Bridge(s) in their ENTIRETY!!!!!!! And in a Scottish accent as well! Huzzah! Huzzah! HUZZAH!!!! Stoutly done! I have been amused by McGonagall's poetry for many years, but never have I heard anyone with the pluck and sheer determination to recite all 3 of those poems, and in chronological order too. I think you have earned yourself an O.B.E., my good man. 😄 A pity that Queen Victoria is not still alive to knight you for it. In addition to that, a fine documentary of the incident as well. Bravo!

[@annemariebell6970]

I enjoyed the narrator's commentary while reciting them.

[@danmac73]

@@annemariebell6970 Me too, hilarious :)

[@kriegfaust]

This was a terrible terrible tragic disaster, not just for the people of Scotland but for the nation as a whole and may it be remembered for evermore as to never be repeated. The train crash was bad news too! RIP to all those lost souls.

[@DiD86]

I see what you did there….

[@greendragon4058]

There is a band of that has put it in one of their albums I think it's fitting

[@jenniferbrewer5370]

(almost falls off couch laughing)

[@Eric_Hutton.1980]

LOL! Took me a second to get it.

[@jiggermast]

Brilliant analysis of a master poet, I cried!

[@civillady13]

Both your brogue and your honest reactions while reading those affronts to poetry were priceless! This is the first time I have heard your channel and I greatly enjoyed your presentation of the disaster.

[@TheWhitefisher]

I felt the opposite way. Wouldn't it have been enough to simply say "this poetry is not very sophisticated" or did we really need to pause for forced laughter and repetitive announcements of repeated lines? I imagine I could have identified bad poetry without such hand holding, and I am by no means convinced that the recording offered contained genuine laughter or a first reaction of any kind. As with good art, bad art is better delivered by itself. No over-commentary necessary, because that only serves to drag the experience out and create two bad works. The commentary surrounding the poetry is itself infantile, repetitive, and unoriginal. It was well within the realm of any highschool student, and that doesn't justify the implication that the creator is more able than any other person with a reasonable grasp of English to critique poetry. Therefore, why have we all wasted our time listening to poorly-acted chortles and bland commentary after nearly every single line of a shitty poem?

[@BrettonFerguson]

Poetry: The other Tay bridge disaster.

[@BrettonFerguson]

@@TheWhitefisher Your comment relies on the assumption this was scripted and he was acting. Also I find it humorous people watching KZbin, and reading KZbin comment sections, complaining about something "Wasted our time". Wasting time? Really? Got some other important KZbin comment sections you need to attend to? The purpose of KZbin is to waste time. It's what KZbin does.

[@frustratedfriar9632]

@@TheWhitefisher Hear, Hear! I mostly agree with what you said. But add to that his cursing, swearing. Use something else besides the name "Jesus Christ".

[@GordonHouston-Smith]

@@frustratedfriar9632Lost me there. I would have thought an appeal to your last hope in a moment of darkness would not be classed as swearing. A few years ago I somebody reprimanded me for saying: "Jesus wept". They got the good news.

[@KevinDoylePID]

McGonagall wasn't just the "worst poet in British history. From Wikipedia: "Whilst working at the loom, McGonagall would entertain his shopmates with recitations from Shakespeare. On one occasion they paid a local theatre owner to allow him to appear in the title role in a production of Macbeth. Convinced that the actor playing Macduff was envious of him, McGonagall refused to die in the final act. For this performance, the Book of Heroic Failures awarded him the title of the "worst Macbeth" as well as "worst British poet".

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂😂 brilliant!!

[@malbig2344]

fantastic book

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I've still got a battered paperback of it!

[@laurasmith9407]

A true tragedy for sure, but, seriously, the poetry read had me in stitches. I was laughing so loud, my husband came in my office to see what was so funny. It just goes on and on. Every time you started the next line, I literally said aloud, ‘Oh Lord, there’s more!?’

[@DiD86]

That’s exactly how I felt! 😂😂😂

[@spindizzy64]

We can take comfort that the poor victims of this disaster didn't have to listen to the poem penned in their memory.

[@Donkey_Glossolalia]

😆

[@cliffordfreeman7829]

Amen.

[@neilashley8460]

In his autobiography McGonagall states: "I do not like publicans; the first man to throw a plate of peas at me was a publican." Thus implying that people had done it more than once and who can blame them.

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂😂

[@sameyers2670]

He must have recited his poetry to them 🤣🤣🤣

[@danmac73]

🤣😂

[@mattwilliams3456]

The ghosts of those lost don’t haunt the bridge, they haunt the desk where McGonagall wrote.

[@johnking1381]

We can but hope

[@jamesfracasse8178]

Why though?

[@cliffordfreeman7829]

Better yet his Gravesite.

[@Rainy1dae]

Thank you for reading those poems. Loved the accent, you did marvelous!! And, I admit I laughed my ass off!! The Tay bridge disaster was quite interesting.

[@pras12100]

A good account of the disaster followed by an entertaining poetry recital. About 35:00 you asked whether you missed something and to share it in the comments. I have a couple of things about the locomotive. Recovering the locomotive took three attempts. The first time the lifting tackle was not strong enough and the locomotive would not budge. When they tried a second time they used stronger chains and got the locomotive out of the water just before they too failed. The locomotive dropped back into the river. On the third time, with everything reinforced, they were successful. When the locomotive was rebuilt the crews were mostly fine with her except nobody wanted to take her over big river bridges especially the rebuilt Tay Bridge. She did not cross the new bridge until the 29th anniversary of the disaster in 1908. I wonder if the train passengers realised the were on the same (evening) service with the same locomotive as the people who perished. Just my thoughts.

[@DiD86]

Thank you very much for those extra bits! That’s really interesting. 👍🏻

[@elainebertholini7199]

Omg blending tragedy and comedy that is the best 38 minutes I've had all week That bloody poem and your rendition will be with me all day ❤😂

[@DiD86]

You’re welcome.

[@nicnag1]

Agree

[@oriontaylor]

Rest in peace to all those poor people who died when the bridge collapsed, and died again when McGonagall published his memorial poem. What was he, a nine-year-old with early access to an internet rhyming website? As a companion to this video, you might consider one on the Ashtabula Horror, a bridge designed by Amasa Stone that collapsed not that long before the Tay. There’s a similar poem written about it by Julia Moore (and possibly some others, but I’m not aware of them).

[@DiD86]

Oooh thanks for the tip, I’ll look into it.

[@foo219]

It was bad, but not the worst I've heard. There's always beat poetry to reckon with.

[@jenniferbrewer5370]

I wrote better poetry than this when I was nine, LOL.

[@karimski84]

Sir, thank you for enduring those poems for us. Yet you now leave me wanting more ….a new channel where you read bad poetry in Brogue ❤ thank you !

[@DiD86]

youtube.com/@DiDReads Well, if you go to the link above, you’ll find my alternate channel. No specifically BAD poetry at the moment but I certainly could be tempted to give it a go….

[@kathleenrobertson2193]

Came for the disaster, subscribed because of your reading of those terrible poems. Great video!

[@norituk9824]

Great video, very informative. And, by the way, thanks for not treating us like kids and pouring background music over it, like ketchup over french fries.

[@DiD86]

No problem. To be fair, adding background music is totally unnecessary in my opinion. It’s just more work that yields zero benefits!

[@norituk9824]

@@DiD86 yes, I agree. Also many video creators seem to think we (consumers) want it, or need it, and I don't believe that's the case at all. If the documentary is well written and narrated (and, bless you, this one is) then mood music is just unnecessary, as you say.

[@domfjbrown75]

I dunno... It works sometimes. Fascinating Horror and The Ravens Eye spring to mind...

[@CatusDomesticus_]

I fell asleep watching this and woke up to your recitations. Good lord.

[@ellenbryn]

My gods, that poem. Do you suppose we could use it as some kind of punishment for deaths caused by negligent engineering, making the perpetrators listen to or recite it once for each victim?

[@DiseaseShaker]

@@ellenbryn Like the Vogons in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! 😆

[@kevein57]

That poetry adds insult to injury, thanks for your eloquent portrayal of his awful penmanship...

[@davidpowell6098]

After that recital, we now know why Whisky was invented, very well read, my friend.

[@Thechezbailey]

This is the best youtube channel today, It tells of the bridge o'er the silvery Tay, The bridge collapsed when the train was about half way, I am not watching this video in May, But I watch DiD both night and day, And I hope others watch from far away, And I hope he prospers for many a day, Near Dundee, in the bonnie Magdalene Green, Fuck Brooklyn Bridge

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 brilliant!

[@johndemeritt3460]

My wife and I just came across this video. We wondered if it were possible that McGonagail could really be SO bad. Then we heard you read you read these three poems. Now, we know why the Vogons had to destroy Earth for "a hyperspace bypass": McGonagail threatened their reputation for writing the worst poetry in the universe!

[@CaptainColdyron222]

Iron Maiden once recorded an epic fifteen minute song based on The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I hope their next album has a fifteen minute song based on McGonagall’s Tay Bridge poetry.

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂 is the world ready for that, do you think?

[@CaptainColdyron222]

@@DiD86 I don’t know about the rest of the world but I’m certainly ready for that.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Death Metal McGonnigle?

[@domfjbrown75]

​@@DiD86if it handles Yoko Ono, I see no reason why not :)

[@terrisomers7843]

Great video on a sad occurrence. You had me practically crying between your comments and the memes. And the brogue was spot on and just added fuel to the fire! 😂

[@DiD86]

😂👌🏻

[@Suxipumpkin]

I didn't expect to be dying of cringe laughter during a video about such a tragic disaster, but that poem was just so horrific - a train disaster followed by a complete train wreck! What was that man thinking!?!? This was an awful event and I think you presented it respectfully. However the poems were most entertaining. 🥴🤦‍♀

[@greendragon4058]

Was great 😜😛

[@pippagrey9633]

I think I'd rather listen to Vogon poetry than any more of that man's "verse".

[@NJPurling]

The Comedian Billy Connolly actually visited the site of the disaster and recited Wm Mc Gonagall's poem in blizzard conditions. Mc Gonagall is said to have been the worst poet ever & he didn't gave a damn what anyone else thought of his work.

[@frjonathanhill9817]

The great McGonagall was indeed a dreadful poet, but his poems - particularly those on disasters - are utterly heartfelt and genuine. Yes, of course we laugh, but let's also listen to what he was saying.

[@henrygingold6549]

The Lord and Lady Dalhousie are dead and buried at last which has caused many people to feel sad and downcast.

[@icescrew1]

Tay Bridge poem sadly caused me to violently convulse. A trip to the Emergency Room and heavy sedation has seemingly postponed my death from BPSS. "Bad poetry shock syndrome" .

[@GroofusDoofus900]

Your description of the poet and then reading of his poem nearly made me fall of my chair - just hilarious.

[@DiD86]

It’s soooooo bad, isn’t it? I mean, what an absolute RASPBERRY!

[@181stTIE]

That screech of metal was not the bridge collapsing, but that of the bloody poet angering the gods with his ear piercing pronouncements. Unfortunately, the tragedy of the sixty who perished is almost overshadowed by that of his birth and subsequent assaults on Scottish literature. I never thought I would look forward to a good book burning.

[@sitara2783]

Suddenly I understand why someone might gnaw their own limb off upon being forced to listen to bad poetry.

[@domfjbrown75]

This is worse than Vogon poetry!!!

[@panqueque445]

Oh my god those poems were criminal. I'm pretty sure that second one counts as defiling a corpse.

[@Floridad25]

halfway through the poem I was tempted to go and find the railway bridge just so I could throw myself off it....

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂 A friend of mine said, “I’ve never been to Dundee but I fucking HATE the Magdalene Green!” 😂😂😂

[@katie8404]

You know, when I first read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I had a laugh at the idea of poetry so bad it could be used as a torture device. Having watched this video, I now understand completely.

[@alisea1966]

Just to mention, the German poet Theodor Fontane wrote a quite famous poem called ‚ Die Brück‘ am Tay‘ well known to a whole lot of German pupils who had to learn it by heart…

[@ianb9028]

Spike Milligan had a goon show character called William McGoonagall (a terrible Scottish poet) who would contribute poems like “Through the night the blizzard fiend Did like a lion roar The snow rose up from inches three To inches three foot four.”

[@DiD86]

I’m aware of Spike’s work, he was a true comedy genius! My dad raised me on the Goon Show and I remember the reference to McGoonagall.

[@henrygingold6549]

Beautiful railway bridge over the silvery Tay, Your beautiful steel girders pylons will remain for many a year. Followed by, "Beautiful new railway bridge over the silvery Tay!

[@HailAnts]

Monty Python did a similar sketch, The Poet McTeagle..

[@henrygingold6549]

William Topaz McGonagall (poet tragedian and wit) was a real person who in his own head was a genius. He even went as far as to walk from Dundee to Balmoral Castle to demand that Queen Victoria make him Poet Laureate. She was wasn't in. His doggerel "poetry" and musings are wonderful to read but beware, you'll be sore laughing before you reach the end! Here's another one: "The Lord and Lady Dalhousie and dead and buried at last which has caused many poor people to be sad and downcast". Milligan was given a copy of McGonagall's book by Peter Sellers and thus it began. There is a totally insane movie called, "The Great McGonagall" which stars Milligan and Peter Sellers as Queen Victoria. There's also a gramophone recording of Prince Albert eating a giraffe and breaking wind.

[@TlarythPhalyn]

I've never shared any of the disaster videos I've watched simply because I don't know anyone who's as interested in them as I am... Until now. I'm laughing so hard my eyes are watering. I can't wait to share this.

[@AlphaWolfShadow]

I came here for the legacy of the train disaster, but little did I know the disaster that was that poetry xD You're getting a like and subscription just for going above and beyond to read that all for us so we didn't have to, as well as informing us in general.

[@DiD86]

Always happy to suffer for my art! 😂😂😂😂

[@DeanCainLover]

Man, you're a good sport for reading those HORRIBLE poems.

[@kddicks5115]

Oh my word!!! I honestly do hope those were the ONLY three poems he ever "wrote" that the world could do without!! Didn't people have friends back in the day that would keep them from doing dumb shit?? The repeating lines are just...I don't know🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ All of it... it's just SOOOO BAD!! I thought that first one might NEVER end!!!Thank you, for providing a little levity with this one! Well done keeping it mostly together!!😅😅 I did thoroughly enjoy your cold read reaction!!🤣🤣 Ps: you DO have friends looking out for you!!😉😉

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂

[@MegaMesozoic]

One reason why this disaster has always been remembered is because it's still the only railway disaster where the entire train and all its passengers and crew were lost.

[@annemariebell6970]

Your nonverbal subtext is "Please, just shoot me NOW." . By the way, I LOVE your commentary throughout those torturous recitings.

[@DiD86]

DISCLAIMER: The images used in this video are for illustrative purposes only. They are not meant to accurately depict every single point being made or explained but are the best representation of them, given my limited resources. Please keep this in mind before commenting. CORRECTIONS: The train was Northbound, not south as I erroneously stated.

[@iainmalcolm9583]

Good video. William McGonagall is truly bad but I was reminded of another Scottish poet/comedian from the 1970's called Matt McGinn. Some of his stuff is on YT. One of his poems tells the story of a Bee Keeper who lived in the French town of Effen. The first verse :- He kept bees in the old town of Effen, An Effen beekeeper was he, And one day this Effen beekeeper, Was stung by a big Effen bee.

[@karlbark]

My God ! 😮 - I mean it, - oh my God ! That was eye-opening ! I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for including that...(uhm..) "poetry" ! I have now & again put together some "mud-slinging...poetry" (especially in my younger days). -It was *fantastic* to hear this ! 😊 It means that I no longer have to be as embarrassed when I think of my own horrid...cobbling-together-of-texts. So, again, thank you ! (We actually put great stock in well executed poetry here in Iceland 🇮🇸 So I'm *actually* & *really* thankful for your entry. -It makes me feel slightly less shameful. -Thank you ! ❤

[@DiD86]

I have an alternate channel called “DiD Reads” where I post poetry and famous speeches. It’s not been going long but if you’d care to give it a look, I’d be most appreciative. Still massively grateful for your support here, of course.

[@patrickmonks9761]

There were two things fortunate about Galloping Gertie; only the dog perished and that poet never wrote one for her! I need a word that ends sounding like Tay. Writers block) oh, Day!

[@wutangalex]

Loved seeing this, grew up on stories of the disaster and trips to the museum where there were passenger’s items like purses and a christening gown one was carrying in a package. Even having travelled over the rail and road bridges hundreds of times, you never fail to get a little shiver when you see the old girders still in situ alongside the newer ones.

[@S0SS0L]

It seems that Douglas Adams hadn’t heard any of MacGonagal’s work when he wrote that Vogon poetry was the second only to that of Paula Mancy Millstone Jennings as the worst in the universe.

[@stuartaaron613]

I was thinking the same thing! But wasn't Vogon poetry actually third worse? I forgot the name of the poet, but he was stopped reading his poem when his lower intestine throttled his brain in order to stop him. He was considered second worst, after Ms. Jennings. 42!

[@S0SS0L]

@@stuartaaron613 You are correct. I forgot about the Azgoths of Kria. I don't recall the name either, but the poem was called Ode to a Small Lump of Green Putty I found in My Armpit One Midsummer Morning. I can't control what sticks into my brain.

[@jaakkomantyjarvi7515]

@@S0SS0L I had to look this one up to see if I remembered correctly. The Ode to a Small Lump... caused four of his audience to die of internal haemorrhaging, and it was when he was about to embark on a reading of his twelve-volume epic My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles that his own intestine, "in a desperate attempt to save life and civilisation", throttled him.

[@davidpowell6098]

Poet, Tragedian, and Twit, that's how the Goons described McGonagall. Fits him, too.

[@AA-69]

There was a survivor, It was my grandfather who was going salmon fishing . He was found the next morning on one of the pilings, He had his fishing rod with him and had already caught 2 salmon to pass the time !. He was glad to see the rescuers though as he's finished all his sandwiches !!!

[@sharonshea3261]

Loved the reading of the poems (such as they were) (and the under breath comments as well haha)

[@harryjohnson9215]

That was a terrible disaster. Oh and i can't forget about the the Bridge, that was a disaster as well

[@mwhitelaw8569]

And yet you continued on You're quite a sport I had a good chuckle

[@DiD86]

It pained me deeply, I can assure you. 😂

[@mwhitelaw8569]

@@DiD86 You aren't the only one Ha!

[@borisbadaxe9678]

A poet truly equal to the great Grunthos the Flatulent.

[@DiD86]

😂😂

[@logotrikes]

I always believed that the worst poetry in the Universe was from the Vogons. I was wrong....

[@skwervin1]

Give the man a scotch for his efforts at reading that tripe..... and I love the memes!!!!

[@andrewrife6253]

William McGonagall made his greatest contribution to poetry on September 29th, 1902 He died

[@AlanBarry]

Superb - I was drawn to listen to the recital of the poems as one is drawn to watching the aftermath of a road crash - your comments throughout were hilarious - totally hilarious

[@FallenAnvilForge]

My ears are bleeding. Thanks for sharing this tragic story but I must agree that the poems are, well....... What rhymes with terrible.

[@5amH45lam]

Great video. I must say, I admire William McGonagall's DGAF attitude! 👌

[@georgecoventry8441]

McGonagall is one for the Ages! Scotland's noblest son! The most revered Bard of Caledonia! Alas, when he walked all the way to Queen Victoria's summer mansion to present his patriotic poetry to her (in which he slavishly showered her, the nobility, and the other royals with worshipful admiration), the red-coated guards at the gate refused to let him IN.....and he had to walk alone and rejected all the way back to Edinburgh! It's a hard, cruel world for uniquely gifted men of undeniable literary genius....like William Topaz McGonagall. 😂 (read the above comments in a Scottish accent for best effect...)

[@LadySingingWolf]

I had to laugh when you mentioned the Tacoma Narrows. I grew up in that area and my mom and grandma would tell me stories of "Galloping Gertie" as the old bridge was called. Been over the bridge (both of them) several times...still scary when the winds are high.

[@scottgeorge4268]

Another masterpiece of research and reporting, wonderfully put together to produce this excellent documentary. Many thanks. 👍👍❤❤

[@DiD86]

And many thanks right back at you for your support. 👍🏻😇

[@alanspencer1631]

I`ll be thinking of the Bridge across the Silvery Tay for all the rest of the day!! Thanks for a great post.

[@DiD86]

Have fun with that!!😂 Thank you.

[@deb6759]

The readings of the poet's works was so funny that I nearly hurt myself laughing. Thank you. Peace and roses, Deb the TN Scary Lady

[@DiD86]

You’re most welcome. I am always glad to be of service!😂

[@blatherskite3009]

Subbed because of the poetry reading. I mean, the rest was good, but it was the "Oh f*ck off!" reaction to McGonagall that clinched it :) I'm no poet, but I'm poet enough to notice that "McGonagall" rhymes and scans rather nicely with "doggerel" - and how apt that is. Well, at least he was _memorably_ bad as a poet. Being forgotten as a mere mediocrity is surely a worse fate for an "artist"...

[@malbig2344]

McGonagall's acting was so bad that it became legendary... He played Macbeth and during the sword fight with MacDuff he believed he was being upstaged and refused to die, the audience began shouting out encouragement to McGonagall and it looked like a new ending to Shakespeare's play was on the cards.

[@3ftsteamrwy12]

Thought of something you might find of interest..there was a 1876 US bridge failure that is the literal twin of the Tay Bridge disaster..the failure of the bridge on the Lake Shore Railroad on December 29, 1876 , called the "Ashtibula Horror" when an ill-designed iron howe-design truss bridge failed under the "Pacific Express" during a Blizzard, dropping the train into the river, with heavy loss of life.

[@DiD86]

Oooh. I’ll have a look into that. Thanks for the tip.

[@kimmykimak3737]

A very tragic story but even more tragic is the fact that man wrote those poems 🤦!

[@DiD86]

😂

[@kaybischoff3275]

I really thought you'd make it through without losing it but glad you didn't. I don't feel bad for lmao & cringing. Your Scottish accent is pretty good to me. 😊 I'll call you out. I'm a writer & that hurt so much. My muse packed his bags & left over that. 😂

[@DiD86]

LOL! Glad you enjoyed it! I defy anyone to keep a straight face whilst reading MacGonagall!

[@mikepowell2776]

You might consider the river Severn disaster of 1960, another railway bridge collapse but brought down by a shipping collision in fog. Although the death toll was lower and it was an unremitting tragedy it possesses one beneficial element - no one has written doggerel poetry about it.

[@DiD86]

I wasn’t aware of that one, I’ll look into it. Thanks.

[@sidneywaller9191]

my god that was the worst poem i have ever heard i thought i was going to run outside in front of a train

[@johnking1381]

I know you warned us the poetry was awful but fuck me runnin, that was an ordeal.. " A worse yet poet remains to be seen We'll bury him upon the Magdalene green"😂 I was in a 10 yr relationship with a Scottish woman, this gave me PTSD. Other than that another epic, this channel is the business 👌

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂 couldn’t agree more! Thank you for the props as well! 👍🏻😇

[@sameyers2670]

I hadn't realised he had written 3 poems about the Tay Bridge, thank you for sharing them. I see why he was considered the worst poet. The disaster isn't the only thing that has been remembered for a very long time, so has his god awful poetry 🤣🤣🤣

[@savannahcatchat]

As a new subscriber that was pure torture you put me through😂

[@DiD86]

Trust me, it doesn’t get easier! 😂😂😂😂

[@oldgraveyardhistoryinscotl9818]

Thanks loved your readings of those three terrible pomes

[@DiD86]

Thank you very much. 😂

[@louielouie6259]

I shall never forget Those awful rhymes For a very, very, very, very Long time. Thanks, new subscriber!

[@suzannewilliam-james9744]

Just found your channel ❤️ those poems 😂😂😂 haven't laughed so much in ages. Keep up the great content

[@DiD86]

Laughing or cringing? 😂😂😂

[@suzannewilliam-james9744]

@@DiD86 both 😂😂😂

[@littleblackcar]

" . . . imperfections . . . masked with a mixture of iron filings and wax, painted over with black lead . . . " Well, that's horrifying.

[@littleblackcar]

Also, thank you for reminding me why I hate poetry.

[@fionaparkinson3821]

I feel a bit bad for Thomas Bouch, it’s not very clear even today how much of the problem was design and how much manufacture. Ultimately he should have had more oversight than he did of the entire process but hindsight is 20/20. There’s definitely a lot of hubris in the entire construction process and there’s a lot of points where they should’ve stopped and taken stock, like finding out the riverbed wasn’t as solid as they thought, that the bridge swayed alarmingly when a train was on it etc. it’s a classic example of completion bias. I’ve started so I’ll finish. No one had the chance by that stage to say stop! Something is wrong, we need to look at this and maybe start again. As for the poem it’s awful! However, if you want absolutely dire, I would definitely not recommend Theo Marzials; A Tragedy. The best bit of the poem is Death, plop, the barges down the river flop.

[@furioussherman7265]

You know you're a bad poet when you make Vogon poetry from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy seem appealing by comparison to your own body of work.

[@martingambichler2377]

Another wonderful and very entertaining piece of history. You are a great narrator telling a tragic yet fine story, however one poem would have sufficed to prove the point. thanks again from NY.

[@malbig2344]

Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay! Alas! I am very sorry to say That ninety lives have been taken away On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time. ‘Twas about seven o’clock at night, And the wind it blew with all its might, And the rain came pouring down, And the dark clouds seem’d to frown, And the Demon of the air seem’d to say- “I’ll blow down the Bridge of Tay.” When the train left Edinburgh The passengers’ hearts were light and felt no sorrow, But Boreas blew a terrific gale, Which made their hearts for to quail, And many of the passengers with fear did say- “I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay.” But when the train came near to Wormit Bay, Boreas he did loud and angry bray, And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time. So the train sped on with all its might, And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sight, And the passengers’ hearts felt light, Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year, With their friends at home they lov’d most dear, And wish them all a happy New Year. So the train mov’d slowly along the Bridge of Tay, Until it was about midway, Then the central girders with a crash gave way, And down went the train and passengers into the Tay! The Storm Fiend did loudly bray, Because ninety lives had been taken away, On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time. As soon as the catastrophe came to be known The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown, And the cry rang out all o’er the town, Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down, And a passenger train from Edinburgh, Which fill’d all the peoples hearts with sorrow, And made them for to turn pale, Because none of the passengers were sav’d to tell the tale How the disaster happen’d on the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember’d for a very long time. It must have been an awful sight, To witness in the dusky moonlight, While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray, Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay, Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv’ry Tay, I must now conclude my lay By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay, That your central girders would not have given way, At least many sensible men do say, Had they been supported on each side with buttresses, At least many sensible men confesses, For the stronger we our houses do build, The less chance we have of being killed.

[@DiD86]

Terrible, isn’t it? 😂😂😂

[@1man_crowd]

... like Vogon poetry. 👽

[@pippagrey9633]

@@DiD86 I'd never thought of trying to teach engineering principles via "poetry". And yes, Vogon poetry would be vastly preferable. Though perhaps a recitation of McGonagle's greatest hits might have changed their minds about Earth's destruction. Either that or hastened it.

[@jenniferbrewer5370]

The bridge wasn't as bad as this poem.

[@LindaCooper-i3f]

Show me the high school student who would recite this poem for an assignment, and I’ll show you someone with great courage.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

YOU POOR SOD! McGonagall is our very own Vogon poet, is he not?

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

Oh, and if your family is Scottish, so are you. You've a right tae the accent. ;)

[@DiD86]

I was born in England but I feel a much greater connection to the Scottish part of my ancestry.

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

@@DiD86 Ever heard of Ulster Scots? They are descendents of the original plantation Scots in eastern Ulster (mainly Counties Antrim and Down, I think), and they speak a very strange dialect of Scots. They are Scottish, dozens of generations after plantation. We also have Yorkshire Scots ... two massive Scottish enclaves in South Yorkshire: Barnsley and Doncaster - migration during the depression to work the mines on the South Yorkshire Coalfield. :) My daughter, incidentally, was born in Finland but is still British (registered herself as a citizen some years ago). If it's good enough for the Nationality Act ... ;)

[@Dav1Gv]

What a great video. I see you've done one about Quintinshill, what about the Newtown - Abermule crash (if you haven't done it yet).

[@DiD86]

I’ll add it to the to do list.

[@StockportJambo]

I was born in Dundee and grew up in nearby Arbroath. We would regularly pass the Tay rail bridge, and my Dad would say "That's how to build a bridge!" before adding "Right next to it, is how *not* to build a bridge!"

[@Audriene]

My lawyer shall be contacting you regarding a 10 million dollar suite for exposing me to the horrors of this "poetry". Honestly, it makes you regret the invention of language. Great video!

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂😂I was wondering where you were going with that from the opening sentence! 😂😂😂 Maybe that’s really what made Van Gogh cut his ear off! 😂😂😂😂

[@hootsmon4723]

This is the reason the forth railway bridge is over engineered.

[@sophiegeorge2816]

My dad worked on steam trains and he loved them especially fried breakfast done on the fire shovel. He only stopped working on the trains when dr Beeching closed the railway line that my dad worked on. Otherwise I’m sure he would still be working on them aged 92 I wish we could have seen your face when you were reciting those poems

[@DiD86]

Aye, the old steam trains are the best. And trust me, the people have suffered enough without seeing my ugly fizz! 😂

[@deborahbarry8250]

Shocking that no one has put his lyrics to music 🎶. Would make a Bonnie Scottish ballet. 😵

[@DiD86]

😂😂😂😂

[@jaakkomantyjarvi7515]

Here's a melodrama rendering of McGonagall's "The Famous Tay Whale" by Matyás Seiber from the celebrated Hoffnung concerts of the 1950s: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpzPXnSLiNSipbc ...and here's my setting of the same poem for two choirs and two pianists: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnfRd6WIl6qsatE

[@deborahbarry8250]

@@jaakkomantyjarvi7515 thank you my friend... I will listen to both and let you know

[@deborahbarry8250]

@@jaakkomantyjarvi7515 I did enjoy Hoffman's MusicFestival very much. The orchestra and choir I could not understand the words they were singing. Thanks again

[@wozzer2727]

You forgot his 4th poem, ahem...."oh beautiful bridge of the Tay, I'll shut the fuck up, and go away. Might go to Dundee or Magdlelene green, where the bonnie wee women are quite keen, and always obscene..........The rest is just too disgusting to read.

[@DiD86]

If that’s genuine, I want to see it! 😂😂😂😂😂 Well played! 👍🏻

[@ShikataGaNai100]

That may possibly be the worst doggerel in the history of the English language. I can almost hear Sir Jackie Stewart reading it. "There's a terrible accident in Turn 3, Keith."

[@DiD86]

Haha!

[@jaakkomantyjarvi7515]

Beautiful Silverstone Formula 1 speedway! Alas, many bonnie racing cars have been carted away compacted into masses of metal both twisted and dense on account of their great speed on hitting the fence.

[@YvetteWebber-zn8sv]

That poetry!!! 😂😂 I'm laughing so hard my neighbors can surely hear me. Well played my guy. That was classic. I always enjoy your content. Thank you. 🙌🏻

[@DiD86]

It really is terrible, isn't it? My god, the cringe I felt whilst reading it.....

[@YvetteWebber-zn8sv]

@@DiD86 Hahaha! Trust me, we could hear the cringe!! 🤣

[@e.pierce8058]

Video very well done. One note: there's no way the relief fund raised 126,000,000 quid in today's money. That's more than two million per victim; maybe double-check your figures?

[@DiD86]

Yeah, I did do, I’d completely F’d up the decimal point! 😅🤦🏻‍♂️

[@jenniferloving9054]

I hope my late Grandma never had the displeasure of reading those poems! I felt your pain in reading these crimes against literature.

[@3ftsteamrwy12]

Um...so the scots poets are either trained by, or are part Vogon??? (gratuitous "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" reference...)

[@CissyBrazil]

Your reading of these poems cracked me up. We need the humor after such a disaster (train and poet)

[@kbbrown8154]

MacGonagal missed his calling by about 100 years. Could have had a passably acceptable gig writing for corny Hallmark greeting cards.

[@bookwormaddict3933]

My God that poem was painful. 😅😅

[@whydahell3816]

The William Webster Contractors pic was awesome, the care to give things beautiful craftsmanship like a refinery is amazing old class.

[@stephenpatrick5802]

Which killed more people, the poems or the collapse?

[@DiD86]

No comment! 😂😂😂

[@mattscudder1975]

Is it possible to do a clip on the New Cross Fire, if only because I’d like to hear you reading the New Crass Massahkah by Linton Kwesi Johnson to make up for those horrific poems? 🤔🤔😎😎

[@DiseaseShaker]

That was worth watching for the McGonagall poems alone! Much light relief amid such a solemn tale!

[@GrahamHill-oz1bu]

I was sufferin a bit, but that poetry has really cheered me up

[@jamespfp]

15:45 -- RE: Trains being blown off the tracks by wind alone; There are some significant provisos to mention with respect to this set of phenomena. Firstly, I suspect that one of the common factors in any such accident is that the railroad itself is narrow gauge, although it is not an essential factor. Secondly, seasonal variations in prevailing winds will likewise be an aggravating but not necessarily the ultimate cause of the accident. To illustrate: the Newfoundland Railway (1898 - 1988) has an infamous section located on the western side of the railway, called "The Wreckhouse". The local geological formations in the landscape force the railway to take a route near sea level and into a pass between 2 very high mountains, and the prevailing winds are such that the pass becomes a naturally occurring wind tunnel. Consequent to several accidents on that railway in its early years, "The Wreckhouse" became a regular stopping point during a cross-island journey on that railway, with special signals to trains to indicate that the winds were too high and that they must stop until the winds had died away.

[@jamespfp]

^^ The Wreckhouse remains a hazard to land traffic, to this day. The Trans Canada Highway runs alongside the old railway bed, right through it. Transport trucks have likewise been overturned there by the transient windstorms.

[@jamespfp]

SEE ALSO: watch?v=M0U6uJAvsVo Driving along the TCH through the Wreckhouse.

[@Nipplator99999999999]

It always amazes amazes me that the government puts out a job to bid on, saying it needed to be done as cheaply and soon as possible. They then pick a bid that is the cheapest and shortest estimate to award the contract to. Then when the corner cutting that saved all the money results in the project failure with loss of life, they put all blame on the poor people who had to follow their rules, without ever admitting to any fault of their own.