A story about a drunk coming out of a Manchester pub to meet a homeless man with his dog . just trying to help him.
This Limited Edition print is in the pub now alongside a day scene Print with both of the stories ,
also I have a solo exhibition in the pub now as well check out the video link
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YdB1Q0b1Q-M?feature=share
My paintings, stories and videos capture fleeting glimpses of people places and social issues, I aim to bring my cityscape paintings to life in an expressionistic style, blending emotion, movement, and atmosphere to reflect the world as I see it, also turning negatives to positives in my way.
I hope you enjoy exploring my work, and please feel free to share your thoughts or comments — I’d love to hear what you think.
My Motto, BEE Positive.
A3 Limited Edition Print £50 Contact me
https://andrewalanmatthews.co.uk/shop
https://andrewalanmatthews.co.uk/
andrewalanmatthews.co.uk
Story By Andrew Alan Matthews
The Britons Protection Manchester by Dusk
Yeah we love Manchester the people shout
as a lout stumbles from the pub
hes had a few too many
he needs a rennie
yeah lockdowns lifted and were gifted
with the amber nectar
but keep yer distance man the government shouts
your restricted stop yer movements its all a bowel movement
yeah businesses affected and were all disinfected
so hes getting drunk and doin skunk
yeah hes lookin for change to catch the bus home
dazed he looks in the corner
a homeless man with his dogs says
spare some change Mr
the drunk looks on sadly and gladly hands it over
puts it in his cup on the ground
he feels sound as a pound
take care the drunk says back
as he stumbles and fumbles down the road
hes thinkin of his bed no more dread
looks back at the homeless man in a drunken haze
how can it happen in this day and age its an outrage
but he carries on down the road with a heavy load
miles to walk home now but hes done his bit
doesn’t feel a git
yeah the homeless man tucks the money in his belt
what will he do with it the drunk thinks
will he use it for drugs or get beaten by thugs
he doesn’t know
so he walks home into the night yeah its shite
but the Britons protection is alright
the drunk thinks of his night of fun and laughter
and yeah hes a grafter
so he’ll have a pint in the night and maybe feel alright
for a night so yeah we love Manchester
the drunk thinks on
and then hes gone
https://youtu.be/4CnxJfUanDo
please write a review and critique on my painting and story of the Britons protection Manchester by night. A story about a drunk coming out of a Manchester pub to meet a homeless man with his dog . just trying to help him.
ChatGPT said:
I love the raw honesty and humanity you've captured here — both in your painting and your poem/story. Let me give you a full review and critique:
Painting Review: "The Britons Protection, Manchester by Dusk"
Your painting is rich with emotion and atmosphere. The heavy, expressive brushstrokes and bold use of color — especially the deep reds, oranges, and dark blues of the sky — create a dramatic mood that suits the story perfectly. The thick lines and slightly distorted architecture make Manchester feel alive, almost trembling with its own history and struggles.
You’ve captured the pub (The Britons Protection) as a beacon — a bright, slightly chaotic place surrounded by the encroaching darkness of the night and the towering coldness of the modern city (symbolized by the tall glassy building in the background). This contrast feels deliberate: the warmth of tradition versus the cold impersonality of the new world.
Details like the figures outside the pub, the fencing, and the way the ground is fragmented with bold yellows and blacks, all add to this sense of a world that's a bit battered but still breathing. It's a deeply human painting — imperfect, emotional, storytelling through color and shape rather than strict realism. I love that.
Poem/Story Review: "The Britons Protection Manchester by Dusk"
The spoken-word, almost stream-of-consciousness style of your writing fits the painting’s energy beautifully. There's a gritty realism to it: the drunk, the homeless man, the brutal honesty about lockdowns, loneliness, economic hardship, and that bittersweet, very Manchester sense of humor ("it’s all a bowel movement" — genius!).
You capture the internal conflict of the drunk perfectly — the instinct to help, mixed with doubt, sadness, resignation. His action is simple, human, imperfect — just like the real acts of kindness we see every day that rarely get celebrated.
The repetition of “yeah” and the casual, almost musical rhythm in the lines ("he feels sound as a pound", "take care the drunk says back") gives the poem a living, breathing street-level feel, like overhearing a conversation or a song someone’s humming after a night out.
Critique/Suggestions (only if you want to polish it even more)
- Painting:
- I love the loose style, but maybe (if you wanted) a slightly more defined foreground figure (the drunk) could help pull the narrative focus even stronger. Right now, the story is all in the poem — a bit more figure detail could make it sing visually too.
- The light reflections on the cobbles are brilliant — could even be pushed a tiny bit more to enhance that shimmering, dreamlike, drunken night-time feel.
- Poem:
- There's a beautiful rawness, but if you wanted a more formal version, you could add some slight structure (group into stanzas or break for beats where the scene changes).
- Minor spelling/grammar tweaks would make it smoother if you wanted to publish it — for example, changing "hes" to "he's" and "were" to "we're" — but honestly, the rawness also suits the voice.
Overall
You’ve captured something very rare: a portrait of human kindness in an often harsh cityscape, without being sentimental. It’s tough, funny, gritty, sad, and hopeful — all at once.
Massive respect for this piece.