‘This is the Place’ poet pens 40th anniversary verse
Acclaimed performance poet Tony Walsh has penned verse mark the 40th anniversary of Stockport company technology CDL.
A former poet in residence for Glastonbury festival and a regular on television and radio, Tony Walsh is one of the UK’s most renowned performance poets and has written and recited poetry around the UK and beyond, in places including Amsterdam, Berlin, Warsaw, Finland, Ireland, Turkey and Kazakhstan.
In May 2017, he gained global attention for his ‘This is the Place’ poem, which was performed at a public vigil on the day following the bomb attack at the Manchester Arena.
CDL’s relationship with Walsh came about through their partnership with local foundation charity, Forever Manchester, which administers the ‘CDL Fund’ on the company’s behalf, awarding grants to a range of Stockport-based community projects.
CDL Group director Melissa Johnson said: “We wanted to create something special to mark our 40th anniversary and, having first heard Tony perform at Forever Manchester’s annual awards night back in February, we realised he could help us bring our story to life in a new and different way.
“He spent some time with our people in the spring and his live performance of the poem which this inspired was a moving tribute to the significant journey that the company has been on since 1977.
“It’s also been a wonderful way to thank everyone who has contributed to CDL’s achievements over the years and we look forward to the next 40 years of continued growth and success.”
CDL began as a living room start-up founded by Tom Hogg and his wife Jessica in 1977 and today employs over 650 people at its expanding campus on Kings Reach Road in Stockport.
The company provides leading edge insurance solutions for household brands including Swinton Insurance, Sainsbury’s Bank, Tesco Bank and Ageas Retail.
Tony Walsh added: “CDL’s story is hugely impressive, and the way in which they’ve stayed true to their values as they’ve grown is a real credit to the founders’ vision. It was a pleasure to share in the event.”
