"NOBODY buys poetry." The words of a York publisher who turned up his nose when John Nursey first attempted to get his writing into print.

It was those pearls of wisdom which inspired the Ryedale poet to prove the publisher utterly wrong. And, of course, he did.

The sales of his first two collections, Weekend in the Village and Right to Roam, have generated over £10,000 between them - and all for charity. The proceeds of the first went the way of Lidgett Grove School, in York, and those of the second swelled the coffers at St Leonard's and St Catherine's Hospices. But John is keen to point out that no one was more surprised by this success than himself.

The recently-published Silent Music and Other Verse is John's third collection. This time, the chosen good cause is Macmillan Cancer Relief, the services of which include the provision of the Macmillan Nurses.

Once again, the book mixes the light-hearted, the touching and the nostalgic and is filled with the gentle, very traditional poetry for which John is known.

"It all rhymes and scans," says John, who lives in the village of Flaxton. "It's straightforward, simple poetry that people can understand. I think that's why people buy the books."

John is a disarmingly modest man, yet he is quietly proud of the praise which his work has attracted, particularly in newspaper reviews. And it is not just the words which flow from his very rural pen.

He illustrates his books himself with pen and ink sketches and, in Silent Music, these range from local landmarks, such as the city walls of York, to renderings of locations featured in the novels of Thomas Hardy.

It is all a world away from his day job as a structural engineer - poetry has always been "a spare time thing", he says.

John somewhat bullishly asserts the reasons behind his writing in the preface to Silent Music.

"As with the two earlier books," he declares, "I make no apology for the subject matter or nature of the verse, which has been written purely for my own pleasure and amusement."

The poems draw heavily on location, such as John's native land around the Norfolk-Suffolk border, which he stills considers "home", despite having lived in Flaxton for 36 years.

Swaledale also features, as does the fair Ryedale itself, in verse often reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's poetry, though John is not so keen on the comparison.

"I like his novels and his poetry, but whether I am influenced by him, or any other writer, I'm not so sure."

His writing also has a certain musicality, though John modestly says that it is "up to the reader" to comment on this and not him. But the fact that his work has been set to music by local writer and musician Mark Jones more than hints at the poetry's musical quality.

Earlier this month, Helmsley Arts Centre was the venue for a performance of John's work and of the music which was composed by Mark Jones to accompany it. The Chanticleer Singers were involved and a number of actors performed some Nursey poems. It was virtually sold out and bagged another 400 sales of John's latest. Many such events are planned, so keep your eyes peeled.

Copies of John Nursey's book Silent Music and Other Verse, costing £4.50, are available in most bookshops in Ryedale and York, as well as Dean's Garden Centre, in Scarborough and Stockton-on-the-Forest. Alternatively, copies can be sent by post at a cost of £5. The address to write to is J R Nursey, Forge Cottage, Flaxton, York YO60 7RW.

Updated: 11:50 Thursday, November 29, 2001