To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s album ‘Wish You Were Here’, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage penned an epic poem titled ‘Dear Pink Floyd’. Despite initial criticism at its release in 1975, the album has since been lauded as a masterpiece, inspiring exhibitions and postage stamps. Armitage’s tribute reflects on the band, the record, and its significant influence on him. The album, initially dismissed as self-indulgent and gimmicky, is now seen as a profound cultural artifact, akin to a ‘message in a bottle tied to a life buoy thrown from a ghost ship’.