Category Archives: Blog

Unlucky 2013 by Paul Francis

Posted on May 18, 2014 by garylongden

Poets were once feared and jailed for their forthright and controversial views, yet the contemporary view of poets ,and poetry, tends to be rather more soft than that, with absent punctuation and rhyming the main source of consternation amongst a … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged | 1 Comment

UB40 at Uttoxeter Races

Posted on May 18, 2014 by garylongden

I have always had an ambivalent relationship with UB40. I still recall the excitement of hearing their debut single, King/ Food for Thought in 1980, and going out to buy it immediately. Like everybody, I assumed the lead singer was … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

At the Crossroads- Bible, Burlesque and the Blues, Lichfield Garrick Studio

Posted on May 10, 2014 by garylongden

Cities have always , since Sodom and Gomorrah , attracted and repelled in equal measure . In modern times , the grandeur of Place de la Concorde and Buckingham Palace are counterpointed by the festering banlieue and council tower blocks. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | 1 Comment

At the Crossroads- Bible, Burlesque and the Blues

Posted on May 5, 2014 by garylongden

At the Crossroads- Bible, Burlesque and the Blues will be playing at the Lichfield Garrick Studio on Friday 9th, and Sat 10th May. Garyswordz managed to grab some time with the show’s writer Mal Dewhirst to find out more. Mal … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | 1 Comment

Wenlock Poetry Festival 2014

Posted on April 28, 2014 by garylongden

This was my third visit to the Wenlock Poetry Festival, and for the first time I stayed overnight locally to maximise my time. As always, a diverse, eclectic programme had been laid down by organiser Antonia Beck such that many … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Buzzcocks, The Robin 2, Bilston

Posted on April 11, 2014 by garylongden

This was the third time I had seen the Buzzcocks. Previous shows had been at Leeds University in 1978, in their heyday, supported by John Cooper Clarke, and in 1994 at the Market Tavern in Kidderminster, a low rent occasion … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Quiet Compere, MAC, Birmingham

Posted on March 24, 2014 by garylongden

Those involved in performing poetry, and attending such events, invariably demonstrate qualities which make them a joy to be involved with. The Quiet Compere roadshow exemplified this, poet and troubadour Sarah L Dixon has a mission to take poetry around … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

March 2014, What’s On Midlands Spoken Word

Posted on February 26, 2014 by garylongden

A very strong month with the heavyweight festival season kicking off in earnest in Bath, Cheltenham and Oxford, both well worth a trip beyond the Midlands. Local highlights include the Quiet Compere Tour at rhe Mac in Birminingham on Fri … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged | Leave a comment

Poetry Alight 9- Lichfield

Posted on February 26, 2014 by garylongden

After two happy years at The Spark Cafe in Lichfield “Poetry Alight” found itself having to find a new home for 2014. A change in the Cafe’s opening hours, and its repositioning in the evening for Bistro business, meant that … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

January 2014, What’s On Midlands Spoken Word

Posted on January 21, 2014 by garylongden

The new year opens with a plethora of fine regular events and the opening of a new one, The Poetry Lounge in Ludlow on Tues 21st.Severla events catch the eye, but Helen Mort’s Spire Writes in Chesterfield on we 8th … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog | Leave a comment