Garyswordz

Driving Miss Daisy, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Posted on April 10, 2013 by garylongden

This play is held in high regard by actors because of the challenge it offers in two regards. Firstly, the two lead characters age 25 years in 90 minutes, secondly, the play is performed as a three hander, further intensifying the performing demands ( whilst reducing touring costs!). Fortunately the cast are well up to the task. Daisy is played by Gwen Taylor, her driver Hoke by Don Warrington.

Don Warrington

Gwen Taylor has most recently been in the public eye as Anne Foster in Coronation St, but her career defining role was in the fabulous television comedy Duty Free as Amy Pearce. Don Warrington found recognition for his role as Phil Smith in Rising Damp. Driving Miss Daisy is a Pullitzer prize winner , yet its strength lies in the opportunities it offers for the actors to act, rather than its profound script.

Gwen Taylor

Pre Black Civil Rights America is the back cloth to most of the story. Rather than make this an “issue” play, author Arthur Uhry neatly sidesteps the big questions to instead make it a play about personality and relationships, how they juxtapose, jostle and settle. So the play is not quite as it seems, this is no polemic on racial equality, instead a slight affectionate exploration of two contrasting characters into old age, and it is as this that the play works.

The history of race relations in the American deep south is quite different in England creating potential for the political dimension to travel poorly in a multi-racial community like Wolverhampton. But the focus on character, rather than action, sometimes to a fault, steers it clear of local bear –traps.I saw only two black audience members.

Taylor touchingly plays out the gradual decline of old age. Her head sinks turtle-like into her shoulders, her movement becomes fragile- uncertainly precise, and her voice develops a reedy thinness. Yet, although her physical powers are in retreat her spirit is not.

The set is initially disconcertingly simple, comprising a staircase and bookcase on one side, a desk moving in and out of centre stage, and a bench on a small revolve which, when matched with a couple of chairs and a steering wheel, becomes whatever car Hoke is driving Miss Daisy in. It is a back projection screen which creates the sense of time and place using archive news footage to good effect.

Ian Porter has the tricky task of playing Boolie, Miss Daisy’s son a ruthless businessman and slightly unsympathetic son. The role is awkward because it is an integral part of the journey that unfolds, but dramatically, can unbalance the chemistry created between the two leads. In this production, director David Esbjornson allows Boolie a more strident presence in a bold move.

Ian Porter as Boolie

A core message that skin and background may divide, but the power of the human spirit unites, is the feel-good engine of the play, American schmaltz which teeters just the right side of good taste, garnished with humour that Gwen Taylor clearly revels in. As an essay on growing old, it takes some beating, but its single set, and lack of action narrows the profile of those to whom this will appeal. Touring plays have a tough time finding theatres prepared to take a chance against the mass appeal of musicals. It is to the credit of the Grand that they brought this production to Wolverhampton and to Julian Stoneman associates that they brought the production to the Black Country.

Driving Miss Daisy plays at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tues 9th through to Sat 13th April

Posted in Behind the Arras Reviews | Leave a comment

Boxed Set- Paul Francis

Posted on April 9, 2013 by garylongden

Paul is a retired teacher from Much Wenlock with a growing list of published credits. An accomplished and regular performer on the Midlands and Borders poetry circuit, his writing, and subject matter, is eclectic and diverse. Cross- fertilisation between cinema, television, novels and music is routine and well established. Surprisingly, poetry has been slow to reflect the artistic impact of film, and film has only just started to notice poetry for artistic inspiration (Beowulf). Thus, Paul has chosen shrewdly to explore poetic territory with a rich seam of potential which has hitherto been barely explored.

Any such enterprise poses two immediate problems. Firstly, which films to choose? Secondly, how to present work about films which the reader may not have seen, or been aware. Wisely, the choices are mainstream and accessible – Eastwood, Polanski and Jodie Foster, Cockleshell heroes, African Queen and Sopranos. The poems themselves are drawn not only from the original works, but also from commentaries, biographies and gossip contained in the eponymous “Boxed Sets”.

Half of the collection is devoted to Sopranos Snapshots in sonnet and sestina. That discipline of form is a clever device as it forces the author quite consciously to move from one discipline to another. Sestinas are fiendishly difficult to execute well, in Tony Soprano, the author pulls off that feat in some style. The word repetition is perfect for an extended series as is the sense of inevitability and fate that befalls the characters.

Brief Encounter was the poem which struck me as being the most fully realised. A poem with a title which has transcended its original place, and a platform image which is embedded in cinematic history as a classic, risks falling flat in such august surroundings, but it soars. It is seen through the eyes of a female cinema goer:

“She smells the smoky laughs of men
Who scorn romance, but she believes
She is allowed to dream..”

Not only does it speak of the emotions of the protagonist, it also sums up the authors’ desire to dream which he shares so demonstrably in all the poems.

Boxed Set , the poem, appears as a poetic epilogue after the Sopranos Snapshots sequence and is both backwards and forward looking in its position, which is neat. On the one hand it rails elegiacally:

“Those were the days. A huge, obedient crowd
Feasts on that screen. They just can’t get enough
Sighing as one,..”

On the other, in the present day:

“So I stay home alone. It’s not a crime
To settle down and lock the door.
I scroll the menu. I shall take my time,
Consider all the options, keep control
Break off ,maybe, for context, background stuff;
Choose what I want to watch, then watch some more.”

And in turn, so the reader will want to read some more, scroll the menu, and take their time. This collection is immensely satisfying and I suspect demands a sequel, so substantial is the material upon which to draw.

Boxed Set is available from Liberty Books, Much Wenlock TF13 6JQ priced £3.

Gary Longden

Posted in Behind the Arras Reviews | 1 Comment

Lawn Lore- Nadia Kingsley

Posted on April 9, 2013 by garylongden

Lawn Lore is a wonderful poetry pamphlet borne out of a brilliant idea. Nadia lives in the countryside in a rural idyll in Shropshire, but with imperfect grass on her lawn. One day she was moved to ask a friend who specialises in grasses to examine a two metre square quadrat. This involved them both considering in close detail that which previously would have gone unnoticed,and unremarked upon. This work was created from that fresh perspective.

The eleven poems themselves are written in deliberately small print, so small, that unless the reader possesses the eyesight of a teenage sniper ,magnification is required. Nadia helpfully supplies a magnifier with the pamphlet so the reader may study more closely her words, as she considered more closely her lawn. A delightful detail is that each beautifully presented copy is handstitched with a green thread.

As well as being a poet, Nadia is also a scientist and her poems reflect the style of a scientific report, yet the writing is of joyous celebratory discovery. They also consider place, Here considers how Perennial Rye is selected for Rugby pitches for its hard wearing qualities, yet her garden offers sanctuary from mankinds’ need to control and manipulate.
Each grass is introduced by its Latin name encouraging the reader once more to explore further, exploration being the key theme of Lawn Lore. Ranunculus Repens is the last poem, and amongst the most satisfying, juxtaposing the childs’ tradition of using its flower to determine a liking for butter from its reflection and its poisonous qualities- it all depends how you look at it, doesn’t it?

The premise for Lawn Lore is startlingly imagined and lovingly executed in a manner that will delight poets and botanists alike, as it did me, published by Fairacre Press.
http://www.fairacrepress.co.uk/books/to-buy/
Gary Longden

Posted in Behind the Arras Reviews | Leave a comment

Much Wenlock Poetry Festival Sunday 7th April 2013

Posted on April 8, 2013 by garylongden

Much Wenlock

This was my second visit to this festival, now in its fourth year. A product of the creative force of local bookshop owner, and poetry aficionado ,Anna Dreda, a strong and varied programme augured well, as did the crowds milling around as I arrived in the late morning, before formal proceedings had commenced.

There was plenty to do for the casual visitor. Kurly McGeachie was on hand in an impressive yurt to provide poetry workshops for children, and Deborah Alma , AKA “The Emergency Poet” ,provided emergency poetic treatment for those seeking it in her vintage ambulance. Both benefitted from the comparative warmth that their respective shelters offered as well as doing a grand job with passers-by.

The Emergency Poet

Poems & Pints – George & Dragon PH

This was a free event, hosted by Mark Niel, at lunchtime as an open mic . It was packed. Mark’s genial bonhomie oiled the wheels of a succession of talented poets, several of whom have performed headline spots elsewhere. In many respects it captured the spirit of the festival; inclusive, warm, enjoyable and high quality. A significant proportion of those whom attend poetry festivals are themselves poets, so it is always wise to provide a creative outlet for those who want to perform to new audiences, and listen to unfamiliar voices.

Mark Niel

Liz Lefroy and James Sheard – Priory Hall

Liz has been a student , and Jim is a senior lecturer at , Keele University. They made for a shrewd and inspired pairing at a performance that was pleasingly well attended. Wisely ,they read two sets each in rotation, a device which allows for contrasting material, as well as contrast between performer.

Liz Lefroy

Previous appearances by Liz have been well covered in both Garyswordz and Behind the Arras. She specialises in memorable phrases as in the opening to Roadside Shrine; “I pass your death each morning”. Her award winning debut collection, Pretending the Weather, is already a year old, but she has a wealth of material in her notebook . A childhood shaped by her clergyman father inevitably looms large, but her poems draw upon the rich imagery of Faith, rather than overtly celebrating or rebelling against those traditions, offering a modern context, as a good preacher might from the pulpit. A Place Called Solomon does this particularly well. Night Coach, a journey ostensibly about a trip from Stoke to Vienna, with its “thick coffee and bad toilets” set against a backdrop of “streaks of neon” suggests more obliquely a journey that transcends the physical. Yet there is no doubting the fierce visceral emotion in The School Concert in which she declares that “I disgraced you by exploding” , a sentiment that all parents will recognise.

James Sheard also spoke of journeys and parental love. The latter most memorably in That Hour, dedicated to his son. On first hearing, it appeared to joyously romp between a formal metre and free verse underpinned by a repeat that worked well performed. His journeys were of geographical displacement, a characteristic of those born to military families, and displacement between languages.

James Sheard

As his reading unfolded he then introduced the concept of vertigo, in the sense of being suspended above, particularly as experienced by those involved in poem translation was introduced, but it also found form in the distance between father and son, and himself and his late mentor. I would have loved a question and answer session in which he could have developed the theme more fully. His writing is economic and unfussy, some of his compounds, “ goldmean and thumb rub”, intriguing. However what distinguishes his work for me is an ability to describe a familiar scene with a phrase that flares up and illuminates. “Landings” from a forthcoming publication, was the standout poem of his performance for me ,opening with:

“We wanted a land where we could watch the weather-
See how one hill drew down the drapes of rain, and how another
Would flash its skin in a fall of sunlight”

And I was there.”Sometimes a poem clicks like a well-made box.”

Owen Sheers and Menna Elfyn – The Edge

The golden boy and golden girl of Welsh poetry was quite a prospect, and much anticipated by a large and expectant audience. As a child of parents Swansea born and bred, both offer a sense of place and heritage close to my heart. The Borders crowd gave them a welcome as if for a homecoming.

Owen Sheers has an impressive cannon of work behind him. He draws upon his Welsh heritage freely whilst offering it a 21st century setting. He read extensively from his soon to be published Pink Mist a verse drama developed from a play written for radio . This was a brave move. His published poetry is widely known and admired, and he was available to sign books, sales of which would undoubtedly have been enhanced by a “greatest hits” set. Yet, any artist is keen to expose fresh work to performance and scrutiny, a process which invariably refines the end product. What was lost in familiarity was compensated for in freshness.

Owen Sheers

Pink Mist tells the story of three young soldiers from Bristol embarking on a tour of Afghanistan told in various first person voices including those of the women left behind- hence the pink mist. It draws upon many literary traditions not least that of The Odyssey, and the quest to return home. Its rhyming was light, bright, tight and unobtrusive with a strong, insistent metrical structure. Sheers is a consummate reader of poetry, assured, confident, and clear with a melodic lilt to compliment the material. A fine performance.

No modern Welsh language poet has been published more than Menna Elfyn who is a standard bearer for the Welsh language, culture, Welsh language poetry and poetry in her homeland. Menna performed in Welsh and English to a sympathetic Borders audience. As a translator of Welsh poetry, and someone whose work is translated into numerous foreign languages, she memorably described poetry in translation as like kissing through a handkerchief. Her Welsh language reading was certainly easy on the ear, but it is true that when you add up the number of Welsh speakers, take away those not interested in poetry, those able to appreciate her in her mother tongue is inevitably modest.

Menna Elfyn

Menna’s work is not only meticulously crafted, it is also written with a smile, a facet most admirably apparent in “Babysitting at the Crematorium” when she babysat an infant before retiring to a cafe, informally called “The Creme de la crem”. Some poems came from her collection Murmur, yet her words resonated with a roar rather than a murmur, my favourite as the son of Swansea parents was “The Cockle Woman” a delightful vignette on those women who would roam the pubs and clubs with locally harvested cockles in a wicker basket, I loved the idea that someone would purchase simply to lighten her load.

And so a day of poetic delight drew to a close on a festival which drew together old friends of mine, and provided a forum to forge new ones, as well as to hear new poetry performed in a complimentary environment.

Gary Longden

Posted in Behind the Arras Reviews | Tagged James Sheard, Liz lefroy, Menna Elfyn, Much Wenlock poetry festival, Owen Sheers | 2 Comments

April 2013- What’s On, Midlands Spoken Word

Posted on April 6, 2013 by garylongden

The festival season kicks in strongly this month with a very strong bill at Much Wenlock and Cheltenham, amongst others.

Festivals

Fri 5th-7th April Much Wenlock Poetry Festival

http://www.wenlockpoetryfestival.org/

April 10th- May30th Leek Arts Festival

Home 2

Sat 20th -28th Apr The Cheltenham Poetry Festival;

http://www.cheltenhampoetryfest.co.uk/

Sun 2ist Apr Stratford upon Avon Literary Festival -until 5/5:

http://www.stratfordliteraryfestival.co.uk/

30th April -6th May Chipping Campden Lit Festival

http://www.campdenlitfest.co.uk/contentok.php?id=88
————————————————————————————————————–

Day by Day

Mon 1st The Poetry Train , Slade Rooms,Broad St Wolverhampton, Open mic, £3 in details from ts@tonystringfellow.com

Mon 1st The SW@N Club – Spoken Word at the Newhampton, Wolverhampton,Meets every 1st Monday of the month at 8 pm – 10.30 pm. Admission – suggested donation on entry.Peter Chand hosts

Tues 2nd Nightblue Fruit at Playwrights Cafe Bar & Bistro-,7:30pm until 10:05pm.

An eclectic mix of talented regular performers plus regular new guests bring Coventry alive with verse, verve and style.
Playwrights Cafe is a friendly and welcoming Cafe with fantastic food & drinks in a lovely setting on the cobbles near the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. Now in our 10th year we continue to attract new and existing poets, some of those who have visited over the years are: Mike McKimm, Mario Petrucci, Jon Morley, Kei Miller, Jen Hadfield to name but a few !
Requests to read and perform poetry are taken on the night. We advise you arrive no later than 7.30pm to stand a good chance of reading.Lots of reasonable and free car parking nearby (tariffs often end at 6pm but please check on http://www.coventry.gov.uk/carparks

http://playwrightsrestaurant.co.uk/contact

Tues 2nd John Donne Day, Polesworth Abbey
John Donne Day 2013. John Donne Day 2013. 2pm – 8.30pm, Tuesday 2 April 2013.
The 400th Anniversary of Donne’s Poem – Good Friday 1613 Riding Westwards (written after staying in Polesworth)
The Abbey Church, Polesworth Abbey, High Street, Polesworth, Warwickshire, B78 1DU.

Workshops, talks, walks, discussions from 2pm. Gala performance of poetry of John Donne and newly commissioned work from 7pm.
£9 afternoon & evening. £5 just afternoon or evening. http://johndonneday.eventbrite.co.uk/ Twitter @johndonneday

Polesworth Abbey CIC; Birmingham City University: Institute of Creative and Critical Writing; Writing West Midlands.
Made in the Midlands.

The Programme

John Donne Day 2013, Tuesday 2 April, 2013, The Abbey Church, Polesworth, Warwickshire. A Made in the Midlands afternoon/evening of talks, walks, readings and performances.

2pm – 2.45pm. Reading ‘Riding Westward’: a seminar on John Donne’s poem, ‘Good-Friday, 1613, Riding Westward’ and related poems – Dr Anthony Mellors, Reader in Poetry and Poetics, Birmingham City University
3pm – 4.15pm. Writing in Response: a poetry writing workshop in response to John Donne’s poems and Polesworth Abbey Church – Dr Gregory Leadbetter, Director, Institute of Creative and Critical Writing, Birmingham City University
3pm – 4.15pm. In the Footsteps of Poets: a walking tour of Polesworth Poets’ Trail – Malcolm Dewhirst, writer and developer
3pm – 4.15pm. Reading On: Some Poems to Read in Response to John Donne – Dr Anthony Howe, Senior Lecturer, Birmingham City University
5pm – 5.45pm. Reflections on John Donne and his poetry: a chance to share personal views on his work
5.45pm – 7pm. Break: food will be available in Polesworth and nearby villages
7pm – 8.30pm. Riding Westward: A Gala Performance of Poems by John Donne, read by Dr Derek Littlewood and newly commissioned poems from Jane Commane, Malcolm Dewhirst, Jacqui Rowe and Greg LeadbetterThurs 4th April Blackdrop @ Canalhouse Bar, Canal Street, Nottm 8-10pm. £3. Event open to age 16+
A night themed ‘Teach it’ featuring the hit sensation Rap Battle Teacher – Mark Grist!… Plus YOU in the open mic!

Tues 2nd Word ,Y Theatre, East Street, Leicester LE1 6EY, just opposite Leicester Train Station7pm performers, 8pm, Audience, Open mic plus kim Moore. £6in
WORD! is the longest running poetry and spoken word night in Leicester. Based at The Y Theatre, Leicester, it takes place on the first Tuesday of every month, between 8.00 and 10.30pm. The evening is composed of an open mic, followed by a booked act-
Thur 4th Gorilla Poetry – Rutland Arms, Brown st, Sheffield, S1 4El, (Off West St) 8pm (7.30 doors) with Dave Atrill, Adolfus (Addie P. Abbott) and Supernova.

Thurs 4thBlackdrop Open Mic @ Canal House Bar, Canal Street, Nottm featuring Mark Grist the rap Battle Teacher (youtube wonder).8-10pm £3

Our event has an open mic, slots are approx 5mins long. Blackdrop is open to over 16s.

Poetry. Story. Comedy. Rap. Hip-hop. Song. Must be own original material. ALL WELCOME.

*(Thanks to Writing East Midlands for kindly agreeing to support our 4th April event)

Thurs 4th Good Impressions Spoken word, Cafe Impression, Atkins Building Hinckley, LE10 1QU,7.30pm £5in Hosted by Tom Phillips,ist Thursday Monthly

Thurs 4th Parole Parlate, Farewell event, Little Venice, St Nicholas st , Worcester, 730 pm, £3 in:

Fri 5th Esquires open mic, Hales St Coventry, CV1 1Jd- 7.30pm free in,poetry, music and performance
Sat 6th Poets place, York st , Birmingham 4pm-6pm with Carl Sealeaf

Sat 6th Lichfield Cathedral library tours:
and- April 24,
May 11 and 29
and June 22.
Tours to offer rare glimpse of Lichfield Cathedral’s historic library
Visitors to Lichfield Cathedral will be able to get a behind the scenes look at the historic building with a tour of the main library.

A number of bound treasures are housed on the site, including Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (c1420) and Henry VIII’s Great Bible (first edition – 1539).
A trained guide will showcase some of the theological, literary geography, philosophy and natural science texts.
Canon Anthony Moore, Chancellor of Lichfield Cathedral, said: “It is only on very rare occasions that we are able to give the general public access to this atmospheric space.
“The range of rare manuscripts and early printed works in our library is quite staggering. It’s an opportunity not to be missed for anyone with a love of architecture, history or books”.
The tours will run on
April 6 and 24,
May 11 and 29
and June 22.
Tickets cost £9 and can be booked by calling the Cathedral Shop on 01543 306150.

Sun 7th Oct Buzzwords, Exmouth Arms,Bath Road Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LX, 7pm Workshop, open mic plus Chrissie Gittens, £5/£3

Mon 8th Pub Poetry Nottingham The Canal house, 48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7EH,8pm, 2nd monday : Free in, Open micContact Nick on pubpoetry@nottscomedyfestival.co.uk

Mon 8th April – a special event – Flying Donkeys have been invited to perform at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham. Join Sophie, Mel and Roy for a specially devised show “Strange Tales from the Flying Donkeys”, with music, song and stories from around the British Isles. First half features a few open mic floor spots – book tickets in advance direct with the Theatre Royal http://www.trch.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=20115 or Tel 0115 989 5555

Mon 8th pure and good and right, Sozzled Sausage, Leamington Spa, CV32 4NX, with Ash Dickinson

Tuesday 9th ‘City Voices’, City Bar, King Street, Wolverhampton. WV1 1ST 7.45pm Free admission.

Tuesday 9th ‘Mouth and Music’, the Boars Head Gallery, 39 Worcester Street, Kidderminster, DY10 1EW. 8.00pm Tickets £3.00 with Dhotti Bluebell

Tues 9th Spire Writes, Havana Whites,12 Corporation St, Chesterfield. 7.30pm, Open Mic, Matt Black, Dwane reads

Tues 9th City Voices’ in Wolverhampton. 7.45pm Free, with Liz Lefroy

Tues 9th Tales at the Edge, White Lion Inn, Bridgnorth, Shropshire,Tales at the Edge is one of the country’s oldest and most established storytelling clubs, meeting in Bridgenorth on the 2nd Tuesday of every month (except August) at 8 pm.

Tues 9th Scribal Gathering,The Crown, Market Square, Stony Stratford.7.30pm
Was it because we suggested last month that the year had cast off her ermine gown in favour of a strapless verdant little number, that we have been cast into the coldest spring since 1963? You all remember 1963 – it was the winter of love: Hypothermia began in 1963, which was rather late for me, between the end of the Chatterly ban, and the Beatles’ first LP, or something like that.

Anyway, enough larkin’ about, Scribal Gathering is back on the second Tuesday of April for a sub-Siberian snowcase of music and poetry, assuming the food parcels have arrived by then and we’ve all been able to dig our way out of our emergency shelters and the polar bears haven’t got us.

This month’s special guests are Alan Bainbridge, taking the mic as the featured poet, and Ernest Herb, the one-man house band, covering themselves in deep-heat oil and getting up against the radiators. Plus the shut-that-door open-mic will be welcoming all performers of any style, genre and especially those with Antarctic survival skills, to play, perform, set fire to the furniture and generally try to stay alive until the Red Cross gets here.

So if you want to have one last evening of open mic music and poetry entertainment before facing the very real prospect of dying of frostbite whilst wearing all your coats at once with the central heating full on, then wrap yourself in goose fat and tin foil and try and get to the Crown for a gathering that the archaeologists will be talking about in years to come.

Wed 10th Apr – Flying Donkeys storytelling club, “Bluebeard” with Cat Weatheril in the second half, 8pm at the Voicebox, Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ. Be prepared to be thrilled! Tickets £7 at the door or Tel 01332 840007 or email info@flyingdonkeys.co.uk.

Wed 10 th The Quad Derby QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS Second Wednesday 19.30 Free in, A monthly night of performed poetry for everyone, new performers always welcome or just come and listen, More details from QUAD or contact Les on T: 01332 206 734, http://www.derbyquad.co.uk

Weds 10 The Kingdom of the Heart , Guildhall Theatre, Market Place Derby.7.30pm is an evening of storytelling and music based on two rarely heard Czech wondertales. Storyteller Katy Cawkwell, returning to performance storytelling after a few years bringing up her young family, has partnered with a wonderful cellist, Sarah Llewellyn-Jones, to tell a story of keeping hold of the meaning in life, amidst the everyday. Three age-old characters – a hard-working fisherman, a restless young king and the youngest son of twelve, find doorways into a shining golden kingdom where the cares of this world fall away. What happens when they reach through into this other world, what strange sights and challenges await them and will they ever be happy if they go back to their previous lives?
Tickets for Flying Donkeys regulars are specially discounted to the usual price £7 full price, £5 concessions.
However, this offer is only available if you book online BEFORE the day of the show.
To book click this link: http://www.derbylive.co.uk/Public_Event.aspx?ID=1520

Fri 12th Wednesbury Art Gallery and Museum, open mic poetry, 7.30pm, free admission

Fri 12th solihull Poetry Slam, solihull artys complex, homer rd, solihull, 7.30pm, £7,50pm, with marcus moore and sarah jane arbury

Friday 12th April, 7.45pm, tickets £7.50. Part of the Solihull Comedy Festival, so poets will be asked to perform humorous verse only. The evening also includes a Quick Quip Quiz. Fabulous prizes. Twelve places on a first-come-first-served basis.

Sun 14th tell me on a Sunday, ikon gallery, Birmingham with Cat Weatherill and Jane Campion Hoye. Fur and Fin 5pm, free in.

Wed 17th , Storytelling Cafe Kitchen Garden Cafe,York Rd, Kings Heath, 7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm)

Wed 17th Templar Poetry, Lamb & Flag, The Tything, Worcester, 8pm; Open mic, third Wednesday, Alex officiates contact:Alex McMillen, Alex McMillen,Templar Poetry, PO BOX 7082, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 9AF,Tel: 01629 582500, Mobile: 07918166975
info@templarpoetry.co.uk

Wed 17th April,NANTWICH POETS @ WILLASTON,WILLASTON SOCIAL CLUB, 7 WISTASTON RD, WILLASTON,CW5 6PU, Great venue, plenty of secure parking. 7 30pm (new earlier start time!!!) OPEN MIC, Come along and share your best poems,Guest poet: Gill McAvoy

GREAT VENUE ROOM (PRIVATE FOR THE NIGHT) WITH LIGHTING AND SOUND SYSTEM. PLENTY OF PARKING SPACES AND GOOD BEER AT GOOD PRICES.

OPEN MIKE EVENT, SO COME AND SHARE YOUR BEST POEMS

SLOTS FOR EARLY BIRDS: THERE ARE FOUR 3-POEM READING SLOTS FOR THOSE WHO REGISTER EARLY.

COMPÈRE: TBA.

MAKE IT A SUCCESS AND WE’LL HAVE A REGULAR MONTHLY / BI-MONTHLY SLOT.

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!!

E: bob.doughty@btconnect.com or postems@btconnect.com T:01270 663802

Fri 19th word up, Yorks bakery Cafe York st, Birmingham, 6.30pm, open mic, free in. Have a question? Want a slot? Message us on here (fb), email us at: word–up@hotmail.com, to tweet us: @wordup_brum

Sat 20th April – “Seven Deadly Sins” at Cromford Mills Cafe, Cromford, Derbyshire, 7.30pm. Info on show as above. Tickets £7. Book direct with Cromford Mills, Tel 01629 829555

Sun 21st Sunday Xpress Fourth Sunday Doors 1500, Start 16:30 Adam & Eve Bradford Street, Birmingham B12 0JD Open mic
jameskennedycentral@yahoo.co.uk

Sun 21st Rhyme and Tells at the Six Bells in Bishops Castle, Shropshire,Meets every 4th Sunday of the month (except for public holidays) at 8 pm – 10.30 pm. It is free admission and an open session for poetry, prose and storytelling.
For further details please contact Mike on 01588 680685.

Tues 23rd Purple Penumbra Open Mic poetry,Langley Theatre Oldbury:7,30pm, free in

To all good folk of England, brave and true,
(And those unblessed with such a glorious state)
An invitation here is sent to you
To fill your soul with sonnets on this date.
The twenty-third of April is renowned
The day of our Saint George and cross of red
And William Shakespeare’s Birthday can be found
To occupy the calendar’s same bed.
Purple Penumbra brings this happenchance
For spoken word adherents far and near
To tread soft in a fine poetic dance
With wisdom, wonder, wit and charm and cheer
So join us as we trip the purple haze
And touch the sky-creative to amaze.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Bus services:
126 from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, ten minutes from the Navigation bus stop, and
120, Birmingham to Dudley just two minutes from Rhodia Works bus stop, Station Road, Langley.

Train services:
6 minute walk from Langley Green railway station.

Car:
Put B69 4SP in your satnav, or…
From the M5, Junction 2,
at the big island take the 4th exit onto the A4034 (Churchbridge)
take the first right at the traffic light (slip road) B4170, Park Street/Park Lane towards Langley
at the Langley Green island, keep left on B4182, Park Lane
take the first right into Whyley Walk
The free car park is 60 metres on your left.
The Barlow Theatre, (or Oldbury Rep) is in front of you.

Tues 23rd Stafford Knott storytelling Club, Ye Olde Rose And Crown,10 Market Street, ST16 2JZ Stafford
If you are already a lover of performance storytelling or if you’d like to find out more – or if you have a story to tell, here’s some great news! Tuesday April 23rd sees the opening of a new storytelling club and venue in one of the best pubs in Stafford. Brazilian storyteller Ana Lines and English storyteller Cath Edwards are the hosts at The Olde Rose and Crown [LINK] and are thrilled with plans to welcome some wonderful tellers over the coming months.
In an amazing example of synchronicity, our opening …night, April 23rd, is both St George’s Day and Ogun Day, so bringing together English and Brazilian culture! No, we couldn’t believe it either! So
for this special occasion we will be telling multicultural stories and inviting tellers from the floor to contribute stories (of around 10 minutes) around the theme. Chain mail is optional, bring your own
dragon.
Our future events will bring enthralling performances from some of the best professional tellers,
with an opportunity to tell your own stories in the first half of the evening.
Note the date, the fourth Tuesday of the month. 7.30pm to 10pm, £5 on the door

Wed 24thPackhorse Poets,The Packhorse Inn, Crowdecote, near Longnor,Derbys on the fourth Wednesday of each month, 7.30pm

Wed 24th Poetry train,Lyche Gate Tavern, Queen Square, Wolverhampton , 8pm poetry open mic

Thur 25 Bilston Voices Café Metro, Church Street, Bilston. 7.30pm start. £2 admission.Ann Hastings, Maggie Doran, Jackie Evans and David Calcutt with Nadia Kingsley who will be reading from their new collection ‘road kill’).

Thur 25th Hit the Ode, Victoria PH, Birmingham City Centre 7.30pm. Hit the Ode brings the most exciting poets from the region, the country and the world to the heart of Birmingham. Join us! We have poems. Poems which taste of burnt eggs and black coffee; poems hot like summer afternoons should be; poets quietly buzzing like the wires on a pylon. Good poems. Come and get them.
Featuring Jess Green, Tim Clare and Lillian Allen.

Tues 25th The Telling Space, Mythstories, *NEW VENUE* (relocated from Wem) Mythstories,The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE,Wem, Shropshire,The club meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month unless otherwise stated. Please check the website under ‘opening hours and events’ http://www.mythstories.com or contact Dez or Ali on 01939 235500 for further information.
Meet at 7 pm for refreshments (bring food to share) or at 7.30 pm for stories. A chance to listen or an opportunity to tell. Admission is free.

Wed 24th “42″ Open Mic Night (Gothic, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy) Lunar Bar, New St Worcester, 7.30, Free in:last wed monthly E-mail: 42openmicnight@42genrearts.co.uk

Thurs 25th The White Shining Land, Mac Birmingham, 7.30pm £8
Newman University College Presents

The White Shining Land (By David Calcutt)

WORLD PREMIERE A group of travelers is crossing the ocean, heading for the ‘promised land’ of their dreams. To pass the time, they tell stories… about their lives back home… or folk tales that have been passed down to them… stories they will always carry with them, wherever they go… David Calcutt’s astonishing new play blends stories in different styles – from slapstick comedy, to the fantastical and the macabre. It is bo…th a powerful visual spectacle, and a moving meditation on the themes of migration, exile, hope, and loss..

Tickets available from:

http://www.macarts.co.uk/event/the-white-shining-land–by-david-calcutt

Fri 26th The White Shining Land, Mac Birmingham, 2pm/7.30pm £8
Newman University College Presents

The White Shining Land (By David Calcutt)

Tickets available from:

http://www.macarts.co.uk/event/the-white-shining-land–by-david-calcutt

Fri 26th Spoken Worlds 19:30 The Old Cottage Tavern , Byrkley St,eet, Burton-upon-Trent DE14 2JJ Open mic gajwriter@btinternet.com

Sat 27th Luke Wright at the Audlem Festival

sat 27th Smart Poets at Yorks bakery,2pm, Newhall St, Birmingham

Sunday 28th Sunday Xpress, Adam and Eve PH, Bradford st Digbeth, 3pm. poetic mayhem open mic

Mon 29th Earlsdon Poetry Festival,Kendall’s of Earlsdon in Coventry 54 Earlsdon St Coventry CV5 6EJ,024 7667 5575 8pm, free in, Antony R Owen, Barry Patterson

Tues 30th Word Wizards Buckingham Hotel Buxton 19.30. Open mic three minute slam format More info Poetryslamuk@aol.com

——————————————————————–

Thurs 2nd May shrewsbury Coffee House,Pauline Fisk, supported by Steve Thayne, Ros Trotman, Ruth Cameron, Steve Harrison

Fri 3rd Artist Reveal Yourself, AE Harris Building, Jewellery Quarter: Artist Reveal Yourself is a multiple art form festival hoping to shine a spotlight on locally produced art and performance. They got in touch with me
recently to ask whether I may be able to help put together a spoken word programme. It certainly looks like a great chance to perform in a new space, in front of a new crowd, and to meet local musicians, photographers, visual
artists, theatre performers.

There will be two 2-hour spoken word poetry events (both to be held at AE
Harris in the Jewellery Quarter):

– Friday 3 May from 20:00 to 22:00
– Saturday 4 May from 18:00 to 20:00

On each of these two days, there will be 8-min support slots for the taking.
Please email bohdan@applesandsnakes.org if you would like one; we’ll be
allocating them on a first come, first served basis.

If you think you know anyone who might be interested, please help us spread
the word and forward this message to them. For more details about the event,
visit https://www.facebook.com/events/485060818229224/?

Sat 4thArtist Reveal Yourself, AE Harris Building, Jewellery Quarter; as above

Posted in Midlands Poetry What's On | Leave a comment

John Donne Day, Polesworth Abbey 2013, 400th Anniversary Celebration

Posted on April 2, 2013 by garylongden

Donne rightly enjoys a position amongst the poetic greats of the English language. The 2nd April, the day of this event ,was the 400th anniversary of Donne’s celebrated poem Good Friday, 1613, Riding Westward, reputedly inspired by his visit to Polesworth. Beyond Shakespeare, we do not do enough to celebrate our literary heritage, so this day was particularly welcome.The established links between Polesworth and Donne served to give the day an unique sense of time and place. Donne wrote his poem in a letter to his friend, Sir Henry Goodere, who was then the landowner of Polesworth Hall – which became Polesworth Vicarage in the 1930s.

The turn- out was distinctly A team with a distinguished team of local academics and an eminent audience, there were several intriguing moments as both tested each others’ poetic credentials. The speakers comprised Dr Anthony Mellors, Dr Anthony Howe, and Dr Gregory Leadbetter all of whom hold positions at Birmingham City University, each with diverse and illuminating insights into Donne and his poetry.A walk mid session along the pPlesworth Poetry Trail, lead by, and brainchild of, Mal Dewhirst, was a reminder of the ongoing capacity of Polesworth to inspire, and produce, great poetry to this very day.

Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the session was the unanimity between the speakers that Donne, and Good Friday, 1613, Riding Westward , was “difficult” poetry ,a comforting message for mere mortals. Fr Phillip was also present to offer a spiritual interpretation sometimes as counterpoint to a strict literary view.

Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward
By John Donne 1572–1631 John Donne
Let mans Soule be a Spheare, and then, in this,
The intelligence that moves, devotion is,
And as the other Spheares, by being growne
Subject to forraigne motion, lose their owne,
And being by others hurried every day,
Scarce in a yeare their naturall forme obey:
Pleasure or businesse, so, our Soules admit
For their first mover, and are whirld by it.
Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West
This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East.
There I should see a Sunne, by rising set,
And by that setting endlesse day beget;
But that Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall,
Sinne had eternally benighted all.
Yet dare I’almost be glad, I do not see
That spectacle of too much weight for mee.
Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye;
What a death were it then to see God dye?
It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke,
It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke.
Could I behold those hands which span the Poles,
And tune all spheares at once peirc’d with those holes?
Could I behold that endlesse height which is
Zenith to us, and our Antipodes,
Humbled below us? or that blood which is
The seat of all our Soules, if not of his,
Made durt of dust, or that flesh which was worne
By God, for his apparell, rag’d, and torne?
If on these things I durst not looke, durst I
Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye,
Who was Gods partner here, and furnish’d thus
Halfe of that Sacrifice, which ransom’d us?
Though these things, as I ride, be from mine eye,
They’are present yet unto my memory,
For that looks towards them; and thou look’st towards mee,
O Saviour, as thou hang’st upon the tree;
I turne my backe to thee, but to receive
Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave.
O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee,
Burne off my rusts, and my deformity,
Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace,
That thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face.

The TLS summarises the significance of the poem admirably as follows:

Friday, March 29, 2013, marks 400 years since the composition of one of John Donne’s most important and enduringly popular poems, “Goodfriday, 1613. Riding Westwards” (among the many variant titles existing in manuscript, this is the one printed in the first edition of Donne’s poetry, 1633). The poem, one of a small number by Donne which can be dated, records an intense religious meditation at a crucial turning point in the author’s life – and, by extension, in the intellectual history of early modern England. Born into a dangerously devout Catholic family in a time of heightened religious sensitivity, Donne eventually joined the Church of England and became one of the most celebrated preachers of his day. A daringly controversial erotic poet whose scandalous marriage cost him a promising secular career, he ended his life as Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, a moral compass for the nation.

Although we must always remain wary of conflating Donne with the speakers of his poems, it it certainly suggestive that this 42-line poem, conceived as Donne entered his 42nd year, was written at exactly the time Donne made his decision to take orders, in spring 1613. (After overcoming many “distractions or diversions” cast in his path, he was eventually ordained in 1615.) The poem was probably composed on a journey which saw Donne visit Sir Edward Herbert at Montgomery Castle in Wales, and Sir Henry Goodere in Polesworth, Warwickshire. Following his return he announced his “resolution of a new course of life and new profession” – divinity.

As in so much of Donne’s devotional verse, “Goodfriday” is structured around a “collision of the liturgy with the ego”, as Kirsten Stirling has put it. The speaker expresses guilt about travelling west on the day commemorating Christ’s crucifixion in the east, fulfilling personal obligations when he ought to be performing religious duties. However, awed by his contemplation of the crucifixion he reasons that he is facing the right way, and the direction of travel therefore directly enables the poem’s devotional climax.

First, the poem explores the overwhelming nature of the crucifixion vision itself. To witness God’s death on earth would lead to a kind of paradoxical death difficult even to imagine (and Donne rhymes “dye” with “dye” at this point to powerful effect). How could a human being behold hands which could encompass infinity, or comprehend the “endlesse height” of heaven “Humbled below”? Given these visual impossibilities, the back of the head – said by Galen to be the seat of the memory – offers the more appropriate means of contemplation.

Alongside these misgivings, the speaker also begins to fear that his own inner worth is inadequate to approach God. He begins by asking ‘Could I’ in lines 21 and 23, a question with logical implications. Via “durt” and “dust” this becomes the deeply psychological question “durst I” by line 29, as the speaker, realizing that Christ’s gaze is on him, doubts his own worthiness even to receive God’s corrections. Having his back turned to God allows the speaker to be scourged: “Burne off my rusts, and my deformity”. As in so many of Donne’s Holy Sonnets, the poem concludes with a call for urgent, violent transformation. Yet unlike those poems, with their desperate dependence on God’s agency, the final action of “Goodfriday”, harmonizing with “thy grace”, is initiated by the speaker: “I’ll turne my face.”
* In 1613, Good Friday fell on April 2. On April 2, 2013, a celebration will be held at Polesworth Abbey, which will include new poetry specially commissioned for the occasion.

http://www.the-tls.co.uk/tls/public/article1236615.ece

Posted in Blog | Tagged Dr Anthony Howe, Dr Anthony Mellors, Dr Gregory Leadbetter, Good Friday 1613 Riding Westward, John Donne, Polesworth Abbey | 2 Comments

Lichfield Poetry Walk, Sun Mar 17th, 2013

Posted on March 25, 2013 by garylongden

All photos by, and reproduced with kind permission of, Gary Carr.

The pre walk briefing

Almost a year ago, I attended a poetry walk in Hartington, led by Derbyshire Stanza. They meet monthly, and invited Birmingham Stanza to join them for the day. It was a fabulous day out, even though (because?) it rained, inspiring much poetry, and forging new friendships. Later that year a return visit was organised for an urban walk in Birmingham which was a similar success. As a member of Lichfield Poets, a visit to Lichfield, located between Derbyshire and Birmingham, seemed the next logical step, and so the idea of a Lichfield poetry walk was born.

More pre walk briefing

Lichfield itself is ideal for a walking tour; compact, pubs, restaurants and cafes galore, public toilets, buildings steeped in history, and places and people of historic significance.The tour was not a tourist walk where much information was supplied, instead it offered locations to prompt thought, and perhaps poetry.

John Smith, Captain of the Titanic, without an iceberg in sight.

No tour of Lichfield is complete without taking in the Cathedral, and poets like pub gardens, so entering a pub garden to get a view and conjure some artistic inspiration seemed like a good idea.

Prince Rupert’s Mount, now the pub garden of the George & the Dragon, from where the Royalists bombarded the Parliamentarians

The main approach to Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield Poet, Brian Asbury, who could not be present had written a fine poem called “The Bullet’s Tale” included in the Lichfield Poets anthology “Battle Lines” about the killing of Lord Brooke by a Parliamentarian sniper in the Cathedral tower rampart in Dam Street. This was too good an opportunity to miss so I read the poem, pretty much in the spot where the incident happened.

Gary Longden performs “The Bullets Tale” at Speakers corner, the crowd is in front! There were no snipers this time.

All in all it was a splendid day which prompted the following contributions, largely in cinquaine form. I am a fan of the cinquaine form, which comprises five lines,, 2,4,6,8.2 syllables. it offers more room to breathe than the haiku, and can be linked together in multiple cinquaines, particularly as a cinq cinquaine, very effectively. I find it ideal for places, and my fellow poet walkers soon explored its potential. For more information on the originator of the form, Adelaide Crapsey, read a previous blog:https://garylongden.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/adelaide-crapsey/

These were written on the day, unedited and unpolished. Although some may be further developed, they are a vibrant snapshot of what went on. Some are titled, those that are not should just come under the generic title of Lichfield:

Recruitment

My Lord
called for service
Pikemen,archers, farmers
Staffordshire peasant fodder had
No choice

join us
For politics
For faith and family
face the musket shot of once loved
Brothers

Follow
The beating drum
March to the redcoat war
Where law succumbs to tropical
Fever

Still our
Staffordshire boys
take your silver shillings
To the Empire,bringing the bones
Of men

Cannon Fodder

They were
sworn to their lord.
Pikemen, archers, bondsmen,
Staffordshire peasantry who had
no choice.

They signed
for politics
for faith or family
facing the muskets of Roundhead
brothers,

followed
the beating drum,
marched to the redcoat war
where British rule of law was dressed
in braid,

they went
for a soldier,
better than poverty,
tommies and squaddies expecting
a life.

So long
our Lichfield boys
took your silver shillings
to Arabia, brought back the bones
of men.

Kathy Gee, Worcestershire Stanza
——————————————

Captain Smith

He stands
Overlooking
Clipped lawns and flwer beds
His ship sank long ago but shame
Endures

George Fox

George Fox
Quaker leader
released from Derby cells
Shouted to folk in Market square
Listen

Janet Jenkins – Lichfield poets

————————————-
In the
Cathedral cold
Sleeping children at rest
Grandfather unable to keep
From death

Wait here
They might reply
The cabinet maker
Uphosterer undertaker
Et al

Martyrs
Meet here weekly
Most meet death by burning
the stake as comfy as it gets
I hear

Is it
Any wonder
How Charles Darwin turned out
grandfather teaching Botany
And all

I am
Hanley’s own
Unwanted, find my home
in another place, so Lichfield
I grace

Margaret Holbrook
————————————————

The Memorial to Captain Edmund John Smith

Stoke born
Seaman by trade
Titanic his ending
Body lost at sea, memory lost in
Exile

two saints
Chads Cathedral
Edmund in a dung hill
One faith unites human actions
besides

Ian Ward- Lichfield poets

————————

Poets
on the warpath
Changing everything here
My heart makes its way through the streets
The start

Outside
Snipers inspire
A hooded hiddden craft
Boats by botanical gardens
Float near

Three heads
Burnt at the stake
In England’s county shire
The last of martyrs on the pyre
Street life

Three spires
three bodies burned
Three waterways wet the moggs
Hinging history together
Old town

Sally Taylor – Derbyshire Stanza
————————————-

Reflect
in the shadows
In the shadows of time
Titanic, Smith, darwin
Live on

Paula Tate – Derbyshire Stanza

———————————-

Farquhar
Raised his standard
then his pen and soon a
Mighty regiment of women
Was fleeced

Dumb John
Took a shot
And got Brooke, Roundheads cheered
“How did you do it John?” they asked
Can’t say

Garrick
Actor of fame
Earned his bread and butter
With fine speeches and large slices
Of ham

Darwin
Disappointed
By his dreary grandson
was pragmatic; said “I’m sure he’ll
Evolve”

Phil Binding – Derby Spoken Worlds

——————————————

Peer out
Erasamus
What are you looking for?
A number fourteen bus? or us
Poets

Martin Ward – Derbyshire Stanza

——————————

Johnson
In mosaic
This language of colour
His small details pieced together
Defined

Red Wreath
Against cream paint
leaves flake from dry poppies
memory circles short lived silence
Time weights

Sarah Leavesley- Worcester stanza

——————————–

To know
Lichfield is to
know taverns and poets
walk the lexicon of streets and know
Britain

I am
Lichfield City
Of philosophers
I am ecclesiastical
Write me

Alison Riley – Derby Stanza

————————————

Lofty
Spires words ideals
rain riven stones stand proud
inside hide attitudes of blue
rinse town

Ancient
Stepds trodden by
Better minds than mine but
Perhaps their wisdom seeps into
My path

Twisted
Alleys sneak round
House sides that open out
In unexpected garden square
Delight

This is the unexpected garden

Show me
A way, lead me
On paths of truth help me
Open my heart as bishops have
or should

Fox found
God in silence
But shouted his despair
At the church in Lichfield to no
Avail

Heather Fowler- Lichfield Poets

———————–

George Fox
Unshackled now
Denounces lichfield greed
Wrapped up in Quaker righteousness
Shoe less

Cold stone
Still radiates
A fires faint heat aglow
Reflected against stained glass stare
Still now

Gary Longden- Lichfield Poets

————————

Guiness
On two men’s hats
Coloured black white and green
On saint Patrick’s day in Lichfield
Slanthe

Martyrs
Thomas Hayward
John Goreway and a Joyce
Lewis remembered on a plaque
In square

George Fox
Quaker man stood
in bare feet in winter
denounceing Lichfield City
Godless

Marjorie Neilsen – Lichfield Poets

———————————

Happy
mem’ries at day
Lichfield Cathedral is
Beautiful history being torn
Apart

The bright
mosaic face
Of Samuel Jonhnson
How many tiles there I wonder?
Lovely

Jodie Ford- Worcester Stanza
————————-

Cafe
Amigos where
Tapas grills while Kings head
Regiments form fr Staffordshire
Defence

A boy
With a fish tail
And a green skirt sits on
A green tortoise, I want him
To spout

Gary
Orates a poem
At Speaker’s Corner rails
We see the shot a sniper took
To here

The Spark
Caf is where
The inpiration comes
before the hot steak sandwiches
Appear

three spires
Conduits, cess pits
walk on, can’t sit, click click
Quick notes, cinquaines our day in
Lichfield

Jereny Duffield- Derbyshire Stanza

———————-

George Farquhar

Writer
Of plays and words
So strong they can turn him
Into recruiting officer
Of men

Captain John Smith

I’m here
See how I fold
my arms and keep my back
Straight, unloved in my home town but
Stil proud

The Vicar’s Runner

Goblet
Of glass I hold
The daily ale for men
One measure their thirst in pints, tied
To cloth

Henry

I sit
Here perfectly
Still as they carve the stone
My pose shows a King knows this is
Boring

Claire Walker- Worcester Stanza

——————————–

Trees weep
silhouette tears
around Smith’s effigy
frozen against sky, like his life,
on ice.

Housing
rotarians.
A respectable air,
the Beaux Stratagem at the George…
today.

Roof tiles
and alleyways
amaze the ghosts of this
labyrinth where young Darwin’s mind
was honed.

Early
entertainment,
the ultimate game show
for market square martyrs; you burn,
you win.

Poet
speaks borrowed words.
Fires them like a sniper,
conjures a bullet’s short life from
nothing.

So much
living past here,
the undertaker’s shop
a shock. Events are eternal,
people die.

Gary Carr- Derbyshire Stanza and Spoken Worlds

—————————————

In this
Field of the dead
So much remains of the past
That there is so little space
For now

In spite
The house stands and
Against the times
Is witness to a family’s
Dispute

Secrets
Unveiled by
Visitors allow old scenes
So familiar to be viwed
Anew

Ben Macnair -lichfield poets

Posted in Blog | Tagged cinquaines, Derbyshire stanza, lichfield cathedral, lichfield poets, worcestershire stanza | 1 Comment

Arthur and George by David Edgar, Sutton Arts Theatre Co @ Sutton Arts Theatre

Posted on March 22, 2013 by garylongden

Modern day television and cinema enjoys crime thrillers as staple fare. Local author David Edgar has produced a stage play which taps into that contemporary interest whilst looking backwards a century to the story of George Edalji. Edalji was born of an Indian father and a Scottish mother, growing up to become a Birmingham solicitor and living in Great Wyrley. He was also a victim of a miscarriage of justice which helped to create the present day Court of Appeal system. George and Edward has previously toured professionally, and played at the Birmingham Rep, but this is the first time that an amateur license has been granted.

Sutton Arts Theatre were wise to choose this play. Its local setting, references, and accents have obvious interest, as do the themes of multi-culture and race. Adapted from the eponymous book a semi fictional novel by Julian Barnes ,it cleverly juxtaposes issues which resonate now, in an historic setting which seems familiar, so popular is the Victorian period in general, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Arthur to Edalji’s George.

Patrick Richmond-Ward assumed the onerous responsibility of directing this production as well as playing the part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a performance of great authority. Doyle drives the plot on stage. Richmond-Ward also used his acting presence as a conductor to an orchestra, varying the pace and tempo as required. Opposite him Niko Adilypour brought the challenging character of Edward Edalji to life. Edalji is a wronged man, yet has an unshakeable faith in the Legal System, even when it has betrayed him. There are no rants or crie de coeurs, instead angst and hand wringing.It is a nuanced role which Adilypour tackled well.

Three actors bravely took on twelve minor parts to considerable effect. Amongst them, Adam Worton played Mr Greatorex, working in a saddlers in the best cameo scene of the night when he is interviewed about his part in the crime as he meticulously polished a saddle. Two larger than life parts, that of a barrister and pompous army colonel, were custom made for Richard Aucott who clearly enjoyed playing the parts as much as the audience enjoyed seeing him romp through them. Tomos Frater’s feat was to appear unrecognisable as he confidently switched between his four roles.

Period drama is always welcomed by the female casts of Drama Societies as offering an opportunity to dress up in big dresses with lavish accessories. Arthur and George only has two female parts, that of Doyle’s consort, Jean Leckie ,( Elena Serafinas ),and Edalji’s sister Maud, ( Lin Menh Tran), but both revelled in the costuming offered. Elena Serefinas moved Leckie on nicely from frustrated consort to wife, making the most of the comic lines, whilst Lin Menh Tran’s striking beauty neatly offset the geeky awkward persona of her brother. Dexter Whitehead, as Woodie, Doyle’s faithful servant had the best comic lines of the night and was understated, but effective to his master’s huster and bluster.

Richmond-Ward’s production had a fine sense of time and place with a projected screen backdrop well used for location and a fierce smoke machine particularly effective for creating railways scenes. The Great Wyrley Outrages , as they were known, involved the mutilation of livestock and a threat to young girls in the area, the sense of shock and fear was well recreated as was the ignorant racism of the time. “Seeing” as metaphor is the thread which links the play together. The physically short sighted Edalji cannot see the prejudice around him, Doyle cannot see that his consort should be his wife, the legal system and its officers cannot see that Edlaji is innocent, and at the end, Edalji has to stand on a chair because he cannot see the wedding party.

Arthur and George runs at the Sutton Arts Theatre, South Parade Sutton Coldfield from March 21st to Saturday 30th, details at http://www.suttonartstheatre.co.uk
Gary Longden

Posted in Behind the Arras Reviews | Tagged Arthur & George, David Edgar, edalji, Great Wyrley Outrages, Julian Barnes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sutton Arts Theatre | Leave a comment

March 2013 – What’s On, Midlands Spoken Word

Posted on March 1, 2013 by garylongden

Festivals

Mar 1st- 10th Independent Bath Literary Festival
http://bathfestivals.org.uk/literature/

Sat 16th -24th Mar, Oxford Literary Festival, a superstar laden event:
http://oxfordliteraryfestival.org/

———————————————————————————————————–
Day by Day

Fri 1st March Poets in the Bookshop, Malvern Book Cooperative,2 St Ann’s Road, WR14 4RG Great Malvern
Ali Oxtoby, Amy Rainbow, Catherine Crosswell and Jenny Hope

Malvern Book Co-Operative present an evening of four local poets performing their work against a backdrop of lovely shelves packed with lovely books on Friday 1st March at 7.30pm

Please note that this is a ticketed event. In order to secure a FREE ticket for the night, please ring or call in to reserve yours. Numbers strictly limited to shop capacity.
…
01684 564788

Delicious cakes and hot drinks available
before, during and after the show. FREE glass of wine at the start of the night.
Shop doors are open from 7pm.

***Also special guest appearance by Meg Oxtoby
singing with the help of a plastic cup!

Fri 1st March Poems in Pubs, Bath Lit Fest, Raven PH, Queen St, Bath
Poems in Pubs returns as Bath’s one and only poetry pub crawl for the fourth year in a row.

Marvel as masters of the spoken word magically mix sonnets with satire, comedy with couplets and poetry with pints!!

Follow the whole route or dip in and out as you please.

Poets welcome for the open mic finale slam for a chance to win your own PiP’s T shirt and a chance to perform at next years show! Admission is free.

The Route

1st of March 2013

The Raven : 7pm – 8.20pm

The Salamander : 8.30pm – 9.20pm

The Huntsman (upstairs back lounge) : 9.30pm – 10.15pm

The Raven : 10.20 – onwards for open mic finale
Fri 1st March EAST MIDLANDS LAUNCH OF THE NEW SHORT-STORY ANTHOLOGY, “OVERHEARD: STORIES TO READ ALOUD” (SALT, 2012) AT CULTURAL EXCHANGES FESTIVAL, LEICESTER, DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY, 6-8PM. FREE AND ALL WELCOME.

You can download the brochure for the festival from the following link:

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/cultural-exchanges-festival/index.aspx

The event takes place in room 2.30 of the Clapham Building in De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH. You can see a campus map here:

Click to access 2012-dmu-access-map.pdf

Here is a blurb about the book: “Overheard: Stories to Read Aloud (Salt, 2012),” ed. Jonathan Taylor: “From village storytellers to nineteenth-century serialisations, from pub anecdotes to dramatic monologues, storytelling is an enduring and ever-popular art form. This collection of stories reconnects storytelling with its oral roots — each story is designed to be read aloud. It includes work by some of today’s most influential story-tellers, including Louis De Bernières, Blake Morrison, Kate Pullinger, Adele Parks, Michelene Wandor, Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, Hanif Kureishi, and over 30 others.” See http://www.saltpublishing.com for more details.

Sat 2nd Mar Arts March, Weoley Castle library, 11-3pm a range of arts activities

Sat 2nd Mar , Funny Women, Hereford Library, 2pm, free in, Funny Women are performing at Hereford Library this Saturday (March 2nd) at 2pm. If you’re in the area do go along and support Emma, Jane and Win. The event is supported by Writing West Midlands through its admirable Literature on Your Doorstep project.

Sat 2nd Mar Power Plant with Zena Edwards at the Mac Birmingham, 2pm:
Apples and Snakes presents
Power Plant: Zena Edwards

Power Plant is a series of free poetry masterclasses delivered by established pracitioners, designed to cover every facet of life as a performance poet, from writing and performance techniques to the intricacies of successful freelancing. It does not matter how experienced you are: whether you’re new, emerging, or a household name, if you’re seriously considering a further career in spoken word, the Power Plant is for you. Plug into the grid!

… The monthly sessions can be booked through the mac Birmingham website – although they are free of charge, places are strictly limited, so reserve yours early to avoid disappointment.

This session is led by Zena Edwards and is on ‘Writer/Producer/Director Relationship’.

When: Saturday 2 March, 2pm
Where: mac Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH
Tickets: FREE
Info: macarts.co.uk
Booking: bohdan@applesandsnakes.org

Sun 3rd Buzzwords Workshop, Upstairs at The Exmouth Arms, Bath Road, Cheltenham led by Sue Rose 7pm,Guest readings and open mic 8pm,Guest poet: Sue Rose,£5 waged, £3 unwaged, http://buzzwordspoetry.blogspot.com/

Mon 4th Mar Speech Bubble.cognito, LSU, loughborough uni,LE11 3TU ,7.30pm. Jodi ann Bickley and Harry Baker headline plus open mic, £3in
Tues 5th Mar Night Blue Fruit, * New Venue* Playwrights Cafe Bar & Bistro 4/6 Hay lane, Cathedral Quarter, CV1 5RF, free in, 7.30pm-10pm,Open mic, sign up on the night.

Wed 6th Mar Open Resistance,The Vault ,Church St, Rugby, 7.30pm, free in, open mic spoken word and music with Augustus Stephens

Mon 4th SW&N Club Open Mic Spoken word, Newhampton inn, Riches St, Wolverhampton;Spoken Word At Newhampton
Storytelling, poetry, a tune, or a song!Join us on the first Monday of every month (except August) for an evening dedicated to the spoken word.Take part, or just sit back and enjoy the many different voices that make Wolverhampton such a vibrant city.
The Newhampton Inn, Riches Street (off Newhampton Road West) Wolverhampton WV6 0DW,Arrive 7.45 for 8.00pm start.
Suggested donation £3.00 per person.For further details, or to be added to our mailing list please contact us at: chandstory@tiscali.co.uk

Tues 5th Word Y Theatre, East Street, Leicester LE1 6EY, just opposite Leicester Train Station7pm performers, 8pm, Audience, Open mic plus headliner. £6in
WORD! is the longest running poetry and spoken word night in Leicester. Based at The Y Theatre, Leicester, it takes place on the first Tuesday of every month, between 8.00 and 10.30pm. The evening is composed of an open mic, followed by a booked act.
Celebrate International Women’s Month AND the Green Light Festival (http://greenlightfestival.org/) with renowned lyricist and performer, Mellow Baku.

Mellow has performed alongside International and UK artists including, Courtney Pine and featured everywhere from The Barbican, London to The Knitting Factory, New York.

Check out Mellow’s web-site.

http://mellowbaku.com/biog/

Word! is brought to you by a committee of volunteers, has stunning visuals by film-maker Keith Allott and music from The Y.

Entrance: £4/3

Tues 5th 5Minutes, MAC, birmingham
5Minutes. One stage. One audience. One chance to do whatever you want. What would you do with yours?
5Minutes invites performers from across disciplines to do something. That’s it. There are only two rules. The first is that we respectfully request performers refrain from doing something they have ever performed on stage before.The second is that the entire performance must be encapsulated within the performer’s five minutes, with the timer ticking as soon as they begin.
If this sounds like something you’d like to try, message the organisers to enquire after a slot.
Tuesday 5 March, 7.30pm | Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

Tues 5thStranger and Guest: a poetry reading by Cora Greenhill,Leopold Kitchen, (until recently called Caffeteria!) ,Leopold St., (on corner of Church St.) Sheffield. S1 2GY. 7.30pm. Coffee, wine etc available – sandwiches if you arrive early.
There is a £3 charge to cover venue hire.The Greek word xenos means both stranger and guest, reflecting an ethos of hospitality, but also that an outsider is always an outsider. Cora Greenhill’s poetry explores 30 years of a complex love affair with Crete, which is ‘halfway to Africa’; and with Africa, where she has also travelled, lived and worked.

Clare Turner, musician and teacher of African music, will play the mbira and other African instruments between sets.

Wed 6th Gorilla Poetry Slam Competition, Rutland Arms, Brown St, Sheffield .
Poetry Slam – Hosts Adolfus (Addie P. Abbott) and Supernova

Poets in the slam so far:
Anil Boury
Jacob Kennedy
… Bo Meson
Nathan Thomas
Luke Archer
Daniel Massey
Mikey Joe Spikey
Adam Morris
Sam Parker
Cheryl Reid
Dave Attrill
Sarah Thomasin (Arrriving at 8’ish)

Each poem must be of the poet’s own construction.
Each poet gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem.
If the poet goes over the time, points will be deducted from the total score(half a point for every ten seconds)
Five judges will then score the poet and the points will be added up.The scores will range from 0.0 to 10.9, with the highest score being 54.5. The best scoring poet will go through to the next round.
To ensure impartiality, judges cannot be related in any way to the poet.
If the audience disagrees with a judge’s decision on a poet’s scoring, the audience get involved by either booing or cheering as the scores are being read out. Judges will have a final chance to change their scores at the end of each round if they become swayed by the audience.
No costumes or props.

Each poet builds up their score by competing in slams throughout the year. The scores are tallied on a leader board on the website, showing all participants their current position-
encouraging them to compete more! At the end of the year, all their points are added together for the final score. The poet with the top score will go straight to the final. Poets from the 2nd to 7th positions will go the semi-final.

The semi-finalists will compete in a slam until there are only three poets left. Those three poets, together with the overall slam winner from the year, will compete in the final slam.
They will battle for the distinctive title of “The Grand Bard of Sheffield” and receive a commemorative trophy. They will also be encouraged to be involved in more Gorilla Events
projects with the aim of promoting poetry to the community.

* For a Bonus Point and is optional (It’s just some fun).

ANY POEM PERFORMED WITH
THE THEME OF ”SWORD AND SORCERY SET IN A POST APOCALYPTIC WORLD” WILL GET AN EXTRA POINT TO THEIR FINAL SCORE. THINK MAD MAX AND THE HOBBIT BLENDED TOGETHER.

Slam Rules:
•Each poem must be of the poet’s own construction.
•Each poet gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over the time, points will be deducted from the total score. ( ½ point for every 10 Seconds)
• Five judges will score the poet and the points will be added up. The best scoring will go through to the next round. The scores are between 0.0 to 10.9.
•Judges cannot be related in any way to the poet.
•If you feel the judges were wrong in there scoring you can make them aware by booing the scores. If you agree with the judges, cheer them loudly and give them some jazz hands.
•No Costumes or Props
The Winner Gets a Prize and the ‘’Gorilla Poetry Slam Trophy’’ and a half Hour slot at next poetry event. The Winner will have to come back to the next slam to defend the trophy and there right as the slam champion. At the end of the year the best eight scoring poets will enter the slam final and the winner be called the ‘’The Grand Bard Of Sheffield’’.

Thurs 7th Parole Parlate, Little Venice, St Nicholas St, Worcester. £3in, Set bill
Parole Parlate : The Spoken Word” is back on Thursday 7th February 2013 and is a dedicated spoken word and “music that tells a story” platform. If you would like the chance to read your short stories, poems, prose, try out your performance poetry or music that tells a story, this evening is for you!

Hosted by Little Venice in Worcester, there will be a full bar service, cakes/snacks and you can of course take advantage of their full menu and enjoy their delicious pizzas, pastas or salads. Try out their £7.95 menu which includes a pizza or pasta dish and a drink.
Confirmed performers include:

Ellie Stevenson
Timothy Stavert
Sheila Cox
Chardonnay Jade
Math Jones
Mike Alma
Heather Still

Headlining this event will be Notes From The Underground compere and host Jack Edwards.
Future dates;

Thursday 4th April 2013
Thursday 2nd May 2013
Sunday 16th June 2013 – Festival Special

Thurs 7th Coffeehouse Poetry – The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE Shrew sbury:7.30-9pm,with Liz Lefroy- set bill, all welcome to listen, free in.

Thurs 7th Poetry slam, Bham v Cambridge v Cardiff unis, Bristol Pear, Bristol road Selly oak, Birmingham:
On Thursday 7th March, teams from the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge (Pembroke College) and Cardiff are going head to head in an unprecedented multi-team inter-university poetry slam. A slam to end all slams. A megaslam. A superslam.
Whatever you call it, it’s going to kick your literal or figurative balls into next week.
The audience get to vote for the winners of each round, and the winners of most rounds at the end of the night win the slam overall. Simple power to the people. Pure democracy. Pure… sweet poems. Pure sweet things that you didn’t think were poems.
Come to the Bristol Pear and let Writers’ Bloc redraw the borders of your ears.

Your University of Birmingham team:

Lily Blacksell
James Grady
Ben Norris
Elisha Owen

after a sacrificial round including:

Ben Jackson.

With resident Writers’ Bloc DJ Miles Bradley and host Chazz Redhead.
• Bristol Pear
676 Bristol Road, B29 6BJ Birmingham

Thurs 7th Good Impressions Spoken Word open Mic, Cafe Impression, Atkins Building, Hinckley, LE10 1QU,7.30pm £5in Hosted by Tom Phillips,1st Thursday Monthly

Thur 7th Blackdrop’s Lyric off,@ NAE Gregory Boulevard, Nottm. 8-10pm, £3:
ft Honey Williams- poet and singer/song writer. A night themed Women Marching On,(Note this is Not a women only event). All welcome.

Thurs 7th An Evening with the Bard and Friends – Stony Live!The Crown, Stony Stratford,8pm;The Bardic Council of Stony Stratford presents a cerebral celebration of performance poetry and the spoken word.
Featuring:
The Bard of Stony Stratford, Danni antagonist
with performances from:
Mark Niel
Fay Roberts
Stephen Hobbs
Vikki Laxton-Bass
and
Paul Eccentric
Hosted by Richard Frost
This show is one of many events taking place as part of Stony Live, the celebrated annual festival of music and performance in the cultural hub that is the historic town of Stony Stratford. Please go to the official website for more info on all the exciting goings on:
http://www.stonylive.info/pages/home/index.php
You’ll be spoilt for choice, but please, come and join us in The Crown in the Market Square (MK11 1BE) on Thursday night. (Yes, a scene from Withnail & I WAS filmed in this pub!).
Free Entry – a voluntary collection will be taken. All proceeds will go to Stony Live!

Thurs 7th Yard of Tales,Joules Yard, rear of 53-55 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7AF. Joules Yard is a unique venue with a licensed bar after 7pm, also serving tea and coffee. If you would like to order a vegetarian meal for the evening, provided by ‘The Green House’ please telephone 01858 463250. Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Meets first Thursday in the month.Yard of Tales is a performance storytelling club hosted by Kevin Walker http://www.kevinwalker-storyteller.com!Tickets £6 at door (includes nibbles).For further information – 0116 259 2233 or 01858 463250

Fri 8th Open Mic, Bookmark Bloxwich, Bloxwich Library,8pm, free in, Poetry, songs and performance

Fri 8th Let’s get Together, The Oxfam Bookshop, 101 High Street, Worcester,8pm.
An evening of celebration in poetry, prose, song, performance to mark International Women’s Day

Sat 9thPoets Place, Yorks Bakery Café, Birmingham,4-6pm,Organised by Birmingham Libraries and Apples and Snakes, Poets’ Place is an informal gathering of poets set to happen twice a month. It is an opportunity to meet like‐minded people, give and solicit feedback on your poetry, or just sit back and write for a couple of hours without interruption.

Mon 11th Speech BubbleCognito, Students’ Union, Loughborough University 7pm Second Mondays monthly in term time, check for details: http://www.arts.lboro.ac.uk/

Mon 11th Pub Poetry Nottingham The Canal house, 48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7EH,8pm, 2nd monday : Free in, Open mic Contact Nick on pubpoetry@nottscomedyfestival.co.uk

< Mon 11thPUREandGOODandRIGHT is an Open Mic poetry event taking place at The Sozzled Sausage, Leamington Spa CV32 4NX.7.30 start
Admission £3 (£2 Student/OAP)

Mark Niel and the Antipoet headline

From time to time we are located upstairs, so please let us know if you require disabled access before the event.
If you would like to know more about the night email: pgrpoetry@gmail.com

Tues 12th Spire Writes, Havana Whites, Chesterfield
After a brief break, Spire Writes is back in March with some very special guests. Come along and support Chesterfield Young Writers performing their work for the very first time: you can tell everyone you heard them here first.

There’ll also be a performance from the fantastic River Wolton, former Derbyshire Poet Laureate and author of ‘The Purpose of Your Visit’ (Smith/Doorstop, 2008).

As usual, there’ll be open mic too (please let me know if you’d like a slot) and it’s completely FREE to attend. Doors open just before 8pm.

Havana Whites is 2 minutes from Chesterfield train station and we finish in time for the last train back to Sheffield. Parking is available at nearby Spa Lane.

Tues 12th City Voices Second Tuesday 19:30 City Bar King Street, Wolverhampton WV 1ST booked poets simon.fletcher@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Tues 12th Mouth & Music 6,Boars Head Gallery, Kidderminster 8pm, £3 in:
MOUTH and MUSIC
Acoustic spoken word & music night
Boar’s Head Gallery

This month we have two superbly entertaining features both of whom received a resounding cheer when we announced them at our February gig:
…
EMMA PURSHOUSE – “poetry which is quick-witted, sharp, bouncy, poignant and funny”

AL BARZ – can only be described as poet with keyboard (which has a mind of its own)

MC Heather Wastie

Our chosen theme for this month is “Giving up”. Performers are invited to interpret as they see fit …. or ignore completely!

Open floor sign-up from 7.30
Slots are 5 mins for spoken word and slightly longer for music, to allow for 2 songs.
Admission £3 (free to performers)

“A wonderful mix of poetry, prose and music. Highly recommended!”
Lisa Ventura, Director, Worcestershire Literary Festival

Presented by KAF Creatives
http://www.kafcreatives.org.uk

Tues 12th Tales at the Edge, White Lion Inn, Bridgnorth, Shropshire,Tales at the Edge is one of the country’s oldest and most established storytelling clubs, meeting in Bridgenorth on the 2nd Tuesday of every month (except August) at 8 pm.
Hear tales, myths and legends from all over the world in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you are new to storytelling, an experienced teller or just enjoy listening to stories. There is no charge for admission.
For more details contact: Mike Rust 01694 771 379.

Tues 12th MarThe Crown, Market Square, Stony Stratford MK11 1BE,doors open 7.30 for 8.00 start.
Spring is here, spring is here, life is skittles and life is beer. I think the loveliest time of year is spring, I do. Don’t you? Course you do.As the year casts off her ermine gown in favour of a more verdant, strapless little number, and puts the woolly tights back in the wardrobe in anticipation of days lengthening, sap rising and hares leaping, what better way to welcome in the new season than with an evening of open mic music and poetry with special guests?

This month’s headline performers are The Screaming House Madrigals, returning to share their distinctive sound, and the legend in his own lunchtime that is Poeterry, along with the open-minded, open-ended, open-floodgates open mic, welcoming all performers of any style, genre or level of wanton abandon to share their music and words before a warm, receptive, often bemused yet surprisingly tolerant audience.

This month also sees the return of the Post-it Note Poetry competition, back by popular demand – that is, back because we’ve got some more pens after I threw the last lot away by mistake. What else are you going to be doing on the second Tuesday of the month? Join us…

Wed13thTea for two, Stapleford, Notts:
Five times Young and Wood:
Dave Wood and Richard Young’s Community Spoken Word night
at Stapleford goes from strength to strength.

Poets, storytellers and linguistic twiddlers are ready to gather at
… Two for Tea, 92 Derby Road, Stapleford on
Wednesday 13th March 2013.

Come in at 7pm to settle down ready to read, perform or
be a member of the audience at 7.30pm.

Usually finishes 9.15pm. All are welcome, professional or amateur.

Open Word night is (as far as we know), Stapleford’s only poetry
and storytelling night.

We ask you to buy a drink for admission (plenty of delicious choices!)

Clare Stewart, of DIY poets, & Ray and Terri Holland, of Burton Spoken World’s fame, will be the main acts for the evening

Wed 13th Wordsmiths and Co, Warwick Arts Centre, Warwick
Presented in partnership with Warwick Arts Centre, Nine Arches Press, Bloodaxe Books and Apples and Snakes

WORDSMITHS & CO.

The UK’s first live poetry talk show, featuring poets you know from the pages of books and from festival stages. A rare opportunity to witness them sharing stories, poems and opinions as they engage in no-holds-barred conversation right before your widened eyes.
…
GASP as words are made to perform daring feats of sound and meaning! Shudder as you discover how your favourite poems came to be! Cheer wildly at the apparent humanity of their creators!

This is live poetry. This is not for the faint of heart. This is Wordsmiths & Co. Jo Bell invites conversation and memorable performances from:

Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze has released five poetry books, Riddym Ravings (Race Today), Spring Cleaning (Virago), and On the Edge of an Island, The Arrival of Brighteye and The Fifth Figure (all Bloodaxe), as well as several records and CDs. Third World Girl: Selected Poems (with DVD, Bloodaxe 2011). She has performed her work throughout the world and now divides her time between Jamaica and Leicester. She received a NESTA Award in 2003.

Daljit Nagra currently lives in Willesden where he works in a secondary school. His first collection, Look We Have Coming to Dover!, won the 2007 Forward Prize for Best First Collection and was shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award. In 2008 he won the South Bank Show / Arts Council Decibel Award. His second collection Tippoo Sultan’s Incredible White-Man-Eating Tiger Toy-Machine!!! was published by Faber and Shortlisted for the 2012 TS Eliot Prize.

Angela France has had poems published in many of the leading journals, in the UK and abroad and has been anthologised a number of times. She has an MA in ‘Creative and Critical Writing’ from the University of Gloucestershire and is studying for a PhD. Publications include Occupation (Ragged Raven Press) and Lessons in Mallemaroking (Nine Arches Press). Angela is features editor of Iota and runs a monthly poetry cafe, Buzzwords. Her new collection, Hide will be published by Nine Arches Press (March 2013).

Charlie Jordan is a familiar radio voice, with a 20 year career presenting programmes for national and local stations. As a former Birmingham Poet Laureate, and ‘Writer in residence’ at WBA football club, Charlie runs dynamic workshops in schools that lift words off the page to engage pupils with literacy. She’s a regular on the local live poetry circuit and has appeared at festivals such as The Big Chill and Manchester’s Literature Festival. Charlie is also a founding member of poets’ collective Write Down Speak Up.

When: Wednesday 13 March, 7.45pm
Where: Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL
Tickets: £5
Booking: 024 7652 4524 / http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk
Tweet: @WordsmithsandC

Wed 13th The Quad Derby QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS Second Wednesday 19.30 Free in, A monthly night of performed poetry for everyone, new performers always welcome or just come and listen, More details from QUAD or contact Les on T: 01332 206 734, http://www.derbyquad.co.uk

Thurs 14th Tales and Veils, Eat Up, Shearmans Hall, Milk St Shrewsbury,7.30pm
” The Stories that Shakespeare forgot”
Be Bold be bold but not too bold……Come listen to the stories that the Bard used to create his masterpieces with dancing and live music from Pauline and Asif Qu and JudeeTee to lift the spirits and soul. Stories from The Birmingham Storytelling Cafe.

At Eat Up Milk Street Shrewsbury
SY11SZ Tickets £10 ( includes a drink and nibbles) available in advance from-
Eat Up- http://www.eatupshrewsbury.co.uk or phone 01743350505

Wed 13th March – Flying Donkeys “Spread the Word”, open night at the Voicebox, Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ – with special “hot spot” guest Gary Cordingley. Gary is bringing his drums and sharing a few African tales, and we will have our usual captivating mix of tales from the floor (and scrumptious cakes)! Tickets £7 at the door or Tel 01332 840007 info@flyingdonkeys.co.uk.

Thurs 14th The Shipping Forecast Open Mic, Second Thursday Monthly Rude Shipyard Cafe,89 Abbeydale Rd Sheffield, S7 1FE:7.45 Hosted by miss piggy or stan skinny, message for slots.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Yorkshire-Word-search/275766372495584?sk=wall#!/pages/The-Shipping-Forecast-spoken-word/276780052333840?sk=info
http://www.therudeshipyard.com

Thurs 14th Down the Rabbit Hole second thursday,Esquires Cafe, Cov Transport Museum,Coventry,Cv1 1JD
LIVE ART * LIVE MUSIC * LIVE POETRY * LIVE COMEDY * LIVE STORYTELLING*
Coffee, tea, wine and beer available all night!
If you have anything to offer, please don’t hesitate to contact the Down The Rabbit Hole page or Kathleen/Leena/Kathy Normington at any time to opt in to sharing something – anything!

Thurs 14th Paul Francis, Book launch of “Boxed Set”, Guildhall, Much Wenlock, 7.30pm, Paul Francis is launching Boxed Set, his collection of poems about film and TV.

Fri 15th Wednesbury Open Mic Open Mic Poetry,Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery ,7.30 pm, £3, with Den Payne, third friday

Fri 15th Spoken Worlds Third Friday 19:30 The Old Cottage Tavern , Byrkley Street, Burton-upon-Trent DE14 2JJ with Gary Carr Open mic gajwriter@btinternet.com

Sat 16th Mar 10.30- 4.30pm Clapham Building, Leicester DMU, Free and open to all: States of Independence 4: Independent Publishers’ Fair: Bookstalls, Readings, Book Launches, Panels, Performances, Workshops, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Plays, Artist Books, Magazines, Journals

Sun 17th Poems and Pints The Swan Inn,18 Stafford Street Town Centre, Stone ST15 8QW, 4-6pm, Third Sunday

Sun 17th If walls could speak. Mac, Birmingham at 8pm, then again on Monday 18th at 9pm.
Soul City Arts presents a story of an inner city neighbourhood told through the eyes of an artist driven to redefine himself, his community and the space around him. World renowned graffiti artist Mohammed Ali (AerosolArabic), teams up with a diverse line-up of artists to paint the story around you. The tale unfolds in Sparkbrook focussing on how it became a gateway into Birmingham for generations of migrants.

If Walls Could Speak is an explosive collage of tales woven together using live graffiti, vocal… looping, spoken word, rhythm and rhyme, to create a unique theatre experience.

The show is directed by celebrated theatre maker Leo Kay (Unfinished Business) underpinned by a live musical score, performed by jazz legend Cleveland Watkiss working with artists Martin Stannage, Stephen Morrison-Burke, RT and Conrad Thompson.

IMPORTANT NOTE: there is TWO showings, March 17th AND March 18th….

CAST:

WITH MOHAMMED ALI
DIRECTOR LEO KAY
SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT POLAR BEAR
DRAMATURG SONIA HUGHES
MUSIC CLEVELAND WATKISS
FEATURING STEPHEN MORRISON-BURKE
RTKAL
MARTIN STANNAGE
CONRAD THOMPSON (MC CONRAD)

Sun 17th Tell Me On A Sunday 3: Little me,The Ikon Gallery Cafe, B1 2HS Birmingham, with Cat weatherill
“Just been mentoring three people who are hoping to tell at the next Tell Me event. It’s amazing what a difference the theme makes to the type of stories pitched. ‘Little Me’ is making people reminisce bigtime, but the memories (beautiful though they are) are small and random – ‘a satchel full of ink stained memories’ as one put it. I’m helping people to link memories, find the emotional DNA, spin around a strong image, make sense of it all. I think there will be some gorgeous stories coming out of this one, full of heart and wisdom and warmth”
Story supper from 5pm. Show from 6 – 7.30.

The event is free but seats MUST be reserved – it packs out!! To reserve call the Ikon Gallery: 0121 248 0780

To pitch a story, you can message Cat via the Tell Me page x

Mon 18th Shindig, The Western PH, Western Rd, Leicester, 4th Monday bi-monthly,7.30pm: Headliners and open mic, with Crystal Clear Creators and Nine Arches Press

Tues 19th Find the Right Words ,Upstairs at the Western,Western rd Western PH, Leicester
New spoken word night in Leicester. Not boring. No books or flowers. (Maybe some books).

Two brilliant spoken word poets, Izzy Brookes and Sean Mahoney (of Channel 4’s Random Acts fame) and 10 open open mic spaces. 5 available by email. 5 on the door. Free CDs and good pints.

Make this one a success, there will be lots more.

£5/£4 conc.

Doors at 7.30

If you’re keen, tickets are here http://findtherightwords.eventbrite.co.uk/
Tues 19th Giggling Goblin Open mic Poetry, The Bowling Green Pub, The Green Ashby New Vwnue, new day, 7,30pm start. on the 3rd Tuesdays of the month starting Tuesday 19th March then-
tuesday 16th april
tuesday 21st May
tuesday 18th june
tuesday 16th july
and so on.
probably miss out august but will decide formally later.
Thank you all for your support and hope to see you tonight (last at the Giggling Goblin) and subsequently at the new venue.
keep smiling ,brian langtry

Tues 19th I am Blackbird, Storytelling with kate walton, Spark cafe, Tamworth st, Lichfield,7.30pm:
A lyrical storytelling extravaganza, celebrating the misadventures of finding love and ultimately finding freedom.

Paying homage to the greats, aka – the parents, the men and Casablanca! ‘I am Blackbird’ celebrates the divine discontent of love, loss and ridiculous adventures.
With heart and humour, the show hopes to remind – That if we have faith, live for the moment and learn to love and accept ourselves for all our glorious f@*k-ups, we may just find more than we were looking for…

Written & Performed By Kate Walton, Performance Poet and Storyteller

Supported by the amazing poetical talents of Christian Watson
And
Music by Jake Morgan with his one man bandalism Folk Blues

The Spark Cafe Bar & Events, Lichfield
Get there early for food and drinks, show will start at 7.30pm sharp!

It aims to be a great night, so please do come along.

Please Note – Unfortunately, Ben Norris will not be performing despite what the flyer says, but we still love him anyway!

Tues 19th Mar Confab Cabaret, recon, 4 Church st, Malvern, WR14 2AY. 8pm

A fun packed variety night with lashings of Spoken Word.
Featuring: Spoz, The Very Grimm Brothers, Dolly Grip, Salma,
Tim Cranmore & his freshly carved Carrot, Four Tart Harmony, The Silliest Raffle, resident cocktail shaker, your hostess Amy Rainbow

and maybe YOU!!

Malvern Magic Hatters cordially invite you to the Launch Night of ConFab Cabaret on Tuesday 19th March 2013 at 8.30pm.

Join us for a night of frolics and frivolity, merriment and jollity!

ALSO Introducing ‘Prepare to Share’ 2 mins of stardom from YOU. Tell a joke, do a teeny poem, Explore the rubic cube, assemble flat pack furniture, play a ditty, show us a card trick, tell us how to get rid of a stain, gurn to the masses. do your shadow puppet wizardry, juggle blunt stuff, Impersonate Russell Crowe, balance a moustache, flare Nostrils while yodelling and hopefully MUCH MUCH MORE!!
******WARNING******** 120 seconds MAX.
If you are hooted you will get booted from the sharing area.
Beware the whistle!!.

Entry is by donation. The Malvern Magic Hat will be passed around during ecstatic crowd bursts of laughter and applause.

This wonderfully delicious line up will be found at Re-con,
Malvern’s brand new entertainment venue.

Wed 20th FebStorytelling Cafe 7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm)Keeping Up With The Gods – Tales from the Odyssey. Take one extraordinary 3000 year old story, a puffed up war weary hero and mix with tormenting goddesses and a six headed monster. Shake it all up and sprinkle with narcotic petals from the exotic lotus flower. Encounter magical adventures in the playground of the gods where wine, feasts, stories and songs give release from love’s pain, loss and betrayal. Food Served from 6.30, Stories start at 7.30.tickets: £7

Tickets available from the Cafe or http://www.wegottickets.com

Wed 20th Double Takes, Shrewsbury Library, Castle gates, Shrewsbury 7.30pm, £3in, Gareth Owen, poet and all round entertainer, reads, supported by Liz Lefroy..

Wed 20th I am Blackbird, Storytelling with kate walton, Six Eight Kafe 6/8 Temple Row, B2 5HG Birmingham,
A lyrical storytelling extravaganza, celebrating the misadventures of finding love and ultimately finding freedom.

… Written & Performed By Kate Walton, Performance Poet and Storyteller

Supported by the amazing poetical talents of Ben Norris, Stephanie Dogfoot and Christian Watson.

The 6/8 Kafe, Birmingham.
Doors open at 7pm for drinks, show starts at 7.30pm sharp!

It aims to be a great night of spoken word, so please do come along.

Wed 20th Templar Poetry,Lamb & Flag, The Tyhthing, Worcester, 8pm; Open mic, third Wednesday, Alex officiates contact:Alex McMillen, Alex McMillen,Templar Poetry, PO BOX 7082, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 9AF,Tel: 01629 582500, Mobile: 07918166975

Wed 20th Mar Storytelling Café with Dominic Kelly 7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm) ,Dominic Kelly is a storyteller with a dynamic and compelling style that has captivated audiences in schools, theatres and festivals around the world. His storytelling is powerful and entertaining combining compelling composition with high-energy performance. Food Served from 6.30, Stories start at 7.30.Tickets: £7 Tickets available from the Cafe or http://www.wegottickets.com

Thurs 21st Angela France, University of Gloucestershire:room TC007, Francis Close Hall Campus, Swindon Road, CHELTENHAM, Gloucestershire GL50 4AZ, 7.30pm.It is the entrance opposite the refectory but there should be an ‘A’ board pointing the way.Nigel McLoughlin will also be reading; no tickets or entry fee, wine and nibbles provided.

Thurs 21stOuse Muse, Harpurs, 46-48 Tavistock St Bedford, MK40 2RD.Third Thursday, 7.30pm start Open mic. Ian McEwan organises

Thurs 21 Speak Up, Bulls Head, Moseley, Birmingham, 3rd Thursday, monthly, 7.30pm: headliners plus open mic,£5in http://www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk/

Thurs 21 Hit the Ode, The Victoria, Birmingham, 7.30pm brings the most exciting poets from the region, the country and the world to the heart of Birmingham. Join us! We have poems. Poems which look attractive in their passport pictures; poems rough like sandpaper; poems your tongue sticks to if you try to lick them. Good poems. Come and get them.

Featuring: David Morley, The Chill Pill Collective, Yasmin Hafedh (Austria).

fri 22nd Cover Up (a rehearsed reading),The Edge, 79-81 Cheapside Deritend, Birmingham, West Midlands, B12 0QH
Cover Up
… (a rehearsed reading)
By Jane Campion Hoye
Directed by Jouvan Fucinni

The streets of West London, a knife-crime and a teenage boy charged with murder. Jo, a work-weary criminal lawyer from the Midlands has seen it all before. But this time it’s different. Through a series of interviews with young Notting Hill socialite Tamara, Jo finds herself drawn into a social world very different from her own…yet where the parallels with her own story, as a child of the seventies, has a shocking resonance.

Cover Up is an arresting noir styled play in development with local emerging artists, writer Jane Campion Hoye and director Jouvan Fucinni (artistic director Future Theatre, writer of Empty), who met at Theatre Exchange. An exciting cast includes;
Nadia Kemp-Sayfi (Twelfth Night Blue Orange Theatre)
Caroline Frewin (Silver Street BBC Radio Drama)
Philip Jennings (Brimstone & Treacle Tread the Boards Theatre Company)
Laurence Saunders (BBC’s EastEnders).

Jane Campion Hoye originally based in London relocated to the Midlands and recently completed a Masters in Playwriting at the University of Birmingham. Since graduating at the end of 2009, she has had a variety of short scripts successfully performed in Birmingham and Bristol, winning competitions and “audience favourite” votes. Cover Up is her first full-length play for the stage.

Tickets: £2.50 on the door Call: 0121 772 6160

Find out more:
SPACE2DEV.CO.UK

Sat 23rdPoets Place, Yorks Bakery Café, Birmingham,4-6pm,Organised by Birmingham Libraries and Apples and Snakes, Poets’ Place is an informal gathering of poets set to happen twice a month. It is an opportunity to meet like‐minded people, give and solicit feedback on your poetry, or just sit back and write for a couple of hours without interruption.

Sunday 24th Sunday Xpress Fourth Sunday Doors 1500, Start 16:30 Adam & Eve Bradford Street, Birmingham B12 0JD Open mic
jameskennedycentral@yahoo.co.uk

Mon 25th LAMP, starring Dreadlock Alien and shabz ahmed, 7pm, free in,Leamington Live Art & Music Project
Riverside, Adelaide Road, Leamington Spa, CV32 5AH

Tues 26thWord Wizards New venue* Buckingham Hotel, opp the Pavillion Gdns , Buxton last Tuesday Monthly 19.30. Open mic three minute slam format More info Poetryslamuk@aol.com 01298 77362

Tues 26th The Telling Space, Mythstories, *NEW VENUE* (relocated from Wem) Mythstories,The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse,5 Castle Gates, SY1 2AE,Wem, Shropshire,The club meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month unless otherwise stated. Please check the website under ‘opening hours and events’ http://www.mythstories.com or contact Dez or Ali on 01939 235500 for further information.Meet at 7 pm for refreshments (bring food to share) or at 7.30 pm for stories. A chance to listen or an opportunity to tell. Admission is free.

Tues 26th Word Wizards * New venue* Buckingham Hotel, opp the Pavillion Gdns , Buxton last Tuesday Monthly 19.30. Open mic three minute slam format. Rob Stevens. More info Poetryslamuk@aol.com
01298 77362/ 0781 3289358

Tue 26th Mar Poetry Bites with David Calcutt and Nadia Kingsley,7.30pm (Doors 6.30pm),David is a poet, novelist and playwright; Nadia is a poet and visual artist. They have just published a joint poetry collection Road Kill. “One of the top 10 venues for poetry in the UK” (Susan Richardson, Radio 4). Poetry Bites also includes floor spots – arrive early to book a spot. Tickets on door or by email from jacquirowe@hotmail.co.uk Food Served from 6.30, Readings start at 7.30.

Tickets: £5 (£4 Conc.) on Door

Food served from 6:30pm, Readings start at 7:30pm

Tues 26th Purple Penumbra Purple Penumbra is primarily a spoken word, open mic (without mic) event that takes place within the friendly and relaxing confines of the theatre bar at Oldbury Rep (The Barlow) in Langley.> Run by Al Barz, with assistance from Walsall’s Poet Laureate, Ian Henery, it is a continuation of the Purple Patch evenings of the late, and much missed Black Country poet, Geoff Stevens, probably the most widely published English poet of the past century.

Currently it is a free entry evening of poetry and prose, sometimes with a touch of mostly acoustic music, on the 2nd or 3rd Tuesday of each month starting at 7:30 pm and continuing until the words run out or 10:30 arrives, whichever is the sooner.

It is open for anyone and everyone to listen and/or to perform their own writings. Come and be entertained by some of the best in performance poetry available in England today, or at least in Langley. And if you can write a passable limerick/sonnet or two, or give us a song or play us a tune, do that too, do. But mostly come in, have a drink from the bar, relax at table and have a delightful evening.

The next event will be on 19th February.

Search for Purple Penumbra event on Facebook, or email to albarz@albarz.co.uk

How to get there…..

Bus services:
126 from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, ten minutes from the Navigation bus stop, and
120, Birmingham to Dudley just two minutes from Rhodia Works bus stop, Station Road, Langley.

Train services:
10 minute walk from Langley Green railway station.

Car:
Put B69 4SP in your satnav, or…
From the M5, Junction 2,
at the big island take the 4th exit onto the A4034 (Churchbridge)
take the first right at the traffic light (slip road) B4170, Park Street/Park Lane towards Langley
at the Langley Green island, keep left on B4182, Park Lane and take the first right into Whyley Walk
The free car park is 60 metres on your left.
The Barlow Theatre, (or Oldbury Rep) is in front of you.

Wed 27thThe Poetry Train* New Venue* the Lych Gate Tavern, 44 Queens Square Wolverhamtpton, it’s down the walkway by Barclays bank the leads to the Civic Centre. 8pm, upstairs in their function room….It’s a great little pub last Wednesday ts@tonystringfellow.com

Wed 27th “42″ Open Mic Night (Gothic, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy) Lunar Bar, New St Worcester, 7.30, Free in: last wed monthly E-mail: 42openmicnight@42genrearts.co.uk

Wed 27th Packhorse PoetsThe Packhorse Inn, Crowdecote, near Longnor,Derbys on the fourth Wednesday of each month

Thurs 28th South & City College, Birmingham, 5.30pm Level Up – and explosive night of spoken word in performance, featuring some of the country’s very best poets alongside local rising stars. Besides sets from our special guests, you can expect open mic slots for you to share your work, poetry video showcases, and time to socialize and share your work with like-minded people.

This is a chance to make your voice heard. So what are you waiting for? Write the words. Grab the mic. Level up! Featuring: Dreadlock Alien and Amerah Saleh.

When: Thursday 28 March, 5.30pm

Thur 28th Bilston Voices Fourth Thursday 19:00 Cafe Metro 46 Church Street, Bilston: £3in, set bill. Emma Purshouse hosts, top performance poets Alan ‘Kurly’ McGeachie and Heather Wastie on the bill. There’s Daniel Shelley Smith making his Bilston Voices debut, Eileen Ward-Birch will be doing a turn, Roger Jones is coming along

Bilston Voices starts at 7.30 and takes place, as usual, at Cafe Metro, 46 Church Street, Bilston. It costs £2 to get in.——————————————————————————————————————–
Tues 2nd John Donne Day, Polesworth Abbey

John Donne Day 2013. John Donne Day 2013. 2pm – 8.30pm, Tuesday 2 April 2013.
The 400th Anniversary of Donne’s Poem – Good Friday 1613 Riding Westwards (written after staying in Polesworth)
The Abbey Church, Polesworth Abbey, High Street, Polesworth, Warwickshire, B78 1DU.

Polesworth Abbey CIC; Birmingham City University: Institute of Creative and Critical Writing; Writing West Midlands.
Made in the Midlands.

The Programme

John Donne Day 2013, Tuesday 2 April, 2013, The Abbey Church, Polesworth, Warwickshire. A Made in the Midlands afternoon/evening of talks, walks, readings and performances.

Thurs 4thBlackdrop Open Mic @ Canal House Bar, Canal Street, Nottm featuring Mark Grist the rap Battle Teacher (youtube wonder).8-10pm £3

Our event has an open mic, slots are approx 5mins long. Blackdrop is open to over 16s.

Poetry. Story. Comedy. Rap. Hip-hop. Song. Must be own original material. ALL WELCOME.

*(Thanks to Writing East Midlands for kindly agreeing to support our 4th April event)

Sat 20th April – “Seven Deadly Sins” at Cromford Mills Cafe, Cromford, Derbyshire, 7.30pm. Info on show as above. Tickets £7. Book direct with Cromford Mills, Tel 01629 829555

Tues 23rd April Purple Penumbra .

Saturday 11th May, 17th Swindon Slam at the Arts Centre on as part of the Swindon Festival of Literature, the brochure for which will be unveiled on 21st March. Fifteen places available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Thurs 23rd May Audlem Festival Poetry Slam, Emma purshouse writes:After the succes of the first Audlem Slam last year, I’ve been asked to organise a second pub slam as part of Audlem Music Festival 2013. The winner of the slam will get £50 and the opportunity to do bits and pieces amongst bands over the festival weekend if they want to. The slam will take place in The Bridge Inn, Audlem on the opening night of the festival Thursday 23rd May 2013 at 8pm.

Would you be interested in being one of the slammers? It’ll be over 3 rounds/3 minutes per round.

To give you a bit more information about the event…it’s a small village festival in a beautiful canalside location. Three pubs and various other venues in the village put on free music and exhibitions for the whole of the May bank holiday weekend 23rd May – 27th May. Check out the website on http://www.audlemfestival.com/ to find out more. Audlem is between Market Drayton and Nantwich…you’d need a car (or a boat) to get there…but if you are interested and haven’t got transport I could try and link you up with someone who might be able to give you a lift (perhaps car drivers who are intending to come could let me know if they would like to offer lifts in order to share travel costs and also from which area they’ll be travelling from).

Fri 3rd/ Sat 4th May Mary Rochford Trilogy,– where Salsa Sizzles, Tennis Thrills and Football (almost) Kills at
The Crescent Theatre, Brindley Place, Birmingham,7.45, £10in.

Posted in Midlands Poetry What's On | Leave a comment

A Life in Lists

Posted on February 27, 2013 by garylongden

As a writer, I enjoy how words are put together. I am also struck by the power of lists, stripped of adjectives and verbs, leaving the reader to wonder, and ponder, (if interested) why?

Some of these lists are personal, some capture a moment, some an era. I am struck how with some, one word resonates far beyond any phrase, sentence or paragraph I could possibly have written by way of explanation.I have resisted the temptation to explain, the words speak for themselves. In part I offer this as an alternative autobiography:

Personal

Food
Lobster
Steak
Paella
Tomato Soup
Crab

Girls, girls,girls

Jane Hilton
Julie Lichfield
Leah Bearwood
Sheila Kempston
Margaret Hemel
Lisa Wolverhampton
Tanya Bearwood
Helen Telford
Sandy Leamington Spa
Katherina Athens
Maddison Bearwood
Amy Sheffield
Charlotte Broad
Francesca Flatt
Jo Leicester
Juliet Evesham
Pauline Hednesford

Ashleigh, Long

Hot Women
Helen Mirren
Kelly Brook
Debra Stephenson
Michelle Moen
Catherine Zeta – Jones
Katherine Jenkins
Kate Garraway
Lilly Allen
Florence Welch
Helen Flanagan
Rachel Riley
Zoe Lucker
Lorraine Lelly
Kym Marsh
Kylie
Denise Van Outen

Curious Interests
Submarines
Second World War Airplanes
Football Grounds
The Vietnam War
Castles
Falconry
Scuba Diving
Space Travel
Bridges
Rollercoasters

Sea Journeys

Southampton to Cherbourg to New York
Harwich to Esbjerg
Harwich to Hook of Holland
Portree to Tarbert
Portsmouth to Le Havre
Tarifa- Tangiers
LaemChabang (Thailand) – Sianhoukville (Cambodia)
Sianhoukville – Phu My ( Vietnam)
Phu My- Penang ( Malaysia)
Penang – Klang (Malaysia)
Klang – Singapore
Singapore – Langkawi (Malaysia)
Langkawi- Koh Samui (Thailand)
Ullapool- Stornoway

Barbados- Palma

Malaga- Jamaica

Barbados – Dubrovnic

Southampton – Hamburg

Great British Seaside
Dunwich
Great Yarmouth
Blackpool
Weston Super Mare
Caswell Bay
Felixstowe
Oxwich Bay
Lowestoft
Morecambe
Frinton
Clacton
Valtos beach, Lewis
Traigh Mhor Tolsta Beach, Lewis

South Shields

Great Welsh Places

Anglesea Castle
The Menai Straits Bridge
Conway Castle
Caernarvon Castle
Caerphilly Castle
Cardiff Castle
Llandudno
Rhyll
Snowdon
Three Cliffs Bay
Oxwich Bay
Caswell Bay
Mumbles Pier
Rhossilli Bay
Worms Head
Rhonda Valley
Roath Park
Millenium Stadium
Barmouth
Harlech Castle
Celtic Manor

St Davids

Great British Places
The Gower Coast
Ashridge Forest
Parker’s Piece, Cambridge
Mumbles, Swansea
Cannock Chase
Chatsworth House
Blenheim Palace
Tower Bridge, London
Vale of Llangollen
Dovedale
Snake Pass
Ironbridge
Callanish Stones
Whitby

Lake Windermere

Countries Visited

United Kingdom
France
Luxembourg
Germany
Denmark
Spain
Italy
Greece
Cyprus
Egypt
Morocco
USA
Canada
Thailand
Singapore
Cambodia
Vietnam
Malaysia
Russia

Barbados

St lucia

Guadeloupe

Antigua

Azores/ portugal

Croatia

Jamaica

Madeira/Portugal

Portugal- Alvero

Belgium, Bruges

Christmas Ten

Tree
Decorations
Family
Gifts
Turkey
Old Christmas Songs
Snow
Old Films
Bad Television
Things Closed

Great World Places
Pantheon- Rome
Grand Canal – Venice
Two Towers- Bologna
Parthenon- Athens
Sharm el Sheikh – Egypt
Barcelona – Spain
Palma – Majorca
San Antonio – Ibiza
Amsterdam – Holland
Luxembourg City – Luxembourg
Gronau – Germany
Paris – France
Legoland – Denmark
Troodos Mountains – Cyprus
Appalachian Mountains – Virginia, USA
Niagra Falls – Canada
Red Square – Moscow, Russia
Gibraltar
Tangiers
Saigon/ Ho Chi Minh City
Pennang
Singapore
Langkawi
Koh Samui

Dubrovnic

Belmont Reid Hotel / Madeira

Sport
Great Football Grounds
Favourites:

Millwall – The Old Den
Manchester United – Old Trafford
Arsenal – The Emirates
Newcastle United – St James Park
Burnley – Turf Moor

Visited:
Chelsea – Stamford Bridge
Arsenal – Emirates
Liverpool- Anfield
Manchester United – Old Trafford
Manchester City – Eastlands
Tottenham Hotspur – White Hart Lane
West Ham United – Upton Park
Blackburn – Ewood Park
Bolton Wanderers- Reebok
Everton – Goodison Park
Newcastle United – St James Park
Middlesborough- Riverside
Sunderland – Stadium of Light
Fulham – Craven Cottage
Wigan – DW Stadium
Aston Villa – Villa Park
Birmingham City – St Andrews
Reading – Madjeski
Portsmouth – Fratton Park
West Bromwich Albion – Hawthorns

Sheffield United – Brammall Lane
Crystal Palace- Selhurst Park
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Molineux
Norwich City – Carrow Rd
Southampton – St Marys
Blackpool – Bloomfield Rd
Watford – Vicarage Rd
Ipswich Town – Portman Rd
Luton Town – Kenilworth Rd
Burnley – Turf Moor
Sheffield Wednesday – Hillsborough
Queens Park Rangers – Loftus Rd
Hull City – KC Stadium
Colchester United – Weston Stadium
Leicester City – Walkers Stadium
Charlton Athletic – The Valley
Nottingham Forest _ City Ground
Tranmere Rovers – Prenton Park
Gillingham – Priestfield Stadium
Leeds United – Elland Rd
Orient- Brisbane Rd
Port Vale – Vale Park
Walsall – Bescot Stadium
Peterborough – London Rd
Wycombe – Adams Park
Lincoln City – Sincil Bank
Notts County – Meadow Lane
Wrexham- Racecourse Ground
Cambridge United – Abbey Stadium
Burton Albion- Pirrelli Stadium
Stoke City – New Victoria Ground

Mansfield Town- Field Mill

Doncaster Rovers – new Belle Vue

Crewe alex- Gresty rd

Derby County- Pride Park

Harrogate Town- Wetherby Rd

Accrington Stanley- Crown ground

MK Dons- the Moo Camp

Coventry City- Ricoh Arena

Barrow- Holker St

Oxford utd- kassam

Cardiff City- cardiff City stadium

Huddersfield Town- MCAlpine Stadium

Preston- Deepdale

Bristol City- Ashton Gate

Chesterfield-

Barnsley- Oakwell

Oldham- Boundary prk

Northampton Town- Sixfields

Lost Grounds:

Arsenal – Highbury
Coventry City- Highfield Rd
Leicester City- Filbert St
Derby County – Baseball Ground
Brighton & Hove Albion – Goldstone Ground
Millwall – The Den
Hull City – Bootham Crescent
Swansea City- Vetch Field
Oxford United – London Rd
Doncaster Rovers – Belle Vue
Colchester United – Layer Rd
London – Wembley
Hillingdon Borough – Falling Lane
Chelmsford City – New Writtle Ground

Tottenham Hotspur – White Hart Lane

West Ham United – Upton Park

Non League

Scunthorpe United – Glandford park

International Grounds

Paris St Germain – Parc Des Princes
Cardiff – Millenium Stadium

Great Ends
The Shed
The Cold Blow Lane End
The Leazes End
The Kop
The Gelderd End
The Boothen End
The North Bank
The Holte End
The Trent End
The Holgate End
The Fulwell End
The Kippax
The Stretford End
The Gwladys Rd End
The Popside

70’s Football Heroes
Frank Worthington
Tony Currie
Alan “Sniffer” Clarke
Brian Greenhalgh
Geoff Salmon
Kevin Keegan
Keith Weller
Ian Storey- Moore
Malcolm McDonald
Peter Osgood

Football Clubs

Cambridge Utd
Luton Town
Ipswich Town
Leeds United
Birmingham City
Aston Villa

Mansfield Town

Derby County

Cricket

Edgabaston
Headingley
The Oval
Old Traford

Racecourses

Ascot
Chester
Cheltenham
Stratford
Worcester
Wolverhampton
York
Southwell
Uttoxeter

Cultural

Film Directors

Quentin Tarrantino
Michael Mann
Paul Verhoeven
Clint Eastwood
The Coen Brothers
Bryan Singer
David Lean
David Lynch
David Lean
Sam Mendes
Martin Scorcese
David Putnam
Actresses
Helen Mirren
Jodie Foster
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Uma Thurman
Carice Van Houten
Nicole Kidman

Actors
Johnny Depp
Al Pacino
Alan Rickman
Robert De Niro
Leonardo De Caprio
Sean Penn
Timothy Spall
Christoph Waltz
Pete Postlethwaite

Great Musicals

Blood Brothers
Les Miserables
The King & I
Chicago
Miss Saigon
Whistle Down The Wind
Guys n Dolls
Annie
Oliver
Jesus Christ Superstar
Book of Mormon
Rocky Horror Show
Avenue Q

70’s Saturday Afternoon Wrestlers

Mick McManus
Jackie Pallo
Kendo Nagasaki
Big Daddy
Giant Haystacks
Catweasel
Adrian Street

Classic Actresses

Marilyn Munroe
Marlene Dietrich
Jean Harlow
Susan Cabot
Rita Hayworth
Barbera Stanwyck
Lauren Bacall
Gloria Grahame
Lana Turner
Gail Tierney
Olivia De Haviland

Old TV Programmes

I Love Lucy
The Beverley Hillbillies
Batman
Time Tunnel
Dr Who
The Champions
Bewitched
Tom & Jerry
Popeye
Top Cat
Wacky Races
The Magic Roundabout
Blue Peter
Magpie
Jackanory
Herge’s Adventures of Tin Tin
Auf Wiedersein Pet
White Horses
Fawlty Towers
Dad’s Army
Minder
Old Grey Whistle Test

Criminals – Ten

Myra Hindley
Ian Brady
Peter Sutcliffe
Harry Roberts
Kenneth Noye
Fred West
Dennis Neilsen
Jon Venables
Robert Thompson
Mary Bell
The Black Panther
The Fox

Great Westerns – Five

Rio Bravo
Fort Apache
The Searchers
High Plains Drifter
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
Images and Icons of the Wild West
Colt 45
Winchester Rifle
Monument Valley
Apache
Comancheros
Sioux
Geronimo
Custers Last Stand
Trail of Tears
John Ford
John Wayne

Ships
Bismark
Tirpitz
Prince Eugen
Gneiseau
Scharnhorst
Graf Spee
Hood
Nelson
Victory
Belfast
Ark Royal
General Belgrano
Conqueror

Discovery

Voyager

Explorer2

Queen Mary

Queen Elizabeth

Planes
ME 109
FW 180
JU 88
Spitfire
Hurricane
Defiant
Lancaster
Wellington
Halifax
Sunderland
Lysander
Stork
Phantom
Starfighter
Mosquito
Superfortress
Flying Fortress
B52
Heinkel 111
Condor
Vulcan
Zero

Political

Japanese Emperors

Hirohito
Akihito

Security Services

KGB
Gestapo
CIA
MI5
Mossad
DGSE
Stasi
Kempeitai
FSB

Terrorists / Revolutionaries
Bin Laden
The Jackal
Menachem Begin
Yasser Arafat
Gerry Adams
“Slab” Murphy
Martin McGuinness
Michael Stone
Che Guevara
Leila Khaled
Andreas Baader
Ulrike Meinhof
Michael Stone
Patrick McGee
Jihad John

Revolutionary Organisations

MPLA
IRA
PLO
Al Fatah
Red Brigade
RAF
UVF
UDA
Baader Meinhof
Black September
Al Qaeda
Contras
Sandanista
Stern Gang
PFLP
Khmer Rouge
ISIS

20th Century World Leaders
Ho Chi Minh
Mao Tse Tung
DeGaulle
Franco
Nasser
Sadat
Castro
Saddam Hussein
King Hussein of Jordan
Nixon
Kennedy
Stalin
Lenin
Hitler
Golda Meir
Yasser Arafat
Pol Pot
Tito
Idi Amin
Piet Botha
Nelson Mandela
Mugabe
Ian Smith
Silvio Berlusconi
Gadafi
Alex Dubcek
Joshua Nkomo
President Assad
Pinochet
Galtieri
Mussolini

21^st Century Leaders

Trump
Putin
Jacinda Ardern
David Cameron
Nicola Sturgeon

Zelensky

Macron

Joe Biden

Disasters

Bhopal
Herald of Free Enterprise/ Zeebrugge
Piper Alpha
Hillsborough
Heysel
Bradford Fire
Concorde
Columbia
Apollo 1
Summerland,IOM
Aberfan
Marchioness
Lockerbie
Moorgate
Twin Towers
Kegworth

German Chancellors

Merkel
Schroder
Kohl
Schmidt
Brandt
Kiesinger
Erhard
Adenhauer
French Presidents

Macron

Hollande
Sarkozy
Chirac
Mitterand
Destaing
Pompidou
Degaulle
Coty

Russian Presidents
Medvedev
Putin
Yeltsin
Gorbachev
Chernenko
Andropov
Brezhnev
Krushchev

American Presidents

Trump

Biden

Trump
Obama
Bush Jnr
Clinton
Bush Snr
Reagan
Carter
Ford
Nixon
Johnson
Kennedy
Eisenhower

Prime Ministers

Starmer

Sunak

Truss

Johnson

May
Cameron
Brown
Blair
Major
Thatcher
Callaghan
Wilson
Heath
Wilson
Douglas Home
Macmillan

Northern Ireland

Europa Hotel
Falls Rd
The Maze
Long Kesh
Bobby Sands
The Bogside
Creggan Estate
Falls Rd
B Specials
Ian Paisley
Brian Faulkner
Captain Nairac
Milltown Cemetery
Mountbatten
Shankill Butchers
Omagh
New Lodge
Bloody Sunday
Aldergrove Airport
Michael Stone
Gerry Adams
Martin McGuiness
South Amargh “Bandit Country”
Shankill Rd
Mull of Kintyre Chinook Crash
Apprentice Boys March
Diplock Courts

Music

Ten Front Men

Bob Geldof
David Bowie
Robbie Williams
Kid Creole
Rod Stewart
Joe Strummer
Howard Devoto
Howlin Pete Alqvist
Graham Parker
Lou Reed

Male Singers

Robert Plant
Roger Daltrey
Mick Jagger
Paul Rodgers
David Bowie
Bryan Ferry
Marc Almond
George Michael
Holly Johnson
Art Garfunkel
Bruce Springsteen
Ray Davies
Ronnie Van Zandt
David Crosby
Graham Nash
Michael McDonald

Female Singers

Siouxsie
Florence
Grace Slick
Chrissie Hynde
Cher
K D Lang
Linda Rondstadt
Diana Ross
Ella Fitzgerald
Aretha Franklin
Lulu
Cilla Black
Dusty Springfield
Annie Lennox
Sandy Shaw
Karen Carpenter
Lisa Stansfield
Pauline Black
Joni Mitchell
Carole King
Sonia Krystyna
Janis Ian
Janis Joplin
Alison Moyet
Kylie
Tina Turner

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – 20
Refugee
It’s Good To Be King
Breakdown
The Waiting
American Girl
Stop Dragging My Heart Around
Casa Dega
Rebel
Goldfinger
Too much Aint Enough
Melinda
A Woman In Love (And it’s not me)
Shadow of a Doubt
Even the Losers
Anything That’s Rock n Roll
Needles and Pins
Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It)
Luna
Listen to Her Heart
Southern Accents

Manic Street Preachers- Five
If You Tolerate This (Then Your Children Will Be Next)
Everything Must Go
A Design For Life
Indian Summer
Everlasting
The Who – Ten
Pinball Wizard
Love Reign O’er Me
Bell Boy
5:15
See Me Feel Me
I Can’t Explain
Substitute
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
Behind Blue Eyes
I Can See For Miles

Great Intro’s – Ten

Papa was a Rolling Stone- Temptations

Theme from Shaft- Isaac Hayes

1984- David Bowie

I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
Blue Monday – New Order
California Girls – Beach Boys
Love is the Drug – Roxy Music
No Woman, No Cry – Bob Marley
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Shine On You Crazy Diamond – Pink Floyd
Hotel California – The Eagles

Guitar Heroes
Eric Clapton
David Gilmour
Mark Knopfler
Jimmy Page
Pete Townsend
Tony Iommi
Neil Young
Nils Lofgren
Ritchie Blackmore
Keith Richards
Roger McGuinn
Johnny Marr
Phil Manzanera
Bernard Butler
Jimi Hendrix
James Bradfield
Hugh Cornwell

Eric – Ten
Let it Rain
Let it Grow
Forever Man
Bad Love
Badge
White Room
Sunshine of Your Love
Double Trouble
Sign Language
I Shot The Sheriff

Deep Purple – Ten

Smoke On the Water
Child in Time
Highway Star
Black Night
When a Blind Man Cries
Hush
Strange Kind of Woman
Mistreated
Burn
Fireball

Doobie Bros – Five

China Grove
Long Train Running
South City Midnight Lady
Take Me in Your Arms
Jesus is Just Alright

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Five

T for Texas
Call Me the Breeze
That Smell
Working for MCA
I Ain’t The One

Stranglers Live – Ten

Always the Sun
Grip
Go Buddy Go
Hanging Around
No More Heroes
Walk on By
Peaches
Strange Little Girl
Golden Brown
Nice N Sleazy

Black Sabbath – Five
Black Sabbath
Paranoid
Iron Man
Children of the Grave
NIB

Pet Shop Boys – Ten
West End Girls
Paninero
Too Many People
Love Is A Catastrophe
Violence
Go West
Dreaming of the Queen
Rent
Up Against It
Luna Park

Bob Dylan – Ten

All Along The Watchtower
I Shall Be Released
Tangled Up in Blue
If You See Her Say Hello
Knocking on Heavens Door
Forever Young
Like A Rolling Stone
Sara
Hurricane
Senor

Television – Five

Marquee Moon
Little Jimmy Jewel
Friction
Foxhole
The Fire

Magazine – Ten
Parade
Shot By Both Sides
Model Worker
Definitive Gaze
Motorcade
The Light Pours Out of Me
A Song From Under The Floor boards
Permafrost
Rhythm of Your Cruelty
Goldfinger

Led Zeppelin- Ten

Stairway to Heaven
Kashmir
Achillies Last Stand
Rock n Roll
Whole Lotta Love
Heartbreaker
Dazed and Confused
Since I’ve Been Loving You
Immigrant Song
Black Dog

Beach Boys – Ten
California Girls
Surfin USA
Surfer Girl
When I Grow Up to Be a Man
Fun, Fun,Fun
Do You Wanna Dance
Good Vibrations
Sloop John B
Do It Again
Then I Kissed her

Kinks – Ten
I’m Not Like Everybody Else
Days
Till The End of the Day
Lola
You’ve Really Got Me
Autumn Almanac
Lazing On A Sunny Afternoon
Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Waterloo Sunset
Come Dancing

Rolling Stones – Ten
Jumping Jack Flash
Brown Sugar
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
It’s Only Rock n Roll ( But I like It)
Street Fighting Man
Gimmee Shelter
Paint It Black
Wild Horses
(Hey You) Get Off of My Cloud
Under My Thumb

Beatles – Ten
She Loves You
Can’t Buy Me Love
Yesterday
Penny Lane
Strawberry Fields
Yesterday
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Norwegian Wood
Help
Hello Goodbye

Primal Scream – Five
Higher than The Sun
Jailbird
Kowalski
Moving On Up
Rocks

Neil Young – Ten from Ten
Cinnamon Girl
When You Dance I Can Really Love
The Needle and the Damage Done
Tonights the Night
Cortez the Killer
Like A Hurricane
Hey Hey (My, MyOut of the Blue)
Rockin in the Free World
Harvest Moon
Ordinary People

The Clash – Ten From Ten
Janie Jones
White Man in Hammersmith Palais
Cheapskates
Armagideon Time
London Calling
I’m Not Down
One More Time
Broadway
Charlie Don’t Surf
Rock the Casbah

Elvis Costello Ten From Ten
Watching the Detectives
Lipstick Vogue
Goon Squad
Secondary Modern
Shot With His Own Gun
A Good Year for The Roses
Almost Blue
Shipbuilding
I Just Wanna be Loved
Please (Don’t Let Me be Misunderstood)

Springsteen Ten from Ten
It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Kitty’s Back
Jungleland
The Promised Land
Point Blank
Atlantic City
My Hometown
57 Channels and Nothing On
If I Should Fall Behind
Youngstown

Bowie Ten from Ten

London Boys
Cygnet Committee
Bewlay Brothers
Starman
Lady Grinning soul
Friday on my Mind
Sweet Thing/ Candidate/ Sweet Thing Reprise
Win
Sound n Vision
Heroes

Music Venues
Hammersmith Odeon
Rainbow, Finsbury Park
Wembley Empire Pool
NEC,Birmingahm
NIA, Birmingham
Hibernian, Stirchley
Breedon Bar, Cotteridge
Robin, Dudley
Hummingbird, Birmingham
Wolverhampton Civic hall
The Foundry, Birmingham

American Lyricists
Bob Dylan
Jim Morrisson
Cole Porter
Irving Berlin
Ira Gershwin
Oscar Hammerstein 11
Bruce Springsteen
Jim Steinman
Carole King
Joni Mitchell
Leonard Cohen
Paul Simon
Eddie Holland

British Lyricists
Ray Davies
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Damon Albarn
Elvis Costello
Neil Tennant
Chris Difford
Morrissey
Noel Coward
Tim Rice

Rock n Roll Heroes
Brian Eno
Jimi Hendrix
David Bowie
Lou Reed
Kraftwerk

Great Films
The Wizard of Oz
Heat
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
Oliver (’68)
The Last of the Mohicans (’92)
Gregory’s Girl
Cape Fear (’91)
In Bruges
Roseanna’s Grave
Black Book
Dirty Harry
Mulholland Drive

Great Gigs
Bob Dylan – Earls Court
Graham Parker & The Rumour – Leeds Uni
Boomtown Rats – Leeds Poly
Lou Reed – Hammersmith Odeon
Eric Clapton – Hammersmith Odeon
Black Sabbath – Hammersmith Odeon
The Jam – California Ballroom, Dunstable
Doobie Brothers – Rainbow, London
Lynyrd Skynyrd, – Rainbow, London
Dire Straits – Hammersmith Odeon
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Wembley Arena
Pointer Sisters – Dominion Theatre, london
Suede – Wolverhampton Civic
Madness – NEC, Birmingham
Cher – NEC, Birmingham
Kylie – NEC, Birmingham
Brian Wilson – Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Marc Almond – Royal Opera House, Buxton
Magazine – The Venue, London
Manic Street Preachers – NIA, Birmingham
Crosby Stills & Nash – NIA, Birmingham
Crosby & Nash – Symphony Hall , Birmingham
Primal Scream – Wolverhampton Civic Hall
The Clash – Lyceum, London
David Bowie – Que Club, Birmingham
Johnny Winter – The Venue, London
New Order – Wolverhamton Civic Hall
Ray Davies – Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Great Songs
Black Sabbath – NIB
Neil Young- Keep on Rocking in the Free World
David Bowie – Golden Years
Donna Summer – State of Independence
Dr Feelgood – Down at the Doctors
Take That – Patience
Mama’s & The Papas – Monday Monday
Beach Boys – California Girls
Bruce Springsteen – Frankie
Florence & The Machine – You’ve Got The Love
Bad Company – Bad Company
5th Dimension- Up, Up an Away
Jimi Hendrix- All Along the Watchtower
The Clash – White Man in Hammersmith Palais
Siouxie & The Banshees – Overground
Eddie & The Hot Rods – Do Anything You Want To Do
Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
Doobie Bros – China Grove
Graham Parker & The Rumour – Thunder & Rain
Chairman of the Board – Give Me Just a Little More Time
Cream – Badge
R Dean Taylor – There’s a Ghost in My House
Jefferson Airplane – Have You Seen the Saucers
Roxy Music – In Every Dreamhome (A Heartache)
Boy George – The Crying Game
New Order – True Faith
Joy Division – Shadowplay
Suede – Asphalt World
Bob Dylan – Tangled Up in Blue
Carpenters – Yesterday Once More
Oasis – What’ s the Story (Morning Glory)
Blur – This is a Low
Elvis Costello – Watching the Detectives
Junior Marvin – Police n Thieves
Dianna Krall – Almost Blue
Bob Marley – No Woman, No Cry
Rolling Stones – Gimmee Shelter
The Who – Pinball Wizard
Primal Scream – Higher Than the Sun
Hazel O ‘Connor – Will You
Steel Pulse – Handsworth Revolution
Peter Tosh – Johnny B Goode
Cher – Bang, Bang
Glen Campbell – The Wichita Lineman
The Smiths – There is a Light That Never Goes Out
George Michael – You Have Been Loved
Whitney Houston – All the Man
Mud – Tiger Feet
T Rex – Get it On
Marvin Gaye – I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Rhianna – Umbrella
Steppenwolf – Born to be Wild
Caravan – The Dog, the dog (He’s at it again)
Yachts – Suffice to Say
Jam – Butterfly Collector
Specials – Ghost Town
Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water
Pink Floyd – Echoes
Swing out Sister – Breakout
Pet Shop Boys – Dreaming of the Queen
Manic St Preachers- If You Tolerate This (Then Your Children Will Be Next)
Brian Eno – Julie With
Cribs-We Share the Same Skies
Allman Bros – Ramblin’ Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd – That Smell
Elvis Presley – I Just Can’t Help Believing
Animals – House of the Rising Sun
Kinks- I’m Not Like Everybody Else
Lou Reed – I’m Waiting For My Man
Judy Garland – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Liza Minelli – Rent
Guillemots – If The World Ends
Magazine -Parade
Althea & Donna – Uptown, Top ranking
Free- Wishing Well
The Verve – History
Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You
Sparks – This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both of Us
The Associates – This Party Fears Two
The Who – Behind Blue Eyes
Paloma Faith – New York
Florence & The Machine – You’ve Got The Love
Grace Jones – Slave to the Rhythm
Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven

Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms

Literary

Ten Books
Brave New World – Huxley
1984 – Orwell
Animal Farm – Orwell
Wilt – Tom Sharpe
The General – Felby
Grumpy Old Rock Star – Wakeman
Hunt For Red Ocober – Clancy
Catch 22- Heller
Stalingrad – Beevor
Man and Boy – Parsons

The Romantic- Boyd

Poets

Colleridge
Kahil Gibran
John Cooper Clarke
Fatima Al Matar

Great Poems
Coleridge – Kubla Khan
Coleridge – The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner
Dylan Thomas – And Death Shall Have No Dominion
Milton- Paradise Lost

Childhood Pop songs

Hey Hey we’re the Monkees – the Monkees

Puff the Magic Dragon Peter Paul and Mary

King of the Road

Grocer Jack

Posted in Blog | 3 Comments

Garyswordz

Driving Miss Daisy, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Boxed Set- Paul Francis

Lawn Lore- Nadia Kingsley

Much Wenlock Poetry Festival Sunday 7th April 2013

April 2013- What’s On, Midlands Spoken Word

John Donne Day, Polesworth Abbey 2013, 400th Anniversary Celebration

Lichfield Poetry Walk, Sun Mar 17th, 2013

Arthur and George by David Edgar, Sutton Arts Theatre Co @ Sutton Arts Theatre

March 2013 – What’s On, Midlands Spoken Word

A Life in Lists

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Meta

Blogroll

Email Subscription