The Polesworth Poetry Trail

Posted on May 5, 2011 by garylongden

And so the poems on the second phase of the Polesworth Poetry Trail have been announced, and I was fortunate to have one included myself. I found it an interesting, enjoyable and rewarding exercise. I had never been to Polesworth before, and don’t frequent Country parks, as a rule, for leisure. So on the face of it, this was not for me. Yet it was that which attracted me. An opportunity to learn about somewhere of which I knew nothing, to take in new experiences, meet new popele, and to write about that which I would not normally consider. I was richly rewarded in all respects.

Of course the first meeting, in the Tythe Barn, was most interesting. The first time when everyone gets together. Some I knew, the majority I didn’t. By nature poets exude politeness, diffidence, and bonhomie. Yet underneath, there is an undeniable psychological jostling for position. “Who is good, and who isn’t ?” “Who is the competition?” As earlier poems were evaluated and comments made, the commentator would cast a quick glance to see the level of approval which was being signalled to their thoughts. No X Factor roar of approval here, just silent nods or sounds of approbation, but just as important.

The maths were evaluated. A dozen or so poems would be accepted for the trail, twenty two poets showed up for that first meeting, there were ten suggested topics, and entries were unlimited. Which topics were going to be the most popular? Who were the best poets in each category, and where did one’s personal poetic strengths lie?

Content and form was a further consideration. These poems will be on permanent display, but predominantly to an audience who is just passing by. So on the one hand it needed to be of sufficient quality to impress one’s peers and the judges. Yet on the other, it needed to be accessible to the family walking their dog who just happened to stop mid-walk. Although designed to be read, it wouldn’t really be a page poem. If it didn’t engage in the first few lines, those boots would be made for walking. Nor was it a performance piece. No poet would be on hand to read it out loud. Yet it might be read out by one of a family group to the rest. As such, I proudly pronounced a new poetic form – Trail Poetry!

The following two sessions were the meat in the four session sandwich. A succession of experts came to the Pooley Country Park Visitor Centre to impart their own knowledge. Park Rangers, Wildlife and Nature enthusiasts, Miners and Historians all painted their own rich and distinct patterns on an initially blank canvas. And as the twenty hours or so that we all spent together over the sessions unfolded, so friendships were forged and cemented by common interest and experience, and poetic tips traded. Most importantly the process afforded time. Time to learn from the experts. Time to walk the territory, to see the colours of the landscape, to touch the bark of the silver birch, to feel your heart beat as you climbed the old spoil heap, and to listen to the Plover’s call.

The guided group walks were a delight. I learned that silver birch are amongst our oldest trees and would have featured in the landscape for centuries past, what we see now is what our ancestors would have seen. I had been unaware that the oak tree population had been decimated by the Royal Navy’s requirement for wood in past centuries and that the New Forest had been created specifically to address their loss. The phrase “Standing dead”, which inspired a poem, was introduced to me, as was the PH of vinegar. But it wasn’t all hard work. Barry Hunt, Janet Smith and myself had a lively discussion on the respective influences of English and American songwriters on popular music in the 1960’s and 70’s as we walked along too!

The last session was the business end of proceedings. Poems already drafted were fine tuned, ideas and fragments fleshed out, and new work forged on the crucible of a deadline, all with the benefit of the benign, focussed direction of Project Leader Mal Dewhirst. Where was I placed at this point? Three completed poems. “Unbowed” about the standing dead oak tree which I regarded as being my best poem. “Listen” a call to arms about the history of the site which I liked very much, and “Passing Through”, a piece about the M42 which I was unsure of. I had the pleasure and fortune/misfortune to be sat next to Gary Carr on that last day who had also written on the M42. And there was only ever going to be one M42 poem, and upon reading his, I realised that it was not going to be mine! Which caused me to revisit some earlier fragments I had written on Pooley Hall.

Pooley Hall was of interest to me for several reasons. You can’t see it properly from the main road, and you can only view part of it from the far side of the canal. Nor can you visit it, it is in private ownership .It has a rich history of Kings , Knights and a hunting park, its wealth comes from the land and more recently from mining, yet that very mining caused much of the original structure to collapse through subsidence. Nature’s revenge perhaps. More recently the Coach House there had been owned by the Soul singer Edwin Starr, and had been visited by disgraced Tory Politician Jonathan Aitken. So there was lots to go on but no obvious theme for a concise coherent poem.

So I just played with the fragments of the ideas themselves. The Hall itself can only be physically glimpsed, yet metaphorically it is only glimpsed as well, as subsidence reclaims it. The grandeur of the hunt and of royal visits, the intrigue of the Wars of the Roses and Civil war is present, but unheard, with “War” itself playfully name-checking Edwin Starr’s greatest hit. The death in duel of a Cockayne not only recalls the surname of the Hall’s most famous family, it also playfully alludes to visitor Aitken’s notorious “simple sword of truth” speech. The final couplet? The Hall has survived physically for over 500 years through Civil Wars, family fortune and distress, economic advantage and decline both financial, and structural – it finds it’s place, it takes it’s turn in the cycle of fortune and has also taken its turn in financial benefit. I am delighted to have a poem which covers 500 years chosen to celebrate that history for future generations.

Pooley Hall
Burdened under it’s own weight
Remaining walls hunch tight,
Glimpsed.

No hunting hounds howl, nor boars squeal,
Words of war, knaves and knights lie
Unheard.

Collapsed seams groan no more, exhausted.
The Plover’s wings flutter where Kings’ Standards once flew
Only morning dew offers the hint of a glint of Cockayne’s sword
It’s simple truth vanquished in mortal duel

The Hall finds it’s place
And takes it’s turn.

I was fortunate to have two further poems commended, “Acid Lake” and “Listen”. In the Park itself is an Acid lake formed by the contaminated run off from the spoil heap. The chemistry of it is quite unpleasant. I liked the idea of combining the imagery of a bad hallucinogenic “trip” with these unpleasant waters. It was written quite quickly and after the formal sessions had completed which says something about the strange alchemy of the creative process. “Listen” is my favourite. It is aimed at anyone who arrives at Pooley Country Park for nothing more than a pleasant stroll. “Listen”, you can’t hear any of it- but it is there.

Listen
The coalers bow wave slaps the bank,
Winding gear groans and clanks,
Ponies whinny in man-made night.
Sweat drip-dropping to tolling blows,
Laden tubs rattle.
The next shift’s hobnail marching beat
Is there, as surely as
The coal beneath your feet

Acid Lake

Crazed love child of the tip
From whose rotten corpse
Sulphuric acid flows
Spewing rusty liquid.

From punctured wounds
A scabrous puss seeps,
Wreaking silent retribution.

Laying waste as it too was wasted,
Redemption lies only
In the passing seasons ,
Balm to violated waters.

Where to now? All the 16 winning poems will be read at Fizz 7 at Polesworth Abbey Refectory on 17th May at 7.30pm. When I saw the winning poems it was the first time that I had read most of them. There was a sense of privilege at realising that I had been there when Jaqui Rowe had seen the swan thatmay have inspired her poem, and had been part of the experience which had produced the rest.

But the very process of selecting only one poem for each spot has meant that many fine poems were edged out by the excellence of perhaps one other piece, not damned by their own shortcomings, and I do hope that many of the 54 or so which were submitted overall will find their way into a collection of what was written for this project.

This is the first time that I have been involved in a project like this, I would certainly do it again. I came away enormously enriched with knowledge about an area for which I have acquired a newly won fondness. I have met new poets who have inspired me, and with whom I am sure I will stay in touch. I have also been exposed to a disciplined process of writing about new experiences. Poets often shun competition and decry qualitative evaluation of their work. Yet high quality writing is plain for all to see, and aiming to compete to that standard can only benefit individual poets.

Oh, and of course I came out of it with five new poems. And best of all ,from time to time, walkers will stop at the canal side, look at Pooley Hall, look at my poem, and think, or feel something, and I will have been responsible for that – even though I wasn’t there.

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Midlands Poetry What’s On – May 2011

Posted on May 1, 2011 by garylongden

Friday 29th April- 1st May, Much Wenlock Poetry Festival:A warm welcome to the second Wenlock Poetry Festival. We have a great festival for you, including poetry readings, performance poetry, poetry choir, poetry take-away, knitted poetry, poetry in art, poetry workshops, poetry party (for Friends) poetry for kids, street poetry and even a poetry café!

We are confident that we have lived up to our aim of providing the very best of contemporary poetry in exciting and varied ways. Our streets will be buzzing and humming all weekend. We’ll nod to the Royal Wedding with all of our High Street shops displaying their favourite love poems, and there may well be a sense of love in the air in this spring-time festival, but more than anything, there will be love of poetry in all its forms and guises.

The 2011 festival will include The Ian McMillan Orchestra, Spoz and Dreadlockalien, Andrew Motion, John Hegley, Jo Shapcott, Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, Mario Petrucci, Paul Evans, Simon Armitage and many, many more.

Contact us if you would like to become a Friend of WPF 2011 or to join our mailing list. You can even follow us on twitter @WenlockPoetry. But best of all – do come and join us. Anna Dreda, Artistic Director, WPF”

http://www.wenlockpoetryfestival.org/

Monday 2nd May Spoken word Showcase, No1 Shakespeare St, Stratford upon Avon, 7.30pm: £10 in. Headliners and open mic, an Apples & Snakes production.Lorna Meehan ,Keith Jarrett: the UK Slam Champion of the 2009/2010 season.

Ash Dickinson: “Ash Dickinson is a Performance Poet for the Lost Generation. If you haven’t seen him, you haven’t seen performance poetry” – Federation Of Writers (Scotland)

Tuesday 3rd May , Night Blue Fruit, Taylor Johns ,Coal Vaults, Canal Basin St Nicholas Street, Radford, Coventry,8pm: Free in, Open Mic

Wed 3rd -8th May,Chipping Campden Literature Festival, various events

http://www.chippingcampden.co.uk/

Wed 04 May Seven Deadly Sins, Chipping Campden Literature Festival, Eight Bells pub, Chipping Campden, Gloucs. 21:00 – 00:00: £5 in

“Bless me Father, I have sinned…” Do you have anything to confess?

A young girl hiding in the confessional overhears her neighbours’ confessions. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride – whispered revelations of sinning and secret desires. As she listens with growing unease, stories unfold that should never be told…

At turns dark and comic, this is a performance storytelling show by Sophie Snell – twisting tales from the stones and bones of the British isles, where the Devil watches in delight and Angels weep .As each story unfolds more of the seven deadly sins are revealed in all their glorious and sometimes comic and even darkly gruesome colours/Until finally our heroine hears one final devastating revelation, and the penny drops.

You’ll be hooked from the start with each twist and turn, as you try to guess where each story is heading. So be prepared for thrills and spills on this rollicking ride through the Seven Deadly Sins

“A very expressive performer, viscerally thrilling, intellectually satisfying – Stephanie Billen, Buxton fringe 2010

“To possess that energy, that charisma, that energy, that memory. Spellbinding, better than any film or TV, a beautiful piece, a fantastic evening, spellbinding” BBC Radio Nottingham,2010rom the stones and bones of the British Isles – where the Devil watches in delight, and Angels weep… As each story unfolds, more of the seven deadly sins are divulged – in all their glorious, sometimes comic and even darkly gruesome colours. Until finally our heroine overhears one final devastating revelation – and the penny drops…

You’ll be hooked from the start, through each twist and turn, as you try to guess where each story is finally heading. So be prepared for thrills and spills on this rollicking ride through the Seven Deadly Sins!

“A very expressive performer… Viscerally thrilling… intellectually satisfying. Recommended.” Stephanie Billen, Chairman, Buxton Festival Fringe, re “Seven Deadly Sins” July 2010.

“To possess that charisma, that energy, that memory! Spellbinding and better than any film or TV… a beautiful piece… Fantastic evening – wonderful!” Amanda Bowman, BBC Radio Nottingham, SDS Notts Libraries StoryFest, March 2010.rom the stones and bones of the British Isles – where the Devil watches in delight, and Angels weep… As each story unfolds, more of the seven deadly sins are divulged – in all their glorious, sometimes comic and even darkly gruesome colours. Until finally our heroine overhears one final devastating revelation – and the penny drops…

You’ll be hooked from the start, through each twist and turn, as you try to guess where each story is finally heading. So be prepared for thrills and spills on this rollicking ride through the Seven Deadly Sins!

“A very expressive performer… Viscerally thrilling… intellectually satisfying. Recommended.” Stephanie Billen, Chairman, Buxton Festival Fringe, re “Seven Deadly Sins” July 2010.

“To possess that charisma, that energy, that memory! Spellbinding and better than any film or TV… a beautiful piece… Fantastic evening – wonderful!” Amanda Bowman, BBC Radio Nottingham, SDS Notts Libraries StoryFest, March 2010.

Wed 4th/ Sat 7th May, Friction Present “Catchment Christians ”, Blue Orange Theatre, 118 Great Hampton Street, Jewellery Quarter, Brum: 7.45pm,£10 in, A play about parents shaping their own religious faith to meet the admission requirements of a Faith School

The Blue Orange Theatre opened new in April and is a 107 seater community theatre.

Thursday 5th May “Parole Parlate” Little Venice 1-3 St Nicholas St, Worcester,7.30pm.£3 Headliner plus Open Mic

Parole Parlate : The Spoken Word” is back on Thursday5th May and is Worcester’s orginal and premiere 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 main course and a drink.

Already confirmed to perform on May 5th:

Fergus McGonigal

Hitchhiker – unplugged

Trev Meaney

Hayley Francis

Suz Winspear

Mark Ellis

Giovanni “Spoz” Esposito – back by popular demand!

ENTRY FEE AND HOW TO PAY

The entry fee for this event is £3.00 on the door, but if you pay in advance using Paypal the entry fee is reduced to £2.00.

Please visit our facebook shop – http://www.facebook.com/wlfshop to pay via paypal or buy tickets on our website – http://www.worcslitfest.com.

We will then email you an entry ticket on receipt of payment via paypal.

Please note that all money raised will go towards funding these events and future Worcestershire Literary Festival events.

TAKING PART AND PERFORMING

If would like a slot to perform on one of these dates please let us know by emailing Ruth or Lisa via info@worcslitfest.com to book your slot, leaving a post on the wall of this event or visiting http://www.facebook.com/worcslitfest and leaving a post on the wall.

Performers get free entry, a choice of an alcoholic or soft drink and cake for taking part.

ADVANCE INFORMATION

“Parole Parlate : The Spoken Word” is on the first Thursday of every month, so advance dates for your diary will be:

Thursday 2nd June 2011 – this will be a pre-Worcestershire Literary Festival event.

Thursday 23rd June 2011 – A WLF Festival Special Event.

And look out for some exciting spoken word events that will be part of the Worcestershire Literary Festival 2011 that are online now in the WLF Festival programme – http://www.worcslitfest.com.

Thursday 5th May, Contemporary Poets Upper Room, Town Hall, Chipping Camden, 7.30pm: £8How work, family, and poetry fit together in the twenty-first century.

Silence and Words: Philip Gross and Angela France read their poems and continue Nov 2010 Iota poetry journal conversation.

20 minute interval

The Work of Words: Alison Brackenbury continues her conversation with Angela France Iota (Feb 2009) and reads from her seventh collection Singing in the Dark (2008) and Angela France read their poems and continue Nov 2010 Iota poetry journal conversation. 20 minute interval

Fri 6th May “Dreams & Wishes” Stratford upon Avon High School, 7pm: £5 in. A collaborative effort between eightschools exploring the theme of Dreams and Wishes using music,poetry, and storytelling. The close of the Stratford Literary festival.

Friday 6th May “Spoken Word” The Hollybush, Newtown Lane, Cradley Heath, 8.30pm, Free in, open mic

Friday 6th May “Slam Poetry- Women Special”,The Hubb, 9 Stoney Lane, Balsall heath, Birmingham, B12 EDL, 6.30pm:£7 in, Hosted by Charlie Jordan | Birmingham Poet Laureate and Radio Presenter,Guest poets and slam judges:

Zena Edwards | Internationally acclaimed spoken word artist,Fatima Al Matar | Poet and Author.cash prizes for winner and runner-up plus 1-2-1 mentoring with UK’s finest female spoken word artists

Friday 6th May ” Talking Emotions” Library Theatre, Birmingham Central Library, 2pm, free in, Roy Mac Farlane,Jacqui Rowe and Community Vibe. An afternoon of Poetry and Peformance

Saturday 7th May,’Hope’ a benefit concert for the victims of the Japan floods,The Public,New Street,West Bromwich, 7pm: Poetry, music and live entertainment.

Saturday 7th May The 15th Swindon Slam, 7.30pm, at the Arts Centre, Old Town, Swindon SN1 4BT. Festival details at http://www.swindonfestivalofliterature.co.uk/

Monday 9th May:”Pure and Good and Right”Sozzled Sausage, 141 Regent St, Leamington Spa, 7.30pm, £3: Open mic and headliner

Mon 9 May, Pub Poetry Nottingham ,Canalhouse, 48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7EH ,8pm: Free in; Open Mic and friendliness An informal and fun evening of strictly comic and light-hearted poetry or short stories. Read your own, or someone else’s – all readers and listeners welcome. Anyone is welcome to read, someone will win the limerick competition, but everyone will enjoy a beer and get some culture down them. Pretentious and overly-serious folk not required! Contact Nick on pubpoetry@nottscomedyfestival.co.uk

Tuesday 10th May “City Voices”, City Bar, King st Wolverhampton7.30pm £3 in, set bill.

Tuesday 10th May “Scribal Gathering”,The Crown, Market Square, Stony Stratford , 8pm:

Scribal Gathering is back once again for another monthly dose of open mic music and poetry,

Wed 11th May Performance Storytelling at the VoiceBox, on Forman St, in Derby7.30pm: A Flying Donkeys production.An evening which brings you the very best of storytelling performers from across the UK and beyond, as well as showcase more local storytellers.Second wedneday of the month

Friday 13th/ Sat 14th May, Shoebox Theatre Present “An evening of three plays”, Blue Orange Theatre, 118 Great Hampton Street, Jewellery Quarter, Brum: 7.45pm,£6 in, the three short plays by Midlands Writers are:

FAQ – How many facts do you need to know about parking your car? This encounter with a car- park attendant might encourage you to take the bus next time. A comedy curtain-raiser by Michael Thomas.

Service – Dora visits her mother in the nursing home on a busy afternoon. A darkcomedy by Margaret Manuell.

When? – by Michael Thomas.

What can be said at all can be said clearly, and what we cannot talk about we must pass over in silence – Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian-born British philosopher, Tractatus Logico-

We’ve all been there – an unresolved matter to be confronted, a decision shelved, the displacement activity. This husband and wife still haven’t got round to facing the question… when?

Sun 15th May “ Sunday Xpress”, Adam & Eve PH, Bradford St Digbeth, 4pm: Free in, open mic.

Tues 17th May, Fizz 7, Polesworth Poets ,Poleworth Abbey, Polesworth,7.30.: free in ,open Mic/ Polesworth Poetry Trail poems.

Wednesday May 18th. – Talk by the author of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ at Walsall Library,2pm: Free in, Best selling author John Boyne will discuss his dazzling new novel ‘The Absolutist’ – ‘a wonderful, sad and tender book’ (Colm Tóibín). John Boyne was born in Dublin, Ireland. He has won many literary awards and his novels are translated into over 42 languages. He is most well known for his children’s book ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which was made into a hit film by Miramax and has sold 5 million copies worldwide.

Wed 18th May, BLACK COUNTRY VOICES, Artspace, 8 Maple Hill,Mill St, Brierley Hill,DY5 2RH,7.30pm:£3 in, HUMOUR,THE BEST IN BLACK COUNTRY SPOKEN WORD Featuring…Ray Jones…Jill Tromans…Geoff Stevens…Emma Rollason (Dolly Allen Tribute) Emma Purshouse…Brendan Hawthorne…Mike Tinsley…

Wed 18th May “Rhymes”

Station Pub,7 High St,Join the Rhymes Slam Winner 2010, the fabulous Mark Niel and his fellow poet friends from Milton Keynes;

Half-pintsized poet, minx and mischief maker Danni Antagonist, fond of rhyming stuff with other stuff, and shouting it at anyone not quick enough to run away.

http://www.myspace.com/antagon1st

Fay Roberts who co-manages Poetry Kapow! with Danni and performs in Milton Keynes poetry collective Bardcore. She also co-hosts the Cambridge chapter of Hammer & Tongue.

http://www.fayroberts.co.uk

Donna Scott, an energetic comedian, short-fiction writer and editor as well as awesome poet and was also the very first official Bard of Northampton from 2009-2010.

http://www.badgerandboodleentertainment.com

Mark Niel, a true ambassador of performance poetry, who has won Slams hands down all over the UK and is the host of the Tongue in Chic Poetry and Spoken Word events in Milton Keynes as well as being a comedian, actor and singer.

http://www.akickinthearts.co.uk

Wed 18th May “Storytelling Cafe- Heroes All” Kitchen Garden Cafe, York St, Kings Heath, 7.30pm:£7,Bringing storytelling back to adult audiences. Warriors, protectors, defenders of the realm and of the underdog, this is the stuff that the English heroes are made of. They face danger and diversity on our behalf, they stand up to be counted while others stand back and shiver. Our own storytelling heroes Graham Langley and Amanda Smith explore the myths and legends of Robin Hood and Arthur and the array of heroes that surrounded them.

Thurs 19th May “Speak Up” The Bulls Head, Moseley,7.30pm: £4 in.The first Speak Up of the year!

Speak Up has been happening for the last year, between The Bulls Head and The Hare and Hounds. I wanted something that felt like a hang out with loads of new and old buddies listening to stories and music and it’s just kind of worked. There will be open mic slots so come and park your boot early .

Joshua Idehen

A poet and musician, the founder of the highly acclaimed poetry group PiP (A Poem Between People), a frontman of Benin City, and the host, co-founder and co-promoter of PoeJazzi (‘London’s Premier Spoken Word and Music Night’- SOuthbank Centre). He has performed at many of the UK’s leading festivals, including the Big Chill, Glastonbury and Latitude; on BBC Radio One, and BBC Radio 3′s The Verb; his work has been featured by The Times, The Sunday Times and Prospect magazine, published in anthologies alongside Linton Kwesi Johnson and Anthony Joseph, as well as an LP with electronic maestros LV.

Alex Gwyther

I’ve told you how ace Alex is, heres what they say:

“Youth, charm, looks, wit AND amazing writing? Just five of the reasons I found myself jealous of Alex…” Scroobius Pip

“When someone has raw skill and a self awareness that makes it natural you can’t really touch them. Alex has two big bags of both. Ace’ – Polarbear

“Gwyther demonstrated the skills of a poet who had the crowd’s reactions varying between nods of agreement and large grins inspired by brilliant capsules of wit weaved into his poem.” – Think Growth Review

Enough?

Belinda Zhawi

A poet who never fails to give me chills. Her poetry is simply stunning, her voice commanding attention from Festival tents, The Roundhouse and the rest of the country. She’s part of the extremely talented Rubix Collective and it’s going to be the best having her in Brum again.

Friday 20th May, ‘Funny Women’ Tettenhall Library, 2.30-3.30pm: Free in, Win Saha will be appearing at the Black Country Big Book Fortnight with Jane Seagrove and Emma `Purshouse ensemble as ‘Funny Women’ . All welcome/ free event. They are all Offa’s Press writers: win is in her 80s.

Fri May 20th, Spoken Worlds”, *New venue*: The Old Cottage Tavern, 3b Byrkley St, Burton-on-Trent, DE14 2BG, free entry, 7.30pm, open mic, poetry, monologues and drama,

Sat 21st May “Eerie Meeny Miney Poe” at The Bear and Ragged Staff in Cumnor, Oxfordshire,5pm-6.15pm: £10/£6 children. Mixing fact and fable, the electrifying narrative sees Poe reappear after an unexplained disappearance. Despite his erratic and eccentric state, he regales his audience with the events that led to his present state – interspersed with delirious re-enactments of his classic tales, including “Pit and the Pendulum”, “The Black Cat”, “Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “Facts in the Case of Monsieur Valdemar”.

Following on from their critically-acclaimed productions of “Gothicana”, “Ghouls Aloud” and “The Singular Exploits of Sherlock Holmes”, the theatre troupe promise high-spirited performances guaranteed to leave their audiences shaken and be-spooked! They have grown from strength to strength since their formation last autumn, and company director Rachel Green is delighted with this forthcoming show. “I’ve been a life-long fan of Poe and the Roger Corman adaptations of the 1960s. If I can make Oxford shudder, then my work is done!”

The company are booked to perform its vampire epic, “The Feast of Blood, or, Lord Ruthven’s Revenge!” at The Bram Stoker International Film Festival in Whitby during Hallowe’en.

Mon 23rd May -28th May, “ 42” Present “Hitchhiker’s Week” , Waterstone’s ,The Shambles Worcester, 1-2pm daily: Free in, The live reading is part of Hitchhiker’s week, a celebration of the work and life of Douglas Adams, commemorating the 10th anniversary of his untimely death & celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first transmission on television of the classic original BBC adaption of The Hitchhiker’s Guide.

Tues 24th May “Poetry Bites” Kitchen Garden Cafe, York rd, Kings Heath,7.30pm:£5, Headlinee Heather wastie plus open mic floor spots,“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 (07971 018 825).

Wed 25th May Story Circle, at the Brunswick Pub, just down from Derby’s railway station.7.30pm A Flying Donkeys Event.This is a more relaxed, informal sharing of stories in the side room bar, and an ideal opportunity for people to dip their toe into storytelling for the first time or try out a new story in front of a small, sympathetic gathering. We love listeners and tellers! Fourth Sunday of the month

Thursday 26th May “Shindig” Jam Cafe, Nottingham,7.30pm: Free in. Headliners plus Open Mic

Thursday 26th May “Hit the Ode” Victoria PH, Brum City Centre 7.30pm: £5in.

Luke Kennard (shortlisted for Forward prize in 2007, published by Salt, teaches creative writing at Birmingham University)

Adam Kammerling (from Brighton – amazing performer, freestyler, poet and MC)

Laura Wihlborg and Oskar Hanska (from Sweden. Each has won the title of national slam champion at some point and have toured internationally; they will be performing in English & Swedish).

Thursday 26th May “Wedensbury Poetry” The Royal Oak, Meeting St, Wednesbury,7.30pm Open mic, free in

Thursday 26th May , Bilston Voices, Metro Cafe,Church St Bilston. 7.30pm: £2 Set Bill, not open mic,

Thurs 26th May-5th June, Hay-on- Wye Festival : the headline guests will be Nobel Laureates VS Naipaul, JMG le

Clezio, Paul Nurse and Mohammed ElBaradei, historians Eric Hobsbawm, Michael Wood, Bettany Hughes and Niall Ferguson, broadcasters Chris Evans, Jenni Murray, Kevin McCloud and Evan Davis, actors Vanessa Redgrave, Ralph Fiennes, Rob Lowe, Gillian Anderson and Simon Russell Beale, and writers Paul Theroux, Linda Grant, Malorie Blackman, Michael Morpurgo and Jacqueline Wilson.

Saturday 28th May The 2nd Nailsworth Slam, 7.30pm, at the Comrades Club, Nailsworth GL6 0JE. Festival details at http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nailsworthfestival.org.uk%2F&h=c80ea

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

Second Hand Love

Posted on April 30, 2011 by garylongden

“Give her my love,” you said.
But why should I?
Why don’t you do it yourself?
And what if I don’t?

Perhaps I will do it less sincerely than you would have,
Is it the visceral love that cannot bear separation,
The careless love of complacency,
Or a tender love that endures all?

Is this a love that you would entrust to another
Or a precious love
An unique love
That only you can know?

Maybe you should make time
To let her know that you
Unquestionably, unconditionally and unreservedly
Love her? And you always will.

Maybe we all should.
“Ok then, I will”

Posted in NaPiWriMo | 1 Comment

You Don’t Normally See #29

Posted on April 30, 2011 by garylongden

Trees growing in full bloom in Westminster Abbey
Policemen with white gloves
Trumpets with flags under them
(Well trumpets at all, actually)
Or streets with no traffic

Crowds waiting patiently for a fleeting glimpse
People singing hymns
Waving flags cheering a kiss
Victoria Beckham travelling by bus
Pavements packed at dawn

Possibly the entire Royal Air Force in the sky
More hats than you had ever believed
Had been created
Prime Ministers overlooked
And ceremonial uniforms

But that upon depends what you are looking for
Doesn’t it?

Posted in NaPiWriMo | Leave a comment

Centurion

Posted on April 30, 2011 by garylongden

Centurion
This came out at around about the same time as Kevin MacDonald’s “The Eagle”, based on the same historic incident, the disappearance of Rome’s 9th Legion in what is now Scotland. Nothing is known of the circumstances of their demise, so Director Neil Marshall has free rein to interpret the event. Yet the plot elements bear some similarities with MacDonald’s interpretation. Marshall is best known for his horror films “Dog Soldiers” and “The Descent”, so unsurprisingly the rawness and gore of ancient living and battle is of particular interest to him. No battle scene is complete without graphic gouging, decapitation and limb severance.

The Scottish countryside provides a magnificent visual backcloth to the film and the opening Pict assault on the Roman outpost is visceral and sets the standard for the subsequent battle scenes. The sole survivor, Quintus Dias(Michael Fassbender) then joins the 9th Legion to put down the Pict Rebellion only to suffer the Legion itself being all but wiped out in the stand-out scene of the film, a Pict ambush in a wooded valley. They are led into the ambush by a treacherous female Pict scout, Etain. However the dramatic impact of her role is limited by the fact that she is mute, having had her tongue ripped out by the Romans .

A handful of Romans survive the ambush and learn that their General has been captured by the Picts which provides the pretext for an attack on the Pict camp. But they fail to free the general, murdering the Pict leaders son in the process which unsurprisingly has the Picts hunting them down with Etain in the lead. Two elements hinder this film, as they did “The Eagle”. The Pictish language is sub-titled which restricts how much you can include for character development (which is negligible on the Pict side) and secondly an open landscape with overwhelming odds in favour of the Picts restrict dramatic tension considerably.

The film is almost entirely plot driven, with very little characterisation. This is a shame because when it does draw breath, when Dias and his men find shelter and support from a Witch, the story takes on a welcome extra dimension and it provides a satisfying coda to the plot. Overall, “Centurion” was not that well received by the critics. Apart from the ambush scene, it lacks the grand epic quality of “Gladiator” and the story is scarcely enough for 97 minutes. Michael Mann’s interpretation of “Last of the Mohicans” set a modern day standard of “heroes on the run in the wilderness” which all subsequent pretenders find hard to beat. But what it does do, it does well, bloody combat scenes. And these are sufficiently well done, and frequent enough to make it enjoyable enough .

The head to head comparisons with “The Eagle” are interesting. “The Eagle’s” opening scene and fort assault are better, and the use of a local slave as a guide whose loyalties are in doubt far better handled as a story. But once it gets going “Centurion” is far stronger as the legion marches north, and the set piece battle wins hands down. “The Eagle” is stronger in the Pictsish camp, but the “Centurion” wins in the final pursuit with a more satisfying ending.

Because so little is known about British history other than from Roman sources historical accuracy is not an important factor, but a plot problem is. The Romans are the invaders and when the heroes are the ruthless aggressors an audiences sympathy, especially in the united Kingdom, will be at best divided. Combine this with sketchy character development and you have a story which should be enough to satisfy the “blood and splat” enthusiasts, but disappoint those hoping for a little more.

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Napowrimo Poetry Blogs

Posted on April 27, 2011 by garylongden

Participants’ Sites

http://a-sweetlust.blogspot.com/?zx=cca66e4650e2f315 (erotic)

http://anarchistgs.blogspot.com/2011/04/but-now-its-gone-and-i-take-blame-so.html
http://www.stankcheese.com/
http://haikugin.tumblr.com/
http://upwardfrog.wordpress.com/
http://stuffwotiwrite.blogspot.com/2011/04/all-my-napowrimo-stuff-so-far-bloody.html
http://ksquaredpoetry.wordpress.com/
http://karaelizabethwrites.tumblr.com/
http://snowbourne.blogspot.com/
http://barbaraboethling.blogspot.com/
http://www.maryemoorepoetry.com/
http://insanitation-bubble-attack.blogspot.com/
http://www.na-ba-powrimo.blogspot.com/
http://writersisland.wordpress.com/
http://kinkywaves.wordpress.com/
http://catherineespositoprescott.blogspot.com/
http://knuckle29.blogspot.com/
http://myseptimusstrainoflife.wordpress.com/
http://lightingstrike.tumblr.com/tagged/NaPoWriMo_2011
http://raivenne.wordpress.com/
2/24

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To Whom it May Concern #28

Posted on April 27, 2011 by garylongden

(Upon the occasion of Godrej and Boyce of Mumbai announcing the closure of the world’s last remaining typewriter factory- 27/4/11)

And so the typewriter is no more
No longer will paper yield to the imprint of keys
It’s carriage has passed the point of no return

A Tippex bottle will forever remain unopened
New lines will no longer be celebrated by a ring
Nor pressing correspondence be accompanied by machine gun rattle

The pool lies empty
A lineage of Olivetti, Imperial at an end
But 134 years have left an indelible impression

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Miss Perfect #27

Posted on April 26, 2011 by garylongden

Her wardrobe was perfectly arranged
Clothes precisely by colour and type
Material shape size and season
Crisp fresh and so lovingly laundered
At the bottom shoes ascended in
A triumph of organisation.

From lowly sensible flats
Up to dizzying high heels
Fine delicate straps neatly
Clasped, sandals mules courts and T’s
In dazzling symmetry

I threw my clothes down to the floor.

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Chance Meeting #26

Posted on April 25, 2011 by garylongden

Her freshly coiffured hair
Stopped me in mid pace
Perfect make –up, flawless face

Her skirt sat crisply upon her hips,
Her blouse floated gently down
Her shapely legs swished, smooth, sharp and sheer

And I thought that I saw a strap, thin and taut
Perhaps a bow, I am not sure
And a glimpse of lace, momentarily, then gone.

It was a back zip you know, with button fastening
And a kick split
It finished just above the knee

But the crowd engulfed her
In a sea of grey
Until the next day

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Fresh Toast #25

Posted on April 25, 2011 by garylongden

White or brown
Granary or wholemeal
Crust or slice

Toasted or grilled
Light or browned
Maybe rotary

Jam or marmalade
Butter or marge
Sometimes honey

Whose heady aroma
And sweet taste
Overwhelms

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