Heather Moulson

My Poetry Week….

Well, Poetry Lovers, what a week of poetry it has been!

Last Sunday we had the joy of Sir Richard Eyre as featured poet at the Adelaide. Honoured by his visit, we loved his poems and anecdotes.

This is my most treasured photograph, in the company of a lovely and clever man.

In fact, there was strong poetry read all round. Including the founder of Poetry Performance, Anne Warrington.

Then on Friday, I had the privilege of performing at the Guildford Institute with the Booming Lovelies

I’m looking quite furtive here for some reason !

It was a terrific audience and a great success.

I look shifty here too!

Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…

Coming Soon….

..to a theatre near you!

Exciting news ! The Booming Lovelies are returning to the Guildford Institute next Friday 11th September at 3.30 pm.

Trisha, Sharron and I are very excited about reappearing at this lovely and welcoming venue and had a great rehearsal in their library. We were also thrilled to be featured in the classy R&A magazine.

Finishing off with lunch at the lovely Cote restaurant opposite the castle. I had fish stew – num!

For tickets, please go to the link below, and we hope to see you there.

https://www.guildford-institute.org.uk/event/booming-lovelies-e121/

Tribute Corner

Hello Poetry Lovers

Inevitably I’m going to post a tribute to the late Tim Curry. A unique actor and singer and a great loss to us all.

Anyone will know he was a lifelong pash for me. I’ve been crazy about him since I was 16!!

But not only that, I also try to explain his golden days to Dobby! This was not an easy feat!

Read on…. Apologies for the poor quality of the photos, by the way

Of course the news reached me on 26th August 2026 so I explained my deep attachment to Dobby…..

We travel back in time to June 1974 to Kings Road, Chelsea

This was the Kings Road Theatre, Dobby. Ann and Grandad (whom you never met) took me to see the Rocky Horror Show. I was only 15!

And the lead role, Frank-n-Furter, scared the life out of me! By God, my parents had a lot to answer for!

I wasn’t aware of Tim Curry then until January 1975…

and I never looked back. Talk about love at first sight!!

Watch out for the next instalment

Thanks for indulging me, PL’s. Stay tuned for more poetry action real soon…

Poetry at the Bookshop

Hello Poetry Lovers

I have to share with you the great night of poetry we had on Friday at the Parade’s End Bookshop in Ham.

Rachel Thomas, the wonderful bookshop owner hosted a night of poetry. This is me before it all started. With the marvellous Sharron Green, the vibrant Sam Ball and siren Del Bowen. Wine at the ready, we were full of apprehension.

I invited this marvellous group of poets to read and I was so happy they all accepted. From your left, there’s Dr Niazi, yours truly, Sharron Green, Sophie Palombo at the front – an open micer who I’d really like to see more of – behind is Dennis Tomlinson, who really broke the ice, and the lovely Liz Newbery in front of him.

Behind is boy genius Phil Porter standing next to lovely Ian Lee-Dolphin followed by maverick Sam Ball. Stylish Dilly Orme stands out in her pink, and glamorous gals Sarah Boyd and Del Bowen. What a gang!

Everyone read great poetry for five minutes, then after a very brief break, I featured with material from my new book Slummy Mummy.

This is my favourite image. Thank you, Heidi for taking this. And I’m so happy I sat next to Sharron!

Packed full to capacity, we finished just after 8 pm. Drained but happy. We really hope to do it again.

Thanks for reading about my evening, PLs. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon.

Summer of ‘76

Hello Poetry Lovers

It’s inevitable in this current heatwave that memories of the summer of 1976 would come up.

Hands up who remembers it?! I thought so – everybody! And we were all so much younger, so we had the misery of youth to boot!! How did we survive this miserable era?!

Well, easily – because like every summer, it was suddenly behind us. I hope I’ve summed it up in this piece here – do read on;

Bloody Summer

Where had summer gone?

They asked after the relentless

heatwave of ‘76

It had melted into badly paid

summer jobs and other heartaches

Swallowed up by lost loves

and the Italian boys on the street

Half lagers in the Castle pub

while sneering at punks

All that remained was red peeling

skin on tired shoulders

And a nagging hosepipe pan

It calmly merged into an indolent

August

And crept away as fast as it came

HM 2018

Don’t we all agree with this, PL’s?! That this brutal summer will fade soon. I should make the most of the season but I’m too hot and miserable.

Thanks for tuning in, Poetry Lovers and taking the Heat off me. We’ll be back with more poetry adventures real soon…

Meanwhile, here is a message from our sponsors;

Poetry Night

Hello Poetry Lovers

I’m very excited about the Poetry Night on the 21st August at Parade’s End Books in Ham.

It’s a lovely venue and refreshments are served. Plus a classy night of poetry, and open mic. What’s not to like?!

I hope to see you all there, all details below

Parade’s End Books

21st August at 6.30 pm

£5 entry. For tickets, please click the link below

Poetry Evening

Surrey’s Big Poetry Weekend ‘26

Hello Poetry Lovers

I had a marvellous poetry day on Saturday at the Surrey Poet Laureate’s weekend.

Situated in a beautiful building in Egham, the schedule was full on.

After the Mayor’s opening speech, and hosted by the marvellous Sam Ball, there was a poetry panel of Dakota Warren, Sharron Green and creator Adam Gary.

A very insightful session and later Dakota gave a reading and talked about her latest book, Be Happy I Am Mad.

Then there was an interview with my personal favourite poet Bradley Taylor. Swoon!

Bradley also took a masterclass in the afternoon that was very insightful. Here is Sharron Green and Bradley together

There was so much on offer; Katie Griffiths took a class, the lovely Joe Campling ran the Open Mic section, Melanie Hyo-In Han took us on a publishing journey, and later Luigi Coppola was interviewed. The headliner was Len Pennie who I was very sorry to miss.

Thanks for a great day. Do look out for this great event next year, PL’s.

Palindrome

Hello Poetry Lovers

Now this is a tricky form to take on. A mirror image piece and my version is a bit “dodgy” to say the least!

However, who can resist a challenge, and rules are there to be broken! I love the palindrome form and there have been some very clever ones written. I hope to get there one day!

As you can see, Dobby gets in on the action! Do read on….

Palindrome

Your black cat moves me and

your broomstick is menacing

The doves from your top hat look at

Me with beady eyes

Hiding behind your black cloak

You think you can cast any spell

But I am not wizened with your power

Abracadabra

Your power does not wizen me

With any spell you think you can cast

Your black cloak hiding behind

I look at the doves with beady

eyes from your top hat

Menacing your broomstick

And I move your black cat

Heather Moulson 2024

Now, I know there’s a palindrome in all of you, PL’s. So send them on a postcard please…

Thanks for tuning in, Poetry Lovers. Got a very busy weekend ahead but I’ll be back next week…

Tritina Time

Hello Poetry Lovers

I think it’s time to tackle the Tritina poem.

Not being able to stomach its big sister, the Sestina (six stanzas!), I find the Tritina friendlier. Only half the workload in three stanzas, it’s much more fun.

And it goes like this ;

1, 2, 3 – first stanza (of three lines)

3, 1, 2 – second stanza

2, 3, 1 – third stanza

Then the final line has words 1, 2 and 3.

Look, here’s one I prepared earlier.

My Mother’s Hairdresser 1966

My mother’s hairdresser’s face was flushed

Hair lacquer, ammonia and the full up ashtray

Had turned her very young features so pink

The huge brutal rollers in greying hair were pink

The sheer tightness making women’s faces flushed

Their lipsticked fag ends burnt in the ashtray

Tight-lipped women always sat near to the ashtray

And their disillusioned features would turn pink

Under the hairdryers, rollered housewives flushed

The flushed hairdresser would stand over the ashtray with her pink hands.

HM 2026

I only have lovely memories of going to the hairdressers with my Mum (I got a Bunty comic!) and not the grim picture I have painted here. However, it seemed fitting for this Tritina.