I can clearly recall loving Trisha Broomfield’s poetry at Cranleigh Arts Centre (and admiring her floaty trousers)
Then having the delight of meeting Sharron Green in that very same venue
How optimistic we were sitting together that night in early 2020, knowing we were in for a good year….er…..
Well, anyone can make a mistake! So fast forward to September 2022 at the Willoughby Arms, Kingston for a great poetry night to raise money for the Ukraine.
The three of us finally united to read together. Then the wonderful Anne Warrington came up with a great name for us!
So after that night, we never looked back. Many frequent trips to Sharron’s house in 2023 for cake – I mean, rehearsal. And then…
there we were performing at the Guildford Fringe 2023. These were followed by gigs at Cranleigh and the Guildford Institute. We had love and support from our loved ones.. sort of.
Before we knew it, we had a very successful gig in Soho at the vibrant Spice of Life pub…
Thanks for tuning in, Poetry Lovers. The second instalment will be going to press real soon. Put an order in with your newsagent right now!
Well this particular launch day happened on 2nd November but never too late to share such a wonderful event.
We were proud to go to the lovely Cranleigh Arts Centre to see prolific and talented poet Trisha Broomfield launch her collection My Acrostic Mother.
What a great afternoon. Trisha, Sharron, cake and meeting new people – what wasn’t there to like?!
Most of all was Trisha’s wonderful readings of her acrostics, where you closed your eyes and your mother was back there with you. Very poignant and tangible.
We had delightful pieces including Face Packs and Sunday Lunch, Fight the Flab to name but a few. Plus heartbreaks that the poet only found out about in later life such as Desmond. All illustrated by an up-and-coming artist!
Stuffed with cake and tea in a classy setting, it was a wonderful afternoon. Thank you Trisha and Cranleigh Arts Centre.
Treat yourselves to a copy of this beautiful book – and a great Christmas present for someone. Contact me for details.
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s, and sharing my adventure. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…..
And we’re off….. to Soho on Tuesday. It’s finally here at the Spice of Life on Tuesday afternoon. Getting very apprehensive now.
No more rehearsing, and nursing a part, we know every part by heart as the song goes. Which isn’t strictly true, there’s some pieces I still have to use the book but you get the gist…
Please come if you can. 2 pm 5th November at the wonderful Spice of Life in Soho.
Welcome back to the talk show studio (rapturous applause)
Our guest tonight is talented and prolific poet Paul McGrane! (Pandemonium. Security nervous)
Now settle down, PL’s, because here comes Paul McGrane now!!! (Cheers and vast applause)
(our guest descends elegantly down the lighted staircase)
Welcome to the show, Paul. I’ve been looking forward to having you as our guest.
(Audience cheers in agreement)
Pleasure to be here, Heather.
Fill us in a bit on your background and when did poetry become a part of your life?
It wasn’t until I was in my early 40’s, I’m 62 now… before that, I didn’t even know that poetry was still a ‘thing’, even though I studied English at university. I thought that only dead people wrote it.
I’d been taking a creative writing night class at City Lit when I noticed that the reaction by the rest of the class to my poems was more immediate and louder – actual applause! – so I was hooked.
I quickly took an introduction to poetry class and I’ve been regularly dabbling in poems ever since.
I was ‘in-between jobs’ at the time but luckily I became the Poetry Society’s Membership Manager soon after and started up a poetry group in Walthamstow -Forest Poets. I also run monthly poetry open mics in Walthamstow and Soho -‘Poems Not Bombs.’ So you could say poetry dominates my every waking hour.
Fascinating, Paul. Interesting how it takes others to help us see the way.
Who have been your biggest influences?
When I started writing poems, I chanced upon an online poetry forum run by Adele Ward – Adele and the rest of the group were tremendous at giving constructive feedback and I feel blessed to have been part of it all. I’ll always be grateful to Adele.
I read quite widely but I’ll usually come back to poets such as Fleur Adcock, Jackie Kay, Elizabeth Bishop and Kathleen Jamie – as comfort reads and inspiration.
Oh Paul, what a wonderful support group you had there.
Fleur Adcock left us very recently, as you know. End of an era, such a powerful poet.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
I’m writing quite regularly at the moment, which hasn’t always been the case.
Being part of a poetry group definitely helps. It gives me the spur to come up with at least one poem every month to present to the group for feedback.
I’ve got a bunch of poems about my family so I’m hoping to turn them into a new poetry collection soon.
I’m very excited about that, Paul and looking forward to reading them. Families are right up my street!
Now my favourite question! What is the best poetry gig you’ve done? And the Worst?!
I once did a gig where the only people present were the two organisers, one of their mates, and us three poets. I opened my set with ‘can you hear me at the back?’
Actually the lack of an audience made the event quite cosy and we all had a drink afterwards in the bar so I rather enjoyed it.
I launched my first poetry collection in the same room when it was standing room only, and I had a lot of friends there so I’d say that was probably my best moment at a poetry gig – people laughed quite loudly at my funny poems, which is never a guarantee.
No, it really isn’t, is it. Not knowing quite how people are going to react keeps us on the edge.
Well, Paul, it sounds like your worse gig had a sweet edge to it, and I remember your launch of British People in Hot Weather at St Anne’s Church. It was a terrific atmosphere.
Thank you so much for coming on the show, Paul, you’ve been a wonderful guest.
(Earpiece crackles in the Host’s ear) I’ve just had Security on and they say Dobby’s on the prowl! Would you like to go out the back way?
(Proudly). Not at all. I’ll go out the way I came in!
A big hand for the wonderful, talented (and brave) Paul McGrane
(audience give a standing ovation as our guest ascends the stairs)
Ooh! Wait for it! (Screams of pain are heard up above) I think the lovely Paul has just met Dobby!
Wasn’t Paul McGrane a fascinating guest?! A wonderful poet. We look forward to seeing him as a guest at Teddington next year.
Treat yourselves to Paul’s collection British People in Hot Weather published by Indigo Dreams
One of my favourite subjects features today. I think you can guess from the title which it is!
Clever and talented poet Trisha Broomfield has written a beautiful piece to her cat Perry in blissful tercets. One of my favourite forms.
I wonder if every cat lover writes to their cat like this at some point in their relationship. It does seem all take and no give yet we still adore them.
A fabulous piece, do read on
Dear Cat
Dear cat why can’t you wash a dish
those paws are good at catching fish
but housework, dear cat how I wish
dear cat why can’t you learn to cook
instead of giving me that look?
You’ll never catch that crafty rook
dear cat why can’t you make a bed
you sharpen up your claws instead
and by the way, you have been fed
dear cat, it’s not a lot to ask
that you perform a simple task
you wear a haughty, ‘who me?’ mask
dear cat I wouldn’t change you for the world
you sleep on cushions, snoring, curled
so I guess it’s down to me then.
Trisha Broomfield 2024
Isn’t that such a true and profound piece?! And isn’t Perry gorgeous?! (Don’t tell Dobby!).
I wonder what cats would be like at household chores really. Thank you so much, Trisha. And more please!
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon….
The lovely poet Alan Gregory (@truculentbutamiable on instagram) has written a beautiful piece Going to the Ball.
Alan is a prolific poet and writes incredibly clever pieces such as villanelles and other complex structures. A hero of mine.
This time Alan has done me the honour of letting me illustrate this particular piece. My futile words cannot describe this powerful and clever poem, so I will simply let you read for yourself.
The opening piece, and fittingly Dobby is the hero(ine)
Got very fond of that mop..
Particularly love this section, my first ever attempt at a horse!
A profound stanza
Isn’t it a wonderful piece, I’m so flattered Alan used my sketches. Of course, there’s no living with Dobby now, it’s all gone to her head. But She was the rightful star of the show, natch.
I’m now practising reading it for a next poetry session. I want to get it right.
Our very distinguished guest tonight is poet and translator Timothy Ades.
(Standing ovation that could get out of hand!)
Now settle down, PL’s – because here he is now!! (Deafening applause as our esteemed guest walks down the lighted stairs)
Welcome to the show, Timothy. I love that crushed velvet suit!
It’s a pleasure and an honour, Heather. And what a lovely audience!
Aren’t they just?! But don’t talk too soon, Dobby’s on the prowl!!
Why don’t you fill us in on your background, Timothy?
I’m a rhyming translator-poet, in love with languages. I learnt French and Latin at school and was sometimes in Egypt in the school holidays.
My granny spoke French and my Mum loved rhymes. When the penny dropped that Latin is a dead language, I turned to modern languages and our own times.
A lovely classic background, Timothy.
When did poetry become a part of your life?
In my education there was plenty of poetry: English, and Latin, some French, even some Greek.
And quite a lot of translating. But after that, it was a long time before I started to write anything at all.
Yes, you are a very prolific translator.
Who were your biggest influences?
Shakespeare, Tennyson, Virgil, John Betjeman, songs, rhymes, hymns, and all the foreign poets I’ve translated, especially Victor Hugo, Robert Desnos, Alfonso Reyes, Bertolt Brecht.
Such incredible influences there, Timothy.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
Always! So many possible books in my computer. Always new poems.
Going on Facebook and YouTube. My bookstall of translated poetry.
We’re so impressed with your output, and so beautifully produced.
What’s the best poetry gig you’ve ever done?
The best must be the launch of my biggest book, ‘Robert Desnos, Surrealist, Lover, Resistant’ with Dame Marina Warner, and Sonia Masson reciting in French and singing: I sat slumped and stolid, crushed by the weight of that book, 860 grams in paperback.
And two with music from Venezuela, thanks to Gloria Carnevali and pianist Clara Rodriguez. All those are on YouTube.
Biggest live audiences were when I won the Valle-Inclan Prize and the John Dryden Prize. Many others…!
And the Worst ?!
A solo evening of all my books. Even with friends to read in foreign languages, it was dire!
Well, if anything, it made you stronger.
Evenings like that seem very long, don’t they?!
Thanks for coming on the show, Timothy. You’ve been a fascinating guest (Audience cheer)
Are you out on the town tonight? A poetry nightclub perhaps?
I think I’ll go home and iron this velvet suit, Heather.
Thank you so much and goodnight.
(Looks around nervously) Er – is Dobby about?
(I nod)
(Our esteemed guest legs it very fast back up the lighted stairs, followed by cries of agony and ‘watch the suit, Dobby!’ )
Wasn’t Timothy Ades a wonderful guest, PL’s?! We have the honour of his featuring at the Adelaide in March next year. Can’t wait!!
Thanks for coming to the talk show studio, Poetry Lovers. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon….
Happy National Poetry Day, Poetry Lovers (I know, it was yesterday).
However, a late nod to such a significant day never hurt anyone.
The theme was Counting and after scribbling many words about foursomes, couples and threesomes (don’t ask!), they became redundant as I recalled the misery of sums and numbers at school. Quite depressing, I should have stuck with the threesome…..
I would have liked to have gone to the Poetry Takeaway van at the South Bank yesterday, where they would wrap you up a poem. Somehow I stayed put, and I’d had so much poetry action recently from Morecambe.
So this is the best I could muster. Do read on…
Counting Up
Hate figures and sums
Rather play with my chums
I count with my thumbs
Numbers and arithmetic
Just make me sick
Teacher gets on my wick
Equations and fractions
Lack any real action
I’d rather be in Clacton
Hated significant figures
Once I got bigger
I just drew a picture
Maths at O level
Just seemed such drivel
Numbers are the devil
HM 2024
So, how many bad memories did that bring up for us?! Plenty, I bet!!
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…
Yes, Poetry Lovers, you heard right! The Booming Lovelies are back at The Spice of Life, Soho on 5th November at 2 pm.
This is a montage of our previous rehearsals and the work that we have ahead of us. We are apprehensive, but to use the words of Denis Norden –It’ll be alright on the night (afternoon).
I’ll keep you posted, PL’s. Meanwhile do book a ticket if you can. Details below
never hurt anyone. 
Heather Moulson 