Yes, Letts…….

Hello Poetry Lovers

Happy New Year to you.

I hope Christmas was nice. Do you recall getting a diary every year? A real stocking filler or an indifferent gift from an aunt or uncle.

I usually got a red one, and wrote entries for the first week then forgot about it for the rest of the year.

Anyway, whatever I put in it, a girl in my class would always nab it and read it out loud! Why?! So I’ve tried to sum this funny little ritual up in the following piece.

Read on if you can bear it….

Little Red Book

An A6 little red diary

A standard stocking filler

(Not a posh one, like Letts)

From a very tight present giver

I’d write in it every January

About how I hated post Yuletide

Evelyn would read it out to the class

And suggested I consider suicide

The contents were hardly revealing

She just wanted to show me up

I was embarrassed by my lack of activity

Racier contents would have to be made up

By the time I did that, it was the Fifth Form

Where no-one gave a flying toss

And Evelyn preoccupied with sixth formers

Not interested now in fabricated dross

At seventeen, the diaries stopped

My stocking contained more sophistication

Evelyn went to work in the bank

And I was plunged into further education!

HM 2024

Not the best ending there, PL’s. Any suggestions on a postcard please. Or come forward with any quirky situations yourselves of course.

Happy New Year, Poetry Lovers. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…..

Interview with Nick Goodall

Welcome to the festive talk show studio, Poetry Lovers!

(Ecstatic applause – security on standby)

Now, settle down, we don’t want to scare our special guest off, do we? Although our esteemed guest poet is pretty fearless! It’s Nick Goodall!!

(Standing ovation as our glamorous guest glides down the lit stairway)

Welcome to the show, Nick. Absolutely honoured to have you as our guest

(Audience cheer)

LOVE those shoes!

Do fill us in on your background


I was born into humble stock, over-achieved what was expected of me, then threw it all away and came to sit by the sea a little over a decade ago.

You must have known when the time was right. That proved a good move.

When did poetry become a part of your life?

As a child I liked Spike Milligan. And Gerard Manley Hopkins.

I made a deliberate decision at the beginning of 2022 to write and, critically, to get paid to perform poetry, but not to be published or win competitions.

Prior to that, I had written perhaps half a dozen poems. I also set about getting an ‘O’ level in dementia studies, I think.  And visiting Azerbaijan.

Oh! I grew up on Standing Room Only by Spike. He pushed such boundaries.

Who are your biggest influences?

I don’t read much poetry, and am not sure I have any, but as my style evolves and matures, I’m sure others might infer some subliminal influences. There are poets I admire, but I do not write like them.

No, you have your own distinctive style.

Are you working on anything at the moment?


I have twenty or so poems in various states of completion, and I try to ‘publish’ (Facebook and ‘live’ only) a  first draft of a poem every other day.

I’ve only managed one every three or four days this year. They tend to come in litters of a dozen or so.

You’re very prolific, Nick. It’s admirable how many poems you write. So …

(sweeps everything off the desk. Audience gasp)

What’s the best gig you’ve ever done, and the worst?!


Any gig where someone takes the time to say the magic words ‘I loved that phrase’ or similar.

The worst? Never had one. Its a privilege to perform. If it doesn’t land well, that’s down to me.

Mind you, there was the time at the Blues Festival, when the punters were actually in my face, but you’ll have to go to YouTube for that…


Ha ha! I’m jumping on there now!

I’d like to share the great event you have coming up at Broadstairs on 29th December.

A fantastic line up of poets in The Chapel, a stunning bar and bookshop with lovely staff. In such a beautiful town.

I’m looking forward to it. Get there if you can, Poetry Lovers.

Thank you so much for coming on the show, Nick. You’ve been a wonderful guest.

I’m afraid Dobby’s a bit displeased because you have a photo there of you with a dog!

Perhaps you’d like to go out the back way!

Nonsense! I can take on a cat! I’ll leave the way I came in!

Didn’t I say Nick was fearless, PL’s?! A big hand for our lovely poet Nick Goodall

(rapturous applause and standing ovation as our guest ascends the lit stairs)

(cries of “mind the shoes, you little cow! follow quickly)

Wasn’t Nick a fascinating (and brave) guest?! Click on this link to find out more about this wonderful poet

http://thebardofbroadstairs.com

And do get along to Broadstairs on the 29th if you can. I’m honoured to be one of Nick’s guest readers in Poets on Parade.

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

Panto Time

Hello Poetry Lovers

It’s Pantomime season and the lovely Trisha Broomfield and I saw Robin Hood at the Yvonne Arnaud theatre last week. (Oh no we didn’t!)

A lovely polished, detailed, colourful and witty production. However, we couldn’t help but reminisce about pantomimes past!

Clever poet Trisha has summed this mood up so succinctly that I think this piece will ring true with most of us. Do read on

Panto Time

What ever happened to Widow Twanky?

Or is it me who’s got all old and cranky?

Now Robin Hood’s a pantomime

call it progress, it’s not a crime.

The Nottingham sheriff was so bad

and a lass called Karen, not a lad,

the merry men were energetic

singing, dancing all frenetic,

and then of course Maid Marion

her love for Robin, off then on again.

The heart of the woods, now that was magic

with an ending for lovers far from tragic.

The audience was very loud and vocal

and though bussed in, were mostly local.

When Karen appeared, a deafening scream

Heather and I bought vanilla ice cream.

Pre Christmas it provided delights of such colour

I’m sure that next year we’ll go to another.

©TB 2024

A wonderful poem, isn’t it. Who cannot help but be nostalgic about this Christmas tradition?!

Thank you so much, Trisha, for arranging the visit and writing this beautiful piece. More please.

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

Gift Gaffe

Hello Poetry Lovers

Oh yes, one of the rituals of Yuletide is wrapping presents. Finding this an oddly joyless task, I just had to republish this wonderful humorous piece by Sharron Green from 2022.

Talented poet and one third Booming Lovely, Sharron sums up this frustrating caper so well. Do read on…

Gift Gaffe

Sellotape and wrapping paper
one the glue,the other draper,
send me on a merry caper
every Christmas Eve.

Sellotape is always hiding,
often stunted, never gliding,
won’t respond to threats or chiding,
highly prone to cleave.

Wrapping paper does my head in,
sometimes gifts won’t be seen dead in
shapes that gape they look unfed in
– Shame you won’t believe! 

So it’s just as well this season,
poor performance isn’t treason,
saving paper is the reason,
there’s wrapping reprieve.

rhymes_n_roses 2022

Wasn’t that a marvellous piece?! How many of us have been ‘tied up’ this way?! Thank you so much, Sharron. More please!

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

Interview with Wendy Young

Hello Poetry Lovers

Welcome back to the Talk Show Studio (ecstatic applause)

Now settle down, PL’s, because we know who’s coming, don’t we?! (Great cheers)

Yes, indeed, it’s the wonderful and enigmatic and unique Wendy Young!!!

(Standing ovation. Security cut their fag break short!)

Welcome to the show, Wendy! So lovely to have you with us!

Adore that white crocheted suit! You’ve been up Chelsea Girl again, haven’t you?!

Thank you and glad to be asked!

And actually, it’s from Snob!

Adore Snob, especially their bags.

Fill us in on your background, Wendy. When did poetry become part of your life?

Early 2000s when not sure what course to do (yes I could write a book on ‘Courses I have done’) after attending a creative writing course at the City Lit.

Julia Casterton led a Summer School and it was the key to unlocking something inside. I guess the catatonic episodes of a poem just erupting in a frustrated situation e.g. a trip to a certain town and working in a busy public sector office began to merge/fashion into poetry. I would describe it as being ‘struck with a thunderbolt and woken up’.

What a powerful description, Wendy. And its certainly worked for you.

Who have been your biggest influences?

Influences? As above – frustration/Julia Casterton/Billy Childish jump to mind. 

Adore Billy Childish. So tell us about Passing for Human, your poetry album. Such an innovative concept

Passing for Human came about after meeting Ivan on a Covid project with Disability Arts Online when we took part in a workshop writing poetry about our experience/we recorded it and Ivan added music.

Ivan suggested we record a poem or two (which is what I have always wanted to do) and then realised we could do an album.

So over the Summer/avoiding train strikes/travelling to Hertfordshire to Ivan’s synth/keyboard/ haven – we did it! 

Amazing, Wendy. Your hard work really paid off.

I can thoroughly recommend Passing for Human, Poetry Lovers. A clever combination of spoken word and poetry.

Okay, (Sweeps everything off the desk. Audience gasp in anticipation)

What is the best poetry gig you’ve ever done? And the Worst?!

Worst gig? To be honest – I don’t look at it like that. I learn something from everything (well it’s how I cope anyway!).

Though I have had experiences e.g Poetry Cafe when I was booked on strength of the previous event and I was advised not to ‘be all going into myself’ ?? I think he meant be bold and perform as before and I only got a fiver as opposed to £15 last time ha ha?

I have had quite a few odd experiences but don’t really wish to go into it.

Best gig? ‘I’ve had a few’ so it’s hard to choose – Lyric Studio with Colin Hambrook as part of Joy Festival is up there though and anywhere I get a good response from the audience – whether it be small or large.

They sound great experiences. I hope you didn’t spend that fiver all at once! Cheek of it!

So what are you up to tonight? You go to great clubs. Are you seeing a band?

Actually Heather, my new suit’s coming unravelled. I think I’d better get home and re-crochet!!

Lumme! I can see that. You really are unravelling! Get a car round, quick!

Thank you so much for coming on the show, you’ve been a fascinating guest

(Standing ovation from the audience as our guest cautiously ascends the lighted stairs)

Wasn’t Wendy an amazing guest?!

Please listen out for her radio show The Free O’clock Show on K2K radio 2.30 till 5.30 on Fridays. A real joy!

Also treat yourselves to Wendy’s poetry album Passing for Human http://miserywithoomph.bandcamp.com

Thanks for visiting the Talk Show Studio, Poetry Lovers. We have many more fascinating interviews lined up and we’ll be back with more poetry action real soon……

Christmas Cats

Hello Poetry Lovers

How could I not post about my two favourite subjects – Christmas and Cats?!

The wonderful poet Heather Cook has written this beautiful poem about Yuletide and our love of felines. It puts our feelings over so well.

A touching and clever piece, do read on…

Christmas Cats

The shops are all shut, the gifts have been wrapped –

We’ve stocked up on wine and food for the cats;

Now we must wait for the magic to fall,

Suddenly, softly over us all.

We’ve heard the same carols for so many years,

Watched the old films, shed easy tears,

But touching a cat vibrating with purrs

Always makes something special occur.

The spirit of Christmas, of kindness and love,

Will just for a while flutter down from above

And then all the glitter, the music and lights

Will no longer seem tawdry, but somehow just right.

Heather Cook 2016

Wasn’t that just beautiful?! Thank you so much, Heather. This is from Heather’s collection A Cuddle of Cats. Beautiful book.

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

Bored Games

Hello Poetry Lovers

It’s inevitable we get on to this subject, particularly so near to Christmas.

I used to buy hoardes of these board games for the kids when they were small. And I used to get a huge amount of games at the same age!

I still drool over them in John Lewis now! An extraordinary range of Bored games available.

Who remembers a Compendium of Games? A Christmas staple, the only good thing being the dice!

Anyway, I’ve written a piece that tries to capture how youth outgrew these once coveted pastimes. Do read on….

Bored Games

From Snakes & Ladders to Mousetrap

Julie says these games are crap

When I invite her to a round of Cluedo

She says she’s busy playing Lewdo

a mascara’d wink and she’s out the door

While I deal cards on the bedroom floor

I wish she’d join me in Spiromatic

But it sounds like she’s busy being at it!

If I even mention the word Spirograph

She looks at me like I’m having a laugh!

Julie now plays games with boys

While I’m left with our former toys

At these boxed activities Julie sneers

No longer suitable for teenage years

Julie with her new bloomed self

Stacks me and Monopoly on the shelf

H Moulson 2024

Perhaps some of you identify with this. Were your cherished board games ditched by your pal?

Thanks for reading, PL’s, we’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…..

Passing for Human Review

Hello Poetry Lovers

Today we have a review of a Poetry Album. A unique collection Passing for Human by Wendy Young and Ivan Riches. Spoken word and wonderful music. I’ve given it a hot review below.

Sadly, this collection can’t fit in the Poetry Basket. I tried to get the LP from Woolworths but….so I’ve got with it and downloaded this marvellous creation. You have to understand how modern this is for me! What a wonderful conception! Has this been invented long?!

Please read on…

Passing for Human

Produced by miserywithoomph and IR

Passing for Human is an innovative move, taking us on an enigmatic journey of poetry and music.  Please don’t think this is a concept album, as there are many versatile and variations of forms and messages involved.  Intense, profound and at times, hilarious, this is spoken word by Wendy Young and a skilled soundtrack by Ivan Riches. 

Opening up to the very visual short piece Right to Bite, and a wistful picture of the ocean, followed by the cleverly structured My Voice, read by Young against the background of a tense drum beat.  This enhances a piece that already has a great pace.  Unravelling against  haunting keyboards by Riches.

Little Grape is heavier, and disturbing with an underlying synthesiser and sensitive drumbeat to Young’s surreal and enticing words that have amazingly detailed descriptions of the body.

By Hecklectic (I wanna wanna be), not a Spice Girls cover but a  personal favourite –  wistful, covetous and versatile wit in a unique voice. The poet wants to be these things but they’re never desired in a maudlin way.   Only delivered with razored envy, irony and wry humour. By this point, we are absorbed in the poet’s versatile range.

If I could Fly, with Riches’s studied musical backing, the poet’s singing voice is soothing and natural. The accompanist only enhances, never dominates.  Intelligently thought out. 

Between Two Rooms, another favourite, should be grim but on the contrary, it is a poignant and revealing picture of the beautiful Welsh actress Rachel Roberts. A vibrant account of Roberts’ descent into alcoholism and self-destruction.  This is told  with dialogue and tenderness. A disturbing insight to this talented yet troubled star who took her own life. The poet takes us smoothly to this screen icon’s troubled depths.  Deep words that stay with the listener, and never an uncomfortable experience.   Great guitar playing by Willem Riches. 

Entrailpreneur creeps up on the listener with graphic detail, and Riches’ sensitive keyboard tones blend smoothly into Sorry Waltz. Full of uncomfortable true words on the term Sorry.  One we have all heard and will keep hearing. 

Picture House, a real established favourite of mine, has a classy built up introduction.  The words so vivid, transporting us back to those tawdry yet revered fleapits while hosting Ursula Andress on the big screen.  Cinema staples of Poppets, fag smoke, ashtrays and velvet seats wash over us.  Most poignant of all is Mum sitting there in that golden era of a double bill. Young makes us see our own mothers in that exact same place.   

 I do a job I hate (after Billy Childish) is delightfully jagged. Sharp rhyming with Riches’ haunting accompaniment.  The sad tones are sharp and clear with the effective music excelling the profoundness of the words, with a precise fadeout.  After the reflective title track, Obit is extraordinarily read and fitting for a great and abrupt ending. 

Cover photography and field recording on Obit by miserywithoomph.  Field recording on By Hecklectic and Venus in a time of COVID by Simon Purins. 

 Released by Bandcamp and issued on 1st November, treat yourselves to a new stylus and leave the arm off the record player so you can listen to this enigmatic album repeatedly. Really worth doing. Click the link below  https://miserywithoomph.bandcamp.com/album/passing-for-human

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

The Queue

Hello Poetry Lovers

Today’s subject is about one of those frustrating things in life, especially this time of year, The Queue. Or rather how many times we misjudge these things in life.

Clever poet Trisha Broomfield has captured the injustice of this beautifully. Written in clever couplets, this piece will ring painfully true with all of us. Do read on …

Queue Two

I’ve bought more than I’d planned, my basket weighty
I look around and choose the shortest queue



everyone else has piled their trollies high
all stuffed with Christmas fayre anew



chocolates, mince pies and wine by the case
I glance at my haul, spuds, parsnips, leeks, just two



the man in front of me returns a light bulb
bayonet, he wants to swap it for a screw



trollies pass GO, pack their wares, wheel out
I now feel the need to go to the loo



isn’t it always the way, I’ve been here ages
my shopping behaviour I will have to review



in future I will definitely think twice
about choosing the shortest queue.

Trisha Broomfield 2024

So, PL’s, how many recognised ourselves in this piece?! Nearly everyone, I bet. Thank you so much, Trisha, for summing up this inner fury. I hope you got served in the end.

Trisha’s wonderful new collection Acrostic Mother is out on Amazon. Treat yourselves.

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