So, freshly returned from a rainy Morecambe Poetry Festival. And what can I say?! A very full on and varied poetry affair indeed!
We start with the most important thing! Yes, Me! Here I am getting ready for our reading on Sunday.
What can I say about the joys of Luke Wright, Henry Normal, John Hegley and Michael Rosen?! All wonderful and intelligent human beings. We packed in so much, gambling, pizza, Prosecco and cocktails!
Er – Oh yes! We read poetry too. In the great company of Sharron Green, Anna Somerset, Heather Mary Sullivan, and Fran Isherwood, I also had the joy of meeting Mary Dickins. We took it all on. And believe me, there was a lot to take on!
Also, the marvellous and so talented Math Jones drove up to see me, with his lovely friend Prudence. Such a joy to see you again, Math. Please come back to the South where you belong.
Having the honour of reading as part of the Write Out Loud’s 20th birthday on the Saturday, we read late Sunday afternoon.
The last image there is of Rowland Crowland, an enigmatic poet. Great performance, Rowland.
I also enjoyed the open mic at the library
And meeting other talented human beings! Speaking of which…
A cocktail and quick cuddle with the marvellous Matt Panesh, who organised this whole thing.
So thank you, Morecambe and Matt for opening up this world to us.
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s and sharing this experience with me. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon….
Yes, settle down, PL’s and welcome our esteemed guest and vibrant, clever poet Sue Johns!!
(Standing ovation as our glamorous guest glides on elegantly )
Welcome, Sue. So lovely to have you on here
(audience cheer in agreement)
Please tell us when poetry became a part of your life.
A pleasure, Heather. And Dobby.
(Bravely strokes Dobby. The audience are awed and Dobby purrs)
My primary school headmaster loved poetry and so he got me started at a very young age. But this encouragement didn’t continue at my grammar school and I left school at 15
Knowing nothing about poetry, I kept writing, mostly nonsense, but I grew up in a house without books. Poetry and literature didn’t feature.
I kept scribbling and in the 80’s I started writing ‘punk poetry’ and became known as a punk poet, initially in Cornwall and then in London. It was much later in life that I actually learnt anything about poetry.
I started writing formally and for the page. I got a BA Literature in my 40’s and eventually a MA Writing Poetry at 63. A late developer! But graduating from that was one of the highlights of my life.
All hail Tamar Yoselof, Glyn Maxwell, The Poetry School and my fab fellow students.
That is so impressive, Sue. You have a very classy poetry background. And what fantastic names there!
Who were your biggest influences ?
When I was very young it was whatever I heard at school, my teacher’s favourite was ‘Timothy Winters’ by Charles Causley, maybe that’s why I write about dark subjects.
As a punk poet, it was other other punk poets like Joolz Denby, and other performance poets on the London scene at the time: Joelle Taylor, Patience Agbabi, Steve Tasane.
I owe a lot to Bob Devereux, Patric Cunnane and all those connected to Ragged Trousered Cabaret/Dodo Modern Poets for giving me my first gigs.
The first formal poets I fell in love with were Sylvia Plath and Dylan Thomas (a bit predictable).
Since I starting studying poetry my influences are endless, I read a lot of poetry and I’ve fallen in love with form.
During my MA I drew a lot from Jacqueline Saphra, Fran Lock, Terrance Hayes and Glyn Maxwell, to name but a few.
Long standing favourites include Sharon Olds, Simon Armitage, Christopher Reid, Elizabeth Bishop, Carol Ann Duffy, Mark Doty and Don Paterson. More recent faves are John McCullough, Caroline Bird, Rishi Dastidar, Inua Ellams, Kim Moore and Diane Seuss, I could go on and on.
A fantastic array of poets, Sue. I know Steve Tasane, wonderful isn’t he.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
I have recently completed my second full collection (if you exclude self published work) and I’m sending it around to potential publishers. It is largely work from my MA and is predominantly about Women’s mental health. Fingers Crossed.
Oh, we want to get our mitts on that collection, don’t we PL’s
(Audience cheer in agreement)
Now, what’s the best gig you’ve ever done, and the Worst?!
I’ve had lots of lovely gigs over many years. I think some of the more memorable ones are from when I was a ‘full on’ performance poet and did monologues with costumes/visuals/music.
I remember some great nights at the Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden. One night I did a piece called ‘Mud Sticks’ about my teenage years and apparently ‘brought the house down’.
Those days were a lot of fun. I’d go from work, change in a toilet, perform and then we’d all go off to a club or all night bar, usually the infamous Troy Club, until 3am, get a couple of hours sleep and then back to work!!!
I think we’ve all had gigs where no one or almost no one turns up, when the organiser has to decide whether to put a show on for one man and a dog. Or say f**k it and just get pissed.
Whatever I just love poetry and poets. We’re a family❤️❤️❤️
You were ravers! And you’re so absolutely right. We are a family.
How about we get up that Troy Club now? I’ve only got to change my shoes!
(Our esteemed poet looks awkward )
Well – er Heather – the thing is….(Dobby shuffles impatiently)
Oh I get it! You’re taking Dobby, aren’t you?!
Looks like another night watching The Newcomers for me.
Thank you so much for coming on the show, Sue. You’ve been a wonderful and inspiring guest
(A standing ovation from the audience while Dobby and Sue go off up the lighted stairs)
Wasn’t Sue Johns a fascinating guest, Poetry Lovers?! Please tune into
Freshly back on southern soil after visiting the marvellous Sunderland. Please see the picture of the beautiful Sunderland Empire theatre below. What a great city!
Now, I look forward to All The World’s A Stage on Sunday 24th August. Devised by the prolific Anne Warrington, we will be performing great pieces at Garrick’s Temple in Hampton. My first visit!
I have not done this stunning venue justice. In fact, this was a nightmare to sketch! Anyway, it will be a great event and I look forward to it.
Pause for a fag break, then the Booming Lovelies will be performing at the Guildford Fringe on Monday 8th September at the beautiful Britannia pub by the river. (This was also hard to draw!).
I don’t quite know what happened to that quiet August I had planned. It’s got so busy that I had to drop The Sealey Challenge this year.
Well, what can I say about Broadstairs?!
A great reading at the lovely Chapel Bookshop and Bar. Thanks again to Wonderful poet Nick Goodall for inviting me. An honour to be included in Folk Week.
The next morning I explored Poetry Club that was on every morning for a week. I had never been to a morning reading before, a great new experience. It also gave me a chance to catch up again with the lovely glamorous Maggie Harris, (bottom right in the main picture above). A superb poet.
Unfortunately I missed the lovely words of Heather Mary Sullivan who performed on Thursday this week. I’ll make up for it in Morecambe!
So now it’s off to Sunderland!!
Me first ever visit! I can’t wait. I’ll keep you posted!
The thing is, suppose they don’t welcome me?! And I get a dunking in the River Wear?! Gulp!! Watch this space!
Upon my return, PL’s, I will talk about Poetry Performance’s event at Garrick’s Temple on the 24th August and of course, the Booming Lovelies gigs that are coming up.
Sweet Shops are all the thing at the moment. Round my way anyway.
A fascinating subject for the nostalgic, they carry such weight. Quite literally, who remembers getting two ounces of sherbet pips? Hands up!
Well, wonderful and clever poet Trisha Broomfield has captured these details and memories succinctly. A terrific piece that will bring back so many memories.
Read on – that’s an order!
Mr Bonnie’s Sweet Shop
It sat squat on the corner of Market Place and Cone Street
on the way to the dentist’s house,
it sold every type of sweet;
Fruit Salads, and Black Jacks, four for a penny!
Sherbet dips or dabs? Jamboree Bags,
rubbery Milk Bottles, Flying Saucers—
melted in your mouth and stuck to the roof of it,
hard boiled squares of Rhubarb and Custard—
cut your tongue and made it bleed,
bubble gum, soft and pink—stopped your words coming out
Gob Stoppers lethally similar to the gum,
garish pink shrimps, who would eat them now?
Chocolate Buttons covered in hundreds and thousands—
not proper chocolate like Cadbury’s
Aniseed Balls and Mint Imperials, choke hazards
wrapped in white, crumpled paper,
Liquorice boot laces and pipes, Jelly Beans and Babies,
white Cigarettes with red tips, we sucked the ends to points
Wagon Wheels, huge, Mars Bars equally huge
and with a reputation, Love Hearts—BE MINE
you could woo whoever you fancied,
they never had BOG OFF written on them.
Trisha Broomfield
Wasn’t that a beautiful piece?! Didn’t Trisha take you personally into that sweet shop?! Lovely words and memories. Thank you so much, Trisha. More please!
Thanks for tuning in, PL’s. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…..
Now settle down PL’s, because our talented and prolific guest is about to come on!
A big welcome to James Domestic!
(Standing ovation. Security rush back from their fag breaks)
(Our esteemed guest glides elegantly down the lighted stairway)
Welcome to the show, James. I hope you found us alright. We are thrilled to have you as a guest.
I see you’ve brought your lovely cats with you (Dobby glowers in the wings)
Yes, I thought they could swap notes with Dobby. And they have a packet of Dreamies!
So, thanks for having me on the show, Heather.
A real pleasure, James. So glad you could make it.
(Audience cheer in agreement)
Why don’t you fill us in on your background?
My background is a bit all over the place. My parents were from London, though they’d moved out to Hertfordshire – a little place called Wormley – by the time I was born.
Then when I was four, we moved – along with almost every other member of the wider family – down to Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.
I now live in Suffolk with my missus, Lu, and our two cats, Susan The Cat and Freddie Fuzzles.
I left school with almost no qualifications because I was rarely there, and when I was there, I couldn’t seem to concentrate and just mucked about. I was only interested in music, girls and alcohol by the time I was 14!
I spent my early post-school years between the dole and the factory, and a few other equally mind-numbing poorly-paid occupations (see Guff CV from the recent Poets Day Dream book).
Then, out of desperation, I did an OU degree, and it had a massive impact on my life. I did a few years working in social housing, and then, for really over-the-top levels of scholastic compensation, I ended up doing a PhD in my thirties and now work at Essex University. None of my teachers would’ve seen that coming!
I’ve played in bands since I was fourteen and have made a lot of records with different ones. I always put a selected, but not exhaustive, discography in the back of my books in case people want to check those records out.
I’ve played with my main band, The Domestics, for fourteen years and we’ve been all over – The Basque Country, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands…all good fun!
This is fascinating, James. Look how far you’ve come! A great inspiration to us all.
(Audience cheer in agreement)
And Wormley?! I had many friends from there. Clacton?! Swoon! Love it there!
When did poetry become a part of your life?
As the main songwriter in most of the bands I’ve been in, I’ve always written lyrics, which I guess – at a push – you might say are a form of poetry!
The first ‘proper’ poem I had published in 2013 in a book put together to raise funds for The Freedom Bookshop in London, which had been firebombed by fascists.
After that, a couple of spoken word pieces appeared on records by The Domestics; our 2015 split 7” with a band called Volunteers had Just Some Arsehole That Plays in a Band on it, and our 2017 album, Cherry Blossom Life, included Human Ikizukuri.
I’ve only really been having my books published and doing poetry gigs for maybe three years.
I’m loving this, James. A fascinating and fulfilling journey.
Who were your biggest influences?
Well, I’ve always enjoyed John Cooper Clarke and Ivor Cutler, and from that got into Luke Wright, Attila The Stockbroker, Rob Auton, Spike Milligan, Saleena Godden, Mark Grist and many more. I’m never really sure if they’re direct influences, but they may well be!
I think I’m often far more influenced by poetry that I don’t like…trying to avoid those traps!
Oh, Luke Wright! The first performance poet I ever saw. Very clever.
All those names have made me swoon. Especially Attila!
Are you working on anything at the moment?
Well, I don’t think there’ll be any more books from me in 2025 – two is probably enough in one year! – so I’m focusing on the live stuff really, and also trying to pull together an hour long show with a bit of a through-line, but I’m not supposed to talk about that yet, so that’s all you’re getting on that subject! Haha!
There’ll be another book sometime next year as I’ve a lot of new work, but there’s no hurry.
The Domestics are slowly working up new songs for the next record and should be heading back to The Basque Country for a few gigs next year too.
Tantalising! And gigs?
I still have a fair few gigs in the diary for this year, I think. You can check www.jamesdomestic.com for the latest info, to buy books or my folk art, or whatever. Maybe sign up too…you’ll only get a handful of emails a year (I’m too busy to do more than that) and you’ll get a heads up about significant activities.
I have terrible Seasonal Affective Disorder which usually creeps in around late October/early November, which means I’m unable to gig through the months on November, December, January, and February, so I try to squeeze plenty in in the remaining months.
Well, I’m signing up now!
Sorry to hear that, it affects people terribly. Those dark months feel threadbare and lonely, I know.
So, (sweeps everything off the desk. Audience gasp)
What’s the best gig you’ve ever done? And the Worst?!
Oh blimey! I can totally remember the worst – thanks for making me think about that, Heather!
I did one in Southend quite early on. I was the main feature and on after the open mic section. I started to get a little worried during the open mic as every single person – in fact, every other person in the room – was doing very serious, earnest, confessional stuff, which as you know is not what I do at all.
It came to my set and they just did not know what to make of it. Deathly silence between each poem. It was excruciating. I had a 25 minute set to plough through, and it was dreadful.
You could hear every time someone took a sip of their drink or shuffled in their seat! Also, there was a council meeting going on upstairs and so halfway through my set there was a lot of noise of people strongly disagreeing on points of discussion.
It honestly couldn’t have been much worse! But, having said that, I was pretty new to it and all the gigs I’d done up that point – maybe half a dozen – had gone really well, so I guess it was a leveller if nothing else! Anyone can have a shitty gig now and again.
There have been so many good ones. The supports with Luke Wright, Attila, and Andy Riley have all been great and I’ve had some great ones at Patch in Colchester, Good Shout in Peterborough, and at Poetry Scum in Nottingham, amongst others.
The one that surprised me the most was when I was asked to do a five minute unpaid slot at Frinton Literary Festival last year. I generally don’t like to encourage what are essentially “pay to play” gigs if your expenses aren’t being covered as a minimum, but I took a chance on it and I was so glad I did!
I was on just before the break and there was a queue at my merch as soon as I left the stage. Definitely in the top 3 gigs in terms of number of books sold – I almost ran out!
Also, that’s where I met the brilliant Andy Riley, a writer on Black Books, Big Train, Smack The Pony, Veep and tons of other stuff. He’s ridiculously funny and we’ve done a couple of gigs together now, with more to come. So, it was a fortuitous evening.
Oh Veep! What classy stuff he’s written. I must come and see you both, I bet you’re a dynamic set.
What a learning curve! These things do make us stronger. Such a great story.
So we off up the POW disco tonight? Lee Campbell’s going to be there!
(Our esteemed guest shuffles uncomfortably)
Out with it, James! Lee’s barred me again, hasn’t he?!
Erm.. I think it was that ‘Fluffy Kittens’ poem you did, Heather.
Er…Susan! Freddie! Dobby! Wait for me!!
(Mr Domestic legs it up the lighted stairs!)
Sigh! One lives with the pain after a while! There’s some dustbins outside where I can lie down.
Wasn’t James Domestic a fantastic guest, PL’s?!
(Standing ovation and cheers of agreement ).
Please look at his website. A fantastic and prolific artist.
Thanks for tuning in, Poetry Lovers. We’ll be back with more poetry action real soon…
Heather Moulson 