Wednesday 20 April 2011

Week Commencing 18th April 2011

Another gloomy, cool Monday I see but it’s good after
It got stupidly hot in my back garden yesterday afternoon
(40 odd degrees which is mad) which probably explains
Why too I came back from Dukingfield rather warm.

Otherwise, ‘Unique, Driven and Determined’ as you may have
seen happened this Saturday just gone and was rather a busy
night which sadly trickled off towards the end of the night
but still resulted in us raising a fair bit of money with more
money to come in which should give us a nice amount of
money to spread among the three charities.

Hopefully in another few weeks, we should be able to
reveal the final figure but speaking from a personal angle,
I am pleased with what we raised.

This week is going to be a busy one I think certainly,
as tonight I have to pop over to Dukingfield with some
additional money that has come in (We are still expecting
donations for it – cheques can be addressed to unique,
driven and determined or send to paypal viva me).

Tuesday will be band rehearsals where I am hoping to
Get chance to hear a possible new keyboardist in action.

Wednesday as it stands, I should be having tea at my
friend Olga’s and then Thursday I will be chairing ‘Poetica’
a excellent writing discussion group in the centre of Manchester
City Library and then I am going to head over to Freed Up Poets @
the Green Room, Manchester.

Anybody who has heard the sad news about funding getting
withdrawn to Manchester’s ‘The Green Room’ may well
want to attend this Freed Up and the last one at the Green Room
in May, just to show that people still support ‘The Green Room’
as it’s been a hotbed of the best alternative theatre for over 25
years for me in Manchester and to get it’s funding withdrawn
totally is very, very sad news and is a big show of the times
when things like ‘Manchester International Festival’s funding
gets trebled.

Lastly, then when it is bank holiday week-end I am hoping to
finally get chance to totally chill and crack on with my second
book (I sorted out a folder last night and discovered I had tons
of incomplete poems or draft poems which are possibles
for the book). Either way, a launch for September or October
is looking very, very possible this year. 

Friday 15 April 2011

Unique driven and determined

I'm also involved in a Charity fundraising night tommorrow night...

More details off another website say:

'Charity night at Aldwinians RUFC in aid of in aid of Tameside and Glossop MIND, West Villa Mental Health Centre, Dukinfield and Tameside Blind Association. It will be a variety night of drama, music, and poetry from renowned local poets and other artistes. Also: a raffle and an auction with great prizes to be won. Tickets £4 in advance, £5 on the night.

When: Sat 16 Apr 2011
Where: Aldwinians RUFC, Audenshaw Park, Droylsden Road, Audenshaw (M34 5SN)
From: 19:30
Contact Information: For further information and tickets, phone Catherine Robinson: 0161 344 1245'

Week Commencing 11/03/2011










Dear all;

What a week-end last week-end with the weather.
Ended up walking on Chorlton Meadows yesterday with
my friend, Ray and what a beautiful, beautiful day it was. Perfect
for walking although I didn’t get anything done creative done (lol).

This week we are on now – I first of all went to W.O.L. Stockport
where I gave debut readings to two new pieces ‘Up on the Roof (Strangeways)
and ‘Stealing Beauity’ both of which I was quite happy with and should be making
appearances at other readings afterwards in particular ‘Up on the Roof (Strangeways).

Tuesday I was off from work and will be spending most of it at Cathy’s
sorting out last minute things for the forthcoming charity do this Saturday
coming (Unique, driven, determined for which tickets are still available
From us)

Ditto for Wednesday and Thursday night and on Friday I will be at my
Lucy's 21st bash and then Saturday will be the Charity bash Show which
I'll blog separate soon.

Other news, I am still plodding away with my second poetry book ‘Detective
Novel’. I typed up 20 possible poems for it last week which came to around
48 or 49 pages. I am going to want to have another 10 possibles at least I guess
for it before I make a final selection from it and all things been well – I hope
it’ll be ready for September or October.

From next week, will be focusing a lot more on A Means to an End too as
We have a good gig coming up in Chorlton and I want us to be really ready for
It and then other stuff to follow up (Chance of something came up last night
For something at Stockport Art Gallery).

A possible gig has also arose in Stockport Art Gallery at some point from
End of June to beginning of August too and I am toying round with putting my
Name down for Freed Up Poets next week too since I will be chairing a poetry
Discussion group too.

Friday 8 April 2011

Jo Mayers - Wearing the Coat (Review)













Jo Mayers – Wearing the Coat
(Self Published Chapbook)


Jo Mayers is from Macclesfield, a town on the outskirts of Cheshire
which I know myself from working there in 2004 and 2005
and states in her short biography ‘she started being a poet at
Marlborough School, but learned to do it properly at the
University of Warwick’.

This self published chapbook I got through from her at  Manchester’s
premium poetry open mike night ‘Freed Up’ at the beginning of 2011,
although she had been going there regularly there for most of 2010
(when I didn’t go for various reasons).

This Chapbook or pamphlet contains only 5 poems which could almost
be classed as an Single or a EP rather than a full length collection but
each one contains a realism that I rarely read in poetry, let alone as
well told as it is for example ‘How bad it is’ with a first line as:

‘We talk, all the time, about annoyance.
 I cannot understand yours’

This is a fascinating start to any poem where the two characters talk
and talk but don’t really talk about atall about lack of froth,
or the fad for red flip flops, or the admittedly strange dearth
of taxicabs on a quiet, rum-and coke type night’, this is poetry
which has a wonderful use of language which is playful but
still has at it’s centre, a message as the poem finishes ‘You
still care, don’t you, about our lives?’

Even more striking is the second poem ‘The Waiting’ which starts
With a striking bit of dialogue ‘I’m not waiting for you’ which is
Almost like it is leading you into a short story or a short play, before
It says ‘nevertheless time passes’ and two Beatles songs, you can
feel the disappointment with the poet in the air, which is drawn
beautifully into the cold pavement.

The only thing I didn’t like if I am honest was the fact there was
Only 5 poems which left me by the end of it making me think this
Would have been a really good introduction to a longer collection
and 5 poems simply wasn't enough.

Hopefully she’ll get to do it someday as there is skill here that
I feel that publishers would be interested in.

Jo runs a blog on Write Out Loud which can be found at

and can be emailed on jo0911@hotmail.co.uk








Thursday 7 April 2011

Week Commencing 04/04/2011

Week Commencing 04/04/2011

Typed up Thursday Night 07/04/2011

After a beautiful week of weather last week, this week’s weather
so far has been back to the normal grey skies. Lovely NOT..

Otherwise this week, certainly the plan is to crack on with my
writing. I got the poems into a folder so far for my second book
and was pleasonately surprised to realise there was 20 possible
pieces there, which came up to about 50 odd pages. When I
have a few more poems ready, I should then be able to
make a proper choice from them which’ll bond well for maybe
September or October time.

This week itself on Monday and Wednesday involved a little
Work on my forthcoming play which has the working title
Of ‘Night Camp’. That itself is moving along slowly and if
All goes to plan the 1st draft may be done by the end of
Summer.

Tuesday was the last meeting before the charity night
‘unquire, driven, determined’ on Saturday 16th April 2011. So
far, its looking quite good as for the auction we have I think
14 prizes (including 3 autographed things from
Manchester City, 4 paintings and a host of tickets
for shows and sports things). Will keep you informed how
it goes of course.

Tickets can be bought in advance for £4 from Cathy Robinson
0161 344 1245. It will be held at Aldwinians RUFC, Droylsden
Road, Audenshaw, M34 5SN – doors open at 7.30pm.

We also had earlier the latest ‘Guitars and Verse’ event
In Bolton. I missed the March one through ill health, but
Tonight’s feature Kate Hannah and the the well liked Manchester
Poet Dominic Berry. Starts at 7.30pm at Butterflies, so hope
To see you there.

Loads more to follow next week too.