Factory Nights in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

Had a great afternoon on Saturday 3rd December in Hanley with the Rednile team and a selection of artists who went ready to be inspired by those sometimes overlooked spaces.  What a great idea.  You put artists together in an urban place - in this case the 1970s Hanley bus station and a converted car showroom called Peppers Garage - and see what comes out of it.

HANLEY BUS STATION

Photographs, film, music, textiles, collaborations, dance, installations.  All these (and more) are possible.  The secret is that until it happens nobody knows exactly what will come of it.  The only certainty is that something will.  These events, called Factory Nights, have come about through the hard work and inspiration of the Rednile working artists.

SHOW'S OVER

I was quite taken with the despairing graffiti.  We chatted to Carole from the coffee bar and Peter the newsagent.

There's an entirely understandable love/ hate relationships with the place.  It must once have been so hopeful.  Now they're building a new bus palace across the road & time is running out for the old one. 

I was invited to come up with a piece of writing... watch that space.  It could be graffiti.

  

Three months to go

before I leave work.  I'm going to become a (willing) casualty of the recession.  A big opportunity to spend more time writing and to finish off that third novel.  I'd like to think that architecture won't fade away.  I'd like to think I can incorporate it into my writing.  Just not sure how yet...

If you want to know what's been keeping me occupied at work for the last three years then check out the website showing the new Bert Williams Leisure Centre  Underneath the ridiculous report are some photos taken last May.  It's named after the Wolves and England goalkeeper.

There's just gotta be a story in here somewhere!

WENLOCK POETRY FESTIVAL

The first words at this year's Wenlock Poetry Festival will be from Shropshire Poets - Beverley Fry, Deborah Gaudin and me.  I haven't met Deborah yet.  Looking forward to it - and to the first session on Friday 29th April 2011 in the Priory Hall, Much Wenlock at 1.00pm. 

Wenlock Well

Should be a wonderful weekend with more Poets laureate than you can shake a stick at.  Saw an article somewhere asking what the collective noun for poets laureate is.  Answers please?  Anyway, in the old days a poet laureate was in the job for life, but now it's almost a temping job.  And with Birmingham having a new one every year, well, they're practically commonplace!
Offa's Poets are on Saturday 30th April from 1.00 to 2.00 and I'll be performing River Passage with live music by Dan Phelps. It'll be the first outing for Nick Pearson's new collection, too.  Not to be missed.
On Sunday there are more poets writing about Shropshire in the shape of Paul Francis, Miriam Obrey, Nadia Kingsley and Emma Purshouse.  They're at the Priory Hall from 4.00pm.
And don't forget Barry Tench, Mark Niel, the poetry slam and Paul Evans.
The poets laureate can look after themselves - give the locals a go.  (What's a local poet anyway?)
For details http://www.wenlockpoetryfestival.org/


Much Wenlock from near Wenlock Edge



World Book Morning has broken

An early start to get to Burton-on-Trent station for around 7.45am on Thursday 3rd March, World Book Day.
Half-asleep train travellers were pleasantly surprised to find an author and two librarians giving books out on the platform at that time of the morning. Well, most of them were. Others thought there must be a catch - nobody gives stuff away these days, do they? One of the workers repairing the bridge took a copy of David Beckham's autobiography, a traveller with a bandana thought it was a great idea, but tussled with his conscience so long that his train came and he left empty-handed. A party heading for a tour of the breweries of Europe took a couple of mild comedies and a bitter satire. 'Do you want the books back?' they asked. No, for once there were no return dates on the inside covers. You could leave the books on the train, take them home or pass them on to someone else to read.
Thanks to Paul Tovell and Joan of Staffs Libraries for looking after me - and to the thoughtful station manager at Burton who thawed us out with hot tea!