STANZA MAR MENOR

STANZA MAR MENOR MEET AGAIN

Members of Stanza Mar Menor met on the morning of 10th October for their first autumnal meeting. We have all been busy with a plethora of things including different aspects of writing. We talked, laughed and joked about our comings and goings and wherever and whatever we had been and done. It was good to talk and 'catch-up'.

Tybraf has been very busy with his Futurelearn course: Explaining Play: The Importance of Play in Everyday Life and his forthrightness has caused concern with a tutor or two! How dare they 'pull' a comment! The beauty is in the writing especially when they have to re-instate his views. I see it as a duty to say what some people would say should be the un-sayable. Not for him and we even mentioned Rotherham and Rochdale and what has been covered-up in that town. In our discussion we pulled no punches and wondered what sort of democracy we live in? After all Protest Poetry was included in Ledbury's Festival and I see no reason why we should not speak out. With that in mind we have written on the destruction of ancient woodland by the construction of high speed rail links. Tybraf's has had his published in the Rotherham Advertiser entitled 'Smithy Wood' and he also submitted to StopHS2 Campaign.

He has had a poem published in Mind Anthology on the theme of 'Through the Winter' with his poem 'Dish of Winter Wishes'. This can be downloaded free on http://www.lulu.com/shop/selected-writers/through-the-winter/book/product-21837755.html and a hard copy can be obtained at cost price.

Moving on, to St Petersburg, where he was last week seeing publishers and attempting to get his 'WOMBAT' children's stories into that market. He was invited to a presentation that was just happening when he was there. He must have impressed them for he came back laden books and a bottle of liquor. He is now working on a workshop as he has been invited to go again to Russia and deliver a presentation in a seminar. I think that this is all tremendous.

Margaret and I were impressed and she has been busy too and this is an account of some of her summer:-
Margaret enjoys open Mics and managed to fit a couple in while she was in the UK. This is her brief account of her experience. The August event at Pitmen Poets in Mexborough Yorkshire, hosted by Tony Goodwin was not for the faint hearted, and there were rants and angry words of protest but also some damn good poetry. That's the mild description. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is worth taking the plunge and submerging yourself in the experience.

Spire Writes at the White Swan in Chesterfield was hosted by Helen Mort and at the event I attended, Rob Stevens and Al McLimens performed some of their very fine poetry. A very friendly and relaxed atmosphere if you enjoy listening to style content and delivery of other poets and sometimes to read your own poetry out loud. It's a good feeling. I was inspired by these two events to write an apt piece.

Alchemy

We rattled together
like assorted base metals,
reassembled in order of voice.

Once the hot angry
breath-like bellows
fuelled the fire;

we meld,
turned to gold.
Pure Alchemy.

She is also working on two other aspects involving short stories where she is involved with Wordplay.

John has been busy with various matters including family history in relation to a set of handbells that first came into the family in 1900, but that is a story for a different time although a bellringer poem has existed since 2003. Maybe more to follow. He has been blogging on his 'Writing and Birding Blog' on a regular basis and he wrote on every day for the Ledbury Poetry Festival and on recent 'birding' trips. He now needs to re-visit his summer experiences, review his notes and write. There is a particular project that is about a disused canal with even non-existence stretches of It. The Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust wish to make all of the thirty-four miles of it good again. It is a very long term project and it is one that gives me inspiration to write and I have some lines that can be viewed shortly.

Margaret is about to start Start Writing Fiction Course with Futurelearn and I think that she will be able to show them a thing or two! I did this same course in early summer and again I must revisit my notes.

Douglas is still in Scotland and we all wish him well and we hope to see him later this year. He tells us that he has been writing and he will reveal all when he next appears in Spain.

We are looking forward to connecting up again with our other members and we will extend another invite to some local mature students who would like to pursue their English writing.

John is linking up the Poetry Society In London for a Stanza Representatives meeting at Keats House in North London. It will be interesting to meet and speak with others who organize stanzas and even meet the stanza member from North Cornwall whom he knows and the stanza member from Madrid. Gwyneth Box is that person and she has emailed with information of The Poets Toolbox which is a free on line course offered by Tantamount Publishing. This needs checking out properly as their blog has not been update for several months. It is not all negative as they seem to have a lot going on and say that they will 'catch-up' with themselves.

The RSPB and Rialto have again combined to ask for entries which will be judged by Simon Armitage. We participated this year and probably again for this current competition.

We agreed to meet next Friday, 17th October, in San Miguel at 10am. So get writing.

If there are people out there who should happen to read this, then you will be made welcome, with feedback and suggestions at no cost at all.