Quick October Update

An opportunity has arisen to write for The Yorkshire and Lancashire Times on the internet. The poetry blog entries I upload here on WordPress have attracted the attention of a group that publishes news, arts and literature features on the web and I have been asked to supply the occasional piece for circulation under their…

Life Inside The Poetry Fridge

On the train to Carlisle at silly o’clock in the morning, I began having examination flashbacks; you know the sort of thing … nightmares involving turning up for O Levels or A Levels, university end of year progress exams, SATs or whatever in just your vest. Don’t be daft, I told myself, you’re properly prepared…

Contains Strong Language 2020

So onto the next thing … At the end of September, the BBC are descending on Carlisle to run a three day festival of poetry and spoken word. This will be the festival’s fourth year since 2017 when Hull in its capacity as City of Culture kicked the whole thing off. This year, the events…

Interview with BBC Radio Cumbria Summer 2020

I have uploaded an edited version of Helen Millican’s radio programme. In the show, we discuss Fledge and the inspiration behind the poems. The interview took place in Lady Wood, Grasmere, about 200 metres along the old coffin route from Dove Cottage in a typical Cumbria downpour under a magnificent beech tree with a torrent…