It seemed a long time since we last met and the topic, as always at the beginning of a term, was ‘Open Choice’ When it came round to Christine Pope she told us a bit more about her and Mavis’s visit to the Poetry Library for an evening on the Dymock poets, some of whose grandchildren were present on the day.
Here is the list of poems read:-
| Ann Barlow | The Quiet Ones | Wyn Parkinson |
| In the Museum of Antiquated Offices: Exhibit C, Fax Machine | Emma Simon | |
| Janet Chapman | Home Thoughts from Abroad | Robert Browning |
| Printing Jenny | Matthew Mitchell | |
| Diane Chorley | What do women want? | Kim Addonizio |
| Light Month | Victoria Redel | |
| Sheila Corrin | A Date with Spring | John Agard |
| Shall I compare thee …………? | William Shakespeare | |
| Jean Ellis | Translations | Adrienne Rich |
| From ‘Quarto’ | Adrienne Rich | |
| Monica King | This is going to hurt just a little bit | Ogden Nash |
| The Photograph | Lorna Dexter | |
| Liz Maliphant | High Wood | Ewart Alan Macintosh |
| Song for a beautiful girl | Adrian Henri | |
| Kathleen Mustoe | Counting | Fleur Adcock |
| Under the Lawn | Fleur Adcock | |
| Adele Radelat | The power of the Dog | Rudyard Kipling |
| Going too far | Wendy Cope | |
| Mavis Robinson | The Salutation | Thomas Traherne |
| One does get old at last | Ruth Pitter | |
| Loraine Saacks | My Future | Robert William Service |
| A Parent’s prayer | David Axton | |
| Nola Turner | On | Meryl Pugh |
| Beck | Simon Armitage | |
| Ruth Smith | Poundland | Simon Armitage |
| For Edward Thomas | Sasha Dugdale | |
| Anne Stooke | Apple Blossom | Louis McNeice |
| The Legs | Robert Graves | |
| Patsy Paine | Sentenced to Life | Clive James |
| Azma Unpacks her Pretty clothes | Clive James | |
| Christine Pope | Adelstrop | Edward Thomas |
| Adelstrop 1987 | Alan Brownjohn | |
| Creative Writing | Gervase Finn |
After the meeting, many us us stayed as Ann Barlow and Monica King reported their findings from the Suggestions Book and invited comments. In the light of the discussion that followed, some choices were made which will be presented to the Committee at their May meeting. From this the programme for next year will be constructed.
