The first meeting of the new term was attended by 17 people. It began with a talk by Mavis Robinson on how, on behalf of the SPC, she reads to a partially-sighted group in Bromley. One thing has led to another and she now also reads to a lunchtime gathering at St. Marks Church together with Christine Pope. Members of both groups have expressed their wish for the readings to become a regular event.
There was no specified theme for this meeting so members read poems of their own choosing, some of them influenced by recent happenings. As a pamphlet by Isabel Bermudez is shortly coming out, Anne Stewart read Isabel’s poem ‘Racer.’ PJ Kavanagh’s death has been recently announced so Diane Chorley chose to read his poem, The Temperance Billiard Room.’ Patsy Paine read ‘Manly Ferry’ by Clive James from his collection ‘Sentenced To Life’
The range of poems read was, as usual, wide with Milton, Blake, Wordsworth and Hardy well represented but also Kate Foley, Esther Morgan and a local poet who had a connection to Ripley, Ted Walter.
Shortlands Poetry Circle 