Changes afoot

Some news about Trowbridge Stanza and my Bradford on Avon workshops

Some of you already know that I’ve been experiencing a period of ill health (nothing very serious) which I’m still gently dealing with. Combined with this, the lovely venue at Drawing Projects UK in Trowbridge, which has been the home for our poetry group for the past seven or so years, is on the market to be sold. These two things have led me to decide to step back from running the poetry group in Trowbridge, and my workshops in Bradford on Avon, for the foreseeable future. I’ve made so many friends through poetry in Trowbridge since we first gathered at the Town Hall (now revamped and set to re-open next year) and I hope that many of you will keep in touch and I’m sure that I’ll still see you at various poetry and cultural happenings in and around the Southwest and beyond.

I hope that one or more of you will decide to take over the running of the group. Drawing Projects UK is still available as a meeting venue for the time being but I know that one of our group, Peter O’Grady, has a suggestion for an alternative venue and perhaps some of you also have other ideas. I will share any news I receive about the future of the group in this newsletter.

For now, Nina Parmenter has kindly agreed that it’s OK for me to share her email with you - ninaparmenter@hotmail.co.uk - please contact Nina if you would like her to add your email address to her list and contact you to let you know of immediate plans for the group. Huge thanks to Nina and to Sarah Hemings for their help in organising things while I’ve been under the weather. On that note, there are still tickets available for this Saturday’s event with Carrie Etter and Claire Crowther which will be a wonderful opportunity to meet and listen to these two award-winning writers.

Thanks to all of you for being part of Trowbridge Stanza over the years (and, before that, the Town Hall Poets!) and thank you to everyone who’s been involved with my recent workshops in Bradford on Avon. I’m still contactable via my usual email and on the usual social media channels and I post a ‘News’ page on my website/blog.

Best wishes to you all on your various creative journeys for the months and years ahead.