Two major bits of information, plus a reminder about next week!

Patrick Walker is leaving Waterstones, emigrating to South Devon indeed. The bookshop will not be able to host our meetings after May, as no one else is willing to stay for the evening. I have therefore arranged with Coffee Corner, the café on the corner of South Street and Station Road, that we will meet there for the two remaining arranged meetings, in June and July.

The May meeting I have altered somewhat from as proposed. It is now linked with the Stortford Music Festival, which will be occurring that week, across a range of venues in the town. I’ve therefore altered its nature to an open mic reading (ie come along and read! – no actual microphone). I would hope to be able to draw more people in like this.

So schedule until the summer now runs:

• April 4 – Waterstones
  Blake Evening – sharing poems, images, music
• May 2 – Waterstones
  Open reading
• June 6 – Coffee Corner

1. Diane Shorrock introducing the poems of Sarah Wardle
2. Workshop on poems written by group members
3. Arrangements to set in motion for Next Year:

• plans for any projects (publication online/paper or reading???)
• set up more formal organisation?
• poets to invite?

• July 4 – Coffee Corner
  Frances Presley – read + talk about her writing

I hope this is all OK!
For next week’s event, the schedule I’ve got is:

• Sue Abbott, “London” and is happy to explain her choice + why she loves William Blake
• Stuart Masters, “The Chimney Sweeper”
• Jessica Mayhew, own "ending" to “The Sick Rose”
• Carol Russell, “Smiles” (from The Pickering Manuscript)
• Sheila Moy, “The Voice of the Devil” from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
• Peter Philpott, opening passages from Milton + passages from his own An Encounter Upon the Beach at Minehead with the Prince of this World

 I hope there will be more! Please email or otherwise tell me! And music? Any suitable music?