It has been quite hectic visiting the park, researching it’s history, talking to the visitors there. There are lots of tourists as well as
office workers and several people were doing walks for charities. One pair were walking on behalf of a charity for young carers. Carer’s Trust. Many of these people head for the famous Watts memorials.
I seem to have been burning several nights of midnight oil writing poems for the event and soon, weather permitting, I will be reading them sitting under a tree. The people at the church also asked me to write a poem for them. So far I have managed a short one and hope they like it.
Now I have four days for working on ways of engaging the public in enjoying and writing poetry. I have spent ages choosing them but now I have several famous garden poems to put around the park. I have also dreamed up some neat ideas to encourage people to write poetry too. I am always reminded of Charles Causley who once said that writing poetry is for everyone who wants to try it, not just for the chosen few.
Luckily I’ve been doing a pop in and write poetry for beginners and apprentice poets at the Open Art Cafe in Rottingdean for four years so I feel OK abut that bit. Now praying for a sunny day!
There are lots of London squares and Gardens open for the weekend, several that are not usually open to the public. http://www.opensquares.org for further details. Several will have poets in residence too all supported by The Poetry School.
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Link to the Watts Gallery in Guildford http://www.wattsgallery.org.uk/en-gb/
Thank you for sharing your preparation – I hope you give us a blow by blow (poem by poem) account of your residency. Looking forward to hearing all about it. I wish you sunshine and dry weather, happy crowds and attentive listeners, but whatever the weather throws at you I know you will make something special out of it…
Thank you so much x
Hope all goes well for you ann sounds very exciting project Terry x
Thank you Terry very kind x