Bridport has a lively arts scene out of all proportion to the size of the town. This was an excellent, lively evening given by several of the ‘Bridport Poets’, including Kim Squirrel, Gill Capper, Andrew Dickson Sweetpea Slight and Ellie Madden.  A ‘poetry happening’ is a good way to describe their varied styles and a splendid showcase for modern poetry.  

There have been many Poet Laureates over the years – but can you name but a few? This was a chance to fill the gaps and learn something of the lesser known, as well as the more famous, Poets Laureate.

The afternoon of Sunday 29th May saw the Garden at Naish Priory opened for a ‘T.S.Eliot Modern Poetry Day’, promoted by the East Coker Preservation Trust. Talks and readings linked to T.S.Eliot took place during the afternoon, where the combination of poetry, picnics and the delightful garden at Naish Priory made this a splendid and memorable ‘outside’ event.  The garden was open by kind permission of Dr and Mrs John Fysh. 

What better place to hear some T.S.Eliot read than East Coker itself. Eliot was voted Englands most popular poet in 2010. His poetry is variously described as brilliant, obscure, tantalising or impenetrable. Whatever your view, the mix of some of his poetry, plus the announcement of the format of this year’s poetry writing competition, made this a most enjoyable evening.   Readers were Ian White, John Darling, Richard Vanderpump and Jean Caunter with Clive and Anne Bingley linking the readings’.

We left before I had time
To comfort you, to tell you that we nearly touched………..
 
So starts Julia Copus’ most famous poem, The Back Seat of My Mother’s Car.
There are few poets who can claim to have invented a new form of poetry, but the specular poems of Julia Copus are just that.  Her poetry is intimate, gripping, sometimes claustrophobic, but modern poetry at its best.
Winner of the most recent Forward Prize for a single poem, Julia Copus is a rising star of poetry, and a radio dramatist for the BBC.  We were fortunate that she came to East Coker to read some of her poems and take part in a ‘question and answer’ session afterwards.

Rhymes, limericks and amusing verse or worse were read.  Poems by Pam Ayers and Ogden Nash and many others that you thought you could never possibly hear at a poetry meeting all added to the laughter !

 Ian White introduces some poems by Bob Dylan and some by John Keats.  Are there similarities?  Intrigued?  Come and hear what Ian has to say …………….

Poetry and mince pies – this was a great start to the festive season.
Despite the cold weather and a hastily changed venue from the Apple Loft at the Helyar Arms to the skittle alley, poems were read and mince pies eaten!

We were fortunate to host a talk by Dennis Silk, who was a friend of the poet Siegfried Sassoon for many years from the 1950s until Sassoon’s death in 1967.  A schoolmaster by profession, Dennis Silk shared Sassoon’s interest in cricket and indeed became President of the MCC.  Dennis assisted with the BBC programme ‘Siegfried Sassoon: a Friend’, having made several recordings of the poet reading his own work.  Copies of these tapes were available with the proceeds going to charity.  This was a very interesting and well attended evening.

The subject this year was ‘East Coker’ and a new format for the competition meeting saw three judges giving their thoughts and insights into the entries.  The judges this year were – Liz Pike of the Yeovil Community Arts Association,  Bernard Holiday of the West Coker Poetry Group and Yeovil Poet John Hawkhead who all gave excellent comments and feedback on the entries.
A lively meeting finally announced the 4 winners, Amelia Bennett, Heather Murphy, David Cloke and Julie Mulder.
All the winning poems appear on our ‘Competition’ page