Issue 419 8th January 2016

Workshops

restart

on MONDAY

Links

The RBW‘ 2016 poetry collection

is now E-published.

2

FLASH FICTION: Random words: railway, enchilada, white, gun,

broadcast, word, sensible, deliquescent, shampoo

Assignment: meals on legs

A warm welcome awaits. COME to WORKSHOP ... Every Monday 1.30 start Rising Brook Library

oldlibrarytrust@gmail.com

THE OLD LIBRARY TRUST which is

aiming to save the old library building by

the cinema have produced

a public consultation document, which

can be obtained from the above

email address.

FACEBOOK: FORMER STAFFS POET LAUREATE

SCC website

now has a

dedicated

page to the “14”

Project and

Tom‟s poetry

Writers don‘t follow trends ... They think for themselves ...

www.issuu.com/risingbrookwriters

www.risingbrookwriters.org.uk/DynamicPage.aspx?PageID=15

Control click image for direct hyperlink www.risingbrookwriters.org.uk/DynamicPage.aspx?PageID=15 www.issuu.com/risingbrookwriters or Facebook: Rising Brook Writers

2016 contributing poets include: Lee Fones, Lin Priest, Anne Picken, Ann Talbot, Nigel Peckett, Clive Hewitt, Fred Waterfall, Penny Wheat, Michelle Draper and Steph Spiers

www.welshpoetry.co.uk

Preparing for a New Allotment

For some years now, I have gradually been taking out some of the old, large, bushes from the garden as mom wanted all the ―Prickly/

Thorny‖ plants removed because of her failing eyesight and the prob-lems of thorns. Things like Pryacanthas and Berberris were all re-

placed with fruit trees and bushes of all sorts and my success with these encouraged me to take more of a general interest in the gar-den.

Until my elderly mother fell and broke her second hip a couple of years ago she had done almost all the rest of the gardening leaving just the mowing and heavier jobs for me

to do and although the family ran a garden centre for over 20 years before my mother re-tired, I had not taken too much interest in actual gardening. Of course the last two years I

have had to do just about everything and I have been forced to do proper gardening which meant weeding and pricking out seedlings that I had always avoided before. Sur-prisingly I found that I was enjoying it and soon had the garden filled with all manner of

plants. Last Summer our village councillors announced that along with the Government in-

tentions to get more people growing a little of their own food they were hoping to set up some allotments for the local residents, so with my new found enthusiasm for gardening I put my name down for one to give me a little more growing space. Hixon residents had

been wanting to get some allotments for many years and at last an agreement has been made with a local landowner and the local Parish Council. It was intended for the allot-

ments to open on April the 1st which being April Fools Day was perhaps asking for trouble, but hopefully they will be finished only a few weeks later.

For many gardeners this will prove to be too late to sow their seeds directly into the soil in their plots, but with a bit of careful planning many plants could be started off in pots that perhaps normally wouldn‘t be grown like that.

Like most people I have a large assorted jumble of old pots in the garage that proved very useful to start off some Garlic cloves, Jerusalem Artichoke tubers and I even

found some very deep old tree pots to start off a couple of Asparagus roots. My Celeriac seedlings will be pricked out into an old tray that is divided up into many small cells so

that the small growing plants can develop their own root systems that won‘t be disturbed when they are planted out. Last year I bought one Angelica plant and collected some of the mass of seed that it produced. The seed is said to be viable for only a short time, but

after sowing it straight away in the Autumn and pricking out the seedlings, I now have dozens of small plants that have been over-wintered in a cold greenhouse and are ready

to plant into our new allotment when we get it. We intend to do the same with Sweet Corn, Cape Gooseberries various types of Beans and maybe a few Tomatoes. Alterna-tively, you could buy some of the many different types of young vegetable plants that are

sold at garden centres in pots like this now for instant gardening. They are especially suit-able for people who haven‘t got greenhouses to start them off in, or for those who want

to get young plants off to a flying start as I do. One thing that does concern me is the fact that being a new allotment developed

from a fallow, neglected field, the soil is not likely to be very good or very deep. Most peo-ple are advised to plant potatoes in new plots to break up the soil, but I think that is likely to bring up the sub-soil in the shallow soil of our plots, so I am not going to plant many

root crops for a few years, although I am ―Chitting‖ some Pink Fir Apple‖ potatoes to try as they have a rather different taste to normal potatoes.

Because the soil is not very deep I am going to plant a lot of Currant bushes of one sort or another. Fruit and Vegetable shops do seem to be selling more and more currants

to eat, but I still think they are a better value crop than potatoes, or carrots, that the farmers grow so well and are so cheap to buy. Last year I took quite a lot of cuttings from

our bushes and pushed them into the ground in a dryish part of the garden to over-winter and hope-

fully root. We already had an old Gooseberry bush, which, with a little careful poking around under-neath, yielded nearly a dozen small rooted plantlets that I also potted to go up to the allotment later.

A new allotment can be expensive to fill with new fruit bushes if you can‘t produce your own, but in the Autumn last year, when we thought that the allotments were going to go ahead, we did find that

several local garden centres had an end of season clear out. Admittedly the fruit bushes were for very small and some more than a little tatty, but at just £1 each, I certainly didn‘t complain. At another garden centre we found a couple of pots of mixed fruit bushes that looked an horrendous price of £19

-95, but they had 75% off and the pot contained 3 bushes. So that was 3 bushes for a fiver, but when I actually tipped them out I found that they had been potted deeply and I could divide them all to

produce 7 bushes in total. Not bad for a fiver! Another idea I had for the new allotment is to divide the blocks of planting up with small Bay Trees. This might sound ridiculously expensive, but again many garden centres sell pots of Bay seed-

lings, from time to time, for use in the kitchen. The idea is that people rip off the leaves and after a week or two, throw away what is left of the plants. However, at only about a fiver for a couple of

dozen Bay Tree seedlings, that divided with care, will grow on into small bushes they came very cheap.

Editor Note: Alan has produced a series of articles, written over five years of his trials of keeping an

allotment in a Staffordshire village, which were recorded and sent out to listeners of the very popular

talking Newspaper for the Blind. By popular request we are reproducing his allotment diary here.

-o0o-

Things heard around The Nevercombe Upwards Ladies All-in Wrestling, Boxing, Cricket, Fencing,

Croquet, and Highland Dancing Club. Writ down by Aym Lez Rambylin's

―Xmas left-overs again then,‖ Shandy remarked as he put his cup down. ―Funny how it comes round every year, init?‖ ―Bound to do,‖ replied Pipe as he failed to light the cricket pavilion stove, again. ―All to do with the date.

Every 25th December it's Xmas.‖ ―Something to do with religion, I think,‖ G&T remarked. ―Nasty thing is catching religion, thank heavens I'm

C of E. There no cure except emigrating; mind you I'm told it's very nice in Cornwall and, being on the coast,

Cleckheaton's good for wind surfing. What about you Shandy?‖ ―Oh, we've still got a lot of the bird left to use up. Mind you it was only a small one this year, just a 120

pound Emu this time.‖ ―If I remember rightly it took you until March to use all the one you had last year.‖ G&T remarked, ―Gin &

Orange told me that you buried it in the end.‖

―Tried to! Tried to, old chap! Would have succeeded too if X-type‘s sister‘s dog hadn't kept digging it up and chasing it around the common. It was only when the Vicar borrowed E-type‘s racing bulldozer we could catch

it.‖ ―Good for the tourist trade though, I believe,‖ Pipe remarked. ―Mrs Shop sold out of throat pastilles in the

first two days. Even those left over from the '48 'flu epidemic.‖

―The Panto did well this year too. A complete sell out according to the Sexton.‖ G&T informed them. ―Well, 'cordin' to the thea-trickle cricket in the Cobbles Stone Splitter & Downward Bugle it 'Was Not The

Best', on offer in the area.‖ Shandy said. Pipe offered, ―She did admit that Allan Din and the Crocodile Wrestler was unusual, and thought that the

Nevercombe-Upwards Ballet Dancering Bulls put on a good turn.‖

―Never twigged the spelling errors though did her.‖ Shandy replied, ―And her a spare-time playgroup teacher as well!‖ ―Mind you, I still say that we shouldn't have had a bare-knuckle horse-shoe straightening contest in the in-

terval,‖ G&T said. ―Let the whole thing down that did.‖ ―Right!‖ Shandy said, ―Once we've put the chainsaw through this Cassowary and Castor-oil flan and wrestled

it into the incinerator we're done for the day. Fancy a brew lads?‖

Latest Competitions: Bristol Poetry Prize 2015 | Closing Date: 07-Jan-16 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions/?id=1860 The Basil Bunting Poetry Award 2016 | Closing Date: 07-Mar-16 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions/?id=1861 New Exhibitions: Frank O'Hara: Why I Am Not A Painter | 26-Jan-16 to 06-Mar-16 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/exhibitions/current/?id=109

Latest News: A Supremacist Tale of Two Squares in 6 Constructions by El Lissitzky | 13-Dec-15 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/acquisitions/?id=1441

Poetry Magazines Received in November 2015 | 10-Dec-15 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/library/?id=1440

Luke Kennard appointed new Canal Laureate | 08-Dec-15 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/poetryscene/?id=1439

Christopher Middleton obituary | 03-Dec-15 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/poetryscene/?id=1438 Christopher Middleton: Poet celebrated for his urgent and vivid verse http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/christopher-middleton-poet-celebrated-for-his-urgent-and-vivid-verse-and-his-translations-especially-a6756446.html

Links 3 - Christmas

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, A small child. Before her,

Strips of coloured paper, Shiny on one side, Sticky on the other,

My regular Christmas task To wrap them round

And lick And stick. Yuk! I don‘t like the taste!

Still, it must be done, my special job. Don‘t forget to link them

Before you stick! And try to mix the colours. Two reds together won‘t do!

Stick and lick. Lick and stick.

The chain grows longer. I pretend it‘s a snake, Exotic.

As long as my arm now.

How much more? I weary of the linking. ―Mum! Have I finished?‖

She comes to help, And soon we have Swathes of paper chain.

Enough to string across the room And back.

Christmas can come now. We‘re ready!

Links 4 - A Lost Daughter

A page torn out of an old book,

Dog-eared, crumpled and discarded. The story makes no sense now. A once much-loved tale, the page gone.

I rush to find the page-but it is gone. Blown down the street by an ill wind.

As a child, you loved that story – oft-repeated. The familiarity gave you security.

We shared it and smiled. But then, you didn‘t like that story any more.

When did that change? What made it happen? You didn‘t want that story any more. Or me.

I try to rewrite the missing part, but to no avail.

Let‘s turn back the clock And find the missing threads together. Please.

TRAVEL BLOG: LETTER FROM SOUTH KOREA: Before I came here, I knew only two things about Korean cuisine, kimchi and Korean BBQ, and I had never tried either. It turns out they’re both pretty good, though on first glance kimchi doesn’t have a huge amount to recommend it, being (usually) cabbage, fermented in chilli, salt, brine and garlic among other things. Korean BBQ, or as its known here, samgyeopsal was my first meal in Korea. Succulent, mari-nated belly pork or neck pork, cooked at the table on coals or griddles, served with a variety of side dishes (as is the Korean way) including kimchi, pickled Asian radish, lettuce and sesame leaves and soju, the traditional Korean liquor (think vodka, but made from rice, about half the amount of alcohol and costing £3 a bottle. There’s much to be said about the Korean relationship with soju, but I’ll save it for another time). Of course, now kimchi and samgyeopsal is just the tip of the iceberg. Korean cuisine is large and bountiful and even my limited experience of it would overload the most curious of readers. There-fore I’m limiting myself the most common of what I’ve seen. Traditionally, Korean meals are shared and served with a variety of side dishes. To use up the leftovers of these side dishes Koreans put them all in a bowl together, mixed it up with white rice and they call it bibimbap (mixed rice).These day, bibimbap is usually a selection of meat and veg with a dollop of chilli sauce and a fried egg of top. It’s a perfect option for spice-wary travellers because you can mix it yourself and can always scoop the hot stuff out first. Of course, if spice is your jam then there is plenty of choice here. For a traditional flavour, kim-chi jjigae is a must-have. Hot, homely and perfect for a wintery day, in my local restaurant, this stew is always served with salad, more kimchi, pickled radish and “black rice” (which is actually purple). If you’re looking for a meatier option, then fear not. In fact, vegetarianism is practically unknown here and Koreans are as obsessed with chicken as us Brits, if not more so. For example, a popular dish is dak galbi (lit. chicken and ribs). Like samgyeopsal, it is fried at the table (though the meat comes pre-cooked) on enormous gas stoves in large skillet-like pans. It’s usually a large amount of vegetables, such as (plenty of) onions, leeks and mushrooms, cooked with in a spicy sauce with the meat. For a little extra, you can add noodles, rice and cheese for a truly deli-cious and economical meal. Additionally, downtown Daegu is saturated with fried chicken restau-rants. This is bone and boneless chicken, covered in batter and slathered in sauce that range from honey and garlic to red hot chilli. In case there are any doubts, it's mouth-wateringly tasty. I have a lot more to say about Korean cuisine, but as it's making me hungry, I'll leave it here for today and just treat you to some pictures instead!

Bibimbap explained

Dak Galbi

Spicy Fried Chicken

Kimchi Jjigae with 'black' rice

“ALL THAT

JAZZ”

Won the vote and

will be the next

RBW farce.

ALL THAT JAZZ. CAST OF CHARACTERS

Many of these characters are two dimensional as yet: where you have a physical description in mind please write it in some-where so that we all know about it. AND check these notes for updates and send in any updates please.

Hotel staff free for all to use - opening gambits by CMH. Nigel Thomas Bluddschott – Manager part owner of ‗Hotel Bluddschott'. Married to Winifred. Tubby, balding, brown hair,

brown eyes, 34, 5' 7‖ tall. Tenor voice but wobbly and hesitant unless using a prepared script. Not good at thinking on his feet. If something CAN go wrong it WILL. Smuggles brandy, fags and other taxable goods as a part time job.

Winfred Alice Bluddschott (nee Gray) – Manager part owner of ‗Hotel Bluddschott'. Wife of Nigel. Plump more than tubby, brown hair bleached blonde, brown eyes, 35, 5' 6‖ tall. MUCH more capable than hubby with a hard edge to her speech.

CMH.

Sally Gray. - A MYSTERY WOMAN in any case. Don't know (yet) if she's staff, entertainer (torch singer or fan dancer) or

guest. Youngish woman. Tall, hazel eyes, auburn hair, very capable. I have her earmarked as an ex-QA/WRNS/WRAF

officer who has just completed her time & wants to 'get away from it all'. BUT, she could be something entirely different! Norbert Bunbury. Staff, driver and odd job man at the HB. Was Infantryman – possibly W.O.2 (Sgt. Maj.) or higher. I fancy a field promotion, mid 1918, not a Sandhurst man – with a few gongs to his credit. Tall, brown eyes, dark brown hair. Well built.

Blackleg Bill Bluddschott - the ghost of. AT and CMH Comic relief characters. You never know! These ladies may, possibly, be descended from those who went with Captain Fowlnett onboard 'The Star' in 'Packet to India'. They are middle aged, overweight, often slightly 1-over-the-8 and about to be tented! Vera Accrington -

Gloria Stanley - Dorothy Calcutt (their much younger niece) Ronnie Manservant only lasts a day.

NP Griggleswade (Griggles). Flyboy. Ex-RAF now working for M.I.5 (or something) as some kind of 'Air Detective'. Ch. Supt. Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Previously Colonel. Griggles superior officer in M.I.5

Mossy. Working with Griggles. Windle. Working with Griggles. Jones. Aircraft mechanic works for Griggles.

Wilhelm von Eisenbahn, aka Osbert Lessly or 'Big Shorts'. Khaki Shorts leader. Comrade 'Ironside' aka Joseph. Lenin boys leader. Comrade Plotskie aka Leon. Assistant to 'Ironside'.

ACW.

Christiana Aggott posing as Lady Arbuthnot Christian. Novelist. Actually married to Col. Beaumont Walsgrave but using a nom-de-plume for secrecy; & for advertising purposes about her new book, 'The man who shed crocodile tears'. (This neatly gets the requisite reptile into the plot line)

Arbuthnot Aggott or Uncle Arbuthnot. Head of a Security Organisation (Home Office?) Christiana is working for him.

General Arbuthnot Aggott. Christiana's father and brother of Arbuthnott Aggott. Something in the War Office (as the

MoD (Army) was known then) to do with Counter Espionage. Col. Beaumont Walsgrave. Christiana's sorely missed hubby.

Bright Young Things: Ruby Rawlings, Charlotte Ponsonby-Smythe & Katherine Wallasey. Bright Young Things brothers: Everet Rawlings, Eugene Ponsonby-Smythe & Virgil Wallasey.

Communists et al ACW Comrade St. John. Lenin boys Comrade Bunson-Smythe. Lenin boys

Bro.?? Muckleby. Leader of 'The Workers Party' also something to do with Arbuthnot Aggott. Bruder Wilhelm Bergmann. German trades union leader.

Bro. Kevin Harvey. A Workers Party member. (Changed from Hardy) Ernst Graf von Rockenbaker. Sir John Keithly.

Lord John Markham. Sir Martin Wickham.

SMS. Barnard Hot Sax Player Musician and nice guy. Errol Holiday. Band leader and piano player Tallulah tubby torch singer Errol‘s girl friend, hates Jo-Jo Jo-Jo. Fan dancer from Red Parrot Club, Paris sister of Errol. Hates Tallulah.

Cpt Digby Makepeace — hotel guest Barrington nephew of Makepeace knew Jo-Jo in Paris and knows PoWales.

LF Rooster Pearmaine detective — drunkard

Balsom Fry valet Cpt Hove-Brighton assistant on trail of missing novelist

AP

Boys and Girls Camp‘s characters and storyline Gilbert and Walter

Simon Bligh pack leader Jenny H.B. STAFF LIST. Awaiting names/descriptions and free to use. Head Waiter. Head Gardener. Head Chef. (Unnamed but has been used) Geordie pretending to be a French Chef, as they get paid more. No good at accents. Head porter/Concierge. 'Dell boy'. He knows about the smuggling racket. Wine Waiter/Sommelier/barman. All on the take from the 'duty free' wine.

CMH Helpful ? NOTE 1. If you are going to involve Security Forces (police and military) then please note that there was nothing like the MoD, it was FOUR (4) separate organisations. Admiralty for the Royal Navy. War Office for the Army. Air Ministry for the RAF. The Home Office for the Police. However, Policing was done by County/Borough. The Home Secretary couldn't give orders to the Chief Constable and the Met. was ―Asked to assist‖ if he thought they were required. I would think that Trentby, being a City or Borough would have its own Police force. Just to make things interesting H.M.Customs was – still is - a part of the Treasury. As civil servants, they did NOT have military rank equivalence or titles nor, except for two of the higher grades, dress uniforms. It gets complicated because in 1923 there were a few organisational 'hold-overs' from earlier times and some officers did get working uniforms issued.

The Folly ACW

In the depths of the dark night, Jo-Jo was excited to be going out for a tryst with the Prince of

Wales in the folly, so his message had said, in the hotel‘s vast landscaped gardens. Jo-Jo stole away from the other artistes, wearing her only fox fur-collared fashion coat and best

French perfume. Prince Harald was enjoying sitting on the steamer deck chair for a light supper, brandy and a

cigar, enjoying the summer night‘s big moon. Just then covered over by a passing cloud.

Jo-Jo whispered, ‗Prince, Sir, may I enter.‘ Surprised, he replied, ‗Of course, my dear, do come in.‘

In the half light of the sheathed moon, Jo-Jo could make out only vaguely the features of the Prince and sat down on a chaise longue, soon joined by the Prince.

They entwined in a loving embrace that grew in more intensity. As their mouths met in passion-

ate kiss, Jo-Jo withdrew, ‗Oh Sir, you‘re not Wales,‘ she blurted out. Prince Harald chucked, ‗No, my dear, I‘m a royal relative from foreign shores.‘

‗Oh ... you‘re royal as well,‘ and Jo-Jo continued her consent to passion. Just then the Prince of Wales, grown impatient in the temple folly, had decided to give up and

return to his room. Passing the other folly he had not espied before, the Prince of Wales heard the sounds of pas-

sion within, then the voice of Jo-Jo, ‗Oh Prince.‘

The Prince of Wales rushed into the folly as full moonlight lit up the scene. ‗Ah cousin, do join us.‘

‗Harald! Oh ... didn‘t know you were visiting. We must do breakfast and catch up.‘ Then concealing his annoyance the Prince smiled at Jo-Jo and walked away across the lawn,

leaving footprints in the dew, leaving the field clear for Prince Harald to make Jo-Jo happy.

A Peaceful New Year

The bells will ring and we should live in peace!

No more to claim the things we do not own.

All fighting from this time, we wish would cease,

With wicked hearts no longer cast in stone.

This world must change and be a better place,

Each child can learn, but who will show the way?

The steps of peace, be happy to retrace,

Build haven safe for all the world to stay.

I hear you mock the fool who hopes and dreams,

Whose thoughts reach out to others who despair.

Lives torn apart, ripped open at the seams,

Deserve the chance to heal and to repair.

As midnight chimes, the future is unclear

May dreams come true throughout the coming year.

This Dancing Thing

A Parkinson’s Problem

I have developed dyskinesia* it‟s driving me insane, * dyskinesia – involuntary movements

Twenty-four hour aerobics, it really is a pain.

Stalevo* is my problem, or so I‟ve heard it said, *stalevo - medication

And no rest for the wicked - I‟m at my worst in bed.

Involuntary movements, I wriggle through the day,

You‟ll recognise me instantly if you ever come my way.

I am the lady dancing, waltzing through the week,

Pirouetting here and there and feeling quite unique.

I see no others prancing or rocking to and fro,

Why is it only me? I‟d really like to know.

Perhaps you other people with Parkinson‟s today,

Know how to solve this problem and make it go away!

There is one happy aspect, the only one I‟ve found,

It promotes a certain weight loss if you want to lose a pound!

I‟m jumping as I‟m typing, I‟m nodding, can‟t keep still,

All because I take a certain little pill!

I don‟t ask the alternatives, more pills, I‟d rather not,

Because I‟m sick of side effects from the ones I‟ve already got!

Oh Crikey ... He’s still ranting even in a plaster cast ...

Yes, it has to be more from RBW’s action hero ...

The intrepid ... Clive Hewitt Where did that come from? Part two

Greetings and all that, me faithful writers! 'Tis I, your favourite reader, [cheers and applause], again, again!!

I thought about it(?) and decided that part 1 didn't go far enough so this is part 2, or some-where about there. Having stolen – sorry - recovered the latest design of the top-secret widgett from the enemy.

Also having outwitted the henches of Count Scruffula; well they weren't good henches anyway, he got them out of a cereal packet on a BOG8F deal, you now need to get your spy out of the country!

It's ―THE GREAT GET AWAY TIME!!!‖ There are a number of ways to do this:

A] Walk/Run – not my favourite but in period (any period). B] Ride – Cows are NOT a good idea, horses are okay if a bit limited. They're delicate creatures, you CAN NOT just jump on a horse and gallop off in all direction for very long. Bikes are good after

about 1860, car, lorry, m.bike, bus, etc., need fuel and roads, good roads too. Railways are good for Keystone Kops chase sequences or Murder on the Milk Train things.

C] Boat - not bad; unless you're half-way up a mountain, when you need to be into 'white water' sports. If you're in the river bottoms you can use them to sneak away & in river delta country you roar off out to sea laughing – until some nasty minded person sticks rocks in the way.

D] Fly - Great! Your spy leaps into the handy 'plane that some careless person has left littering the countryside, and smooz - zooms backwards - into the trackless air, but, not before the 1920's

anyway! Could be good, but maybe not, too many limitations! Your spy needs to know how to fly THAT sort of 'plane – they're all different - and even modern

light planes on grass fields need 400+ metres of prepared, flat, level ground, without any obstruction at both ends, to take off in. Don't even think about helicopters before 1945, there had been a handful made from 1909 but

were experimental, temperamental, beasts that didn't fly well. Autogyros‘? Maybe. OKAY! Your very own & fave spy can fly the plane, however, you have carefully put him in Castle

Scruffula, high in the Harsh Mountains, surrounded by deep tree lined valleys. No big flat fields for a 3-day camel ride. Oops, a big rewrite called for here!

Sorry folks, just popping your characters into a handy 'plane isn't an answer, not unless you mean to write them off with a ―Horrid Plane Crash‖ headline.

Reviewing THE GREAT GET AWAY TIME options for 'All That Jazz'. Sea girt Island with a rocky spine.

Hotel with a smugglers tunnel beneath it. Three occupied campsites, Lighthouse, Coast guard station, & Ruins or Folly. [All getting in the way]

Single-track road. Causeway – under repair. [Definite hindrance]

Small ferry landing place opposite Trentby main beach. Four small beaches.

Airstrip? NOT on Ye Anciente Mappe of Ye Yslande [see issue 410 cover] but a possibility – but how did the plane get on the island in the first place? Flew of course! Would you like to restart the question?

Editor: Strewth ... I‘m now going for a lie down in a darkened room ...

In the window reflected, I saw this old woman sat on a bus Her hair was bright pinky-purple, a rum looking cuss. Old boots Oxblood with yellow laces of the 60s fame Blessed me, if I can remember her name. Holes in the knees of designer-patched jeans Nibbling surreptitiously on a packet of Peak Freans. Rosy-red lipstick daubed all over her chops, An Icelandic knitted helmet with rabbit ear flops. Talking to herself, wrapped up safe in fiction, Boots kicking time against some imagined friction. Funny thing is, with lots of fluster, she fell off at my stop And when the bus left, I was stood by myself holding her can of pop.

Rum old cuss 2015 SMS

Latest Competitions:

Teignmouth Poetry Festival 2016 Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 31-Jan-16 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions/?id=1865

Reading Room Cafe Poetry Competition | Closing Date: 11-Feb-16

http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions/?id=1864 International Lumen/Camden Poetry Competition 2016 | Closing Date: 14-Feb-16

http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions/?id=1866

Latest News: Liz Lochhead awarded Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry | 22-Dec-15 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/poetryscene/?id=1447

Fleur Adcock: call for papers | 17-Dec-15

http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/poetryscene/?id=1445

John Trudell obituary | 17-Dec-15 http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/poetryscene/?id=1444

Items added to the Poetry Library in November 2015 | 15-Dec-15

http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/library/?id=1443

https://www.forwardpoetry.co.uk/workshops.php?utm_source=Forward+Poetry+Newsletter+-

+December&utm_campaign=FP+November+Newsletter&utm_medium=email

Forward Poetry‟s poetry workshops : How To Guide to poetic forms

Heritage and Tradition: A Burns‘ Supper And there's a hand, my trusty fiere! And gie's a hand o' thine! And we'll tak' a right guid-willie waught, For auld lang syne.

The annual celebration of the life, works and spirit of the great

Scottish poet, Robert Burns (1759-1796). Celebrated on, the Scottish Bard's birthday, January 25th, Burns‘ Suppers range from formal gatherings of fans and scholars to uproariously informal rave-ups, which Burns, allegedly a man for the ladies and the booze would probably have preferred. Most Burns‘ Suppers fall somewhere in the middle and adhere to a time honoured form which includes the eating of the traditional Scottish meal of haggis and neeps (mashed swede), the drinking of peaty, single-malt Scotch whisky and the recitation of the Bard‘s works, shedding a few patriotic tears is optional. If there is a kilted piper handy to pipe in the haggis (offal stuffed sheep gut) all the better.

WHAT IS RADIO WILDFIRE? Radio Wildfire is an independent online radio station which blends spoken word, poetry, performance literature, comedy, storytelling,

short stories and more with a novel selection of word/music fusion and an eclectic mix of musical styles. www.radiowildfire.com

currently broadcasts live 8.00-10.00pm (UK time) on the first Monday of every month.

Listen to Radio Wildfire at www.radiowildfire.com where The Loop plays 24 hours a day. Twitter @radiowildfire

A new version of The Loop is now playing on Radio Wildfire with another selection of tracks uploaded to the „Submit‟ page of our

website and sent to us on cd by writers, artists, musicians and listeners around the world. Log on and listen to – Spoken Word Poetry

and Music from Derrick D & The Backbones, Project Lono & Carl Walton, and The Little Typists, Songs from Feedfish, Poetry from

Robert Francis and Ronald Jones, a Surreal Story when Robbie MacInnes relates the tale of The Nightmare on Deskteeth Street

Plus an eclectic mix of season specific tracks from the Radio Wildfire vaults featuring words, spoken and sung, from Heather (Bah

Humbug) Wastie, Roz Goddard, the Dirty Subjects, Geoff Stevens, Susan Hulse, Dave Reeves, Maria Whatton, Brendan Hawthorne,

Roy Mcfarlane, The Whirled Service, Jaap Blonk, and Lee Hubbard another great selection of stories, satires, poetry, spoken word,

music, drama, and interviews playing 24/7 @ www.radiowildfire.com

So join us and listen by going to www.radiowildfire.com and clicking on The Loop – and see the full playlist on the website. We‟ll

be transmitting our live show as usual at 8.00pm on Monday 4th January with a full programme of pre-recorded tracks, guest interviews

and conversation and, as usual, we‟ll be sending out details of the show in advance. (And, you can upload soundfiles of your own work

to the „Submit‟ page of the Radio Wildfire website. Mp3s are our preferred format. You can also ensure you always get reminders of

upcoming shows on Radio Wildfire by following us on Twitter @radiowildfire). The Loop is curated by Vaughn Reeves and plays

online continuously except during our live broadcasts.

Find all

RBW FREE e-publications Online at

www.issuu.com/risingbrookwriters

Speak Up For Libraries

Lobby of Parliament: Tuesday 09/02/16

More details on their Facebook page after 5th January. https://www.facebook.com/SpeakUpForLibraries/

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