Another lively meeting, lots to talk about and lots to enjoy. We even had to add an extra table! Two people gave apologies (Ralph and Felicity) and although we realise not everybody can make every meeting, the group is full.

We welcomed Linda Saxton as a new member of the group.

I read Sheep Skull by Frances Leviston and Deep Lane by Mark Doty

Jane read. another of the anonymous poems from St. Cath's Hospice. It was called I'm Fine Thankyou.. Jane also read Round the Carpark by Pam Ayers.

Sue J read Time by Joyce Grenfell and The Way Through The Woods by Rudyard Kipling.

Chris read Divided We Fall by Jimmy Osbourne and The Night Is Darker Round Me by Emily Bronte

Vicky read Far Over The Misty Mountains by JRR Tolkien

Irene read A Fairly Sad Tale by Dorothy Parker and Eden Rock by Charles Causley

Nancy read Rules by Brian Patten and The Passionate Shepherd To His Love by Christopher Marlowe

Nora read Amongst Silence by Richard Selig

Lynn read Phonebox Elegy by Matthew Francis and The Convalescent by Robert Service

Sue L read A Peasant by RS Thomas

Carol read The Wheel by Ian Parks and Coal by Jude Bingley

Catherine read My Boy Jack by Rudyard Kipling.

Carol's poems came from The Fig Tree Coal Mining Anthology which is very recently published by Crooked Spire Press (www.crookedspirepress.com) The editor is Tim Fellows who runs Fig Tree webzine of poetry and also publishes hard copies of various books through the Crooked Spire Press. It's a good site with some lovely poems published.

Ian Parks comes fom Mexborough and is a widely published and prolific poet.

Jude Bingley is from Maesteg. Her family have long and deep roots in the mining community.

Chris recommended a Facebook group, Poetry for the Soul as well worth visiting and also as a source of poems.

Another online webzine, free and easily accessed, is;

The High Window (https://thehighwindowpress.com) run by David Cook. It publishes regularly and features a lot of new poetry as well as articles, reviews, translations and other poetry based material. Highly recommended.

After Nancy's reading from Brian Patten, we discussed his recent death and the huge contribution he made to contemporary poetry, especially as one of the thee poets who published The Mersey Sound (Penguin 1967,with Adrian Henri and Roger McGough). This book was a massive influence on a generation of new poets and kids like me, still at school but trying to write. We also mentioned Tony Harrison, who also died recently and his controversial poem V.

Can I thank everyone for coming along and helping us to start at our new time of 9.50, finishing at 11.50

Important Notice

Amanda has asked that we all take our crockery back at the end of the session and not leave it on the tray in the upstairs room. This is because with these new timings, she has very little time to turn around one group's stuff in time for the next group who are alreay filling the cafe downstairs. It seems a very reasonable request and one we must comply with.

Health and Safety.

Any member who finds it difficult to manage the stairs safely, whilst holding any crockery, must let me know and I will help with it, or contact Amanda.

Next month's meeting is from 9.50 to 11.50 on Tuesday 16th of December. Please bring along poems to do with Christmas, Winter, Yuletide, Icy weather, Snow, or anything else of that nature. OR bring along any poems you like that are about other things!

David