Thats Poetry That!!!

So the London 2012 Lympix is over and done for another 4 years. I wasn't bovvered about it to be hinest but i really got into it. did you know that in the first ever Olympics in Greece poetry writing was one of the things that they did. Imagine that now, like mo farrar sitting down and writing a poem against the clock. One of the other things i liked was when someone did an amazing thing the commentator would say 'well that was just fantastic that, it was poetry'. Y'see when something is better than good its poetry. I've always said it!!

Being Kept On My Poetic Toes...

Normally, at this time of year, all the schools break up for the big holidays and i get a bit of a rest, put my feet up and shout at the dog but this year that doesn't have seemed to have happened.
I have been doing some stuff for Leeds libraries called Breeze In The Park which are some writing events held all over Leeds, all part of a bigger project for the British Library. I have also been doing some stuff for Kirklees Summer school ( hello evryone!!) as well as a summer school event in Liverpool. I am also doing some days for Shefield libraries and North Yorks libraries over the summer so i am going to be kept on my poetic toes. All good, just hope we get some sun...

What Do You Think Of The Rain?

I am sat in my Imagination Station and I am listening to the rain. Its rained a lot. When i hear the rain i think of tiny tap dancers dancing on the petals of a blue flowers, i think of wet grass and the slugs having a disco, i think of a audience of little people giving me a round of applause. I thnik of raindrops racing down windows and of big splashy puddles full of rainbows by the side of the road.I think of soneone playing bongo drums really really far away like in the next street and i think of some sausages frying in a pan. What do you think about the rain?

I also think, if i'm being honest, when is it going to stop??

A Lot To Fit In

Here are just some of the highlights of the past coupla weeks at work. I have been all over the country, reading poems out ....went to London, to the Globe theatre and the National Science museum, slept on a scout boat in Canary Wharf, went to Newcastle and Gateshead, did 2 days recording a doc for BBC radio Leeds, went to Kent, to Tonbridge, to Dudley at the Black Country Living Museum, went to Cambridge, looked at the amazing colleges there and went for a punt on the river Cam. I have also been to Blackpool, Manchester, North Yorkshire and Knowsley libraries, all this in the last two weeks!!!
That Poetry Bloke -Taking Poetry To The Streets Where It Belongs!!!

On the Misty Mountain.

Last week i got lost up a big hill. Its a hill i have been up many times called Ingleborough and its always an adventure. It was a bit blustery when we set off, my mate Stooger came with me, but it was ok. When we got to the top it started to rain. We could have turned around and walked down but wheres the fun in that so we carried on like ancient heroes of old ( well , lets face it, you can't get ancient heroes of the future can you...) right to the top. We we walking in the sky. We were looking down on clouds. We were at the top of the beanstalk. It was a bit awesome and a bit scary at the same time. I saw a misty figure approach me. It was a man . he came upto me and said ' are you lost as well?'. It was a great day. When we we eventually got on the right path and came down we saw a bloke looking at flowers. He was a scientist. He told me that Ingleborough is 350 million years old. I thought blimy O riley, that will be a big birthday cake. Imagine all those candles. it would be like the sun....

Bread And Butter Theatre Company

Had a great day today. I was in Blackpool,at the sports centre in Stanley Park. I was MCing the Youth Games. There were 1500 young people there all doing some sporting stuff- mini tennis, golf, gymnastics... I met an international hockey player and two athletes are taking part in the Olympics this year. I also met two great blokes who are the Bread and Butter theatre company. There are called Gaz and Fran and they do these two characters that are PE teachers from the 70s. They were great, funny and clever and good to watch. Its great to meet other performers and have a chat with them. The Bread and Butter theatre company, check them out on their website now!!!!!

The Olympic Torch was here and then it wasn't.

I have just done something that i have never done before -no not the washing up - i have just seen the Olympic torch. It was coming through Huddersfield where i live so i thought i'd go and see it. They were a lot of poeple waiting by the road by the train station. It was a bit late and they were loads of policemen on motorbikes high fiving the crowd. A bit of a carnival atmosphere.A few other buses and things went past and then the torch appeared. It was being held by a lady who kind of jogged past us. I don't know if you should really be running with a burning bit of metal but there you go. The whole thing took 2 seconds and that was it. The Olympic torch was here and then it wasn't. Everybody stared walking off. A few of them were saying Is that it? But hey, i've never seen it before and might not see it again so i reckon twas a good thing to do. Anyway i had to get back because England are playing Italy in the quarter final of the Euros. Gulp. Wonder if they'll be a torch...