Carrying on writing ...

By Steve Regan on Jul 4, 12 03:12 PM

Worked till very late last night then drove home to Wallasey, and straight to the pub without having any supper. I needed a drink or three; it was virtually a medical emergency.

Went to Stanley's Cask, Rake Lane, instead of any of my usual haunts ... because I thought I'd like to hear a few Celtic folk numbers by Reckless Elbow. They've just moved there from The Ginny, where they were the resident band (with an open-mic section) every Tuesday for several years past.

While at their gig, I performed a couple of my poems, including Look Into My Clichés and Territory's End. They seemed to go down quite well with the crowd...

Now, I've long ago stopped posting full poems on blogs and websites, but here is just the final stanza from Territory's End; it might appeal to the peninsula-dwellers among my readers...

So far traversed then sea-stopped,
gob-smacked, gaping,
then laid back.
The territory looks different
in the end, at the end.
It sends us straight home.

It was good to have a chat with Corky, Johnny and the other fellas in Reckless, and I quite enjoyed talking to the landlord and landlady of the Cask about their ales. I was drinking bitter last night, instead of my usual red wine. Said hello to old mates from Hell's Waiting Room - Fred and his missus.

I also enjoyed chatting to a very pleasant lady who took it upon herself to be custodian of my man bag for the night, and to a fella called Nick (or maybe Mick; I can't remember now) who said he used to read this blog but had noticed I don't post as often as I used to.

Nick / Mick - I don 't do anything as often as I used to. I'm 55 - my brain is tired.

But, anyway, some news ...

1. This Sunday 8 July in Hoylake, I'll be at the Vanilla Lounge (upstairs bar) at 6 Market Street, for a poetry proms as part of the Wirral (arts) Festival of Firsts (lots of live arts and poetry). We'll have loads of poets reading at the Vanilla Lounge (not just me) between 2pm and 4.30pm and it should be rollicking good fun.

Believe me, poetry doesn't have to be depressing, earnest or bourgeois, and not all poets are bonkers.

2. The day after the Hoylake stuff, on Monday 9 July, it;'s the return of the famous Bards of New Brighton poetry nights after a summer break, with an open-mic session (free admission) at the Magazine pub (CH45 1HP), 8pm start.

3. And Saturday 6 July sees the opening of a six-week photographic exhibition entitled Beautiful New Brighton at the Heritage Centre, at 90 Victoria Rd, New Brighton. The exhibition is open until 18 August, Mon to Sat 10.30am to 4pm, Sun 11am to 4pm. Free admission.

You'll see some stunning images of our fast-reviving resort at the exhibition - including SIX of my photographs - and you can buy them framed or simply mounted.

OK, tara for now, folks.

Keep the faith!