TaYLOr
westival Sundae at THE BREWHOUSE THEATRE, TAUNTON
SUNDAY 27th JULY
Susan & Simon sowed wild word seeds among a world mix of music & dance, including MeanFeetDance, Fong, Grantchester Choir and Tom Toomey & Simon Swarbrick.
Hidden histories at WAYS WITH WORDS
SATURDAY 19th JULY 2.30pm in Dukes Room at Dartington Hall
Click on the poem title to read Susan Taylor’s poem ‘Kitty Jay Speaks’ which will be one of the poems presented at the launch of the Hidden Histories project pamphlet, featuring six poems from each of the westernmost counties of England: Dorset, Devon & Cornwall.This project was coordinated by Greta Stoddart, Writer in Residence at the University of Exeter.
MALTSTERS MASH on the River Dart at Tuckenhay
SATURDAY 12th JULY
A bubbly mix of music, poetry, song & storytelling. Mavis Hewitt, one of our regular storytellers mc’d this session as both Simon & Susan zipped off to Ledbury Poetry Festival, to take part in the Poetry Slam. Meanwhile, at the Maltsters Arms, performers & audience came along to stir this quintessential brew & take a nightcap in the Breakfast Room. It’s free entry & for details email: susan@farmhouse.ac
for details of the Maltsters Arms on romantic Bow Creek -
Trade winds at Ways with words
FRIDAY 11th JULY on the patio outside the White Hart, Dartington
We had the honour of helping to kick-
SUN ON THE WATER at WAYS WITH WORDS, DARTINGTON SATURDAY 12th JULY in the Dukes Room at Dartington Hall
Three Devon poets with three new poetry collections:
Alyson Hallett, The Stone Library, Peterloo Poets
Julie-
Susan Taylor, The Suspension of the Moon, Oversteps Books
Each offered a fabulously different way of seeing – there were poems from far away places, including South America, Canada, Norway, Greece and Spain. We travelled the world without leaving our seats!
Uncharted THE MOOR POETS CD LAUNCH in CHAGFORD
SUNDAY 29th JUNE 7.30pm in Endecott House, Chagford
Come to help Moor Poets celebrate the release of UNCHARTED, this is the first recording of contemporary poetry by their member poets… it is guaranteed to be a great evening’s entertainment!
TRADE WINDS in SCORITON VILLAGE HALL
FRIDAY 27th JUNE 7.30 for 8 ‘til late
A great time night this one, the last session in Scoriton until September, when we restart there. There were Irish Gaelic songs, Welsh anthems, shanties & an eclectic mix of new poetry & song, as well as a couple of great stories.
For those not in the know, Trade Winds is an ad hoc session for performers of all trades. Principally supported by poets, storytellers, musicians, singers & songwriters, we have also featured barbershop, stray raconteurs, opera singers, classical musicians, jazz, wassail choirs, comedy, one man shows, fooling… the remit continues to expand. Trade Winds is supported by small donations on the door.
Totnes book groups POETRY EVENT
WEDNESDAY 25th JUNE at Totnes Library
Susan Taylor joined the reading groups associated with Totnes Library for a short reading and discussion about her work, followed by a selection of poems based around the theme of Water & Light, presented by the Totnes Book Groups. There will be a themed display of poems in the library during July.
Strange goings on FOR MIDSUMMER AT TEIGNMOUTH
SUNDAY 22nd JUNE 2.30pm at The Carlton Theatre
Steve Gill & Andy Clarke were joined by singers from the Stoke Gabriel Wassailing
Choir, (including Susan & Simon) to deliver May Day songs, as part of a Pageant of
Traditional Folk Customs presented by Doc Rowe, who has documented British Cultural
tradition using a wide variety of media -
POEMS for MIDSUMMER AT GREENWAY ON THE RIVER DART THURSDAY 19th JUNE 7 to 7.30pm in the Walled Garden
A Poetry Recital by Susan Taylor & Simon Williams presented a garland of lyrical poems and song on love and enchantment, in celebration of the Midsummer Full Moon.
The Great Create Festival events at Greenway, former Devon retreat of Agatha Christie, ran throughout the day and into the evening. They also featured enchanting music from the harpist, Elizabeth Jane Baldry and an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Heartbreak Theatre Company
POETRY WORKSHOP IN THE VINERY AT GREENWAY
SATURDAY 14th JUNE
A display of haiku about tropical plants to display in this great setting.
This interactive workshop was led on the day by Simon Williams, as Susan had a tummy bug over the weekend and couldn’t turn out. Some of the poems created will be displayed in the Vinery for the duration of The Great Create Festival, a dynamic annual celebration of the arts, located in the grounds of Greenway, the National Trust property at Galmpton.
& Simon made a whole day of it... going on in the evening to MC
MALTSTERS MASH on the River Dart at Tuckenhay
A bubbly mix of music, poetry, song & storytelling which launched at the Maltsters
Arms this spring. Join Simon & usually Susan as well (both from the well known Dartmoor
pub session, Trade Winds) to stir this new brew. We were in the Map Room, which meant
that the session was hot in more ways than one! Hopefully we will be back in the
Breakfast Room next time. It’s free entry with all performers and audience welcome
-
For details of Maltsters Mash -
for details of the Maltsters Arms on romantic Bow Creek -
SIDMOUTH POETRY READERS with guest SUSAN TAYLOR
MONDAY 19th MAY at Belmont Hotel, Sidmouth
‘Wild Blossoms’ a nosegay of poems celebrated the return of summer. Susan verbally twined poppies with cornflowers and dog roses in fine pastoral style. Other poets represented by the Sidmouth readers included Patrick Kavanagh, Ted Hughes, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (who lived close by to the Belmont in Sidmouth for several years) and a fine villanelle by Brenda Rose Stott.
MALTSTERS MASH on the River Dart at Tuckenhay
SATURDAY 10th MAY
Oh what a beautiful evening on Bow Creek! Among our entertainments were local stories about smugglers or ‘free traders’, as Phil told us they liked to be called. Then Michael and El blew us away with a selection from the new album. They are beginning their tour of the States next week and then back in England for a crop of dates which include Slapton on Monday 2nd June.
For details of Maltsters Mash -
for details of the Maltsters Arms on romantic Bow Creek -
NEW YORK POET VISITS ASHBURTON
SATURDAY 5th APRIL 7.30pm in the new St Andrews Church Hall Jay Leeming wowed the
audience with his verbal fireworks and stunning quick-
for more about Jay Leeming & his work -
UNCUT POETS with special guest JENNIE OSBORNE
THURSDAY 27th MARCH 7.30pm at Phoenix Arts Centre, Exeter also included the launch of the Hidden Histories pamphlet, selected by Greta Stoddart from the University of Exeter and featuring Moor poets
Rose Cook, Miriam Darlington, Becky Gethin & Susan Taylor
Tickets £4/£2.50 concessions
TRADE WINDS IN SCORITON VILLAGE HALL, nr Buckfastleigh
FRIDAY 21st MARCH -
First Day of Spring & Good Friday & Full Moon & Trade Winds, all on
one and the same evening and it was a glorious one. Some of us moor-
MONDAY 17th MARCH 5.30pm
at The Terrace Cafe, Riverside Mill, Bovey Tracey
An early evening poetry recital, designed to compliment the Carpe Diem exhibition at the Bovey Tracey Gallery of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen. Patricia Oxley &William Oxley presented poetry, including work by Robert Herrick and Andrew Marvell. Susan Taylor & Simon Williams perform ‘Earthed’, a Renga Cycle with improvised cello music by Mike Edwards. This piece is about the process of inspiration and is drawn from the nature of Dartmoor.
for details of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen’s Carpe Diem -
SUSAN TAYLOR WAS RUNNER-
Surreal Saloon, The Phoenix Arts Centre on Saturday 15th March -
For the poem that reached the final head-
The second prize is a forthcoming dvd of the performance, so watch this space to catch Susan in action soon!
MALTSTERS MASH launches alongside River Dart at Tuckenhay
SATURDAY 12th MARCH 7.30 for 8pm start
A bubbly mix of music, poetry, song & storytelling launched at the Maltsters Arms
on Saturday 8th March at 8pm. This session saw a few new wordsmiths add their voices
to the proceedings, as well as singers and musicians we hadn’t heard for a while
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for details of Maltsters Mash -
for details of the Maltsters Arms on romantic Bow Creek -
TRADE WINDS in THE CHURCH HOUSE INN, HOLNE
with thanks to the new landlords Justin & Steve
FRIDAY 15th FEBRUARY 8.00pm
And thank you everyone who came and supported this event. We were packed to the historic rafters at the Church House. For those not in the know, Trade Winds is an ad hoc pub session for performers of all trades. Principally supported by poets, storytellers, musicians, singers & songwriters, we have also featured stray raconteurs, opera singers, choirs, classical musicians, jazz, comedy, one man shows, fooling… the remit continues to expand. In January, we welcomed a fantastic Barbershop Octet into our midst. Trade Winds is a non ticketed event, but we will be introducing a book & CD sales table at future gigs
TRADE WINDS TAKES TO THE AIR
on Soundart Radio 87.7fm
& www.myspace.com/soundartradio
Due to the temporary closure of The Tradesmans Arms, Scoriton, our January third-
WALK THE CHARTRES LABYRINTH AT CANDLEMAS
SUNDAY 3rd FEBRUARY -
A beautiful sacred event at St John’s, Bridgetown, to celebrate Celtic Saint Bridget and welcome in the dawning of Spring.
Organised by Helen Raphael Sands
WONDERMENTALIST CABARET
Friday 25th January
The Wondermentalist Cabaret at The Seven Stars Hotel in Totnes, mc’d by Matt Harvey, features poets out to entertain you, a musician or three, the Dead Poets Slam, plus the usual discerning Totnesian audience. Jackie Juno was the star attraction at the first gig for 2008. Simon Williams & Rose Cook were among the performers on the main bill. Robert Service won the Dead Poets Slam, with vital help from Lucy Lepchani. Susan Taylor put in ‘Request to a Year’ by Australian poet & activist, Judith Wright.