The big news this week is that we finally completed our purchase of the new flat, and we’re now wondering what we can afford to do to it in the five weeks before we move in. Within an hour of getting the keys I’d already stripped wallpaper from an entire wall – it came off so easily I think it was put on with Spray Mount. Honestly I could have rolled it back up and sold it on eBay. I’ll try not be a property bore here because I’ve started another blog dedicated to pretty much that.
But on to the business of poetry … I’m really enjoying workshopping with my new buddies at the Hastings Poetry Stanza. The group was set up in 2014 by Antony Mair and he’s done a brilliant job of attracting an interesting group of motivated writers. There’s some fine talent east of here, and nice people too. Over in Brighton I’ve been attending a fortnightly poetry course at New Writing South led by John McCullough which has been great for introducing me to international poets and different styles, and for challenging me in my own writing.
Telltale Press has had to take a back seat as I’ve been full on with work and everything else lately but we have our lineup for the next Telltale & Friends event in Lewes on 13th April, more about that soon when I’ve done the flyers.
Some positive results of submissions: Helen Ivory published my knot/love poem ‘Tying the Bowline’ on Ink, Sweat & Tears last week, and thanks also to Charles Johnson of Obsessed with Pipework for taking two poems in the just-out issue 73. Meanwhile I have a poem forthcoming in Prole called ‘Two Honeymoons’ which came out of a retreat I did at Standen last March. I’m grateful to Brett Evans for his encouragement (and prompt response times!) Also forthcoming is a poem in the Paper Swans anthology ‘The Chronicles of Eve’, and I was excited and pleased to discover a lovely review of my pamphlet by Jan Fortune in Envoi 172 – “A fine new voice to watch.” There’s something to live up to.
Glad to hear things are going well in your new soon-home. The picture: is it a water pump?
Hi Jinny and thanks – yes, we think the red thing is a pump, but the yellow boxes…? The whole heating/hot water system is a bit weird to be honest, but we’re hoping it’s nothing that can’t be simplified and replaced with a lovely combi-boiler.
Showed the picture to my husband and we both think it might be some sort of water softening device. We have boxes under our sink that look similar.
Ah, thanks Heather. Could be. There’s a also a massive, scary (and new) looking water heater in the bathroom like nothing we’ve ever seen. Fingers crossed it can all be sorted out.