{"id":3042,"date":"2014-01-06T13:46:51","date_gmt":"2014-01-06T13:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/?page_id=3042"},"modified":"2014-12-30T14:13:46","modified_gmt":"2014-12-30T14:13:46","slug":"twin-cities-2013","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/twin-cities-exchanges\/twin-cities-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Twin Cities 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

[L-R] Tom Wyre, Sarah James, Martin Brown, Julie Field and Rab Urquhart<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Twin Cities
\nPoetry Exchange<\/strong><\/p>\n

with photos and reviews from<\/i>
\n <\/p>\n

Cork and Coventry poets<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n

July and November 2013<\/center><\/p>\n

[L-R] Martin Brown, Sarah James and Tom Wyre at the Norman Keep near Cobh<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Thanks to the City Councils of Cork and Coventry, the 2013 Cork-Coventry Poetry Twinning exchange saw five poets travel from their respective twin cities to share their work. Representing Coventry were Tom Wyre, Sarah James and Martin Brown, and for Cork, Julie Field and Rab Urquhart. The Coventry poets visited for three days in July and gave readings at \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al and at the Whitehouse in Limerick. They visited Lord Mayor Cllr. Catherine Clancy at City Hall and made daily excursions to Spike Island, the Old Head of Kinsale, Blarney Castle, Lough Gur and Cobh, while during a reciprocal three-day visit the Cork contingency gave readings at Playwrights Caf\u00e9 in Coventry, the King’s Head in Litchfield and at the Old Crown in Birmingham, visited Lord Mayor Cllr. Gary Crookes and were interviewed live on Hillz FM Radio. Reflections from each of the poets follow:<\/p>\n

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Tom Wyre<\/b><\/center><\/p>\n

Tom and Sarah brave a shower on Spike Island<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Ireland has many names. A breath-taking land steeped in mystery along with misty mountains, trees that sway and dance in roaming winds to whisper the enchanting words Poblacht na h\u00c9ireann, \u00c9ire, Erin, Banba, Fodla<\/em> and Hibernia<\/em>. To me, a humble poet it is known affectionately as \u201cThe Emerald Isle\u201d. It is not only the magic of the landscape that canvasses its majesty, but maybe more importantly it was and still is the warmth of the people\u2019s welcome to myself and my fellow Coventry-Cork exchange poets, Sarah James and Martin Brown, as we landed one near-foggy morning at Cork airport back in July of 2013. It now seems a life time ago with a life time of memories and friends made in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n

[L-R] Martin, Tom, Lord Mayor Cllr. Catherine Clancy, Sarah and Paul<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

We were greeted by our superb and amiable host, friend and poet Paul Casey for the start of our three day adventure. To recant all of the wonderful tales and experiences packed and squeezed within 72 hours would take words way beyond this review, but needless to say a great time was had by all.<\/p>\n

The first night at \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al performing in The Long Valley was a nervous but heart-warming joy, as I performed a powerful set in front of much of the cream of local poets and literary aficionados, journalists from the Cork Echo and honoured guest Cllr. Catherine Clancy the Lord Mayor of Cork. It was a fantastic experience to meet and greet so many brilliant poets and members of an appreciative audience who have since become friends. Listening to those voices contribute to the \u201copen mic\u201d added poignancy to the experience and added to my feeling of privilege to be a guest poet. <\/p>\n

Blarney Castle<\/font>
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The following days which now almost seem like a dream included tours with wonderful highlights to Cobh and its magnificent cathedral, Spike Ireland and its prison fort, wondrous Kinsale, an official meeting with the Lord Mayor of Cork, Blarney Castle, Lough Gur and spiritual Grange stone circle that culminated in a rapturous finale and further poetry guest performance at The White House, Limerick.<\/p>\n

The touchstone experience of visiting Ireland has enhanced me with a rich and vital awareness of myself and others as a writer. It has and will continue to inspire me to craft and weave my words and I\u2019m sure will lead me back to the emerald haven one day soon. The visit to Cork was icing on an amazing 2013 cake that I feel has now become a talisman for me, as I start a fresh adventure in my new role as Poet Laureate for Staffordshire. <\/p>\n

Grange Stone Circle, Lough Gur<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Sarah James<\/b><\/center><\/p>\n

Lord Mayor Cllr. Catherine Clancy and Sarah<\/font>
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Dear Cork,<\/p>\n

And so, let\u2019s start at the beginning of this Coventry-Cork \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al twin city poets exchange. That is, on the plane at Birmingham Airport with one of life\u2019s synchronicities, which on this occasion takes the form of an elderly Irishman from Coventry who had emigrated to England as a young man. He was now travelling back to Cork with his daughter and grown-up grandchildren to revisit their origins.(Here the inkling of inspiration for a first poem, entitled Last Call, Gate 40<\/em> for now.)
\nOur first day: settling in at Parkview B&B and exploring Cork. I still find it impossible to pin down all my first impressions of Ireland\u2019s island, this city of water, historic buildings, shops, statues and viewpoints. Amazing!<\/p>\n

Sarah’s Five Word Challenge poem<\/font>
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Then the first night\u2019s guest reading at the fantastic \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al . Against a strange background excitement about the Duchess\u2019s baby, yawn, the delights of poetry, Bulmers and chat. Not forgetting the impromptu five-word, five-minute poetry challenge, which I was too chicken to read aloud but, instead, posted to myself as a spontaneous, cheap, souvenir.<\/p>\n

Sarah and Tom explore an old house on the Old Head<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s sightseeing started with a trip to Cobh (originally Cove in Irish, then Queenstown to commemorate Queen Victoria\u2019s visit then again Cobh as a Gaelicisation of the English word cove, even though this word is unusual in its having no semantic meaning in Irish), the cathedral, then a ferry trip across to Spike Island. Highlight of Tuesday though, was visiting Kinsale and the Old Head of Kinsale. Not only did the beautiful coastal scenery and relative peace and tranquility of these tick all my usual like boxes, but the moody skies and stone ruins reminded me atmospherically, albeit at great real geographical distance, of Ted Hughes and Fay Godwin\u2019s wonderful Remains of Elmet. This specific trip was, for me, the pinnacle of a visit richly seeped in history as well as poetry.<\/p>\n

Lord Mayor Cllr. Catherine Clancy with Sarah signing the visitor’s book<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

So, on to Wednesday: our official visit to Cork City\u2019s Lord Mayor, Catherine Clancy. That afternoon saw me kissing the Blarney Stone (can you tell from the length of this piece?!), The Grange Stone Circles, grass and thistles fluttering with dragonflies, before heading onto Limerick for our reading at The White House. This was not only another wonderful venue but memorable too for the great character of our host there, Barney Sheehan. By this stage, another two draft poems in my notebook.<\/p>\n

A damselfly at Lough Gur<\/font>
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Then, sadly, the final morning of our trip and the chance for a last-minute exploration of another side of the city. This included the Firkin Crane, where I was delighted to find three amazing films by dancer in residence Laura Murphy, including the particularly beautiful and mesmerising \u2018Assembling Moments\u2019. (For me, dancing can be a kind of poetry of body and movement, the grace of it beautifully captured by this film in particular.)<\/p>\n

A glimpse back towards the mainland from the Old Head<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Then, a quick climb of the Shannon Bell Tower for its stunning views of the city and a chance to both play and touch the actual bells. All these memorable moments edged also by delightful late nights of Bulmer, poetry chat and inspiration, even on the flight home, where my fifth and final proto-poem started to flex its shape.<\/p>\n

With warmest memories,<\/p>\n

Sarah<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can see Sarah’s complete review on her blog here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Martin Brown<\/b><\/center><\/p>\n

Tom, Sarah and Martin at the Old Head<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

  <\/p>\n

Coventry to Cork
\nand back again<\/strong><\/p>\n

in 57 lines of Doggerel<\/center>
\n  <\/p>\n

We fled English heat, escaped by plane,
\nLanded in Cork and were welcomed by rain,
\nAnd Paul, of course, our guide and much more;
\nThat first afternoon we were free to explore
\nRound a lively city, and give a wide berth
\nTo blather (even here!) about the royal sodding birth.<\/p>\n

Then at night, to the Hayloft, to do our first spot
\nThe welcome was warm and the poetry was hot!
\nWe had until midnight to listen and spout,
\n\u2018til the gaffer abruptly chucked us all out,
\nSo we ambled nearby, imbibing the crack,
\nUntil the wee hours, and then wandered back
\nTo our fine B&B, in the friendly dark,
\nThe splendid Park View (but where was the park?)<\/p>\n

A Spike Island Tour Guide pays tribute to Cork’s defences<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 
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Next day, with Paul, to merrily rove
\n(Which luckily happens to rhyme with Cobh)
\nAnd on to Spike Island, for many a tale
\nThen off to the countryside round Kinsale.
\nAnd to the Old Head, with its gated defences,
\n– we sneaked inside, with cunning pretences,
\nTo find stunning views on green ancient land,
\nWild beauty and history, hand-in-hand.
\nNow all sadly sealed from public view,
\nA playground for golfers, the rich pampered few.<\/p>\n

While Wednesday\u2019s weather struggled to stay fair
\nWe sat for a chat with the new Lady Mayor.
\nThen off, via Blarney, a tourist trap castle,
\nWhere Americans patiently put up with the hassle
\nTo pay for the honour of kissing a stone,
\n(That chunk of bunk I left well alone-
\nA joke is a joke, but to pay just to touch
\nA stone with your lips is, I think, a bit much).<\/p>\n

The wedge tomb at Lough Gur<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 
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Then off to Lough Gur, the real McCoy,
\nSome unfathomable stones to ponder with joy,
\nAfter a guide had stopped to explain
\nThe background and all, in the pouring rain. <\/p>\n

And on to The White House for another great time,
\nAs it\u2019s in Limerick, I\u2019ll alter the rhyme:<\/p>\n

        There\u2019s many a young bud come to leaf,
\n        And an ego or two come to grief
\n        At the open mike
\n        You can do what you like,
\n        But you\u2019d better be good, or be brief!<\/em><\/p>\n

500 sessions there, (more than that now)
\nBarney and Tom, each take a bow!<\/p>\n

Motif of the ancient Lighthouse at the Old Head<\/font>
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Back again late, but that was just fine,
\nUp the next morning, and still finding time
\nFor another big breakfast and a last chance to roam
\nBefore the prop plane to carry us home.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve covered most things, are there things that I missed?
\nMaybe one or two people got slightly pissed.
\nImagine the scandal! How folk would talk!
\n\u201cPoet admitted being drunk in Cork!\u201d
\nI hope that you gather from the gist of this rhyme,
\nWe had, non-stop, a fabulous time.
\nGreat people, great places, great poetry and all,
\nAnd a great big thanks to our Corkian guide Paul!<\/p>\n

        – Martin Brown<\/strong>, July 2013<\/p>\n

The Lighthouse at the Old Head<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

 
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Julie Field (aka. Julie Goo)<\/b><\/center><\/p>\n

Julie and Rab at Playwrights Caf\u00e9, Coventry<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Myself and Rab Urquhart spent just three nights in Coventry, yet we did so much it seems like we spent much longer there. It was my first time visiting Coventry, and I was very impressed by the venue and eclectic mix of people who greeted us at our reading at Playwrights Caf\u00e9 Bar and Bistro. (Check us out in the photo looking all sophisticated). It was a wonderful surprise to see so many familiar faces, as many of the Coventry poets who I had met in Cork over the years were present. It was a real treat to hear them and many others perform. The literary links between Cork and Coventry were evident and inspiring. Mal Dewhirst spoke of Cobh and The English Market in his poems.<\/p>\n

The following morning, as myself and Rab presented ourselves at the Lord Mayors\u2019 office for a meeting in his private chambers, I felt both proud and unsure. Proud of the fact that my poetic rants had led me there, and a bit uneasy as I felt like someone walking into a garda station about to confess to a crime. The Lord Mayor did make us feel welcome however, and I was grateful for the fun sized British history lesson he gave me, which was badly needed.<\/p>\n

The Old and New Cathedrals of Coventry<\/font>
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The readings at Lichfield and Birmingham were very enjoyable. I was touched by the warmth of the Lichfield poets, and their efforts to welcome and entertain us. The Guinness there was pretty fantastic too I must say. I was blown away by the spoken word talent which met us in Birmingham, and I do hope to see these poets in Cork some time.<\/p>\n

Which one’s Julie?<\/font>
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There are many people to thank. I am grateful to \u00d3 Bh\u00e9al, Paul Casey and those who funded the trip as well as to those who came and listened to our words. Tony, Gary and Kris really went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Thanks to all of the Cork \/ Coventry poets who came to the readings, especially to Tom Wyre who made it to all three! The twinning is an enriching and worthwhile cultural link, and I hope to see it develop and strengthen over the coming years.
\n 
\n  <\/p>\n

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Rab Urquhart<\/b><\/center><\/p>\n

Rab at the Old Cathedral<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Cork \/ Coventry cultural exchange<\/strong><\/p>\n

an appreciation<\/em><\/center><\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t visited England in over 15 years but initial impressions proved positive, apart from a preponderance of uniforms in Birmingham airport and station, occasioned, I later discovered, by preparations for Remembrance Day. I was particularly taken with the cable car connecting these hubs, an elegant transport solution. Arriving into a dark, wet, Coventry evening, we opted for a cab and were whisked to our city-centre high-rise hotel. After finding our feet we found some food and showered, chic, and replete, off with us to our first reading.<\/p>\n

Night Blue Fruit, held in Playwrights caf\u00e9 and comp\u00e8red by Tony Owen was as warm and welcoming a forum as we could have hoped for. With the Lord and Lady Mayor and a representative of the Irish in Coventry present, a busy and varied poetry event ensued. Comparisons may be odious but in searching for a comparison to my experience of this event I leant towards the White House in Limerick, i.e. slightly chaotic in a sure-footed sort of way.<\/p>\n

Next morning, 9.50 am, waiting in the queue at Starbucks in Lady Godiva square. I get my coffee and head for an outside table to twin caffeine with nicotine. \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d asks Julie, \u201cwe\u2019ve the Mayor to meet at ten.\u201d \u201cGrand\u201d says I, \u201cI\u2019ll bring my coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

Julie and Rab at the Old Cathedral<\/font>
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We present ourselves to the reception desk in city chambers; \u201cwe\u2019re here to see the Mayor.\u201d \u201cThe Mayor? Do you have an appointment?\u201d We assure the receptionist that we do indeed have an appointment and that we are poets from Cork. \u201cPoets from Cork,\u201d she smiles and reaches for a phone. Moments later we are joined by a fit looking 60ish gent of military cut who leads us up stairs and through corridors to the Mayor’s office where we are welcomed by the man himself. He makes us comfortable, inquires as to whether we\u2019d like tea or coffee and, spotting my Starbucks cup, informs me that I didn\u2019t have to bring my own; cuts to local government may be severe but Coventry city council can still afford a cup of coffee for it\u2019s guests. The Mayor may be a Tory but he seems, to me, a decent skin.<\/p>\n

We do the Cathedral and the Museum in the afternoon and begin preparations for our impending evening adventure in Litchfield. Entrain, extrain, entrain, extrain, and it\u2019s Litchfield at 8 o\u2019clock on a wet Wednesday evening, we\u2019re supposed to be at the gig at 7.30 but\u2026. Hopping a cab we\u2019re at the Kings Head in 5, slightly breathless we introduce ourselves \u201cyes, hi, sorry we\u2019re late\u2026\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n

The midlands, middle England, we\u2019re here and the people are middle class and middle aged and white and friendly. They\u2019ve written a group poem telling the history of Litchfield which they perform for us and I\u2019m particularly pleased by an image of the shade of Samuel Johnston having a conversation with a statue of the captain of the Titanic; said statue having ended up in Litchfield after banishment from Belfast.<\/p>\n

A Norton Racer in the Coventry Motor Museum<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

After the reading Tony spins us back to Cov and we do a drive-by to see Kenilworth castle floodlit. No joy, the lights are out but thanks for the thought and for looking after us Tony. It\u2019s Thursday so it must be Birmingham but I\u2019m still in Coventry checking out the motor museum. There are some seriously daycent motors in here but I\u2019m more at home with motorcycles and there\u2019s one gorgeous Norton caf\u00e9 racer that I\u2019d love to have a go offa but, even after I explain that I\u2019m a cultural ambassador from Cork, the museum staff won\u2019t let me. I take this on the chin and go outside to sit in some rare Autumnal sunshine. \u2018Coventry city centre is a bit of a misnomer because Coventry doesn\u2019t have a centre and the ring road seems to fence the city out.\u2019 Done meditating and we\u2019re off to Brum early, we eat, meet Gary Longden, and are guided to the Old Crown pub, the centre of the Irish community in Birmingham, the ones that drink anyway. It\u2019s probably the oldest pub in the universe, with bits of it dating from the 10th century, the beer tastes fresh enough tho\u2019 and we have a lively night. I fall in with a Glaswegian who\u2019s lived in Brom for 35 years; I remark that she hasn\u2019t lost her accent and she replies that you only lose your accent if you want to.<\/p>\n

The Poetry venue at Lichfield<\/font>
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Friday. What? Already? Today we are being interviewed on Hillz FM, Coventry local radio. So we go and we are and they are nice to us and it\u2019s a really pleasant experience all round, with cups of tea and everything. I\u2019d go on Hillz FM again, definitely.<\/p>\n

Special thanks are due to Tony Owen for spinning us all around the gaf, to Kris Connolly for the authentic Coventry Asian caff experience: lamb curry, rice, nan, and mango lassi for less than a fiver! To Tom Wyre for being the poetry stalwart that he is, and to all round nice fellah Gary Longden. I also enjoyed meeting Mal Dewhurst and appreciated his ear. I do think the cultural exchange programme is a good idea, I met lots of interesting, intelligent, and attractive people and I hope they did to.<\/p>\n

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Julie and Rab’s Chapbook, printed for the occasion<\/font>
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[L-R] Tom Wyre, Sarah James, Martin Brown, Julie Field and Rab Urquhart Twin Cities Poetry Exchange with photos and reviews from   Cork and Coventry poets July and November 2013 [L-R] Martin Brown, Sarah James and Tom Wyre at the Norman Keep near Cobh Thanks to the City Councils of Cork and Coventry, the 2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3965,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3042","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3042\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.obheal.ie\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}