On November 3rd a trio of Hebdenroyd valley Poets, Sean Kavanagh, Meriel Malone and I climbed aboard Sean’s poetry bus to take a trip to the big city lights, a visit the Sticks and Stones Open mic event in Leeds.

The event resides upstairs at the Strawberry bar, very close to Leeds University and is hosted by Andy Craven-Griffiths. It’s a strange place where the larger is reasonably priced but a bottle of Hobgoblin cost me £350! [I think he means £3.50 Ed] As I sat down to recover we were treated to the compere’s rendition of a long piece about his brother.

There was a high turn out but we all got chance to read in the open mic spot and I would like to think we represented our little valley most admirably. Of the other readers, many were students and unsurprisingly the styles varied a great deal and were often borderline experimental including one poet who attempted to read two poems simultaneously.

After a break the guest poet, John Berkavitch took to the stage arriving in clothes which some said were also borderline experimental. He delivered a confident and entertaining set comprising short witty ditties and a longer co-wrote father and son based piece, which for me was a well observed highlight of his set.

A splendid night which we all recommend.

Winston Plowes