What better way can you think of to spend a pleasant afternoon than reading poetry in good company, in a pub on the Wirral? – especially when the weather is good and you can go out into the beer garden!

This Thursday, 15^th July, you can do just that with the ‘Poems in Pubs’ group that meets at 2pm on the third Thursday of every month, at The White Lion in West Kirby. The afternoon will start with a look at the work of the prolific American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox (pictured), and will be followed by a read-around of your own poems.

The group – ‘Philosophy in Pubs’ was founded a decade ago in Liverpool, and has since grown into a well-established movement of people who like to gather in pubs to pursue a philosophical enquiry; they meet at 2pm on the fourth Wednesday of each month. As several of the members enjoyed poetry, it seemed a natural progression to start a ‘Poems in Pubs’ group run along similar lines. With both groups there are no lecturers involved, no costs and no fees, therefore entry is free and the sessions are accessible to everybody.

The Wirral is a particularly lively place for poetry and there are lots of evening events, particularly for performance poetry, so ‘Poems in Pubs’ decided to hold an afternoon event that would engender a quieter and more reflective atmosphere. In their previous meetings they have enjoyed the poetry of William Wordsworth, William Blake and Robert Graves; and in the near future they have plans to look at the work of Australian poets, and that of Spike Milligan.

New people are always welcome, whether they wish to read and discuss, or just to listen. Further details, including directions, are available on the gig guide.