listen up north!

A Grand Afternoon Out

I have written

A Grand poem

On the Long Sands

For visitors to read

From their windows

Keith Armstrong

There’s nothing like the bracing sea air for a bit of inspiration; the sound of the waves from the promenade to wash away worldly cares and make room for those creative juices.  That’s why I’m always glad when there’s an an excuse for a trip to the seaside, and none better than for the launch of the book Grand Times, The Story of The Grand Hotel Tynemouth which was the culmination of Keith Armstrong’s writer in residence at The Grand Hotel together with graphic designer Peter Dixon. 

I made my way up the amazing spiral staircase of the hotel to The Orchid Room with its wonderful view across the sweeping bay where Keith performed a selection of his poetry from the residency.  In addition we were treated to other favourites such as the moving Splinters about Keith’s father who was a shipyard worker at Swan Hunters.

Splinters by Keith Armstrong

 

We were then free to browse the display of Peter Dixon’s photographs taken in and around the hotel as well as archive photos from bygone days.  Peter has designed a book, beautifully laid out, everything presented with great clarity charting the history of the hotel which was first built in 1872 as a holiday home for the Duchess of Northumberland  and converted to a hotel just 5 years later.  Keith edited the content which also includes the current team of dedicated staff, the hotel’s facilities and the famous visitors past and present from Laurel and Hardy to Stephen Tompkinson and not forgetting Sir Bobby Robson:

 For the love of Sir Bobby

We will drink in the sea

For the love of Sir Bobby

we will dance with our kids

For the love of Sir Bobby

We will rise again

Keith Armstrong

Afterwards over a leisurely drink in the bar downstairs, I am cornered with the question that I have been trying to avoid and that I knew Keith would ask as he always does.  ‘So just when will this website be ready?’  Having trailed all the way to the wilds of Hexham on a winter’s day to record his work for it, Keith is perfectly entitled to ask.  Rather embarrassed, my answer has been the same for the past 6 months, ‘Hopefully in the next week or so'.’  However, listenupnorth.com is now closer than ever to being ready for launching onto an unsuspecting world, even complimentary bookmarks at the printers, so this time I think I can mean it.  At least I think I can.

In Room 333

I feel free

To admire

The view

And dream

Of a Duke

And a Duchess

And a world

Passed by

Keith Armstrong

Almost there - honest!

Over the past two years, setting up my spoken word entertainment website www.listenupnorth.com has been a labour of love. It has also been a steep learning curve, some things have worked out, others not.  Nevertheless no experience has been a wasted and I have brought together many strands including business and legal aspects, recording content, producing and directing, in addition to developing the website itself.  Still under development, I am really pleased with how it is looking so far:

 

At last I have found a web designer that I really want to work with and for the past few months I have been shaping the site with Dean www.zimt.co.uk who has really taken time to find out what I want and need.  We are nearly there, ironing out those glitches that are only apparent when you start using the site under test conditions; the list of things to work on is now down to two-thirds of a page instead of three and a half!  At the moment I feel like a child on Christmas Eve, all excited, wondering whether Christmas Day will ever come and if I'll get that present I wrote to Santa Claus about. 

 

Whilst I’ve been recording content to introduce to the site, I have been very privileged to meet some talented local writers. One of these is tutor Gordon Phillips who came along to Core Music Hexham to record a short story and a selection of his poetry.  I have included his poem ‘Quarantine Song’ for you to listen to.  This featured in the book ‘From Segedunum to Spanish City’ (02 March 2010). and is set on St Mary's Island, Whitley Bay.

QuarantineSongbyGFPhillipsLUN

Gordon is also running some fascinating courses this term:

Two Courses at Newcastle City Library

The Face in Literature is a course that will survey aspects of the human face – beauty, youth, ugliness, love, fear, blindness, disfigurement – in poems and texts by Walt Whitman, Edward Lear and Oscar Wilde, to name but a few. 10 weekly sessions begin on Friday 1 October from 10.15 am until 12.15 pm.

Songsville: Composers and Songwriters, their Lyrics and History will include folkies Robert Burns and Tommy Armstrong as well as the poetic songs of George Butterworth and the Englishness of Ray Davies, The Kinks frontman. It will end with songs from a Charles Dickens catalogue for a grand Victorian Christmas. 10 weekly sessions begin on Wednesday 29 September from 10.15 am until 12.15 pm.

A further WEA Literature Course at The Meadows, Waterville Road, North Shields

Nature Writing and the Environment is about how nature writers have approached the question of the environment and the way we have treated it from the early industrial landscape to the present day. 10 weekly sessions begin on Thursday 16 September from 2.00 until 4.00 pm. For more information on these courses contact the tutor, Gordon Phillips, on 0191 2747803 or e mail [email protected]

“I hear those voices that will not be drowned”

At present I’m wrestling with writing a semi-autobiographical monologue. I’m wondering how far to go with it, what do I really need to say? Who am I in danger of upsetting? Should I censor myself?

One evening, on holiday in Suffolk,  I take a walk along the shore at Aldeburgh and find my answer. ‘I hear those voices that will not be drowned’.  A threatening, inky blue sky, raindrops in the wind and there on the rocky shore these words are pierced on the edge of a giant scallop lying on the pebble beach. The sculpture is the work of Maggi Hambling in honour of composer Benjamin Britten.

If these words are taken out of the context of the tragic events in Peter Grimes (to which they refer) then they are fitting not just for musicians and composers but also the authors of written and spoken word.

In Suffolk, our cottage is quite remote, we awake to hares in the garden and deer in the neighbouring field. Lack of internet connection ensures that I take time out from reviewing my test website for listenupnorth and a break from the constant emails back and forth between myself and Dean my website designer.

Only one thing to do as I rest between visiting the many gems of East Anglia, I allow myself the time and luxury of writing. I plough on with my monologue, Celia; “I hear those voices that will not be drowned”.

Anglo Saxon mask at Sutton Hoo (top left)

Ely Cathedral (top right)

Norfolk Broads (left)