August and November 2024
from Coventry: Ann Atkins and Amy Rugg
from Cork: Catherine Ronan and Cédric Bikond
In August 2024 Ó Bhéal welcomed Coventry poets Ann Atkins and Amy Rugg for two readings at Ó Bhéal and DeBarra’s Spoken Word as part of the twin cities exchange. Catherine Ronan and Cédric Bikond represented Cork for a reciprocal visit and were hosted for two readings in Coventry during early November, also with a visit to the Lord Mayor, hosted by Ó Bhéal’s partner Here Comes Everyone / Fire & Dust. Reviews, images and links from each poet follow.
We drove to Stansted the day before we were due to fly and stayed nearby overnight. In spite of this, my partner Tracy and I had a ridiculously early start. We’d had a message the day before we were due to fly requesting we arrive at Stansted three hours before departure, so the alarm had been set for 3:30am! Everything else went smoothly, apart from a slightly bumpy landing – potholes on the runway perhaps? We arrived at Cork airport at 9am and were met by Paul Casey. He drove us to Redclyffe House B&B, where Amy greeted us with hugs as if we hadn’t seen each other in a very long time. We dropped our bags off then it was straight to The Natural Foods Bakery in Fitzgerald Park where Brendan Duffin met us for coffee. Tracy and I enjoyed tasty locally made sausage rolls for second-breakfast as all good Hobbitses do. Paul went through the arrangements for the visit with us before leaving us with Brendan, who took us on a walking tour to see the Ogham Stones in University College Cork, where the ancient gaelic language is carved on stones, and to the Honan Chapel on the campus with its exquisite stained glass windows designed by Harry Clarke and impressive mosaic floor complete with zodiac signs, although both mine and Tracy’s were hidden under pews, not sure that’s a good sign… not sure about Amy’s, she said her sign is “You can’t park here.”
Afterwards we all walked to Cork City centre, to browse the English Market. We were wowed by the colourful stalls of fresh produce, and paused for photos by the fish stall which had featured in the BBC comedy series Young Offenders that was filmed in the City.
Brendan showed us more sights including the location of where we would be performing in the evening. We sat outside a charming cafe and Brendan told us more about Cork’s rich history and folklore, accompanied throughout by a nearby busker playing the spoons along to folk music, ideal on such a hot sunny day. Brendan walked us to the bus stop, and the three of us returned to check into our B&B. Our room was in the attic, so we paused for a chat and to rest our lungs outside Amy’s second floor room every time we returned there.
A short nap and freshen-up later, we were back on the bus to the city centre. A friendly local heard us chatting and asked where we were from and if we were poets: he looked a little surprised and said “I thought only Ireland had poets”. We had a quick look in Dunnes, Brown Thomas and another couple of large shops that were still open, then on to the Long Valley and ordered food. I had the Beamish beef casserole and Tracy the Irish stew – both mouthwatering and hearty. I asked the owner if he knew where I might get sticky notes to bookmark the poems for my set. He didn’t, but very generously gave me a pack.
Upstairs next, to watch some poetry films from the Ó Bhéal archives. As people arrived, we were introduced to Catherine and Cedric who will be on the other side of the exchange on 31st of October and 1st November, along with the familiar faces of Rosalin (Sue) Blue and Cathal Holden. The hybrid setup with poets able to take part via zoom added an extra dimension: it was lovely to see Wendy Barzetovic who is a regular at both our Fire & Dust zoom events and at the LTB, and Jeff Cottrill from Toronto who’s a long-standing Zoom regular at both Fire&Dust and Ó Bhéal, and Raef Boylan our poetry Big Brother keeping an eye on us.
Tracy, Amy and I all took part in the famous Ó Bhéal 5 word challenge, where everyone had the opportunity to write and perform poems including 5 random words collected from the audience. Our host for the evening, Stan Notte, judged the winner based on audience reaction. The winning poet was attending via zoom with her young child on her lap – I’m not saying he influenced the vote, but he was very cute!
Dan Boyle, Lord Mayor of Cork, welcomed us formally to the city, which we appreciated very much. I ordered a pint of Beamish, one of Cork’s famous stouts, for after my set. I performed poems from my book Not A Robot, to a very appreciative audience, both in the room and on Zoom. People were also watching the livestream, including my eldest brother who was watching me perform for the first time. The pressure was on, so I was pleased at the applause and laughter – at the right moments. Amy’s set contrasted and complemented mine and was similarly well received. During Amy’s last couple of poems, I could see my pint from the corner of my eye, calling me, but as I was sitting next to the Lord Mayor and being respectful to Amy, I could hardly get up or wave to someone to pass it to me. I finally got to enjoy my first taste of Beamish while watching the open mic session. I was impressed by the varied styles and topics – and the flavour of the stout. I’m looking forward to watching the recording back at home as I found it so inspiring, it’s just a pity Beamish isn’t readily available here to recreate the moment.
After the gig, a bunch – is there a collective noun for poets? – decamped to the Arthur Maynes bar where we chatted about poetry and poetry events into the early hours. We took a taxi back to our accommodation around 2am and settled quickly to a much needed sleep.
After a hearty full Irish breakfast, though without white pudding that I was hoping to sample, we headed out to City Hall where we were joined by Paul, for a meeting with the Lord Mayor. He chatted with us about Cork’s rich heritage, our stay, twinning, and about Coventry. We were impressed by his knowledge of and appreciation for Coventry, especially the Two-Tone scene. He also described the sculptures, paintings and trophies in the meeting room. We were honoured to sign the distinguished visitors book and have our photos taken with the Lord Mayor.
Catherine Ronan, Sue Blue, Cathal Holden, Tracy, and Monika and Nikolai from Coventry were waiting for us outside. Catherine drove Cathal, Amy, Tracy and me to Long Strand. She showed us some of the villages and entertained us with stories about the area, including pointing out the school Graham Norton went to and about some of the local characters, including a few infamous murderers. We stopped for a photo op at Henry Ford’s hometown of Ballinascarthy, where we sat in a stainless steel sculpture – a replica of the model T. A very friendly driver of a concrete mixer truck took our photos for us and even climbed onto the top of the mixer to take a photo of a field of sunflowers opposite. Cathal wanted to be dropped off at St Finbarr’s Well. We had a glimpse of the well through the gate but didn’t stay as we were due to join the others for fish and chips.
Outside the Fish Basket we met another poet, Afric McGlinchey. Catherine phoned Paul and discovered that somehow our wires had got a little crossed, as they were waiting for us at Patrick’s Fish and Chips near Rosscarbery Bay. We left the queue and went off to meet them. Paul bought us lunch, and we sat together on picnic benches by the beach to eat the delicious meal. Paul then gave us a demonstration of hurling and invited us to have a go. I don’t think any of us showed much natural talent, but Paul was obviously well practised.
After lunch, we took a walk through the dunes to another small beach where we paddled in the Atlantic. Next stop was Drombeg stone circle for more chat, sightseeing and photos. We stopped off at Scannells Bar in Clonakilty before continuing the journey on foot to De Barra’s. I was pleasantly surprised to see Liz Jolly, one of our Coventry Fire & Dust poets from Warwick, who was visiting her daughter about five miles from Clonakilty. Amy and I did our poetry sets to a warm and enthusiastic audience and listened to more quality open mic poets, hosted by the awesome Moze Jacobs. Afterwards I tried the Murphy’s. Which of Cork’s famous stouts did I prefer? – I’m not going to risk a diplomatic incident by fessing up to that one! After the gig the charismatic Stan Notte drove us, accompanied by Cathal, back to our accommodation, entertaining us with more engaging chat about Cork, poetry and life in general as if we’d known each other forever.
Wednesday 14th August
After a leisurely breakfast it was time to check out. Now the formal part of the visit was over, we had a free day to explore – we wandered into the city centre and walked along the river Lee then had a coffee at Fellini’s, the oldest cafe in Cork. Tracy also had an ice cream waffle which was lovely – she let me sample it. Catherine had very kindly offered to take us out for the afternoon and drive us back to the airport. We collected our bags from Redclyffe house and met her outside for a road trip to Kinsale, a quaint seaside town with colourful buildings and a picturesque marina. We bought sandwiches and ate them on benches in a pedestrianised area whilst listening to a busker playing the fiddle. Catherine also took us to Bolands gift shop where they sell the earrings she designs and makes, and to Prim’s Bookshop: Bibliotherapy, with a huge selection of titles and its own waterfall just outside the back door. We walked back to the car via the library and another cosy cafe, which unfortunately was closing, but kindly allowed us to use their facilities.
We said see you in October to our new ‘poetry sister’ at the airport and made our way through to departures. After a smooth flight, we were soon back in Stansted. We drove Amy home, chatting about our trip, arriving home at midnight. The friendships and memories made will last much longer than the tiredness from our busy, fun packed schedule. I would recommend Cork and its surrounding areas to anyone who loves culture, Ó Bhéal and De Barra’s poetry nights, music which seemed to be coming from everywhere, street art and folklore. We’re extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to sample a flavour of it, and intend to return at very least to try the white pudding. I found conversations with writers inspiring, especially when they were talking about prioritising writing, creating time and opportunities for themselves. I’m sure this enthusiasm will rub off on me creatively and the links and friendships made will be productive in future. I’m extremely grateful to Cork City Council, CAIF & Coventry City Council who make it possible and to Raef Boylan for recommending me.
When Raef Boylan, Fire and Dust’s open mic co-host and lead editor of ‘Here Comes Everyone’, invited me to be one of the Cork/Coventry Twin Cities Exchange poets I was extremely excited, slightly scared and deeply humbled. Excited to be working alongside Ann Atkins, an accomplished and award-winning writer and performer. Humbled to be selected; as a single parent working full-time who rarely takes holidays or leaves the UK, this trip would be exceptional. But after accepting the invitation, I decided to go two days earlier, aiming to experience Cork without pressure or programme, taking time away from the constancy of commitments. As I prepared, I wondered what challenges and adventures awaited me.
Turns out, the toughest bit was getting out of Coventry! My carefully arranged National Express Coach was so late the battery on my phone sank to a deathly 1% as I watched my e-ticket’s QR code flicker in the dusk. I considered running for a taxi and looked in vain for a place to charge my phone. Asking bus station staff to speculate on the appearance of the coach brought helpless shrugs. At the last possible moment, the coach arrived, and I climbed aboard gratefully waving my fading e-ticket. As my plane took off, Birmingham’s city lights strung together like dew on a spider’s web. They say the world’s more connected than we know, but would I feel a connection where I was going?
Landing in the early hours, I was taxied to an address in Douglas by a driver with kind eyes, who walked me to my accommodation: a charming, terraced stone cottage built for Cork’s sail makers. I tumbled gratefully into bed as wispy almost-thoughts floated around the edges of journeys, meeting new people, and free-range verse.
In the morning, I jumped on the bus into Cork City and visited the Huguenot Quarter, St Patrick’s Street and Crawford Gallery. Ate a late breakfast at Amicus. In the afternoon, I bought odd bits of groceries at Tesco’s and made my way home.
Spent the day in Kinsale strolling at the pace of someone with no agenda. Took a harbour cruise around the bay. Enjoyed a hearty fish chowder in the White House and an ice cream later in Jesk’s. The sheer volume of Americans – enough to populate a small state, (like Delaware, for instance) – was astonishing. As I mused that many appeared disoriented, as if they might struggle to use a flush toilet, I rounded a corner to find a group of Americans trying with difficulty to operate a pay toilet. After offering my assistance, they surprised me by asking: ‘So, like, what part of Ireland are you from?’
Monday 12th August
Met Ann, Tracy and Paul Casey at our traditional bed and breakfast hotel on the Western Road. From there we made our way to Fitzgerald Park where we were treated to hot drinks and met fellow poet and musician, Brendan Duffin. After some ‘getting-to-know-you’ conversation, we made our way over to University College Cork with Brendan as our excellent guide. We took time to perambulate the leafy campus, viewing the Ogham Stones with their neat lines of ancient markings revealing fragmented commemorations of the great and the good.
Slipping into the cool of the awe-inspiring Arts and Crafts era Honan Chapel, I was fascinated by a blue and white mosaic flowing down the chapel’s central aisle, depicting a mighty river with fish jumping out of the waves, edged by perfect Celtic knots and finished off by a magnificently fierce dragon. Harry Clarke’s delicate stained-glass windows depicting Irish saints and biblical figures struck me as surprisingly intimate.
Brendan had impressive specialist knowledge of Hibernian music and cultural history and shared this in a way that was friendly, informative and engaging. He related that ancient kings of the land retained poets who wrote powerful verses designed to impress, humiliate, or intimidate foes in a kind of psychological warfare. From there we made our way into Cork City including a pilgrimage to the English Market – especially the fish monger’s stall featured in the series ‘Young Offenders’. The market’s colourful, vibrant hub was full of fresh fish, artisan bread, produce and people speaking local and distant dialects. I reflected that, markets, like open mics, are communities of people working together to create something greater than themselves, welcoming the stranger, encouraging the makers, celebrating talent. I loved the colourful, hand painted signs and distinctive decorations. Later, we checked out The Long Valley pub and Hayloft, where we would be performing our gigs that evening.
Late afternoon, Tracy took photos of Ann and me in front of our billing posted on the pub door. I felt butterflies seeing our faces on a poster but tried to focus on getting dinner. The Long Valley pub staff were warm and friendly. I ordered a sandwich for later as nerves had set in. The pub had awards for best sandwich, so I knew I was in for a treat later when my stomach declared an ‘all clear’. The Hayloft was nearly empty as the first part of the Ó Bhéal evening began with poetry films. Paul Casey sat in the tech corner creating an informal and welcoming space. Soon the venue filled with poets and poets’ friends who greeted one another in reunion and collaboration; the warmth in the room was tactile.
The technology was impressive, as I looked with interest at the hybrid set up with online poets from across the globe smiling down from a huge screen behind a modern podium. One of our own Fire and Dusters, Wendy B’s smiling face reassured me (we had both performed at the Coventry Criterion in May this year).
The Five Word Challenge kicked off the second part of the evening with five words thrown out into the air for punters to catch and create flash verses in 15 minutes or less. A striking array of pieces were performed and applauded.
A tremor went through me as the time for performing drew near. Looking around, I recognised Rosalin Blue and Cathal Holden from last year’s Twin Cities Poetry Exchange in Coventry. Their creativity and professionalism in Coventry had been notable and inspiring. Stan Notte warmed up the crowd, introduced us and invited Ann, then me, to take the mic. Ann’s set brought the house down with her unique brand of humour and delivery. I’ve been a fan of her work for many years and felt proud that Cork poets got to hear her. Then it was my turn. I don’t remember much – I shook from head to toe but felt a spark with the audience. We finished the night with an open mic where I delighted in the wide range of topics, voices and delivery styles from many accomplished artists sharing their work, including two fellow US folks in person and online. Mayor Dan Boyle addressed the crowd with Cork’s perspective on the mutual benefits of our Twin Cities initiative and reminiscences of his visits to Coventry.
We met our two exchange counterparts, the sparkling Catherine Ronan and charming Cédric Bikond, flying over to perform in October and I marvelled at connecting with those we seemed to share so much, despite meeting for the first time.
Afterwards, it was over to Mayne’s, an intriguing pub that had once been a chemist. I stood scanning curious glass cabinets full of vintage cameras. Despite the lateness of the hour, I seemed to have an unbounded capacity for conversation – stimulated and enthralled by new people from Ireland, Germany, France, Scotland, England, Cameroon and even the US. At one point, I found myself discussing with a fellow poet from near Malone, NY of all things, the relative merits of US Highway 81… Then, suddenly it was 2 am and time to pile into a taxi and go home. My last thought as my head hit the pillow was: how did I manage to stay up so late and still be coherent? Then fell the curtain of sleep.
Lucky number 13, I was still in Cork! Breakfast was the mighty full Irish minus the fabled white pudding, putting legs on the day. Ann, Tracey and I barrelled out to the bus into town to City Hall for an official ‘meet and greet’ with the mayor with whom we’d encountered the night before. As we settled in with cups of Irish tea, he pointed out the symbols of office, interesting historical landmarks and portraits of two mayors who led Ireland’s fight for independence. Biscuits were notable by their absence. But Mayor Boyle was welcoming and knowledgeable about Coventry and Cork. We discussed mayoral appointments, Ireland’s independence, Two Tone and our plans for the rest of the day. We signed the official visitors’ book and shook hands cordially.
As we spilled out onto the street, a cadre of poetry brothers and sisters appeared: Catherine, Cathal, Paul and Rosalin (Sue) Blue and two Coventry friends Monika and Nikolai, part of the Coventry International Association of Friendship. Question: How many poets does it take to organise a simple outing? Answer: Ten. After protracted discussions about passengers and destinations, we divided up into two vehicles and sped off for Clonakilty, stopping by Owenahincha Beach for some delicious fish and chips, visiting ancient Drombeg Stones, and peeling through Bandon. Stopped briefly in Ballinascarthy, the birthplace of Henry Ford’s father William, and the Long Strand beach. At some point, one of our number, Cathal, was dropped off at an ancient well dedicated to St Fachtna to conduct a quiet mission before rejoining us for lunch and a quick hurling tutorial. I instantly loved hurling! Despite missing 8 out of 10 swings and consistently failing to solidly connect the ball with the hurley, I felt deep elation as I took aim at something new, running freely across an open field.
Later, dipping my toes in the Atlantic, I noticed how the blue arc of sky over the wild blue ocean made me feel tiny and ten-a-penny. I reflected on the diaspora of those who left this place, navigating hostile oceans and societies and displaced people everywhere; leaving home is never easy. Afric McGlinchey caught up with us on the way sharing her perspectives as a writer, poet and dog lover.
Over lunch, I listened as our Cork poets shared stories of becoming writers, fitting their artistry around working and family/caring responsibilities. For them, being successful wasn’t about possessing some intangible talent, but hard graft, years of commitment and practice whilst balancing family, friends, and community, with sparks of inspiration and a bit of the right opportunity at the right time. I found my Cork counterparts down to earth, funny, warm and a little magic. How fortunate we were be made so welcome, due in part, I thought, to the generosity of Cork people and the powerful connectivity of creativity. Cork ‘uncorked’ the artist in me in significant ways; as an enriching opportunity to practice spoken word skills in a unique environment, gains in insights into my writing and inspiration from other international poets. The meaningful encounters I had were life enhancing.
We reached DeBarra’s Folk Club in Clonakilty, Co. Cork, by dusk, where Moze Jacobs was our MC for the evening, signing up poets for the open mic and setting up. We were welcomed by the friendly regulars, and I had a shared mealtime on the back porch with Rosalin where we swapped many stories of life in the US and Europe. The smaller crowd made for a more informal gathering, and we were treated to a rich variety of poets and poetry. Highlights of the evening were charming haikus by Sebastien Revon, seeing Paul Casey and Stan Notte, Catherine Ronan and Cathal Holden share their stunning recently published works and two poets who performed for the first time ever. Claire Barton and Elizabeth Ewing put their words to music, and I felt carried away by stirring lyrics.
Ann, Tracy and I rode back with the inimitable Stan Notte and Cathal Holden, with whom we had one last visit, sharing anecdotes; I’m sure we’ll meet again.
After breakfast, we visited Cork one last time, navigating by kindly locals who, overhearing our speculation about direction of travel, stopped to guide us. One woman, sitting in traffic, with her driver’s side window down asked: ‘where do you want to go?’ then signposted us, driving off with: ‘have a lovely stay!’.
After lunch, our poetry sister, Catherine, swept by the B&B hotel to generously drive us over to Kinsale. We strolled around the harbour and stopped by one of Catherine’s favourite bookshops then, realising the time, hurried off to the airport. Saying our heartfelt ‘thank you’s’ and good-byes we pledged to meet on ‘the other side’ of our exchange this autumn. Going through security, the surges of adrenaline that had bounced me along, punched an invisible time clock and went home. Despite the airport noise, I slipped into screensaver mode as little fishes swam silently across my face.
Ann and Tracy gave me a lift from Stansted and on the car journey home our quiet conversations knitted up Cork experiences with stories from the past. Nighttime miles slipped by as The Midlands wound us back to her. As I crossed my home threshold, switching on lights, radio, and kettle, I reflected on the many thresholds I’d crossed: new geographies, fresh rhythms, uncommon perspectives and new faces who appeared to be both total strangers and long-lost friends.
The only thing wrong with being ‘sent to Coventry’ is that they sent me back!! It was such an honour to be chosen to represent Cork in the Cork Coventry Poetry Exchange and of course I was delighted to find out that Cédric Bikond Nkoma was to be the other representative. It all started to feel real when the chapbooks landed and we were on our way!!
I had met the wonderful Ann Atkins and Amy Rugg in August when they came to Cork representing Coventry so I was really looking forward to meeting them again. Amy picked us up on arrival and drove us to our accommodation, The Premier Inn in the city centre. Cédric, being an absolute gent allowed me to have the room with the bath!! 
First stop was the Telegraph for prinks. There we caught up with our entourage, the affable Raef, Ann, Tracy, Amy, Wendy, Monika, Navkiran, and Leah before heading to ‘Hello Vietnam’ for food before our first performance at Fire and Dust in The Litten Tree.
The event space had an Andy Warhol feel with everything from mannequins on the floor to glorious artwork on the walls. The audience was so receptive, the open mic had amazing readers and we had the extra privilege of meeting John Bernard, The Poet Laureate! It turned out to be Cédric’s Birthday so that added some extra magic to the evening!
Breakfast in the Premier Inn was fantastic and I really admired their policy of asking how many eggs etc you wanted. What a brilliant and simple initiative to minimise food waste.
Then it was off to Hillz Radio for a radio interview with the lovely Kate Hills, an ardent poetry lover who interviewed us about our writing journey, O Bhéal and the spirit of writing communities in general. We got to read our work live on air and it was my first radio interview ever so all very exciting!! Next stop the Town Hall to meet and enjoy tea with the wonderful Lord Mayor, Mal Mutton. We had a fantastic tour around and were gifted ‘Phoenix’, a collection of poems by Antony Owen.
Next stop, a tasty lunch in the Herbert Museum before visiting the bombed-out cathedral and its magnificent replacement with Raef, Amy, Ann and John.
Lady Godiva of course is never far from my mind so Instead of window shopping, I took in all the Godiva that I could!! Before our next performance in Earlsdon, we enjoyed an evening meal in the Golden Cross, one of the oldest pubs in Coventry. Ann drove us to the Earlsdon Library where the event was being held. A beautiful venue, another fantastic audience and open mic session. We had plenty of time to get to know the audience during the break and afterwards. One lady had been sent to Bantry during the war. Most interesting!! A few nightcaps and then all that was left to enjoy was a wonderful trip through the Warrick countryside with John and Kim Watson, taking in an old hostelry, some film locations, the church, castle, and market before heading back to the airport.
A very special thanks to Paul Casey and to everyone who made this very special trip possible. I have made new friends, performed to new audiences and made a foray into radio! Our Coventry friends really made us feel like ‘Rock Star Poets’!! The only question that remains is – where to next?
– The Flight Out – Arrival – The Rooms –
An early morning to Dublin. A familiar destination and with rare company. Despite a very comfortable travelling hour and time, the nerves of the coming days were already eating at us. The anxiety kept us up through the flight. We were promptly picked up by Amy, Ann and Tracy and driven to the hotel.
After a quick assessment of the room, we swapped to fit our respective needs (Catherine’s excitement at the idea of a bathtub could not be ignored). Once back at the lobby, Amy and Ann came back to walk us around the city to get a better feeling of the area, steadily leading us toward the Telegraph hotel. We were able to shuffle books and few goods that could not be handed during the first half of the writers’ exchange. Some new faces to me such as Raef Boylan and Leah Bailey joined us and later became omnipresent throughout our time in Coventry.
On our road from the airport, we learned about the local train network issues regarding some of its updates that I will summarise with this:
“The linked cars will appear intermittently
in the middle of the fields, where no one sees them,
then disappear almost immediately.
Cut in places, lying down,
A line that never came live
carries a ghost train to the ghosts’ town. ”
The telegraph hotel, visible from one of the hotel rooms, was one of the numerous locations that would make one travel through history. All aspects unrelated to patronage were kept with appearance of the previous business held on the site. If one does not pay attention, it would be easy to want to play the role of an investigative journalist on the beat, coming in to report on the hottest story. The space, which could have been one where reporters traded information mundane and critical, is occupied by coffee tables and comfortable chairs.
The way to the LTB (Litten Tree Building) was a leisurely walk through the area surrounding the hotel, allowing us to see the presence of a city which was historically pivotal to England. Coventry is very similar to Cork in a lot of aspects, and quiet on the surface. The true wealth of its life cannot be told from its looks: shy and calmly pacing through the early 2000’s. You can tell it has gone through the same economic throes as many places of Europe, with closed businesses and disaffected locations. On that day however, the place was bustling: At night it celebrated Halloween and with this celebration of the dead, it comes alive; a life that transcends its possible struggles. The council had put decorative Christmas lights but kept them off.
The diner at “Hello Vietnam” was a welcome time for restoration to quiet the anxiety before our time in 1 Warwick Rd “Fire and Dust” poetry event. With it, we could learn more about each other. Sadly, John Watson, John Bernard, Antony Owen, Andrea Mbarushimana and Matt Black were not able to be present with us at that point.
“Fire and Dust” poetry, held at the LTB Showroom venue is a delightful event where the local poets have the opportunity to showcase themselves. Albeit more punk and diverse, it felt much like home (in Cork, I mean) as the welcoming atmosphere was familiar. To quote another poet who participated in a previous exchange: “We, poets, are very similar in our diversity”.
All ages and experiences were present. First came the open-mic and its display of great talents and styles, then the guests: US. I went up. I chose to reshuffle my set to avoid fumbling: If Randomness is the rule then any order is valid, there is no way to be wrong. These were some long 25 mins. I enjoyed every second of it. The audience was fantastic while different from Ó Bhéal’s and I was received “like a superstar”. I chose to lean into the spirit of Halloween as much as my line-up allowed. Catherine and I performed our first joint piece before I exited the stage. Catherine took the stage and called me back for our second joint piece at the start of her set. Following her enchanting performance, the closed-mic poets moved in and took us away into the night.
The after-show event did not happen as both Catherine and I were exhausted from the flight. Due to our low energy, we chose to save the partying for the next day to make the most and best of our time. I can only empathise with our hosts’ disappointment.
Kate Hills received Catherine and I in her community radio for a nerve-wracking yet wonderful time with the host. The studio is located in the heart of the community, at the Watch Centre of Hillfields. She let us discover one of her favourite artist’s works before and during the interview. If being a MC was already hard enough, being a radio host seemed to be a level above in difficulty, yet Kate made it look easy, putting us at ease throughout the hour spent with her.
What a place! The council house brims with the history of Coventry as a City through the ages of England’s governance. The inside of the building is fitted for modern use, the decor is stunning with 15th century aesthetics still visible across the hallways. The legacy is apparent in all corners of the council office building, as one would expect. Then we finally met with the Lord Mayor and Mal Mutton.
After our meeting, We proceeded to tour the old city to sightsee and appreciate cathedrals, both the destroyed and the raised from the city’s ashes. The old cathedral with some of its walls and columns erect is like a soldier who passes on in the middle of the fight, still standing. We proceeded to the newer cathedral as place of remembrance rather than worship. The angels of the frontal glass-work, slender and emaciated, do not inspire a return to life. I failed to figure whether or not in was intentional until I walked up to the world-famed, colourful stained glass window. We finished by the local museum, getting more insight into events that took places through the ages, and legends that were created. As much as Tom may have been peeping, he was seen and will be remembered looking at Lady Godiva.
“A lady finds another stripped of decency,
Justice laid bare by her husband.
In compassion she rides,
Some of her own virtue visible to the Toms
leaving to him the shame to cover himself with.”
Walking to the central place to peep at the Tom peeping from the clock tower, he would be a no-show. Subsequently, We decided to have a last stop in town for food and drinks and elected for the “Golden Cross” est. 1468, one of the oldest pubs in Coventry. We were joined by Jeff Cottrill who happened to be touring in the area.
– The Library –
Carnegie community Library is best defined by the local folks and their will to keep it alive. In there, John provided us a stage that was nothing short of magical. Poetry in a library is an obvious (yet counter-intuitively rare association when considered), but even more so, this event made sense. Beyond the discovery of the community’s successful initiative to save culture and knowledge, just steps away from an undeniably popular pub, more importantly was how motivated the residents were to make it thrive. The blue-hued lighting with its green-lit pillars became the location that elevated Catherine’s bewitching pieces and performance.
After greeting with the residents who catered during the reading we went for a few drinks to the pub which would happen to be bustling in a belated celebration of Halloween. I sincerely commend Raef for guiding us around town despite his physical difficulties. On Saturday morning, following breakfast and checkout from the hotel, John Watson guided us through the Warwick region, towards the Airport.
Outstanding among the points of interest, were the St Mary Church, full of history of old royal bloodlines, the Market Hall, the West Gate and the Saxon Mill. John was an outstanding guide with incredible knowledge of the region and its History. Our plane back to Cork was fashionably late.
“There is no spell without a word,
nor is there any stronger than a parting gift.
What did the witches wish for when they gathered?
Surely, a spell for immortality or survival
through the wars, bombs and rivalry.
They may have not survived the purges
but the fire lit under their feet
has set the land’s soul ablaze,
burning the soles of kings and crusaders,
Ever ready to rise from its ashes.
The land of Coventry.”
I want to thank the Ó Bhéal and “Fire and Dust” teams for the organisation, Cork and Coventry City councils for allowing and sustaining the partnership. I want to thank Paul Casey and Raef Boylan especially for their tireless work into making these communities what they have become.
Cédric Bikond Nkoma,
Signing out
