I spent last weekend in the peaceful environment of Mortlake in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames where the occasional low flying planes reminds us that we are on the edge of the great metropolitan sprawl that is London. I wasn’t plane spotting though, I was taking part in a two day poetry workshop with the impressive Ruth O’ Callaghan, the poet, who also run the Camden-
Lumen poetry events where I try to go to once a month for the poetry readings. These workshops are now a regular part of my calendar and they are both inspirational, intense and mentally demanding. Luckily there is time for a strict one hour for lunch and, just down the road, there’s the excellent Corner Cafe & Deli where I usually succumb to their ‘posh nosh’, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a large cup of black coffee.
I have the first drafts of six new poems after my trip and feel that I’ve upped my game a bit with Ruth’s encouragement. Mortlake has become a place of inspiration for me but, I’m far from alone there, J.M.W. Turner appreciated it too.
