Celebrate the Waveney and Blyth

Waveney and Blyth Arts are celebrating this September with sixteen short walks to encourage people to explore the Waveney and Blyth area and appreciate how much it has to offer.  The schedule of walks runs daily from 3rd September to 18th September and include enjoyable creative activities.  Locally, there is a circular walk at Burgh Castle (1.5 miles) with artist Katarzyna Coleman on the 15th September and another at Breydon Water (2.5 miles) with poet and bird-lover Matt Howard.  The walks are free but you need to register in advance either on line at http://waba.mustarddev.co.uk 

All the walks are very tempting, such as the walk from Beccles to Geldeston on 11th September, which includes musician John Ward who will be performing on the village green.  A great walker who has the time might want to do them all!  Brochures providing information about all the walks can be picked up from libraries and Tourist Information Centres or downloaded from the website, or you can phone on 0845 299 6456.  The brochure gives the contact details of the local co-ordinator for each walk and provides information about length, with grading as to how easy or otherwise the walk is (Great Yarmouth and Waveney NHS has teamed up with Waveney and Blyth Arts to support the walks with trained staff).

Waveney and Blyth Arts are also holding a Two Valley Poetry Competition to run from 1st September – 31st October, inviting local poets to submit  work that illustrates the life, landscape or history of the Blyth and Waveney River Valleys.   Participants can submit up to five poems with the chance of winning first prize of £100.  Entry details are on the website or can be picked up at the launch of the Walk the Waveney and Blyth Programme at the Seagull Theatre, Morton Road, Pakefield, NR33 0JH on 2nd September 2011, starting at 7.30 pm, tickets £6 booked  at the Seagull Theatre online by clicking here or tel. 01502 589726.

Read Herrings Poetry Competition for Herring Day!

Holy Mackerel! A poetry competition for Herring Day!

Local people were invited to make a contribution to the Time and Tide Museum by submitting a short poem about the humble herring for National Poetry Day on the 8^th October.   The winning  poem is reproduced on the new text panel for the  iconic Yarmouth Bloater King sign (see image)  unveiled at Time and Tide’s annual Herring Day on Sunday October 18^th . Entries were judged by published Norfolk based poet Esther Morgan.

Winner of the Read Herrings poetry competition for Herring Day 2009:

My Silver Darling

By Charles Huggett

Skin tanned and burned by the keen east blow

Burnished rosy cheeks shine and glow

Back complaining and feet sore

Hands chapped bleeding red and raw

Still you can laugh and share a smile

Although you know in a little while

The next herring catch will land

So you stand ready knife in hand

To gut and wash the silver throng

And so you work all day long.

Your clothes are coated in silver scales

And glitter my eye assails.

Like sequins on a fine ball gown

Or diamonds set in a royal crown.

Transformed from dull and dowdy starling

To my shiny glistening silver darling.

But no ball will glimpse her sparkling clothes

Just a small dark pub in the Yarmouth rows!

The Bloater King in person