In summer, the song sings itself. - William Carlos Williams

In July this year a new bright spot was discovered on Venus. That is a beautiful metaphor.
It's summer time and the livin' is easier.
I feel like a hummingbird who has been living on Greenland until now...I wish to drink the nectar of summer and swim in ponds and smell the scents all around me of water, grass, flowers, sea breeze, sand, wet moss, pine...fireflies on my path at night.
Alegria!

Happy Birthday Noah!

Today is the birthday of my son Noah.
We are having lunch together at his fave Hexham restaurant Bouchon. Then with tea time at his I shall give the gifts I will bring and other things of interest: a newspaper article I cut out on Jasper Joffe an artist "auctioning his life away", a jar of grass seed to patch his lawn-a game of croquet anyone?, my gardening book so that we can identify what disease one of his tomato plants has, a Betjeman LP he gave on loan and I want the reggae cd set back!
These are the minutiae, the details of exchange and yet the larger issue is how do you actually celebrate a birthday. And why?
Pretty much everyone I know has a different relationship to their birthday and how they wish to deal with it.
For me when I turned 50 I made it an opportunity to spend some time with the people I love. Friends who were spread out all over the world and bringing them together to pamper them and enable them to meet and enjoy eachothers company too. It was a massive weekend party/event with outings and dinners, parties, live music, fantastic food, and fun.
I felt good about it and since none of us really know how long we are around for it seemed like a perfect time to do it.
And I found the right place nearby to where I live, a large house with grounds, an outdoor jacuzzi, views and walks, plenty of space...
Would I do it again? I will think of something different if I celebrate again.
Today is Noah's birthday and I am looking forward to spending the day with him.

Ledbury Poetry Festival Rocks

Every July the Ledbury Poetry Festival takes place in this charming ancient market town in the Malvern Hills.
This year I would say it was the best ever! Congratulations to Chloe Garner and her excellent team!

Highlights for me were the tennis finals between the Williams Sisters and Roger Federer and the other one. Just kidding.
But just barely, that weekend was riveting and I saw some of the best tennis since last years final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. It seems that during the festival Wimbledon is wrapping up and I must take time out for that!

Alice Oswald, Brian Catling, Ian Sinclair, Chase Twichell, Paul Farley, Ben Okri, Benjamin Zephaniah, Fred D'Aguiar, August Kleinzahler and John Hartley Williams were some of the poets I saw whilst there this year. Great variety and span.
Chase Twichell was a highlight for me. She is a commanding reader of insightful and intense poetry. She is very real and I was transfixed. August Kleinzahler is unique as a performer of his poetry. He is riveting.
I like this festival very much not only for its diverse programme but also for its friendly spirit and warm welcome.
There is a large room made availbale to those at the festival to sit down, read papers, relax with a hot beverage, talk to other attendees, and to meet. There are always snacks and drinks available and very friendly and helpful volunteers at all times!
I love that aspect and makes it very special in the world of festivals.
We have made good friends over the past couple of years that we have been going.

A visit to Great Malvern and its many second-hand bookshops yielded some finds. The Malvern Hills are lovely and it does not matter if it rains which it did! Had hot tea at Elgars tea room the Blue Bird! How about that?

If you are ever in that part of the country in the beginning to middle of July do consider visiting this poetry festival I highly recommend it.
I should also add the county is Herefordshire and the nearest large town is in fact Hereford.

The List

Having been away literally and not from DJANG for so long, much has happened, and if I do not list them they will escape me...

Ledbury Poetry Festival
Presenting Life is IMMENSE visiting Samuel Menashe

The Wimbledon Tennis finals

Full Moon

Malvern Hills and Great Malvern

Visit to Philip Gross in South Glamorgan, Wales

Banksy at Bristol City Art Gallery and Museum

Compton Verney Surrealist exhibition Subversive Spaces

A family visit from Sweden

London and to the Zoo for Kenneth Martins mobile

Pauls Birthday at the Engineer

Mole on a wire

AKA Borderline was shown for the first time at UNN for the Northernness conference last week.
There was a small but committed audience for the session which included Anne Vibeke Moe and Tim Brennan both talking about their more recent work, and myself presenting Borderline. Malcolm Gee was the moderator.
I was very pleased with the feedback I felt that some had really got what I was trying to convey with the film without using text or language to nevertheless drive a narrative.
A friend came and she was very supportive which I much appreciated. It is always so good to sit down with someone sympatico afterwards for a reality check.
I met a few new people from Brighton and Hongkong and Chester which I enjoyed too. They found it poetic and memorable.
I shall look forward to sharing it on facebook and on vimeo and youtube as well.
The conference was very interesting and there were many papers and presentations plus an exhibition which I went to see before returning to the valley.
For me the main thing was perhaps after all showing work that is very much mine and not only the work I do with Bloodaxe Books, which is also mine of course but in a different way.
Thanks and kudos to Ysanne Holt and Paul Usherwood.

Skyspace

Another very special Midsummer Solstice tradition is going to James Turrells' Skyspace up at Kielder. An extraordinary place to look at changing light and feel that one with the cosmos feeling.
Skyspace is always open but especially effective at either dawn or dusk. The new observatory is also a must visit when in this part of the world, where the nights are dark and there is no light pollution.

New Moon post Midsummer Solstice

The solstice passed in a quiet and calm way. I took a late night walk as the light was fading and listened to the sounds of the valley.
Still busy with the Borderline film, I have so much great footage from this area and at diffferent times, it is hard to choose.
Today is a perfect summer day, warm and sunny the cats are happily strolling about the garden and going up the lane in search of snacks.
It is really peaceful around here it is almost weird. It can be so very silent with only faint sounds like birdsong and lambs.
Then all hell brakes loose and timberwagons thunder by, motorbikes at full speed and no mufflers, explosions at the Otterburn range can be heard all the way here and the jet fighters scaring the living light out of the cats especially as they zoom through the sky far too low for comfort.
Now I am listening to a fly in the room and about to post this image of a cage.