view from our Edinburgh Castle dressing room window

July 2010. Amazing Sunday - playing all day in the Great Hall in Edinburgh Castle - lovely place to play renaissance music. Appreciative audiences, fine acoustic. Then to Victoria Street in the Grassmarket to meet with Rocio von Jungenfeld - textile artist - and Stefanie Tan - film-maker, to work on my poem 'Mellis' which is part of a writing project called 'this collection'  which is 100 poems about Edinburgh. Rocio has chosen 5 of the 100 poems to work with making creative interventions with the poets. Stefanie is making a film of the five events which will be shown in the Edinburgh Fringe in August. Richard was sound man so at some points Rocio and I were being filmed on video and stills and recorded whilst talking and weaving.

Busy times : This week I had a Poem of The Day in The Herald newspaper - It was 'Kelvingrove' from my first collection - About Time, Too. Always a thrill, this is my fourth inclusion in that spot. You can read it here. http://www.heraldscotland.com/poetry-6th-july-2010-1.1040851

I'm having one of my theatre monologues published on The Good Ear Review website in the autumn. The one they chose was 'Sister' which had a rehearsed reading at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh at one of their Fringe events. There is some very fine work on the site. Take look and send them one of yours. http://thegoodearreview.com/

This month I have ten poems showcased on the Caught In The Net online magazine which features a writer each month, a great opportunity to have a body of work on show.  There is a feedback option - so far the comments on mine have been appreciative ! All you have to do is send a siungle poem - if they like it they'll ask for more and if they like them, they'll feature your work for a month. A link from CITN sent me to another e-magazine that was looking for poems and images of makers' marks on architecture and furniture - here's the one of mine they chose....

Harbour wall, Whitehaven

Staking a Claim

In slate quarries, on pyramids,

on harbour walls,

where the stones squeeze the air,

no need of mortar where

the fit is kin to kin, a blade

might enter between, pierce

the perfect join as if to say,

‘Only God is perfect’.

But the incision, the mark

of the mason, says,

anonymously, modestly,

‘I too took part.’

Delightful writing group assembled at 'The Swan' at Kingholm Quay on 29th April - the creative team behind The Tide Machine spoke about the origins of their tide-powered stage and orrery - then five writers fell to creating haiku, myths out of science reports, lunar legends and 21st century mermaids - watch this space for an update on developments.

Saturday 10th April 7.00 pm Caerlaverock Visitor Centre,near Dumfries

             Vivien Jones : writer                                    Jackie Galley : writer                    

'Tree' - new writing and musical responses to the tree, wood and the forest

 by writers Jackie Galley and Vivien Jones and musicians, Michael Hendry, Rebecca Hendry

and Richard Jones. Details 01461 700396

          Michael Hendry: guitars            Rebecca  Hendry : flute            Richard Jones : guitars,

          & percussion                          & percussion                       dulcimer & percussion

Saturday 17th April 3.00 pm Thomas Tosh Art Gallery & Cafe, Thornhill

a reading from 'Goosechase' and 'Soundscapes' by award winning poets Jean Atkin,

Jackie Galley, Fiona Russell and Vivien Jones. Details 01461 700396

The performers are David Turner , Adele Gerhaghty , Vivien Jones, Jolen Whitworth and Joan Hewitt

at the Newcastle Gateshead Winter Festival:-`Patched Fools' Ballads' present a Performance of Midwinter Festival Poemsat the Theatre Royal on Saturday 19th December 10am  to 12:30 pm, Tickets £5 including Coffee or Tea and biscuits. Audience members will be invited to read a favourite Mid Winter poem.

This is where I will list writing and early music events that I'm involved in or will be going to. So it will be a kind of diary that I share with you.