The scariest "gig" of all...only joking children!

I recently did something I have NEVER done before – a poetry session in a real classroom with real children - YIKES! How I came to meet Miss Lowe, their teacher, is another story (see Audlem Poetry Slam) but the children of Adderley Primary School were fab, and everyone made me so welcome. With her kind permission, I read some children’s poetry by Emma Purshouse, plus poems by some young winners of the Poetry Society competition from various years, and a couple of my own. Adderley is a small school and the age range in the class was from 7 years old, to a young lady who will be 12 in September and off to high school. We finished the session of readings and chat, by asking the young students to write an eight line poem, which I stressed did not have to rhyme! Miss Lowe was in the classroom with me at all times together with her TA’s (phew) but the kids were super-duper and really chatty and lovely. AND just look at the book they have made for me as a thank you gift. Terrific stuff.  As my thanks I will be donating a copy – not my signed copy - of Emma Purshouse’s book “I once knew a poem who wore a hat” to the school library. It’s a great book and explains the iguana and cheese photos! Hats off to all teachers, say I, and to all poems whether they wear a hat or not.