Page 22 - link magazine

Swindon Wide
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HEAD RUSH First Swindon festival of poetry planned for 4 to 9 October

HAIR In recent years, a love of poetry in Swindon has been growing rapidly with more and more people picking up a
book of poems to read, brandishing pens to write, or sitting down to creatively tap away on their keyboards.
The town is ready for a festival week somewhere in Swindon.
dedicated to poetry and poets says Next year, the Swindon Festi�
AUGUST OFFER co�organiser Hilda Sheehan. “Not val of Literature will celebrate its
T section, single colour, cut & blow only have we got a lot of people 20th anniversary so what better
dry £48 (£5 per extra colour) involved with poetry in the town time to launch an end of year out�
Valid to 31 Aug 2012 with this advert;
not to be used with any other offer but regularly we have poets coming ing for readers and writers of poetry
Tel: 602552 here from all over the country. They says festival director Matt Holland.
seem to like the real appreciation for “We feel that the time is right for
73 Basepoint, Rivermead, poetry in Swindon and the desire to the established Spring festival of
Westlea, West Swindon hear, read, and enjoy great poems.” literature to have an autumn sister:
Behind Spectrum ‘Renault’ building Supported by Culture Swindon’s focussed on poetry.
Open Tuesday to Saturday Artswords, there are reading “Now that we have prize�winning
Late night Wed & Thurs groups, writing groups and open poets and keen readers and lovers
Free parking • Cash/cheques only mic poetry events almost every of literature in town, we want both
to serve them well and develop and
embrace an even wider audience Moving forces behind the new
for poetry.” Swindon Festival of Poetry, from left,
Plans for the new six�day Swin� Michael Scott, Matt Holland and Hilda
don Festival of Poetry, from 4 to Sheehan
9 October, are now well under� surrounding area but also include
way. The programme will have up known names and celebrity poets,
to twenty events, aimed at all tastes like Robert vas Dias, Jo Bell, and
and ages, taking place in a variety of Pam Ayres.
venues including the Central Library, There will also be a vintage bus
Swindon Arts Gallery, Lower Shaw tour that will celebrate Swindon with
Farm, Artsite, and the Platform. poems and pleasure along the way.
The festival will not only showcase To find out more, contact Hilda:
poetic talent from Swindon and the [email protected]

New York dreams for performer
Verity Dams, 17, from Westlea has won a scholar�
ship to attend the American Musical and Dramatic
Academy in New York.
However the talented New College BTEC gradu�
ate still has to find $30,000 annually to cover tuition
and living costs. She’s in a race against time to
raise the funds to take up the place.
Find out if you can help at http://bit.ly/verityamda
Verity, left, appealing for help from sponsors

Photos record 30 years of a world first
A moving exhibition at Swindon Central Library until 10 September marks
thirty years of Helen & Douglas House, the world’s first children’s hospice
and the pioneer of the children’s hospice movement.
The free display cel�cel�
ebrates the lives of the
New Arrival young people that use the
services of the hospice,
Book your capturing the images and
stories of thirty families
appointment from both Helen House,
for children from birth to
today 16, and Douglas House,
for young adults aged 16 to
35, which opened in 2004
within the same grounds.
One of the families from
Swindon, whose photo�
graph is included in the
collection, are the Patels.
Their daughter Neelu used
01793 613000 to visit Helen House and Neelu, centre, with, back, her mother Manju Patel
and sister Purvi Rao, front, her dad Mahesh,
now receives respite care
[email protected] at Douglas House. brother-in-law Pinakin Rao and nephew baby
Kayaan Rao
Mrs Patel said: “Ev�
www.harmonybrides.co.uk eryone at Douglas House is very relax and do different things.
helpful. We have the confidence to “Helen and Douglas House is
Devizes Rd, Old Town, Swindon SN1 4BG go away and have peace of mind like heaven, we feel she is safe and
(opposite The Arts Centre) that Neelu knows the carers and happy there.”
they know her. We can have a rest, www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

19�48 August 12.indd 22 19/07/2012 10:26