Tue 22nd Dec 2015 

Write Angle celebrates Poetry & Music Jollys at the 'Folly'

Christmas is always a special time for Write Angle. So much to be done, that an evening of poetry, comedy, music and food, is a 'welcome relief'! Epecially at our new 'Folly Upstairs' – a warm, cosy place to sit back on sofa or chair...and enjoy, or get up and show what you can do!

December's Guest Performer Paul Lyalls took to the stage with a giant leap – the 'only poet who has a code by which his life is lived'; 'Carpe post meridien' (Seize the afternoon) and he does! He tells of how he was entered twice in the Guinness Book of World Records; as the first poet ever to perform at the new Wembley Stadium, then for having the smallest audience ever!

His stories and poetry go on without stop. He was with Denzel Washington when they passed a homeless man. Having had a good day, Denzel bent down and gave him $50. The man jumped up and shouted, 'Hey everybody! Will Smith's just given me 50 bucks! He then recited 'Some things that only happen in the movies. '... any lock can be picked with a credit card or a paper clip. Only in the movies can one bullet blow up a car…

Paul said, when he reached 40 not long ago, he immediately realised 'life starts at 20'. Then told of a friend who was so excited at reaching 50 – till he saw a magazine in his doorway. 'SAGA', advertising rails for your garden, but the one that really got him was 'slippers with headlights'. He had the audience laughing from beginning to end. My favourite though is when his wife asked' what are you thinking' (he hates that) and he didn't want to tell her he wished he was in IKEA in a cupboard waiting for someone to open the door, so he'd jump out and say, 'excuse me, What country am I in'.

Paul is a wonderful and polished performer. He is funny, warm and – his timing is perfect –He involves the audience and they're with him from start to finish!

At the Open Mic, Bruce Parry read 'War Time Christmas Underground', a moving poem about the bomb coming and those at Bethnel Green. 'Everything chipping..falling' Then, a story of a girl who wanted a yellow skipping rope but he didn't want to buy it for her so he offered her everything else but she insisted on the yellow rope. He finally had no choice but buy it for her. As she left, laughing and happy, a brilliant shaft of moonlight lit up the calipers on both her legs. Nick Eisen, newcomer and professional poet, read 'Ho Ho Frickin Ho'. Santa was tired, bored – it was time to protest. 'Santa's going to strike', ending with, 'I'll purge your urge to buy'. Then 'DIY', a poem describing the assembly of items in flat packs. If that doesn't make one stay away from DIY, I don't know what would. 'Assemble all shown in C in diagram 2..tighten bolts, ending in 'you've now assembled the human condition, an interactive work for which there is no guaranteed instruction manual!'

David Roberts did 'Wind Messenger', about a black cat with wings sent to Earth. Then from a painting called Winter'. 'The end of things and looking forward to the blossoming of Spring.

G. Rimes did 'Identity Mistaken' about a man named Barry looking for employment. Chris Sangster did 'Carbon Credit Christmas'. 'Do angels leave carbon footprints? The world is cooling, not warming. We're not as smart as we think..the earth is used to self-healing.' Then, 'The New Train of Thought' about a woman looking from her work window, at the train to Gunwharf Keys passing, on a raised level – day after day, watching the passengers and 'fluorescent light, her only light'. Come Christmas, though, she's happy. He then played the ukelele, 'Hope you have a happy day'. The audience joined in. Jake and Leah added their Christmas poems for the holiday.

There must be something about newcomers to Write Angle; so often, they win the raffle, this time a £50 meal voucher from Côte, the French restaurant in Chichester. A fantastic place with great food and service! How do we get these wonderful restaurants to offer us raffles? (someone asked) We don't know but we can't thank them enough for supporting us the way they do!

All in all, a very good evening with lots of laughs and good spirits!

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