Writers Forum Workshop – Previous workshops
Previous workshops, since the death of Bob Cobbing, have been:
2002 meetings
Saturday 26th October 2002 The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 23rd November 2002 The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 14th December 2002 The Betsey Trotwood
2003 meetings
Saturday 18th January 2003 The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 1st February 2003 The Betsey Trotwood
Recollections of venues are a little muddled now. The workshop had been at The Betsey Trotwood for some years. [Before that we had been at The Churchill on Mount Pleasant. Before that, throughout the nineties, we had been at The Victoria near Mornington Crescent. We moved from The Betsey Trotwood in the autumn of 2002 because the steep narrow stairs were very inconvenient to Bob Cobbing as he became less mobile. We moved to The Sussex near Essex Road, not far from Cobbing's home, easily accessible. We were there one or two weeks. In that time, Cobbing suffered his final illness and died. We moved back to The Betsey Trotwood because it was easier to get to for most of us and the beer was better. The pub was liked by workshop members; but, when it suited them, they treated us badly. When the opportunity arose, we moved to Camden Peoples Theatre (having been invited by the director at that time)
Saturday 6th December 2003, CPT
2004 meetings
Saturday 17 January 2004, CPT
Saturday 31st January 2004, CPT
Saturday 14th February 2004, CPT
Saturday 28th February 2004, CPT
Saturday 20th March 2004 - [part of the CPT Sprint Festival]
Saturday 3rd April 2004, CPT
Saturday 24th April 2004, CPT
Saturday May 15th 2004, CPT
Saturday 5th June 2004, CPT
Saturday 26th June 2004, CPT
Saturday 17th July 2004, CPT
Saturday 4 September 2004, CPT
Saturday 18th September 2004, CPT
Saturday 9 October 2004, CPT
Saturday 30 October 2004, CPT
Saturday 13 November 2004, CPT
Saturday 27 November 2004, CPT
Saturday 11 December 2004, CPT
2005 meetings
Saturday 15 January 2005, CPT
Saturday 29 January 2005, CPT
Saturday 12 February 2005, CPT
Saturday 26 February 2005, CPT
Saturday 12 March 2005, CPT
Saturday 2 April 2005 [Guest Chilean poets joined us] , CPT
Saturday 23 April 2005, CPT
Saturday 7 May 2005, CPT
Saturday 28 May 2005, CPT
Saturday 18 June 2005, CPT
Saturday 9 July 2005, CPT
CANCELLED Saturday 23 July 2005 CANCELLED for "Poetry Buzz"
Saturday 3 September 2005, CPT
Saturday 24th September 2005, CPT
Saturday 15 October 2005, CPT
Saturday 5 November 2005, CPT
Saturday 26 November 2005, CPT
Saturday 10 December 2005, CPT
In the autumn of 2005, staff having changed, CPT told us that, due to the state of their finances, they had to ask Writers Forum Workshop to pay rent in order to support the upkeep of CPT. This seemed entirely reasonable; and, over three months, because we had never before paid rent, we debated the matter (at the loss of much workshop time) and negotiated with CPT. Having reached a satisfactory agreement with CPT, we were supported by them in organising a fund-raising reading in January in order to help pay what we had agreed to pay.
That reading went ahead, with the seasonal publicity from CPT describing us as a resident company. Two weeks later, CPT announced that we did not fit in with their overall programme, a surprising change given what had passed during the previous four months, especially as no then representative of CPT had ever attended any workshop or the fund-raising event. (Over the years we had often been asked to move from this or that venue because the venue believed the space and time could be employed more financially usefully; we had never been asked to move on aesthetic grounds, even by those who actually knew anything about what we do.) It might be added that two of our members regularly present work at CPT
During the first four months of 2006, we paid the agreed rent, but most of our cheques for rent were not presented to the bank. Or so it seems.
By March 2006, we had agreed with The Plough pub in Museum Street to move there from May, accepting various timing changes to fit in with their needs. But they let us down, not confirming the verbal agreement, insisting that they had confirmed, but also saying they couldn't stop and talk just now and needed to check just what they had said but would be in touch - and then we heard nothing more. This nonsense cost us three workshops.
But, see, we have come through. Since 22nd July 2006, we have met at Torriano Meeting House.
2006 meetings
Saturday 14 January 2006, CPT
+ at 9.30 p.m. a fund-raising reading by Peter Manson
Saturday 4-Feb-06, CPT
Saturday 25-Feb-06, CPT
Saturday 18-Mar-06, CPT
Saturday 8-Apr-06, CPT
Saturday 29-Apr-06, CPT
Saturday 20-May-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London
Saturday 10-Jun-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London
Saturday 1-Jul-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London
Saturday 22-Jul-06, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 2-Sep-06, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 23-Sep-06, [Guest Canadian poets joined us] Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 14 October 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 4 November 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 25 November 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 16 December 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 13 January 2007, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 3rd February 2007, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 24 February 2007, The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 17 March 2007, The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 31 March 2007, The Betsey Trotwood
2002 meetings
Saturday 26th October 2002 The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 23rd November 2002 The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 14th December 2002 The Betsey Trotwood
2003 meetings
Saturday 18th January 2003 The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 1st February 2003 The Betsey Trotwood
Recollections of venues are a little muddled now. The workshop had been at The Betsey Trotwood for some years. [Before that we had been at The Churchill on Mount Pleasant. Before that, throughout the nineties, we had been at The Victoria near Mornington Crescent. We moved from The Betsey Trotwood in the autumn of 2002 because the steep narrow stairs were very inconvenient to Bob Cobbing as he became less mobile. We moved to The Sussex near Essex Road, not far from Cobbing's home, easily accessible. We were there one or two weeks. In that time, Cobbing suffered his final illness and died. We moved back to The Betsey Trotwood because it was easier to get to for most of us and the beer was better. The pub was liked by workshop members; but, when it suited them, they treated us badly. When the opportunity arose, we moved to Camden Peoples Theatre (having been invited by the director at that time)
Saturday 6th December 2003, CPT
2004 meetings
Saturday 17 January 2004, CPT
Saturday 31st January 2004, CPT
Saturday 14th February 2004, CPT
Saturday 28th February 2004, CPT
Saturday 20th March 2004 - [part of the CPT Sprint Festival]
Saturday 3rd April 2004, CPT
Saturday 24th April 2004, CPT
Saturday May 15th 2004, CPT
Saturday 5th June 2004, CPT
Saturday 26th June 2004, CPT
Saturday 17th July 2004, CPT
Saturday 4 September 2004, CPT
Saturday 18th September 2004, CPT
Saturday 9 October 2004, CPT
Saturday 30 October 2004, CPT
Saturday 13 November 2004, CPT
Saturday 27 November 2004, CPT
Saturday 11 December 2004, CPT
2005 meetings
Saturday 15 January 2005, CPT
Saturday 29 January 2005, CPT
Saturday 12 February 2005, CPT
Saturday 26 February 2005, CPT
Saturday 12 March 2005, CPT
Saturday 2 April 2005 [Guest Chilean poets joined us] , CPT
Saturday 23 April 2005, CPT
Saturday 7 May 2005, CPT
Saturday 28 May 2005, CPT
Saturday 18 June 2005, CPT
Saturday 9 July 2005, CPT
CANCELLED Saturday 23 July 2005 CANCELLED for "Poetry Buzz"
Saturday 3 September 2005, CPT
Saturday 24th September 2005, CPT
Saturday 15 October 2005, CPT
Saturday 5 November 2005, CPT
Saturday 26 November 2005, CPT
Saturday 10 December 2005, CPT
In the autumn of 2005, staff having changed, CPT told us that, due to the state of their finances, they had to ask Writers Forum Workshop to pay rent in order to support the upkeep of CPT. This seemed entirely reasonable; and, over three months, because we had never before paid rent, we debated the matter (at the loss of much workshop time) and negotiated with CPT. Having reached a satisfactory agreement with CPT, we were supported by them in organising a fund-raising reading in January in order to help pay what we had agreed to pay.
That reading went ahead, with the seasonal publicity from CPT describing us as a resident company. Two weeks later, CPT announced that we did not fit in with their overall programme, a surprising change given what had passed during the previous four months, especially as no then representative of CPT had ever attended any workshop or the fund-raising event. (Over the years we had often been asked to move from this or that venue because the venue believed the space and time could be employed more financially usefully; we had never been asked to move on aesthetic grounds, even by those who actually knew anything about what we do.) It might be added that two of our members regularly present work at CPT
During the first four months of 2006, we paid the agreed rent, but most of our cheques for rent were not presented to the bank. Or so it seems.
By March 2006, we had agreed with The Plough pub in Museum Street to move there from May, accepting various timing changes to fit in with their needs. But they let us down, not confirming the verbal agreement, insisting that they had confirmed, but also saying they couldn't stop and talk just now and needed to check just what they had said but would be in touch - and then we heard nothing more. This nonsense cost us three workshops.
But, see, we have come through. Since 22nd July 2006, we have met at Torriano Meeting House.
2006 meetings
Saturday 14 January 2006, CPT
+ at 9.30 p.m. a fund-raising reading by Peter Manson
Saturday 4-Feb-06, CPT
Saturday 25-Feb-06, CPT
Saturday 18-Mar-06, CPT
Saturday 8-Apr-06, CPT
Saturday 29-Apr-06, CPT
Saturday 20-May-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London
Saturday 10-Jun-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London
Saturday 1-Jul-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London
Saturday 22-Jul-06, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 2-Sep-06, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 23-Sep-06, [Guest Canadian poets joined us] Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 14 October 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 4 November 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 25 November 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 16 December 2006, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 13 January 2007, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 3rd February 2007, Torriano Meeting House
Saturday 24 February 2007, The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 17 March 2007, The Betsey Trotwood
Saturday 31 March 2007, The Betsey Trotwood
posted by Writers Forum Workshop at 9:02 am
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