Poets Corner packs a punch!

A wonderful time was had by all at an evening of live poetry "Poets Corner",provided by The People's Gallery on Saturday,at Stalybridge Town Hall Gardens

Alex Warner

Photo group given grant

MEMBERS of an Ashton community centre are delighted after a project they worked on for years has finally achieved some recognition. People at Broadoak community centre who took pictures of the developing landscape of the canal in Stalybridge have been given a council grant to enable them to exhibit their work. Many of the people at the community centre have learning difficulties. Artist John Kimpton, who works at the People's Gallery said: "The people at the community centre did approach a number of organisations with their work but nobody wanted to know. Now with this grant from the Economic Development Unit they can show everyone what talent they have and their work is really second to none. It just shows, talent is everywhere. We want to put some culture back into Stalybridge. It's about time people with talent were able to show it" The exhibition will run until 23 August at the People's Gallery on Melbourne Street in Stalybridge. The gallery is open 10.30am to 3pm weekdays. [The Advertiser 21Aug 2003]

Livewire musician and songwriter Darren Poyzer (grab his CD 'Passion and Conflict'...poyzer.com) blew me away with just two songs he wrote himself.
It was the passion,evident as he sang,emotion stretch on his face,as he strummed away (acoustic) as the sun slowly set.
Beverly Warner held the audience in the palm of her hand! It takes guts to stand up and be counted for Jesus Christ,and she sang her heart out in flawless metzo sporano,accompanied only by a CD,powered by a stereo run on batteries. I never knew the meaning of pride until I heard her sing,and her voice is beautiful.
David Borrell is an artist and poet. His poems are as powerful as the pictures he paints and his daughter Nancy individually revealed such strength and beauty,in what they had to say.He was witty,and laid back,with poignant 'punchy' poems. Nancy was outspoken and brilliant,and I detect a touch of the thespian in her presentation and delivery. Catch her while you can - in fact catch them both.
Gwenda Warrington moved us all when reading out poems by Walter de la Mare ( A horse called Dobbin),and William Wordsworth (I wandered Lonely as a Cloud),and Margaret Cooke was charmingly funny,and honest,with her pithy poetry and anecdotes. She is always an amazing lady,very down-to-Earth,and with a heart of Gold.
Local Artist John Kimpton,read a poem about a Liverpool Christmas (in a Liverpool accent),and one about "Blue Skies",which he wrote when he was 15.
Stuart Valentine was excellent,especially with his epic protest about the closure of the Palace Cinema in Stalybridge - "The Last Picture Show!" and "Shutdown". Stuart is an exceptionally talented individual,whose work merits publication,and I think we'll be hearing more of him. David Mellor was the first poet to be introduced,and he proved his mettle as a "seasoned performance poet" with a strong oral delivery. He included a poem written by fellow poet Kitty Warner "Words" (Kitty is currently on holiday).
Leon Rafnson is an American from Minnesota,whose voice booms with clarity and command. His "The Badger and the Hen" was a 'classic',it was charming,witty and eloquent,and captured our hearts.
Steven Ollerenshawe made an excellent compere,adding a sense of harmony throughout the manic energy of the evening.I want to thank John Kimpton for kindly purchasing a portable PA system,and all of my kind and encouraging colleagues at The People's Gallery,plus everyone who took part,to prove that Poet's Corner packs a punch!
The next gig will be on September 13,weather permitting,at Stalybridge Town Hall Gardens,at 7pm. Mid September sees a series of weekly gigs held at the Q pub in Stalybridge.For details telephone (0161) 338 8333.

Gallery's tribute to fellow artist

A LEADING Tameside artist is unveiling a new exhibition and supporting a valuable community art scheme. Art fans can get a glimpse of the latest work from Lizzie Van Dottie when she launches her new exhibition at the People's Gallery in Stalybridge. The Ashton based artist said as well as showing off her latest work she is delighted to be able to support the Melbourne Street gallery - which focuses on local artists and community art schemes. Lizzie told the Advertiser that her exhibition portrays a variety of different topics, including her heroes from the '60s and a variety of paradoxical self portraits. And she added that the exhibition is being held as a tribute to a close friend who is currently battling with a serious blood disorder. Tribute "I wanted to pay tribute to my friend and fellow artist David Vaughn who has been a great inspiration to me over the years. "He is currently in hospital at the moment because he is very poorly and I just want to wish him all the best," she said. Anyone interested in Lizzie's work can catch the exhibition until the end of the month. [The Advertiser 9/10/2003]

Memory Lane HAPPY memories of Ashton market have been captured by a local artist. A man and his dog, a child throwing a temper tantrum and shoppers waiting for the bus are just some of the many daily scenes brought together in a book by Stalybridge artist John Kimpton. But after the tragic fire which devastated the town's indoor market, John has now joined forces with Ashton's marketing manager Peter Hawley to sell the remaining copies at £8 each and donate all profits to the Phoenix Fund "I shopped there regularly and enjoyed the bustle of life in and around the market," John said.
	"The book really shows the market as the heart of the town and if, by donating the income from the sale of my book, I can help those traders that lost everything to start again, I'll be very happy". You can get your hands on one of John's books by simply filling in the coupon below and sending it with your payment to.- Art of the Community, Staveleigh House, 70 Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, 0L6 7RX
PLACE your bids for a very unusual painting! Although Ashton Market Hall will one day rise from the ashes, a local artist has put pen to paper to make sure the blaze was not be forgotten. Arthur Broadhead's ink sketch 'The Lonely Tower,' showing the remains of the market hall after the fire, is currently on display at Central Art Gallery in Ashton. And to help out devastated stall-holders, the local lad has donated a copy to auction off for the Phoenix Fund. Arthur, of Yew Tree Close, Ashton, was brought up as an apprentice sign writer in the indoor market and made many of the traditional signs. He said: "It was part of my life as a boy a trip to Ashton was a trip to the market. Some of my friends had stalls in there too. It's very sad and I think the picture reflects that." Anyone interested in buying the print can contact the Advertiser on 339 7611 before Friday August 13, when it will be sold to the highest bidder.[The Advertiser 15/7/2004]

The art of appealing by Sue Carr
Art for auction: artists Peter Milner,left, John Kimpton and Henry Bucket	AN ART extravaganza is set to raise vital cash to help Ashton's market traders -but we need readers' help. Artists John Kimpton and Henry .Buckett have teamed up to hold a massive art auction for the market hall Phoenix Fund. Artists across the borough are being urged to join the charity effort and donate a piece of their work. And Tamesiders are being given the chance to snap up the one-off paintings and help a good cause at the same time. Henry, who runs Henry's Art Studio, above Henry's Consoles on Melbourne Street, Stalybridge, said: "I ran a second-hand book stall and then a sweet stall in Stalybridge market for about five years until they closed it down because business was so bad. "
I managed to get through it but I know what it's like to struggle, so I thought it would be nice to do something for the Ashton traders. I would hate to see the market go." Around 80 artists have already promised paintings for the charity collection but Henry is appealing for many more. He said: "I would like to at least double that amount and hopefully raise thousands of pounds. This is an opportunity for unknown and professional artists to exhibit their work - it can be in any medium and on any theme - and also for people to pick up a unique piece of art. " Many of them are of local scenes and we've also got a couple of the market hall." Ashton Town Hall will host the auction on Wednesday, 25 August, starting at 6.30pm. All paintings can be viewed at 'Henry's Art Studio' from 11-24 August and on the day at the town hall from 11am. An auctioneer is also needed to donate their time and expertise on the night. Anyone who can help should call Henry on 304 9284. [The Advertiser July 29,2004]

John's on market for art

AN artist is helping people piece together images of Ashton's famous market hall. John Kimpton has designed a jigsaw puzzle featuring pictures of the Victorian hall and its shoppers. The 96-piece limited edition set, entitled 'When the Clock Stopped', will be sold to raise money for renovation of the Grade Two listed building which was destroyed by a fire four years ago. John, 45, who lives in Glossop, was a regular visitor to the market during his childhood and found it a rich source of subject material. Over the years he sketched the characters he saw there which were published in a book, The Art of The Community. A series of his sketches - sponsored by the Advertiser - are also mounted on boards surrounding the old market. John was commissioned by markets manager Ian Kelly to do the jigsaw, now on sale at the market office for £14.99. "I've been sketching around the market place for years, it's a really interesting place," said John. "The clock tower features on the jigsaw and there are various pictures of the people around the market. I've tried to make sure the pictures show people caring for each other These are people who are at the market, people who make up the community not figureheads or people in authority- the people who live there, who care about the area and each other" Only 300 jigsaws of three different views have been produced and John says they may well become collectors' items. Three of the puzzles have been designed to be different from the cover. On completion of the puzzle anyone who realises they have one of the three can contact Ian Kelly to win a prize of £250. To get hold of a jigsaw phone 342 3268 or go to www.johnkimpton.co.uk [The Advertiser May31,2007]

A community cinema?

ON READING J Clementi's letter concerning the Palace and the Metro cinemas, I see that he suggested a songwriter should write a song entitled "It's A Long Way To The Nearest Cinema." I must point out that over the last two months I have written an epic poem entitled "Last Picture Show." The poem is in eight parts and explores the history of the cinema since 1960 with special attention to the Palace in Stalybridge. Within this epic poem, the blandness of the multiplexes is highlighted. I see that Mr Clementi expressed concern over the future of the Metro building and I have read that the amusement arcade will continue to trade there. I feel that the Metro should continue as a cinema through community involvement. Some examples of community-owned cinemas exist in Middleton, Crosby and Stockport. In the meantime we should pot only push for the maintenance of the Metro as a cinema but also support the efforts of those wishing to restore and reopen the Theatre Royal. STUART VALLENTINE Clayton Street, Dukinfield [The Advertiser Sep25 2003]

The Lovers

They come two in one
One melting of two lights
Dark to light to one
Moon to Sun, Mother-to-Father
They come full force as one
They come fire to water
World unspoken to a shouting force
Tornado manifesting the unseen
Face of wax melting to steel
Iron fist hiding velvet
Soft to hard, water to rock
Earth to wind, Love to Hate
One equal power to many sides
Twisting to one fate, destiny
Love the great force unseen
Invisible glue of all matter
Come and going into being
From nowhere to the seen
From eve sight to oblivion
Tunnel without light beckoning
I call forth the fire
I call forth the water
I call forth the visible
I call forth the unseen
One Power. One Force. One Love
Falling thru Time
Time mirror of illusion.

- Charly, February 1999 (www.karmicastrology.tv/articles.htm )

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