This is a précis of an article by Rod O'Donoghue that will appear in the Suffolk Poetry Society's Twelve Rivers newsletter.

Desert Island Poems with Nick Wells on the 8^th May 2012 at Benson Blakes attracted an audience of 35-40 people. They came from all parts of the county. Some were SPS members, others from Poetry Aloud plus new faces who came out of interest.

After last year's Sturm und Drang which came near to seeing the end of SPS as we knew it the Society has now entered calmer waters ( though some of us may regret that the previous skipper had so determinedly nailed his colours Poetry Anglia to the mast that he felt he had to jump ship altogether).

Real thanks to everyone who came, read,sang, clapped, made cakes, ate cakes, moved chairs -- we certainly broke the silence of the Meeting House on Saturday!

The Chairman and especially the Treasurer were very happy - we more than covered our costs!

What  variety! I think I enjoyed the dialect poems best and some of the music. But I should like your views!

If we have another event on similar lines (say next year) what would you like to see?

Last night was a rapidly-assembled gathering of 31 poets from all parts of the English-speaking world to protest against the Arts Council's undoing of its support for the Poetry Book Society. It was also a fund-raising event to help make up the deficit. The redoubtable Carol Ann Duffy, the Poet Laureate, was the driver.

The first time I saw and heard Katie Bonna performing was when she read one of her poems at Waterstone's Bookshop in the Arc in Bury St. Edmunds, the second was when a few days later I went to see a performance of 'The London Merchant' at the Theatre Royal where she played the maid, the joint female lead.

Our third birthday celebration with our Pick of the Poets event and Katie Bonna, the performance poet, entertaining seemed to go down very well. We had a very good attendance with some old friends returning. They will be back!

Joe has written eloquently on the latest Poetry Aloud Workshop; in fact he has captured the essence of all of the meetings held thus far over the last few months on the website.
For anyone new to Poetry Aloud, or who has yet to attend a Workshop, let me offer this encouragement to attend.

I never fail to be thrilled by the diversity of the poetry both in form and in subject which occurs at the meetings of Poetry Aloud. Every month seems to throw up something more than just a little bit special. Take March 2011 for instance. I am a regular dog walker on Boxing Day to Felixstowe Ferry, so Stephen 's poem was alive with everything I love about that particular experience. The poem about the Moors Murders also struck a double note with me. I am a child of the 1960's and so a contemporary of the killed and missing child/children. I once attended a football match where A.F.C.

A brief thank you to everyone at Benson's Bar and Grill (have I got the title right?) last night for making me feel so welcome and for allowing me to read three of my poems.

Many thanks.

Jacquie (writing as J.S.Watts)

The Extraordinary General Meeting on the 20th March at Woodbridge was ordinary (and orderly) in everything but name. Our President, Pauline Stainer - and if you haven't read her wonderful and serene

poetry, there is treat in store for you! - opened the meeting and created an aura of calm, which persisted throughout the proceedings.