Poetry 20 + (1962 - 1993)

Poetry 20 + was one of the earliest and one of the main Writing Groups in Cleveland (UK) of the modern period and held the lamp for Cleveland Writing along with The Middlesbrough Writers Group from the early 60's until the 1980's when more Creative Writing activities began to be organised.

Poetry 20+ was launched 23rd May 1962 and ran for nearly 30 years and ended roughly about 1993

The group was founded by Magdalene and Archie Donald and Mary Williams (teacher, local historian, poet) continuously led the group until her death in December 1989 (see Margaret Weir's interview with Mary for Outlet Magazine below). Bill Hart ran the group after Mary's death and they linked in with Margaret Weir's Phoenix Poetry Group later recuiting members from the Phoenix group when it went defunct in 1991.

They first met at Eastbourne Rd. Middlesbrough, later moving to the Leeds University Centre at Harrow Rd. M'bro and then Acklam Library. When the affiliation fees became too high they started to meet in each other's houses, thereafter at All Saints Community Centre, Middlesbrough, and when the fees again became prohibitive, at Acklam Library, their most recent venue. Meetings were held in September, October, March, April,,May, June, July. On the 2nd Weds of the month. They met ten times a year. 

Main activities -

Manuscript meetings - Classic poems as well as member's own poems..Exercises and discussions.

One of their early achievements was participation in a children's poetry competition in which the Evening Gazette was also involved. Poetry 20+ did the initial judging. Their selection was then sent to Phillip Larkin in Hull, who did the final judging and the prizes were later presented by David Kossof at Darlington Arts Centre. There then followed a meeting with Yorkshire poets (from the West Riding), at Harrow Rd.

Members incuded - Mary Williams, Frank  & Miriam Talling (of Middlesbrough branch of the WEA), Joan Clark, Vincent Mulholland, Peggy Jones, Evelyn Henderson, H.W Hart, Freda Davey, Eileen Rattenbury, Ethel Robinson, Mavis Strudwick, Frank Strudwick. Magdalene and Archie Donald, L and more.

Links with other groups / activities - Members such as Frank Talling and his wife were dedicated members of the Middlesbrough branch of the WEA (Workers' Educational Association) right into their 80's. The core of the group were regular attenders of Andy Croft's WEA Literature classes in the early 1980's. Some of the members attended other groups such as Middlesbrough Writers Group and Thornaby Pavillion Poets (notably Vincent Mullholland who was a co-founder of that group). Vincent also became a member of Yarm Writers in the 1990's - a group set up from one of Trevor Teasdel's WEA Creative Writing classes. By 1990 many of the founding members had deceased and the numbers were declining. After Mary William's death, the remining members of the group joined Margaret Weir's Phoenix Poetry Group and took part in the annual Write Around festival. Before that Poetry 20+ had enjoyed joint readings with the Phoenix Poetry group which Margaret Weir had organised.

Publications / Performances  -  Published their first Folio in 1963, with one following every year since. (some are on PDF files here) others in Middlebrough Central and Cleveland Libraries.

Additional Info This group was the first and longest running poetry group in the area (at least in modern times).

POETRY 20 + Anthologies - A few of their annual anthologies can be downloaded on PDF via the links below. 

Poetry 20+thumb

Poetry 20+ 1988 Anthology

Poetry 20 + 1989 Anthology

Poetry 20 + 1990 Anthology

http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/cardboardcity/page33.phtml - Some local History writers.

A sheet of the groups poetry exercises will be uploaded soon.

Shortly before Mary Williams died in December 1989 - Margaret Weir of the Phoenix Poetry Group and a co-editor of Outlet - interviewed Mary for Outlet. By the time it was printied in Outlet it had sadly became an obituary.

MARY WILLIAMS TALKS TO MARGARET WEIR - The OUTLET INTERVIEW

A few weeks ago I drove over to Marske to talk Mary Williams, writer, local historian and long term leader of the Poetry 20+ group.

Born in 1924, the daughter of S.M. Williams, who wrote children's adventure stories in his spare time, Mary was one of the early members of Poetry 20+, formed in 1962 by Magdalene and Archie Donald. The first meeting was held at Eastbourne Rd. in Middlesbrough and thereafter the poets were for many years based in the Leeds University Adult Education Centre at Harrow Rd. They met ten times a year and published their first Folio in 1963, with one following every year since. Throughout they have had a core of eight or nine regular members.

One of their early achievements was participation in a children's poetry competition in which the Evening Gazette was also involved. Poetry 20+ did the initial judging. Their selection was then sent to Phillip Larkin in Hull, who did the final judging and the prizes were later presented by David Kossof at Darlington Arts Centre. There then followed a meeting with Yorkshire poets (from the West Riding), at Harrow Rd. When the affiliation fees became too high they started to meet in each other's houses, thereafter at All Saints Community Centre, Middlesbrough, and when the fees again became prohibitive, at Acklam Library, their most recent venue. The group has existed for 27 years, and, as Mary said "I think the group have done their bit for Poetry"

THE WRITER HERSELF - PUBLICATIONS

Cleveland's History - (1984 Seaside Books)

A collection of local history articles edited by Chris Scott Wilson. Mary contributed two articles.

The Pottery that Began Middlesbrough - A book by Mary about Middlesbrough Old Pottery, as it was known, not to be confused with Linthorpe Potteries. This was published in 1985 by C. Books.

Witches in Old North Yorkshire - Published in 1987 by Hutton Press, which operates in Beverley, Yorks. Having completed her manuscript, Mary spoke to Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-Le-Hole, knowing that they have a special interest in the folklore of Yorkshire witches. They said they could sell it and recommended that she try Hutton Press, who much to her delight, said ‘Yes' to publication.

The same year C. Books released a publication, Who Was Who in Nineteenth Century Cleveland? - by Mary and David M. Tomlin, who is a leading light of the Cleveland Archaeological Society. C. Books are available from P.O. Box 11, Redcar TS10 1YS (Note: Can't vouch for the address being the same now - Ed.)

ARTICLES

Mary had her first piece of writing accepted by the Evening Gazette in 1981. She then learned from David Phillippson who had written a history of Redcar Lifeboats, that the then, Cleveland Courier was looking for local history articles. One by one Mary sent them eighteen articles which they published fortnightly until the Courier ceased publication in March 1984. At the end of May 1984, the Cleveland Clarion arrived through her letterbox and she sent her last article to the editor who was very enthusiastic, and so she writes weekly. Articles have included "William Stanes" - The Iron Cooper of Marske

"The History of Warrenby" (This was a special request for an account of a community no longer in existence, as it has been re-housed in Redcar.

 A POT OF GOLD

One useful contact created through the auspices of the Clarion was one Mr Papprill - licensee of the Victoria in Saltburn. Converting the premises to a pub, he stumbled across a blocked off section of the cellar, behind which was a mass of old papers. Miraculously he didn't just dump them. Investigating he discovered that they told a story of a firm of printers that had existed there years before. This, as Mary described it, was ‘A Real Pot of Gold'., as the information contained in these old papers inspired many other articles too.

SALTBURN - A FISHING VILLAGE

Once, going through newspaper archives in search of something completely different, Mary found an article written in 1904 by a reporter who at the time had to interview an old lady who lived was living next door to ‘The ship Inn' at Saltburn. Her images of Saltburn dated back to before 1861 when Saltburn was merely a few fishing cottages near The Ship.

REQUESTS

People who ask for articles - a piece for St. Peter's Church, Redcar, to celebrate their anniversary. Marske charities her their archives and asked for an article, as did the British Legion's Women's Board. Only once has she returned into fiction, when she was asked for a a series of articles on Christmas and invented a family, Martin and Martha Cleveland of Marske. This was the springboard for comparing their past Christmases of Yule Logs and Fromenty Wheat with the seasonal festivities of today.

http://simplestartpage.com/2306F_FURMITY.HTML

PRESENTLY

A retired school teacher, Mary is presently continuing with articles for the Clarion, and is a member of the Cleveland Family History Society and Teesside Local History Society. Whilst staying loyal to Poetry 20+ , Mary seems pleased that many more forums for poets and other writers are opening up in the area. As regards future publications she has a ‘few irons in the fire', and books will, as she says ‘appear when and if'. Remembering her cosy living room-cum-office with its ‘Piles of Files' and rows of books, it seems a forgone conclusion that Mary will continue to find expression for her perceptive and enquiring mind and talent with words, whatever form these take.

Margaret Weir (1989) - First published in OUTLET 1989

Comments

[Ann]

Didn't the Poetry 20+ group also meet for a time at the Hartington Road  site of Leeds Adult ed? Or was that another group? Would be very early 80s, prob 82, and Mary Williams was there.

[Outlet - Tees Valley]

Think that was another Mary - Mary Cooper - The Women's Writers Group / WEA course that met at the WEA / Durham University site in Hartington Rd (Stockton). Leeds Uni was south of the Tees and Durham Uni North of the Tees don't forget. Will sort the problem of the interview not showing if I can!

[Ann]

what does position of the tees have to do with it? 

[Outlet - Tees Valley]

Durham University's area stopped was North of the Tees and Stockton is north of the Tees and so the old university (and WEA) centre of Stockton - where Mary Cooper ran the Women Writers group / course was Durham University as opposed to the Middlesbrough centre at Harrow rd - South of the Tees which was run by Leeds University adult ed. Mary Williams ran Poetry 20+ at the Leeds centre and Mary Cooper at the Durham Uni centre.