Outlet - TeesValley's blog

Outlet - Federation of Cleveland Writers Groups

By 1989 and the first Write Around Around festival, the initial base of Writers Groups in the Cleveland (Tees Valley) area had multiplied, largely as a result of Trev Teasdel's Creative Writing Course project since 1986 but not exclusively. 

The idea was to help these groups network interact and share resources and facilitate their development as writers and and as groups and help with the objective of raising the profile of the area as a place where writing could thrive and develop.

In 1985 Trevor and Clive Rawson were involved with a special Write Together project in the North East with Keith Armstrong and Kevin Cadwallander to resource and develop groups in the North East. Cleveland was the poor relation back then. Through Outlet and other developments, the Creative Writing landscape of the Cleveland area had been transformed and Write Around was beginning to consolidate those achievements. It now seemed time to develop a similar Writers Group Network specifically for the Cleveland area, which in turn could redevelop links wider afield in the region.

The Outlet Editorial team discussed this at some length and some of the newer editors took charge of developing this. In particular new Outlet editor Richard Briddon took a lead on this, as it was particularly relevant to his own group - The Middlesbrough Writers Workshop and Margaret Weir, whose newly formed Phoenix Poetry group was developing. Richard produced a draft letter (which will be on here as a pdf soon) to go out to groups and both Richard and Margaret  began by inviting groups in the area to share joint readings and performances, especially during the Write Around Festival but also before and after. The Phoenix Writers Group, through Margaret Weir and Jean Cumbour, for instances arranged joint readings with Poetry 20+, Redcar Writers Group, Bramblethorne Writers, Middlesbrough Writers Workshop, Teesside Writers Workshop, Yarm and Guisborough Writers groups.

Ultimately the Federation only lasted for a short while around the enthusiasm of  the Outlet Editors (and soon funding for Outlet would cease)  and the leaders of the writers groups concerned but 1989 saw the climax of this development from the mid 80'sand was an exciting period in the history of  Creative Writing in the area.

Bramblethorne Writers

Bramblesthorne Writers began 1989 as a group for parents based at Brambles Farm Primary School and serving  the Thorntree and Brambles Farm areas of East Middlesbrough.

The initiative came from Eileen Moran, then head of Brambles Farm School and the East Middlesbrough Language

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 Project, which, to quote from Rebecca O'Rourke's Written on the Margins - Creative Writing and adult education in Cleveland - Leeds University - 1994 page 2

" Sometimes projects designed with children in mind ended up serving adults' needs, as was the case with Bramblethorne Writers.The original impetus came from a project designed to involve parents in boosting their children's reading and writing skills, but it quickly became apparent that parents wanted to develop their own creative writing. This was an eye opener for teachers :

'If there was one,there could be other talented writers in our midst. In the past we'd only considered that some parents would benefit from adult literacy classes. Whether illiteracy was a majority or minority problem we simply didn't know. We assumed it to be a problem of the majority. We were about to discover something that was to change our attitudes and raise our level of expectation.' "

Bramblethorne 2

Eileen Moran was introduced to Trev Teasdel by Community Arts Middlesbrough at the Pavilion in North Ormesby. They had outlined Trevor's work with Teesside Writers Workshop, Outlet and the WEA Creative Writing courses and Eileen invited Trevor to a Creative Writing workshop she had organised for the parents at Brambles Farm Primary School with North East Writer - Wendy Robertson  Wendy took a group of parents through a short story writing workshop and gave them loads of encouragement.

After the workshop Trevor brought in WEA Tutor Organiser Maude Warwick to discuss the possibilities of Trevor running a Creative Writing course at Brambles Farm school for the parents. As a result Trevor tutored at course at the school from 1989 to 1991 with Andy Croft taking over in 1992 when Leeds University Adult Education took over as the provider from WEA.

The Bramblesthorne Writers group formed at the the first term with Trevor as an informal writers group alongside or in-between formal courses and produced with Trevor their first anthology - Bramblesthorne Writers - An Anthology of Short Stoires and Verse and in 1992 produced their second anthology with Andy Croft - Grimm Tales.

In addition, in the autumn of 1989 Eileen Moran asked Trevor to take part as a Writer In Residence in the East

Brambles in Outlet pt2

Brambles in Outlet

 Middlesbrough Language Project's Book Week, delivering workshops in various East Middlesbrough schools, including Brambles Farm Primary, Caldicotts Primary, Thorntree Primary, St Alphonsus, North Ormseby and others in the area over Book Week. At Brambles Farm, the parent writers joined in with the kids.

The Bramblethorn Writers had a double page in the very last issue of Outlet and joined in the Write Around Festival.

More info and articles will be provided via linked pdf files shortly.

Outlet - Writers Group list 1989

Outlet - Writers Groups 1989

Hartlepool Writers Group.

An early and long standing writers group formed at Hartlepool People's Centre in the mid 80's served by Charles Clark's WEA Creative Writing Course and a writers group existed there for quite a long time -maybe even still going although I have no up to date information on that. In 1989 Les Wardle was the contact for the People's Centre group.

In 1987 - Outlet co-editor Viv Harland was also a journalist with the Hartlepool Mail. As a result of her articles on Outlet

Top Copy

 in the Hartlepool Mail, Outlet received a lot of contributions from Hartlepool  Writers and some ventured over to Middlesbrough for Trev Teasdel's Creative Writing courses and also joined the Write Around negotiations and later committee from 1987 onwards. The magazine Top Copy was also a response to Outlet and emphasising the need for their very own Outlet. More on Top Copy in another post.

On August 6th 1987 Hartlepool Poet Tom Nossiter - who had been published in Outlet, won the Hartlepool Times Poetry Competition and became the Hartlepool Times resident poet for 6 months. (see the copy of Hartlepool Times here).

On August 6th three poems from Hartlepool were published on the front page of the Hartlepool Times - Fish and Chips by Tom Nossiter Remember by Norman Dickson (also published by Outlet), An Early Morning Walk in Lakeland by Frank Clark and The Cathedral by Muriel Allison.

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The impact of Outlet via Viv Harland's articles in the Hartlepool Mail had inspired this initiative in the Hartlepool Times as it was recognised the Town had many budding writers.

Among the many writers from Harlepool who had responded to Outlet in its early days were Norman Dickson, Tom Nossiter, Doreen Hoffman, Jean Tabley and Norman Dickson wrote to us for information on Hartlepool Writers groups. We referred him to the Hartlepool People's Centre.

Hartlepool Writers Group

By 1989 Steven Ryan had become a leading light on the Hartlepool Writing Scene, organising a group, running Top

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 Copy and as a member of the 

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early Write Around team and his work was featured in the Harlepool Mail Feb 15th 1989 (see cutting). Steven is quoted as saying that he spent his "time quite happily writing for my own amusement until last year when I got involved with the Cleveland Writing Festival (Write Around)" "it was clear that nothing was going in Harlepool for the writing festival and there was no Harltepool  writers group" (which is why Write Around and Outlet invited Hartlepool writers to the meeting to help make sure something did happen in Hartlepool.Steven was the man to do that. Stevan formed the Hartlepool Writers Group and 30 people turned up and began meeting on a weekly basis with 12 to 20 people turning up. The group attracted members from all walks of life, from housewives to businessmen to retired professionals. Each week the members tell of the writing they have done and read their work aloud for the group's opinion. Steven pointed out that the group wasn't elitist

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 and open to all.

Steven and the group published Top Copy, funded by Northern Arts, although sadly it only lasted for two issues.

Later the group met at The Foggy Furze Library and in the 90's work was done in Hartlepool via Karen Sheader, Andy Croft and Bob Beagrie.

Yarm Writers Group (P.L.O.Y.)

Analects2

Two Writers groups formed in Yarm from Trev Teasdel's WEA Creative Writing Course in 1989. An evening one led by celebrated playwright and Horror writer Graham Farrow and a day time group known as PLOY. http://www.merelyplayers.org/graham_farrow.asp

The group was initially split between being available in the evening and others in the day. There were also differences

Analects

 of approach. In the end the evening one folded as Graham got busy on his playwriting (which has now paid off as his plays are seen around the States and Europe). However Graham remained involved for a while with the day group and with the anthologies.

The day group met at Yarm Library where the class was held. The original group consisted of former students of Creative Writing but after Write Around, include a wider intake of writers that had been involved in other groups or contributed to Outlet.

The group produced an annual anthology called Analects with a competiton to generate new material, participated in the annual Write Around Festival.

Ploy letter

Preface

Ploy 2

Yarm Writers

Yarm Competition

The Free Writers of Southbank

Little information of this short-lived group. Information came to me in 1987 via Community Arts Middlesbrough. It was organised by Joy Lorraine who at the time was part of the Horden Group in County Durham whom we had visited with the Teesside Writers Workshop. Joy was in the Federation of Worker Writers. IA note in Outlet No 6 Dec 1987 read -  " Stop Press - Staring soon - a new writers group for Women run by Joy Lorraine.The first meeting is on Thursday 21st January at the Pavilion, Esk St. North Ormesby, Middlesbrough. The New Group is called 'Free Writers' and begins at 7,30pm. Even if you have never written, you are urged to come along and try your hand in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere. For further details contact Community Arts Middlesbrough - Middlesbrough 225290.

THE PHOENIX POETRY GROUP

Formed in 1988 by Margaret Weir and Jean Cumbour.

The group met at St Mary's Centre in Middlesbrough and was, at the time, an important and lively group.

It's story began when Trev Teasdel visited The Middlesbrough Writers Group at Acklam Library to distribute copies of

Margaret Weir4

 Outlet Magazine and network. Margaret Weir had been elected chair and there was a small group, mostly from Gt. Ayton, who wanted more of a poetry group. Margaret, Jean Cumbour and Demaris Perry were keen on forming a poetry group and asked Trevor to help. 

As with the Redcar group, they set a date and booked Acklam library (later moving to St Mary's Centre) and Trevor notified Outlet poets and many of those who had been in his Middlesbrough classes and were interested in poetry. Margaret, through Trevor got very involved with the Write Around committee eventually joining the Outlet editorial board and became a Creative Writing Tutor for Leeds University adult education.

Margaret had been a regular member of Trevor's Becoming a Poet course for WEA at Teesside University around that time and continued to provide exercises and triggers and encourage discussion and feedback of work. As an Outlet editor and leader of the group,Margaret worked with Richard 

Phoenix Poets

Briddon to develop a federation of local groups to organise joint readings and events. The Phoenix Poetry group led the way in 1989, bringing together the Phoenix group, Bramblethorn Writers, Redcar Writers, Guisborough Writers, Yarm Writers, Poetry 20+ for joint readings / workshops. It was a lively time for writers and the culmination of 5 years development work by the Outlet team.

The Phoenix initiated some performance nights too,at the Sun Inn in Stockton as part of the first Write Around, in Guisborough and at Acklam Library. The Phoenix group only lasted to about 1991 after Margaret and Trevor became parents and therefore had other commitments.

From Outlet No 10 in which the Phoenix Poetry Group had a double page spread.

The Phoenix Poets.

"The Phoenix Poets were formed a year ago (1988),when it became evident that there was a need for a meeting place in the centre of Cleveland for poets who had attended the various Creative Writing classes in the area as well as for contributors to Outlet magazine and for poets whose needs were not met by any other group.

We are a friendly, informal group and exist to give each other moral support, a first audience to read out to and get constructive criticism from. We also write within the group and set themes to write at home,although these are purely optional.We hosted one live event for 'Write Around' 1989 and are working towards another one to be held at the end of October. All poets and creative writers are welcome at any of our meetings and events.

Phoenix Dates / Proposed Agenda - Summer 1989.

Aug 31st - Margaret Weir - Talk on American Poets

Sept 14th - Poetry 20+ Join us for the evening.

Sept 28th Workshop Session

Oct 12th Preparation for Live event

Oct 26th Live event in Guisborough - The Globe -music and poetry.

Nov 9th Terry Lawson (Co-editor of Outlet) gives a poetry workshop

Everyone welcome at St. Mary's Centre Middlesbrough (opposite Odeon Cinema) on the second and last Thursday of every month. 

Phoenix Poets at the Globe

Phoenix at Write Around

 

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Phoenix in Outletpt2

Redcar Writers Group

Redcar Writers Group was formed in February 1989 at Redcar Library and is still going 2010, albeit in a reduced form.

The idea began when Joan Dalton, who had been a member of the Berwick Hills Writers group since 1986 following

RedcarWriters Mins

 Cath McCreery's residency at the library. Joan was a student on Trev Teasdel's WEA Creative Writing course at  Berwick Hills Library in 1988 and said it was a shame there was nothing like that out at Redcar, where she lived.

Trev suggested she might form one there and he could give her some help with it.

Joan booked a room at the library in Redcar and put out a press release to the local Free papers and Evening Gazette while Trevor mailed all those in the Redcar area on the Outlet and WEA Creative Writing mailing lists and put a notice in Outlet Magazine.As a surprise, 30 people turned up on the evening at Redcar Library and Trevor outlined possible structures and aims for the group to adopt. About 15 had come along thinking it was a Creative Writing Class,so Trevor directed them to his Saltburn Class and through the WEA set up an evening Creative Writing course at Ryedale School in Redcar and later another at the Library itself. 

Redcar Writers Newsletter side1

With such a good contingent, even if half were wanting a course, the group formed with Joan acting as secretary and organiser. A committee was elected and a programme was organised. That's not to say there weren't disputes and problems along the way with different people acting as chair but, although quietly spoken, Joan Dalton managed to steer the group through troubled water and the group survived.

Among the chair people were Sarah Telfer and latterly Brian Morton who has run the group since Joan's passing.

Along the way, the Redcar Writers Group played an important part in Write Around, hosting events in the library during  Write Around, competitions and producing anthologies. In 1991 for instance,they had Elvi Rhodes who writes Historical Fiction as the Write Around guest.Their format included invited guests, joint readings / workshops with The Phoenix Poetry Group, Poetry 20+, Guisborough Writers Group through Outlet Editors Margaret Weir and Richard Briddon. Some of the members, like Joan Dalton and Brian Morton, Caroline Duck, got involved with the early meetings towards Write Around.

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More recently, although only a handful of writers are now involved including poet Alan Wattkiss, Brian Morton,who was

Redcar Writers Newsletter side 2

 a Leed University Creative Writing Tutor in the 90's and a performance poet, has tried to run some course to attract new members.The group, like others that were started from Trevor's early courses in the 80's have suffered from the demise of the WEA / Leeds University adult education provision of courses which always resulted in new people replacing those who left for various reasons.

There will some minutes and other documents relating to the Redcar Writers Group on here soon.

From Outlet magazine (Redcar Writers had a double page spread in Outlet issue 11 April 1990)

"some members are in the process of being published and others are still struggling. We meet to encourage each other in our writing though we all seem to be interested in different types of writing, including Science Fiction, horror,romance, poetry, fact and fiction - novels and short stories. We meet on the first the first and third Thursday of every month in the lecture room of Redcar Central Library at 7.15 pm. Anyone interested is welcome"

Redcar 2

Redcar 3

Redcar in Outlet

Redcar in Outlet pt2

The Guisborough Writers Group

The Guisborough Writers Group formed in 1988 from Trev Teasdel's Creative Writing course at Sunnyfield House in

Guisborough Writers Programme

 Guisborough.It is not to be confused with the Guisborough Poetry Group which ceased to exist the year before.

The Guisborough Writers Group formed as a way of enabling the students to carry on meeting after the course finished. Trevor, as tutor, helped the group to form and discussed possible formats and support for the group although some members, had been members of other groups in the area.

The original group in 1988 was quite dynamic and well organised, meeting monthly at Chair Dorothy Henderson's house and took part in early Write Around's. Although the group continued in some form into the 2000's, it's most dynamic period was while the class was going alongside, bringing new blood into the group and continuing with some of the discipline of the class.

In 1989 - members took it in turns to introduce a topic and exercise for the month - that included Songwriting / Childhood memories in writing / Humour in writing / Research in Writing / Writing for Children / Open Session - wrters bringing in examples of their own work for discussion / criticism. (The programme sheet linked here).

Guisborough Writers

Leading members were among the founders of Write Around and the group hosted events in Guisborough for early Write Around for eg in May 1990 they hosted Guest speaker Nicholas Rhea (AKA P.M.Walker) best known for his Constable series on which the TV series Heartbeat was based. In 1989 it had been playwright and poet Tom Haddaway.

In 1989 new Outlet editors Margaret Weir and Richard Briddon organised a network of local writers groups and Guisborourgh joined in joint readings with the Phoenix Poets / Poetry 20+ / Redcar Writers Group following on from the network that was established previously with the regional Write Together network, only involving the now expanded Cleveland network of groups.

As time went on and leading members left or passed on the group became more informal especially after the input of new blood from the Creative Writing classes in Guisborough lessened after 1990 eventually dividing in to two small groups.

Guisborough Write Around

Guis

The early group included members later published by Mudfog such as Margaret Mawston and the secretary of the long standing Middlesbrough Writers Group - Cathy Smallwood

Greentree Poets

The Green Tree poets were a musical band who played at the Green Tree pub in Brotton in the 80's. Often with East Cleveland Alternative Poet - Tim Beswick. They could also be seen sometimes at the Saltburn folk club upstairs at the Victoria. Tim Beswick was a lecturer at Redcar Tech and ran a Creative Writing course there and was also resident poet in Kevin Daws magazine Voice of the North. Tim also co organised a poetry reading in Carlin Howe mid 80's with Gordon Hoyles and many others. (I met Gordon Hoyles there and booked him for the New Poetry Scene). Tim had a poem in the second Outlet from his book  - 

Tim Beswick