Wish you were Here - Seaside Stories

22/05/2025

POETS! POETS! POETS!
Take up your pens and pencils, keyboards and tablets (of stone?) and get writing!
You only have just over two weeks to get your entries into the St Annes Carnival poetry competition this year! And you know how time sweeps by! Hasten away!
ALL the details are below in the post from the carnival page.
It's FREE to enter.
The theme for this year is MOVIE MAGIC.
Entries have been coming in but we still need more.
Looking forward to reading your submissions.
SO...
PENS! PAPER! ACTION!

Calling All Poets – It's Time to Get Creative! ✍️✨🎬

This year, the St Annes Carnival Poetry Competition is back with a twist — and we want YOU to be part of it!

We’re inviting poets aged 7 and up (no upper age limit!) to submit their entries before carnival weekend. All poems will be judged anonymously to keep things fair and fun for everyone!

Happy for our poets to be from all over the UK!

Submission window opens: 📅 Saturday 3rd May 2025
Deadline for entries: ⏰ Saturday 21st June 2025 at 11:55pm
Winners notified by: 🏆 Saturday 5th July 2025
Award Ceremony: 🎉 Saturday 12th July 2025 at Ashton Gardens
(All poems will also be featured right here on our page!)

Theme: MOVIE MAGIC 🎥🍿✨
Think big screen, technicolour, action-packed or heartwarming – let your imagination run wild!

Categories:

Ages 7–11
Ages 12–18
Ages 18+
Entry rules:

Max 14 lines per poem ✒️
Any poetic style is welcome
Multiple entries allowed (one poem per Word doc)
Do not include your name or personal info on the document itself 🚫
In the email body, include your name, age category, poem title(s), and contact info
Send entries to: [email protected]
Judge: Local author, poet & writing coach Linda Hampton 📚

Important: Entries that don’t follow the guidelines will sadly be disqualified, so please double-check before sending!

You don’t have to wait until May to get started — grab your pen (or keyboard) and start writing your poetic blockbuster now! We can’t wait to see what you come up with! ⭐

22/05/2025

POETS! POETS! POETS!
Take up your pens and pencils, keyboards and tablets (of stone?) and get writing!
You only have just over two weeks to get your entries into the St Annes Carnival St Annes Carnival poetry competition this year! And you know how time sweeps by! Hasten away!
ALL the details are below in the post from the carnival page.
It's FREE to enter.
The theme for this year is MOVIE MAGIC.
Entries have been coming in but we still need more.
Looking forward to reading your submissions.
SO...
PENS! PAPER! ACTION!

Calling All Poets – It's Time to Get Creative! ✍️✨🎬

This year, the St Annes Carnival Poetry Competition is back with a twist — and we want YOU to be part of it!

We’re inviting poets aged 7 and up (no upper age limit!) to submit their entries before carnival weekend. All poems will be judged anonymously to keep things fair and fun for everyone!

Happy for our poets to be from all over the UK!

Submission window opens: 📅 Saturday 3rd May 2025
Deadline for entries: ⏰ Saturday 21st June 2025 at 11:55pm
Winners notified by: 🏆 Saturday 5th July 2025
Award Ceremony: 🎉 Saturday 12th July 2025 at Ashton Gardens
(All poems will also be featured right here on our page!)

Theme: MOVIE MAGIC 🎥🍿✨
Think big screen, technicolour, action-packed or heartwarming – let your imagination run wild!

Categories:

Ages 7–11
Ages 12–18
Ages 18+
Entry rules:

Max 14 lines per poem ✒️
Any poetic style is welcome
Multiple entries allowed (one poem per Word doc)
Do not include your name or personal info on the document itself 🚫
In the email body, include your name, age category, poem title(s), and contact info
Send entries to: [email protected]
Judge: Local author, poet & writing coach Linda Hampton 📚

Important: Entries that don’t follow the guidelines will sadly be disqualified, so please double-check before sending!

You don’t have to wait until May to get started — grab your pen (or keyboard) and start writing your poetic blockbuster now! We can’t wait to see what you come up with! ⭐

23/04/2025

If you write poetry you may like to read the post below.
St Annes Carnival are running their annual poetry competition and all the details are below. Please have a read and if you have any questions drop me a comment.
The submission window opens on Saturday 3rd May and remains open till 7th June.
The theme this year is Movie Magic.
Submissions are by EMAIL ONLY this year.
SO...there's no time like the present...start thinking about the theme which can be interpreted in any way you like and then have a play around, put pen to paper and see what comes rushing onto the page.
Please share the post and let's get everyone waxing lyrical this summer....
Thanks for reading.
L
xx

Calling All Poets – It's Time to Get Creative! ✍️✨🎬

This year, the St Annes Carnival Poetry Competition is back with a twist — and we want YOU to be part of it!

We’re inviting poets aged 7 and up (no upper age limit!) to submit their entries before carnival weekend. All poems will be judged anonymously to keep things fair and fun for everyone!

Happy for our poets to be from all over the UK!

Submission window opens: 📅 Saturday 3rd May 2025
Deadline for entries: ⏰ Saturday 21st June 2025 at 11:55pm
Winners notified by: 🏆 Saturday 5th July 2025
Award Ceremony: 🎉 Saturday 12th July 2025 at Ashton Gardens
(All poems will also be featured right here on our page!)

Theme: MOVIE MAGIC 🎥🍿✨
Think big screen, technicolour, action-packed or heartwarming – let your imagination run wild!

Categories:

Ages 7–11
Ages 12–18
Ages 18+
Entry rules:

Max 14 lines per poem ✒️
Any poetic style is welcome
Multiple entries allowed (one poem per Word doc)
Do not include your name or personal info on the document itself 🚫
In the email body, include your name, age category, poem title(s), and contact info
Send entries to: [email protected]
Judge: Local author, poet & writing coach Linda Hampton 📚

Important: Entries that don’t follow the guidelines will sadly be disqualified, so please double-check before sending!

You don’t have to wait until May to get started — grab your pen (or keyboard) and start writing your poetic blockbuster now! We can’t wait to see what you come up with! ⭐

30/06/2024

We're back in Ashton Gardens from 12 till 2pm today as part of St Annes Carnival weekend. Kate Eggleston-Wirtz and myself will be running our art and poetry workshops in our gazebo next door to the Crazy Golf.
Come and find us and write some circus themed poetry, add you words to the circus themed community artwork, then under the direction of Kate create a piece of art to attach to the artwork all of which will go on display afterwards in St Annes Library.

It's all FREE...so do come down and join in the fun.
Loads going on in the gardens today!

Roll up! Roll up!

29/06/2024

Had a fun day judging poetry and art competitions at St Annes Carnival today with the lovely Kate Eggleston-Wirtz
In the afternoon we ran art and poetry workshops to create wonderful piece of community art. More photos to follow...
We'll be running the workshops again tomorrow 12-2pm in Ashton Gardens. You can find us next to to the Crazy Golf...

28/06/2024

It's St Annes Carnival tomorrow!
Looking forward to reading your circus themed poems for the poetry competition. Bring your entries to the main tent between 9 and 10.30am.... and roll up roll up for a fabulous time!

28/06/2024

We'll be there tomorrow! Me and the very talented Kate Eggleston-Wirtz
The sun will be shining in our tent where our art and poetry workshops will be shining brightly!
See you there!

26/06/2024

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

This Saturday and Sunday in Ashton Gardens as part of St Annes Carnival...
Myself and Kate Eggleston-Wirtz will be asking you to Roll up! Roll up! and join us for some fun circus-themed poetry and art workshops to creative a fabulous eye catching community art piece.
All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by their grown-ups!

24/06/2024

THIS WEEKEND AT ST ANNES CARNIVAL in Ashton Gardens!
SSt Annes Carnival
artist KKate Eggleston-Wirtzand myself LLinda Hamptonwill be running FREE art and poetry workshops for all the family to join in!
HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

“Creative Circus Write and Make Workshops at St Anne’s Carnival Weekend” Ashton Gardens, St Annes Sat 29th & Sun 30th June 1:30pm – 3:30pm Family Friendly FREE Have a go at poetry and/or making a piece of art to take away using vintage newspapers and other materials. Also contribute to a collective 3-D Circus Pony Art Installation to be on display during the Carnival weekend and afterwards at St Annes Library. These fun-filled activities will be led by two enthusiastic and entertaining local creatives: Writer LLinda Hamptonand Artist KKate Eggleston-Wirtz

All materials will be provided.

Please note: Parents/Carers must remain with their children during the sessions.

17/06/2024

07/06/2024

Had a great evening at The Old Electric play reading. New scriptwriters from the latest scriptwriting course were airing their new work. It was a pleasure to read a role for Stephanie Oram's play! And to listen to work by three other local writers. What a night! And lots of new writing talent being showcased. Great to be working with and/or alongside Elizabeth Wilkinson and Lisa Marie Reynolds-OReilly Huge applause!

06/06/2024

Tomorrow night at The Old Electric.. Come along and hear some new work by playwrights from the latest 12-week playwriting course ...tickets are free but it's good to book via the website in advance to give an idea of audience numbers...

An exciting culmination of works by emerging playwrights from our 12-week playwriting course.