"Rhythm/Rhyme At The Laureate Circus!"

Last night, a trip into deepest lushest Cheshire with a friend and her daughter, Zoe.... who shall remain full-nameless, but this won't be the case for long: Zoe has the makings of a very fine actress. Watch this prediction...

Our destination: a pretty Cheshire village called Great Budworth, where nothing, in fact, IS great ( I mean "size-wise") ..apart from a solid serene dove-grey church standing in dignified fashion mid-village. Everything else seems miniature: the black/white cottages, the gardens, even the pub. It's a slice of old England...minstrels, feudalism, serfs, the lords of the manor, tithe cottages came to mind....AND I bet the houses cost a fortune nowadays in this lovely place.

We were in Gt Budworth to see 4 Cheshire Poet Laureates in action in the Parish Hall. The Laureates all "reigned" for a year and they've recently devised their own travelling poetry show "Fourpenny Circus" ( http://www.fourpennycircus.co.uk/ ) touring the NW this summer/autumn, in places including L'pool, Kendal, Knutsford. Website gives details.

The Laureates play a cast of colourful Big Top characters....(although they say their Big Top is their Little Top).... There's Alberto ( Escapologist) played by John Lindley, Diana the tightrope walker alias Joy Winkler, Jo Bell plays ring mistress Sally Zucchini ( courgette?!) and Andrew Rudd is the exceedingly mellow soft voiced Androcles the liontamer.

There's lots of their poetry, lots of telling of lots of tales. And there's an equal measure of tear-jerking sadness mixed in with spicy gutsy farce.....

AND it was particularly good to see this bond that's formed betwixt 4 Cheshire Laureates

So GOOD ON Cheshire for instigating this post several years ago....lots of Cheshire folk must appreciate it.

AND Psssst:

ANY 2nd homes available in GT Budworth for the odd Tory MP, I wonder...