Okay, okay, “Guest Blogger.”  Let’s do this thing.

Deep breath. Check flies. Remember to smile. Aaaand….

“Hi! Welcome to My Place.  My name’s Tony and I’m going to be your Guest Blogger for the next two weeks. Across my blogcupancy, to coin a phrase, I hope to open discussions on, not just the influence of place on poets and poetry, but also for us to discuss what the place for poetry is in the modern and virtual world. (Other blogs are also available.  Warning – may contain poetry, nuts and mild peril. In case of drowsiness do not drive or operate heavy machinery.)”

I’m very pleased to be involved actually as I’ve been really enjoying this site over recent months.  I’ve made a few postings and comments already and, in recent weeks I’ve been delighted to be asked to act as mentor/buddy/fluffer to the very talented Mr Byron Vincent. I’d like to think that’s been going pretty well behind the scenes and Byron and I will go public on how that’s been working in the next week or so. Meanwhile, there have been loads of interesting contributions and it’s been fascinating to watch the writers’ work emerging.  I’m really looking forward to meeting and hearing everyone at The Big Chill and, as my stint as guest blogger includes the festival itself, no doubt I’ll be offering some reflections after the event.

But along the way, and in the hope of getting some discussions going – I’m going to take my inspiration from this, a half-forgotten Heineken beer advert from the 1980’s. I remember this well and still think it’s a work of genius.

Are you old enough to remember that? Seen it before?  It makes me laugh every time!  So….

….across my next few blogs I’m going to pose several questions which the above clip raises for me.  These include:

The poet and accent.

The poet and intoxicants.

The poet as loner.

The poet and The Great Outdoors – an exclusive report from behind The Big Chill’s frontline. And…

The poet and “The P word.” Can poetry shake off its baggage?

But I’m hoping this will be a dialogue not a monologue, people. These things work best when they’re a conversation not a soliloquy. So all you cyber-lurkers out there.  You!  Yes you!  Do please join in.  Let’s refresh the old parts a bit, prove that August is not a wasteland but the coolest month and, whatever happens….

….please don’t leave me “walking about a bit on my own.”