More poetry

FOLLOWING on Canal & River Trust's poetry on lock gates comes the news that it has now appointed a poet laureate.

Boater Jo Bell has been named as the first ever Canal Laureate, a title awarded by the Canal and River Trust and the Poetry Society, and they tell that 'her verses bring a new perspective to the nation's historic canals and rivers and encourage more people to see their local waterways in a new light'.

Writing new verse

A spokesman for CaRT tells us:

"As Canal Laureate, Jo Bell will actively engage new and existing audiences through community workshops, performances and blogs and she will be writing new verse inspired by the canals and rivers as well as collecting poems by other waterways poets."

Jo is a trained archaeologist and moors her boat on the Kennet & Avon Canal.