The web site of the Open University Poetry Society

Date	Event	Location	Reader/Tutor(s)	Cost
1981 Jan/Feb	Affairs In Hands of Ad Hoc	Committee, Les Bingham,	Shirley Bell & Nick Godwin	£ 3.50 Dues
1981 22 Nov	Committee meeting	R Woods House	Five Members In Attendance	£ 5.00
1982 12 Mar	1st Competition Org D Watt	Mag #7 Members only	Judge, Wes Magee #14 p28	25p
“ “	1st Constitution	Proposed, Mag #7	Adopted, Mag #9
“ 17 Apr	1^st AGM, Oxford	The Randalph, Beaumont St	Wes Magee	£ 6.00
“ 29-31 Nov	Arvon Weekend	Totleigh Barton, Devon	Wes Magee, #10 p2	£15.00
1983 11 Mar	2^nd Competition #12 p23	OUPA Members Only	Judge F Adcock #14 p3	30p
“ 9 Apr	AGM, London	NPC Earls Court	Fleur Adcock, #12	£ 6.00
“ 28-30 Oct	Poetry Weekend #14, p2	Lumb Bank, Yorkshire	W Magee/Peter Mortimer	£20.00
	Arvon Halloween	Refers to the above	Post event news Mag #17 p30
1984 Jan	Poetry WE, P Bridgeman’s	Greystones, Guest House	Peter Mortimer of Iron Mag	£10.00
“ 3 Mar	AGM, London	The Clarence, Whitehall	Alan Brownjohn, #19, p41	£ 6.00
“ May	Mid Summer Weekend	Organized H Mellon #19 p21	Cancelled Lack of Response
“ Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ July	No More Competitions	All Have Been Loss Makers	Says R Wood, #16, p37
1985 27 Apr	AGM, London, #23, p53	The Clarence, Whitehall	Selima Hill. Annual Dues,	£ 6.00
“ 21 July	Committee meeting at John	Starbucks, 3 videos shown	J Betjeman, Cooper-Clarke	& Ivor Cutler
“ 6-8 Dec	Poetry Weekend	M K Youth Hostel	John Cotton #27, p61	£15.00
1986 1 Mar	AGM, London	The Clarence, Whitehall	Danny Abse #30, p59	£ 6.00
“ Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 31 Oct	3^rd Competition, Members	Only, Notice #30 p59	Judge H Sargent #34, p41	£ 1.00
“ 14 Nov	Poetry Weekend	M K Youth Hostel #32 p42	W Magee/Peter Forbes	£20.00
1987 16 May	AGM, London, #37, p60	The Clarence, Whitehall	Vicki Feaver. Annual Dues,	£ 6.00
“ 30 Oct	Poetry Weekend	Lower Shaw Farm #36 p59	David R Morgan #39, p51	£33.00
1988 31 Mar	1^st Open Competition	Org H Mellon, Note #38 p63,	Judge Mike Shields #42, p69	£ 1.00
“ 7 May	AGM, Chester,	Town Cryer, #37, p60	Shirley Bell. Annual Dues,	£ 7.00
“ Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 4-6 Nov	Poetry Weekend	Lower Shaw Farm #42 p66	Mike Laskey, Moura Dooley	£30.00
1989 31 Mar	2^nd Open Competition	Organizer Hilary Mellon	Mike Shields, #46 p64/5	£ 1.00
“ 13 May	AGM, London	The Lamb, Conduit St	James Berry #46 p66. Annual Dues,	£ 7.00
“ 3-5 Nov	Poetry WE, Reeth, Yorks	Burgoyne Hotel	Peter Samson #47 p62	£40.00, sub 26%
1990 28 Apr	AGM, London	The Lamb, Conduit St	Jenni Couzyn. Annual Dues,	£7.00
“ 11-13 May	National Convention of Poets	& Small Presses Norwich,	Hilary Mellon #49 p68
“ Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 9-11 Nov	Poetry WE, Bridlington	Sewerby Grange	Gladys Mary Coles #54 p74	£46.00, sub 24%
“ 30 Nov	3^rd Open Competition	Organizer Joyce Knowles	Judge Roland John #54 p75	£ 1.00
1991 27 Apr	AGM, London, #56 p71	The Lamb	Wendy Cope. Annual Dues,	£ 8.00
“ 8-10 Nov	Poetry WE, Rhossili	The Worms Head Hotel	Nigel Jenkins, #59 p3/5-62	£45.00, sub 28%
1992 25 Apr	AGM National Poetry Centre	The Voice Box South Bank	Michael Laskey #61 p86/8	£10.00
“ Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 20-22 Nov	Poetry Weekend	Centre Parc, Sherwood Forest	Catherine Byron	£45.00, sub none
1993 15 May	4^th Open Competiton	Organizer Jenny Hamlett	Judge Roger Elkin #54 p75	£ 1.00
“ 29 May	AGM, London	Westminster, Church House	Elain Finestien. Annual Dues,	£10.00
“ 29-31 Oct	Poetry Weekend	Nant Centre, North Wales	Chris Torrence, Open Field.	£45.00, sub 45%
1994 16 Apr	AGM, London, #74 p100	St George, Victoria	Mimi Khalvati, Annual Dues,	£10.00
“ Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 31 Jul	5^th Open Competition	Organizer Al Campbell	Judge Peter Finch #67 p68/77	£ 2.00
“ 11-13 Nov	Poetry Weekend	Kilve Ct, Nether Stowey	Tony Charles, #74 p89/96	£55.00, sub 21%
1995 8 Apr	AGM, Birmingham	Midland Institute, #79 p86/7	Alan Rankin. Annual Dues,	£12.00
“ Nov	Poetry WE, #79 p50	Lowrigg Brow, Ambleside	P Mortimer & Linda France	£55.00, sub 22%
“ 17 Jun	Poetry Afternoon	Eastman Dental Inst London	B Cumbers spoke on Form,	R Wood, New Poets
“ 30 Jun	6^th Open Competition	Organizer Al Campbell	Judge Helen Dunmore	£ 2.00
“ 9 Sep	Region 1 Workshop	The Wheatsheaf, London	Rodney Wood - Haiku
1996 23 Mar	AGM, #80 p99, London	St George, Tavern, Victoria	Jane Duran. Annual Dues,	£12.00
“ 22 Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 1:00 & 3:30.
“ 8-10 Nov	Poetry WE, Winslow	Bell Hotel	Wes Magee & John Cotton	£50 & 75, sub 29%
1997 15 Jan	1^st Soc Web presence	At the Webdesk,	Al Campbell, Organizer
“ 15 Mar	AGM, London	The Wheatsheaf	Mario Petrucci. Annual Dues,	£12.00
“ 12 Jul	One Day Workshop, Oxford	46 Bridge St	Organizer, Anna Beint
“ 7-9 Nov	Poetry WE, North Allerton	Golden Lion Hotel	Bill & Patricia Oxley	£60 & 80, sub 27%
1998 31 Jan	7^th Comp closing date	Organizer Ted Griffin	Judged by the Oxley’s	£2
“ 28 Mar	AGM, London	Yorkshire Grey,	Tony Charles read & talked of	Poetry to old Friends
“ 27 Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 6-8 Nov	Poetry WE, Winslow	Bell Hotel, Carol Satyamurti	& Greg Warren Wilson	£55 & 80, sub 27%
1999 27 Mar	AGM, London	Yorkshire Grey	Roland John, Ed of Outposts
“ 12-14 Nov	Poetry WE, Scarborough	Crown Hotel, Geoff Lowe &	Bernard Young	£65 & 105, sub15%
2000 8 Apr	AGM, London	St George Tavern, Victoria	Members read, Annual Dues,	£15.00
“ 16 Oct	9^th Comp closing date	Organizer, Tricia Aves	Judged by the Oxleys	£3.00
“ 24 Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 10-12 Nov	Poetry WE, Bournmouth	Round House Hotel,	David Orme & Moira Clark	£90 & 156, sub none
“ Nov	Society Web Site	Regenerated & renewed	Organized by, Julius Smit
2001 21 Apr	AGM, London	St George Tavern, Victoria	Members read around.
“ 9-12 Nov	Poetry WE, Bawtry	Crown Hotel, Adrian Spidlow	& Sharon Emery, #100, p79	£92 & 160, sub 1%
2002 13 Apr	AGM, London	St George Tavern, Victoria	Members read around.
“ 22 Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, 11:00 & 3:30.
“ 8-10 Nov	Poetry WE, County Hotel	Dover, George Szirtes	& Christopher Reid	£76 & 90, sub 34%
2003 15 Jan	Society Web Site	Regenerated & Renewed	Organized by Al Campbell
2003 12 Apr	AGM, London	St George Tavern, Victoria	Members read, Annual Dues	£17.00
2003 7-9 Nov	Poetry WE, Lytham St. Annes	The Blue Sands Hotel	Tutored by selected members	£90.00
2004 24 Apr	AGM, London	The Lamb, Bloomsbury	Members read around.
2004 5-7 Nov	Poetry WE, Weymouth	The Crown Hotel	Tutored by selected members	£75 & 80
2005 23 Apr	AGM London	The Lamb, Bloomsbury	Members read around
2005 18 Jun	OU Poet’s Open Day, MK	Soc Presence & Readings	in the Chapel, Gdns, 11:00 & 3:30.
2005 4-6 Nov	Poetry WE, Chesterfield	The Sandpiper Hotel	Poet Tutor, Vernon Hale	£92 & 112
2006 Apr	AGM, London	The Lamb, Bloomsbury	Members read around

Over the years a number of other activities have been tried, including members opening their homes for Poetry Weekends and Readings, also Round Robins, and summer school readings. These last have gone on annually till fairly recently, but seem to have a minority appeal. Their number peaked at about eight per year under the chairmanship of Keith Thompson. The location was most often UEA Summer School, Norwich, but have included Oxford University and Mile End Summer School.

The Round Robin involved two or more members exchanging a poem or poems, to which notes and comments are attached before they are sent on to a string of others, who add their comments, till eventually the lot returns to its author. There have likewise been yearly Open Days at Walton Hall, MK, with a stall in the Marquee and morning and afternoon Poetry readings in the Chapel, plus a great many committee meetings, averaging probably two or three per year, or too numerous or tedious to list them all.