5th February 2025

What a start to 2025!
I am absolutely delighted to welcome both of these fine performers back, to start our Rothbury, Poetry, Writing, and Music year, with a selection of wonderful words and music.

Ellen has performed for us before, so we are delighted she agreed to come back again, performing at our first event of 2025.

Ellen was born in 1952 and grew up in SE London. She studied English and Theatre Studies at Lancaster university, gaining a BA and MA in Theatre Studies. She moved to Newcastle in 1978, where her maternal family came from. She worked with the writer Julia Darling in The Poetry Virgins, a women's performance poetry group, producing the anthology Modern Goddess, Diamond Twig Press 1992 and Sauce, Bloodaxe Books 1994. They co-founded Diamond Twig, a north east women's press.

You can read a lot more about Ellen on her own website.

Rod Clements has always supported our events. Probably because he used to run the wonderful, and popular, Rothbury Roots, he understands the vibe and importance of local creative initiatives, like ours.

When Rod performs we get a larger than usual audience, but we still manage to retain the intimate, cosy, vibe that we have come to love.

When Rod shares the background stories to the songs he plays, it has a special resonance because Rod is, afterall, a Coquetdale Creative.

Of course Rod is part of Lindisfarne, and you can read about the band.

And here is a recent interview, on You Tube, with Rod talking to Nigel Clarkson