Hi Jeff, yes I was thinking it could sound like name-dropping, but because none of them came across, or come across, as ‘stars’ however famous they were or are, it feels more like affectionate remembering than boasting. I think I get what you mean by ‘humble’ though I’d say it was more not talking down to people, though sure enough people have kept on talking down to them. What all three managed, in slightly different ways, was to make an immediate connection with their audiences - wider audiences than are found by most contemporary poetry - and I think that’s had an ongoing effect on the whole phenomenon of poetry readings from which many of us continue to profit.

Jamie


> On 17 Jan 2018, at 13:04, Jeffrey Side <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Jamie, “The last time I met Roger McGough...” is a good idea for a continuing series of name-dropping posts. So I’m happy to contribute.
> 
> The last time I met Roger McGough... I didn’t really meet him, but he did phone me in 1996 about the possibility of the print version of The Argotist doing a retrospective of The Liverpool Poets. It came to nothing, though.
> 
> I knew Adrian quite well and found him a supremely humble person. I never met Brian but spoke to him a few times on the phone during the period his mother died.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From: Jamie McKendrick <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: British & Irish poets <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2018 12:39:34 +0000
> 
> 
> Should be a series: ‘Last time I met Roger McGough...’  ‘...his pink specs were hovering over Bold St...’
>   In my case, it must be ten years back whenever Liverpool was made European city of culture and he’d been commissioned to write a poem ( he did a good job) for a fountain in Williamson Square. He’d been given this fetching commemorative enamel lapel pin  which he took off and gave to me.  Even if the Corporation gave him a lifetime supply, I was rather touched by the gesture and have kept it.
> Jamie