our place
Still ‘waxing lyrical’ after more than 40 years Over 40 years ago, The Titirangi Poets group began life, as The Titirangi Poetry and Jazz Group. In June 1977, on a chill winter’s night, a small group of poetry and jazz enthusiasts gathered at the Titirangi Beach Hall for an evening of music and verse. The jazz musicians included John Mackie (bass), Trevor Gascoigne (guitar), Billy Tuku (drums), Owen Spence (flute and saxophone) and Wilton Rodger (saxophone). The poets who read that night included Diana Hibbert, Michael Morrissey, Denys Trussell, Tony Beyer, Bob Orr, David Stillaman and Ron Riddell, who also acted as MC.
The Titirangi Poets at their March meet up.
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The evening was a great success and after the closing of the hall doors, some of the musicians lingered on the foreshore of Titirangi Beach to serenade the moon, stars, trees and tide. Thus began the monthly get-togethers of The Titirangi Poetry and Jazz Group. The meetings went from strength to strength, embracing a wider variety of poets and musicians as time passed. The group then changed its name to The Titirangi Poetry and Music Group, to include flamenco, classical and folk/blues musicians. One local figure who soon emerged to take a leading role in the group was Mari Hunt. Mari took over the organisational work relating to the group when Ron Riddell lived overseas for a few years. By the time he returned the group had become The Titirangi Poets, and its monthly sessions had moved to the Titirangi Community House, then in Rangiwai Road. Mari was tireless in her efforts. In the period of almost 20 years leading the group, she also found the time to edit and publish some 20 volumes under the banner of The Titirangi Poets. She is one of the unsung heroes of New Zealand poetry, working quietly away in service of the community, with steadfast humility and devotion. The group’s sessions at the Titirangi Community House took the form of a round-robin reading circle, with members of the group critiquing poems after they had been read. Prominent in the 1980s was Kathleen Grattan, a particularly fine poet who lived in Green Bay. Donald Colebrook too, was a committed supporter of the group through the 1980s and 90s. The last meeting of The Titirangi Poets that Mari Hunt
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convened was held at the beginning of 2000 and a group of members went on to form a new group called The Chevron Poets which met in central Auckland. It took the return of Ron Riddell, after another absence, of more than 30 years this time, for monthly meetings of The Titirangi Poets to resume (based on the core group of Piers Davies, Will Leadbeater and Geoff Barlow), this time in the Titirangi Community Library. A revival event, The Titirangi Poets – A Reawakening was held in mid 2013 and regular two-hour monthly meetings followed. The meeting format then involved a guest poet followed by a guest musician and, after the refreshment break, a round robin session. This was subsequently modified further to include two guest poets, followed by the round robin, although a guest musician was still involved sometimes. This format is still used by the group. In 2017, Ron published Forty Years of Titirangi Poets, an anthology of 51 poets’ work. Many well-known locals were included, including Kevin Ireland, Peter Bland, Murray Edmond, Bob Orr, Janet Charman and Riemke Ensing. New up-andcoming voices such as Caroline Masters, Robert Hoare and Shem Campbell were also included. Ron emphasises that The Titirangi Poets has always strived to provide a friendly and supportive audience for both ‘established poets’ and ‘emerging voices.’ “In the first instance, our members were chiefly voices from West Auckland, the voices of ordinary working people; their hopes, aspirations, dreams, identities, lives,” says Ron. “They were, and still are, I hope, voices that reflect the beauty of nature, in particular the beauty of Titirangi and the Waitākeres in general. “There has been a conscious effort to foster a kind and caring ‘poetic community,’ one that is based on conscious and considerate listening, as well as compassionate honesty. Positive feedback from visiting guest poets confirms that we are making progress in this direction,” says Ron. Active members now represent the whole spectrum of poetic endeavour: ballads, haiku, epics, nonsense verse, confessional ... the sky is the limit! The Titirangi Poets warmly welcome poets of all ages to meet in the Titirangi Library on the second Saturday of the month, 2-4pm. For more information contact Piers Davies at piers@wwandd.co.nz and join the contact list. (A monthly email is sent out and there are also regular poetry ‘Ezines’.) Exhibition Drive ‘haiku’ so much hanging by a thread - the world upended in a dew drop – Ron Riddell
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