Workshops, since the death of Bob Cobbing, have been: 

2002 meetings

Saturday 26 October 2002, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 23 November 2002, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 14 December 2002, The Betsey Trotwood

2003 meetings

Saturday 18 January 2003, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 1st February 2003, The Betsey Trotwood

[Recollections of venues are a little muddled now. The workshop had been at The Betsey Trotwood for some years. Before that we had been at the Churchill on Mount Pleasant. Before that, throughout the nineties, we had been at The Victoria near Mornington Crescent. We moved from The Betsey Trotwood in the autumn of 2002 because the steep narrow stairs were very inconvenient to Bob Cobbing as he became less mobile. We moved to The Sussex near Essex Road, not far from Cobbing's home, easily accessible. We were there one or two weeks. In at time, Cobbing suffered his final illness and died. We moved back to The Betsey Trotwood because it was easier to get to for most of us and the beer was better. The pub was liked by workshop members; but, when it suited them, they treated us badly. When the opportunity arose, we moved to Camden Peoples Theatre (having been invited by the director at that time)]

Saturday 6 December 2003, CPT

2004 meetings

Saturday 17 January 2004, CPT

Saturday 31 January 2004, CPT

Saturday 14 February 2004, CPT

Saturday 28 February 2004, CPT

Saturday 20 March 2004 - [part of The CPT Sprint Festival]

Saturday 3 April 2004, CPT

Saturday 24 April 2004, CPT

Saturday 15 May 2004, CPT

Saturday 5 June 2004, CPT

Saturday 26 June 2004, CPT

Saturday 17 July 2004, CPT

Saturday 4 September 2004, CPT

Saturday 18 September 2004, CPT

Saturday 9 October 2004, CPT

Saturday 30 October 2004, CPT

Saturday 13 November 2004, CPT

Saturday 27 November 2004, CPT

Saturday 11 December 2004, CPT

2005 meetings

Saturday 15 January 2005, CPT

Saturday 29 January 2005, CPT

Saturday 12 February 2005, CPT

Saturday 26 February 2005, CPT

Saturday 12 March 2005, CPT

Saturday 2 April 2005 [Guest Chilean poets joined us], CPT

Saturday 23 April 2005, CPT

Saturday 7 May 2005, CPT

Saturday 28 May 2005, CPT

Saturday 18 June 2005, CPT

Saturday 9 July 2005, CPT

CANCELLED Saturday 23 July 2005 CANCELLED for Poetry Buzz

Saturday 3 September 2005, CPT

Saturday 24 September 2005, CPT

Saturday 15 October 2005, CPT

Saturday 5 November 2005, CPT

Saturday 26 November 2005, CPT

Saturday 10 December 2005, CPT

2006 meetings

Saturday 14 January 2006, CPT

Saturday 4 February 2006, CPT

Saturday 25 Febrary 2006, CPT

Saturday 18 March 2006, CPT

Saturday 8 April 2006, CPT

Saturday 29 April 2006, CPT

Saturday 20-May-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London

Saturday 10-Jun-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London

Saturday 1-Jul-06 cancelled – scheduled for The Plough, Museum Street, London

[In the autumn of 2005, the director having changed some time before, CPT told us that, due to the state of their finances, they had to ask Writers Forum Workshop to pay rent from the new year in order to support the upkeep of CPT. It seemed entirely reasonable; and, over three months, because we had never before paid rent, we debated the matter (at the loss of much workshop time) and negotiated with CPT. Having reached a satisfactory agreement with CPT, we were supported by them in organising a fund-raising reading in January in order to help pay what we had agreed to pay.

That reading went ahead, with publicity from CPT describing us as a resident company. Two weeks later, CPT announced that we did not fit in with their overall programme and should find somewhere else, a surprising change given what had passed during the previous four months, especially as no then representative of CPT had ever attended any workshop or the fund-raising event. (Over the years we had often been asked to move from this or that venue because the venue believed the space and time could be employed more financially advantageously; we had never been asked to move on aesthetic grounds, even by those who actually knew anying about what we do.) It might be added at two of our members regularly present work at CPT

During the first four months of 2006, we paid the agreed rent, but most of our cheques for rent were not presented to the bank.

By March 2006, we had agreed with The Plough in Museum Street to move there from May, accepting various timing changes to fit in with their needs. But they let us down, not confirming the verbal agreement, insisting that they had confirmed, but also saying they couldn't stop and talk just now and needed to check just what they had said but would be in touch - and then we heard nothing more. This nonsense cost us three workshops.

After that, Torriano Meeting House kindly offered us a venue and we were there during the autumn of 2006 and the first part of 2007]

Saturday 22 July 2006, Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 2 September 2006, Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 23 September 2006, [Guest Canadian poets joined us] Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 14 October 2006, Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 4 November 2006, Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 25 November 2006, Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 16 December 2006, Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 13 January 2007, Torriano Meeting House

Saturday 3 February 2007, Torriano Meeting House

[Early in 2007, we were offered a return to The Betsey Trotwood; and we accepted both because the local council seem intent on closing Torriano, thereby leaving us homeless, and because The Betsey is more centrally-sited]

Saturday 24 February 2007, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 17 March 2007, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 31 March 2007, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 28 April 2007, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 26 May 2007, The Betsey Trotwood [Invited guest poet Allen Fisher + launch of Confidence in Lack by Allen Fisher]

Saturday 9 June 2007, The Betsey Trotwood

Saturday 30 June 2007, The Betsey Trotwood