The Writers' Circle

Art, Poetry, Literature, Sound creates humorous articles about serious subjects and interests based on happenings and experiences in and around the Black Country. It serves to promote the local cheap as chips art scene and hopes to improve fabulous(ness) and to include a sense of creative freedom amongst the youth of today. If the above fails, then I'm sure that you'll at least have a laugh at what I've written.

In bed with some of Deja music (in a totally decent way)

I attended the quadrant lounge in Wolverhampton on Thursday evening, not out of choice but merely because I was taking pictures for a marketing company. I shall however be going again for the excellent atmopsphere as this venue proves to be really successful. Consisting of a wide and varied crowd of music lovers of various ages and styles. I must commend the band Deja Music for their efforts, which deem music to be a very important niche within the arts scene of Wolverhampton. Proving that Wolverhampton is not crap it is just under represented. The band's humble passion for music originates from a collaborative effort, living up to the lifestyle artist comes naturally because its all about what they do. The image they portray is very real. I know because I took most of them home with me (hehe). It was a gas I'll tell ya...anyway apparently on Tuesday the quadrant lounge offers a music night where anyone can come along with their voice, their poetry, or an instrument and can just be inventive and attentive. This is a really great idea. It kind of breaks the ice. I am elated that this is something that hasn't been smoothed off  completely and sold. The vibe here is good. It's the beginning and although i wish the band every luck in their own pursuits, at the moment a bunch of individuals meeting up and sharing ideas is fantastic. More people should come along. A mixture of Various styles and musical knowledge will breathe success in the long haul. All styles are welcome. Check out my segment on whats currently happening.


(A pic taken by me from the Thursday night Deja Music event at the quadrant lounge in Wolvo)
Check out Whats "happening" in Wolvo? (to be added to and up...

POSTED BY MISS LUCY MOYSE-TANN AT 3:51 AM 0 COMMENTS 


Whats "happening" in Wolvo? (to be added to and updated continuously...)

The Holly Bush Inn, Cradley HeathIt's out of the borough but not that far! Wanting to chill, have a fucking good laugh? get out of town for a bit, absorb some inspiration, perhaps have a go yourself? Well look no further. The Holly Bush Inn is one of those weird kind of spaces, its got an indie vibe, whether the in crowd likes it or not. Its quirky, artistic and genius all at the same time, with a splendiferous collection of real ales to quench your sorrows on, perhaps some of the most awkward creative people you'll ever meet and a free living, melodramatic landlord named Dave Francis. Dave Francis is great and lives a lot like Withnail, he also fell asleep in his curry at three am on Hurst st. It's brilliant and its where I met my jam partner in crime Dave Moore of direct sourcehttp://source-direct.blogspot.com/, started jamming and being totally unaware of myself. Go there and make it your atmosphere. Do as you will. Pics coming soon...

OPEN JAM NIGHT every Tuesday at the Quadrant lounge. FREE!! YES FREE!!! Chill back relax and jiggle to the fine tunes and join in.

Out of step: http://outofstepalchemy.blogspot.com/A blog by Richard Cartwrite of the too trendy Alchemy bar in towyn!' Richard has produced an impressive zine (magazine- zine is used by pretentious art tutors who try to get you to things in the community) free of charge, which exists in some of the most enlightening places in 'towyn', such as the record store, We Create and possibly the market.Haven't checked yet. Have a nosey! Support Rich, he's obviously worked really hard and needs people like you for his mug shots and profiles of the cities finest. Without you sexy trendos to promote the 'towyns' image who else can?


Art Forum, Wolverhampton Art galleryAre you 14-25?Do you like free food, art and having fun?
Sounds like a land far removed from this one? Great! Well they meet third Wednesday of every month. You should drop by. No there's no catch. You may even undertake an art award as condoned by Graham Norton and other celebs!

We Create. Victoria Street, Wolverhampton.
http://wecreate.org.uk/ This is a social enterprise set up by some guys from Birmingham. Not only do they sell fabulous T-shirts, also they're trying to make you guys have more art fun and stuff. There's even art space available for local designers upstairs. Drop by and say hi. They could bite, but hey at least it's out of the ordinary. don't let the Brummies get the space before you. We Create have faith in you Wolverhamptonians. Victoria Street. Go there!

Writers groups Don't let Wolverhampton City council put you off these marvellous free workshops, which could potentially lead you to people and places that you had thought were far from your reach before. It's great to be able to bull shit applications forms with eloquence. Go to your local library and pick up a form! Why does everyone think poetry is special or something? Its not, just like art and music its merely another facet of expression. Also I learned how to write a ballad from an old lady. Use your library!!

The market, local shops and local produce.
The best places are: Witmaureans: The Avion Centre: Low cost quality groceries, Indian fabrics and Punjabi sweet shop nearby, fast food, flower shops, Kurdistan Naan- made using stone ovens and traditional bread baking methods, also does an excellent keema for only £1.25- waaay better that your crappy kebab.
The centre of town: Look out for those shops that 'aint too shiny, or have a foreign name, they're generally well better value that popular stores and there's some things there that you couldn't possibly purchase elsewhere such as Tahini and economy sized Lime Pickle.
Quality groceries and ethnic goods right on your door step, certainly don't get that everywhere!


Retro Music and Junk shops!Coming soon...

POSTED BY MISS LUCY MOYSE-TANN AT 3:30 AM 0 COMMENTS 


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2010
A letter found in the street
It was strange to find something so relevant to my cause the other day, as I was just passing by in the street next to Beatties about to catch the 501 bus home I discovered a discarded letter on the floor, which had been trampled on several times with giant muddy footprints, like the curious nutter cat I am, I preceded to let curiosity have its way with me and knelt down to retrieve the discarded letter, plonking the soggy thing in to my vintage leather bag. People did stare. And teenage girls chewing on gum and playing with their clown necklaces blowing bitchy bubbles giggled. I was not so perplexed.

I had forgotten about the letter and felt stressed most of this week except for yesterday (until my promo night when I had to reach a target of over two hundred pictures in two hours at a tribute band event night. Despite not wanting to I forced myself and it materialized. Prior to this I spent three hours talking to management on the phone about the faulty camera equipment and devising new solutions to improve it.-very, very dull.)

I finally read the letter this morning properly for the first time, and discovered a new word. What the bloody hell is a 'Zinger Taver?' One line really made me giggle. The names have been changed out of sensitivity.
".Chenise and Chloe without Raj Kaur would be like no Turkey on Christmas day." Seriously come on! Poor young Raj may not feel too comfortable being compared with a Turkey, especially not for Christ's sake. This letter was however a wonderful insight in to modern Black Country pride and also highlights indifference. The writing expresses this for me anyway.
I shall now compose the whole letter including the pseudo names for your jurisdiction. Let me know what you think it's about. I don't have inkling to anything specific.


Dear Raj's Daddy (mooma-this is a nickname)

We are writing this letter regarding the family leaving Wolverhampton. We were devastated to hear the news and cannot bring ourselves to let your beloved son go. Please find it in your hearts to stay in park village as dear Raj means the world to us both

He has been there for us through thick and thin, shown us right from wrong and we would like to declare that you have raised a wonderful son. Raj is admired by many and has impacted our lives greatly. Please do not part us from his blessed soul.

Wolverhampton without Raj would be like a 'Zinger Taver without the hash brown. More to the point, Chenise and Chloe without Raj Kaur would be like no Turkey on Christmas day.

Born and bred Wolverhampton Raj wouldn't be the fine specimen of a man that he is today without the Black Country routes that flow within him. I hope you find it in your kind heart to rethink this situation at hand, before any drastic changes are made.
We really hope this letter has impacted your thoughts about moving out this upper coming city...Wolverhampton
Yours Faithfully,
Miss Chenise Brown and Miss Chloe Smith

All articles on this website by Loopyo are copyright ©Loopyo and should not be reproduced without the author's prior written consent. All opinions are the opinions of their respective authors and are not necessarily the opinions of The Writers Circle.

POSTED BY MISS LUCY MOYSE-TANN AT 6:56 AM 2 COMMENTS 


THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Some interesting happenings of late

My obsession with the local area has led me to meet some colorful people who provide excellent local sources. Without creative institutions such as art galleries, arts centres and libraries this would not be possible. Tomorrow I look forward to meeting an eccentric of the Black country thanks to my intellectual partner in crime Dave Moore writer of Direct source http://source-direct.blogspot.com/ and part time post apocalyptic fiction writer/self taught philosophy buff. I hope to learn a lot from this and also gain a perspective on the historical changes which have had an effect on industry and the social fabric of the area, and thus will hopefully inspire me to explore the locality even further with more imaginative depth.

While participating in wonderful Art Forum workshops at the art gallery today (free pizza, chocolate and yummy stuff), I had discovered that there are certain strategies in place including communal discussions and open door events at churches/temples/mosques and community centres aimed at local people. These are not alway those ridiculous events produced by the council aimed at guiding people through a set of legislative jargen encompassing images of the shite council symbol, with traditional emblem of arms on taxed paper hand outs. I shall attend a few merely for fueling my own curiosity and building upon my factual knowledge of the social area of interest, also it is a bonus to grab some free refreshments and a different slant on life in Wolverhampton. Oh glorious, fabulous Wolverhampton with it's 'Tettenhall houses fit for heroes'. Eating your way through life a little cannot be a bad thing.

Also 27th February 2010: Local History symposium at Bantock House 10-4pm.
Could lead to some insight about the traditional values of local residents

10th March(see link) http://psarmstrong.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/young-people-pve/ This is slightly more councilish, but very relevent and informative. What does the council actually do here?

And here's one which meets the ethos of my personal interests 2nd March 2010 A discussion on the aesthetics of urban environment. This is at Darlington Street Methodist church 7:30pm- could be controversial me thinks.

POSTED BY MISS LUCY MOYSE-TANN AT 8:59 AM 0 COMMENTS 


SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2010
Creative Opinions Wanted

LOCAL ART LOCAL PEOPLE REAL LIFE PLEASE


Sunday evening I went to the Holly Bush Pub in Cradley Heath, a borough of the Black Country and an interesting district with a strange quirkiness, different to anywhere else that I have ever really experienced. Obscure bands play there, including up and coming comedy acts, also rather exclusive poetry readings, there's also some excellent real ale. It's got a vintage vibe about it. The space is very honest and humbling. Ravioli and free chip butties are served at the end of the night, thanks to the lovely landlord David Francis. 

The Holly Bush is flavoured with Black Country potential. Do not interpret this wrongly please, for I mean very well, and of late I have come to speak very highly of the Black Country indeed. In fact I am adamant that it could be the next big thing actually. In rather a contradictory tone I can describe, perhaps one of the most friendly, interesting and subversive Anglo Saxon empires, which given the chance should prosper in to a fascinating, creative Mecca. It's fresh in a raw avant-garde sense.

The only problem here is to view the Black Country as an old fashioned borough of has- been coal miners and stereotypical blue-collar workers, women who lack ambition and teenage mothers. Lets face it, the more often this ruffian glory image is portrayed, the angrier a society becomes, because it's stuck with a particular reputation. Personified it becomes the underachiever at school, as secret genius, waiting to be believed in. I have this idea that there are some blissfully unaware people don't see problems, they live with life and perhaps they are happy that way. Nothing ever changes then. Life could be more fun though, for me, for my friends, for my fellow frustrated creative's.

Does anyone else think that perhaps the "lower classes" are content with living a certain lifestyle? Somehow the "lower classes" have become accustomed to simplicity, because of the benefits that they receive from the state, it just cycles and the oppressed stay oppressed. It is rather I am aware that tradition is not always easy to break. The archives have just stuck here somehow.

When there are other cultures and ethnicities integration tends rubs off on the locals usually, in bigger cities anyway, but here people do not seem to stray from their families. There are exceptions to this however. And I'm assuming it's the people with real creative ambition wanting to stay in the area, it's not a question of background or even class to them. It is an ability to grasp the concept of working with others, receiving constructive criticism, sharing knowledge. Relevant, experiential knowledge. (I am speaking for my generation here.) Having lots of harmless fun together does not cost a bomb. What is the issue here?

During the Strobian Dogs (an 'old skool' punk band) gig at the Holly Bush on Saturday, there was a community of young and old alike. It was this small gathering has inspired me to write about the importance of collaboration. One very pissed lady shouted: "bands used to stick together then, in our day." This raised an important point about my generation, here specifically. Are we afraid of connecting in this community because someone might not like us, or understand, or slate our attempts? Has society become so competitive and concerned with status? 

Being drawn to the bright lights is not always a positive thing, like a moth you may burn woefully unto a forty-watt bulb. That's why a grass roots approach is important to me. Those artists and musicians with great credentials have told me that the struggle is the most exciting part of the process. It is when the ideas happen. Ideas do not have to be pleasing. There is no commercial goal. Styles are wide and varied. Please if there is anyone who reads this and shares similar ideas, then please get in touch. I am passionate that this is an area about to undergo some drastic developments.




(holding the set list devised by the rather funny and maniacal Strontium Dogs front man, this band are so retro I ain't ever heard of them before, but the performance they provide is epic and says an awful lot about the joy of the struggle)
This image is © of Lucy Moyse-Tann

Where is Wolverhampton?

Wolverhampton has a wonderful art gallery with some excellent bands playing, an independent cinema and educational institutions, it is accessible, has great transport routes it could provide to be an effective platform for grassroots creativity, if people worked towards a vision, and celebrated its misshapen identity.
When Lonely Planet polled Wolverhampton at fifth worst city in the World. What they failed to emphasize was that their outcome was based on a review, a bad interpretation that does not necessarily consider the implications that this may have had on the community. Basing things how a society appears statistically overlooks the actual experience of people, the individuals within that society, Wolverhampton viewed, as a town would probably be more appropriate.

All articles on this website by Loopyo are copyright ©Loopyo and should not be reproduced without the author's prior written consent.

POSTED BY MISS LUCY MOYSE-TANN AT 6:42 AM 0 COMMENTS 


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2010
Gig review. Its art here.

The Light Bar, Wolverhampton 5th February 2010
Miss Halliwell. 
The drum set twinkles, wrapped in cable lights and coloured paper shining out of the dark Black Country, where lets face it taste hasn't really caught on yet. Miss Halliwell represents a small pocket of bands based in the Black country. By priding their image on an extra terrestrial, eerie originality, an inventive mixture of ideas form. Such an imaginative set up gives the local and surrounding areas an indication of a profound intelligence among this particular generation of artists who encourage us to look deeper beneath the surface in to an odd style of British culture perplexed by the visual spectacle.

Incorporating some weird thespian peculiarity, kids bought up on dodgy nineteen eighties hammer horror conveyed by a rubber mask wearing vocalist, conducting faced away from the crowd. This band played their set at the light bar Wolverhampton, to a small crowd who seemed to enjoy the unpretentious statement of a band, who in collaborating musically and visually stimulated the crowd immensely. Playing violent rifts obsessive rifts in to sharp ethereal melodies. A Raw musical equivalent of picture et poesis. Think Irvine Welsh in a fluorescent, musical, tube sock. It is refreshingly inspiring to say the least. This grittiness must be savoured.

Miss Halliwell will eventually inspire others to follow suit. One particular lyric which stood out describes the complex issues of a neglected social fabric "What does the audience think...Its just an idea...just like everybody else." This is something I think the band should emphasize to their advantage. There's so much stuff around in London that's really sameish and with bands like Miss Halliwell coming out of the Black Country and there's this potent, raw originality here, which brings the music scene hope. It's a rebuke of nineties indie pop making an aesthetic cultural statement of diversity in an area which is overlooked more often than not . This band proves to be original and punchy, saying a lot about the ambition, not potential of Black Country individuals.

Slackers meets aunties boiled sweets at the alternative store skiiving off class. Sounds like: Kula- Shaker losing their zen in an industrial estate.

POSTED BY MISS LUCY MOYSE-TANN AT 1:11 AM 0 COMMENTS 


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Creative Rejuvenation
Raphael Selbourne's Beauty. A lesson for Wolvo.
Ok so you think of Wolverhampton and supposing that you are cynical, you should probably shake your head in hopeless despair, cussing it as a 'shit hole.' And if that is how you feel then you are of course told to 'keep your bloody opinions to yourself.' Sometimes I wonder if it is dismissive to adopt this attitude to Wolverhampton's problems and perhaps this is why it has gotten it in such a terrible mess in the first place. It somehow never really seems to move forward. It appears to be stuck in a time warp. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/beauty-by-raphael-selbourne-1784393.html

There seems to be a lack of education here, especially among specific pockets of the community, these communities are clearly undervalued in someway or another. It is becomes clear when you step in to the town centre filled with derelict houses and shops. Its a ghost town. People start up business, sell out and move on. That's just how it is. Nobody here questions it, and then nothing changes. Surely money and manufactured goods are therefore over valued in such a society. Well then make room for art, culture and education!! (I Cannot emphasize Wolverhampton's creative potential enough.)

In the Raphael Selbourne's book, Beauty The former town, then granted millennium city status is described with such honesty, Selbourne rightfully describes the problems of integration here. The flaws of the city are evident in real life, actually they end up becoming despairingly obvious to me straight away, often I have been criticized by educated residents of the area who feel offended by my comments about Wolverhampton's apparent ugliness as a city. It was destroyed during the war and, well sorry, but quite frankly I'm only just adjusting to a town with nothing left. The houses outside the suburbs are just beautiful however. Tettenhall is wonderful however, a world apart and a twenty minute walk away in to the borough of South Staffordshire, but sharing the same post code and council. 'Houses fit for heroes' apparently! Why so stuck up people of Tettenhall?

The book describes the recently closed Flanagan's bar typically. It used to be where all the wasters went. You know the types that live off the state and spend their pay packet on booze during the day? The book highlights this really low class type of individual in Mark whom as a reality character would probably have no choice, but to live like this here because nobody else really wants to get to know his type, other than those who share the same activities i.e Flanagan's pub, porn, dogs, weed.. also there's Beauty and she is from a Bangladeshi family she has been forced in to marriage and treated badly by her community. She is British, but does not even speak coherent English and finds British culture abhorrent. 

'The Black guy smiled as he sat down on the other side of her. At least he was dressed nice. Clean. Not like the other white people.'
Tramps man (p27)

Apparently it happens all the time here, I've seen it on documentaries too. Female circumcision, child sacrifice, forced marriage- and somehow they fall in to one category (separate from British culture) What this situational divide in the book reflects on is the diverse cultures in Wolverhampton, which is often seen to be unable to integrate because, like in Beauty's case. The family ethics lamented there are just so incredibly powerful that it becomes struggle to break from tradition, and also to steer away from a very traditional form of Britishness. It then gives other cultural views a disservice dropping them to the wayside. 

The book likens to the views of the 'white middle classes' that don't use that chippy because it's owned by dirty foreigners and vice versa, and instead choose to shop at Waitrose as opposed to colourfully, queer market place. I see the character Mark's case as similarly inverted. He is unable to break his own tradition and same perspectives, because he has no understanding of himself or the world outside his birthplace. The most adjusted main character appears to be Peter, but then even he doesn't actually belong, despite his education, because he lives next door to Mark, and if anyone reading this has ever lived in or experienced Wolverhampton, then they may be aware of the locality's landlord who own many of the properties around, most of which are bought from the council. I was told that the council is so in debt here that it will not even give funding to a local LGBT group. 

A particular street mentioned here is 'Prole Street'p82 Peter explains that it was an abbreviation of proletariat to Mark who is so uneducated, that he does not even begin to realize his own perceived identity, nor does he acknowledge his derogatory thoughts conveyed through his language in using profanities such as 'paki' (p43).
In chapter four whilst Mark is in the job centre Selbourne creates a scenario in the job centre where Mark is asked to spell the name of his street aloud. He repeats P-R-O-L-E ST. Unconsciously missing the concept of this abbreviation of 'proletariat' described further on. I found this distinction hilarious.

Mark's language is an indication of how he demeans most people, in his view they are unimportant, it is also apparent in his sex life, perhaps because he uses such vulgarities in his speech, because it distances us away from his person. Selbourne emphasizes this with sexually explicit imagery. I am painting the life of somebody who is very mimetic, and rather two dimensional from Mark's character.

It is very difficult to overcome legislation here, this only helps me in trying to emphasize how important it is for people to overcome their prejudices and face their fears, because lets face it- we are all liable to think in a certain way that continues to prolong the development of ignorance and intolerant attitudes. It is visibly and ultimately affecting the economy here.

I deem the characters in Raphael Selbourne's book, as integral to the author's purpose who maintains comedy as an important aspect to the book, because although regeneration of Wolverhampton is happening in real life. It is probably about time some of the locals and non- locals should notice that there is rather a little boost of all of our efforts needed in order to boost the reputation of the town, to think and act like individuals with imagination and to restore this place with some actual beauty, to move "out of the darkness and in to the light"- the city's guilty motto. Please somebody get rid of it. If Wolverhampton were personified it should learn to laugh at itself.



It's almost as if the residents have been conditioned to believe its a nice little town, as not to upset anyone so secluded from it all. Its as if I'd upset an old lady by accident or something, but I shall tell you this now, and I shall tell you it again. Old Ladies write the best poetry, they may not necessarily be good mothers, but they certainly prove to be rather blunt, edgy poets. I recently discovered this when I attended a poetry group in town held by Simon Fletcher the locality's literacy officer in Wolverhampton. He seemed to focus on my my pink hair and paint covered jeans at first, but he is actually really very nice.

Perhaps Fletcher was startled to see me there and had weighed up the situation and wondered why such a young person would take an interest in something as 'fuddy duddy' as poetry. In Wolverhampton of all places! Perhaps it was me who thought that he thought this, Perhaps this is just my assumption.


The Aesthetics of the urban environment, Tuesday 2nd March 2010 Wolverhampton
Darlington Methodist church provided me with a wonderful encounter of some of the cities finest posh people from Tettenhall. I had booked this as I was very interested in architecture while writing my thesis and also how this possibly effected the town. I'm not sure if the art galley in Walsall has really changed the cities reputation, but this discussion, I had thought would provoke an alternative crowd to come and see what the city really had to offer, but it didn't really at all, there were not very many young people, there was one eco warrior lady who said something about conservation.

I hope that they didn't assume that I too was an eco warrior too because of my pink hair. Because of the way the discussion went, I'm assuming the majority are traditionalists. One older, rather sinister woman was going on all about the wonderful architecture that was destroyed during the war, yes state the bleeding obvious love. We are all very aware that this wouldn't be such a dive if it wasn't for people like you who kept banging on about the bloody war! There could have been a possible solution to this, but there wasn't, there never is, because of the war? 'FUCK OFF BACK TO TETTENHALL', I'm thinking, but I don't say this because I'm in a church and its not polite, also my Lesbian friend from women's group is in the other room celebrating lent.

"No," I say "its due to the misunderstandings- this place is an apocalyptic nightmare and its soon to fade in to the abyss if somebody doesn't act upon things now." The old scoundrel insinuates that I'm not speaking properly, squints like she doesn't understand me. "Sorry about my accent" I say with an ere of insecurity. Then I continue to nit pick with a some more fabulous vocabularies, congratulating the speaker for his informative lecture. I shake and palpitate. My heart jumping out of my T-shirt, a little horse I gulp air. "Look ,look- at- all-those derelict -('twat')- shops and...its the people their attitudes, social integration... ect ect." I let on that I'm a blogger and I'm thinking what a turnip I am, but I don't give up. Shortly after I agree to an interview with the eco warrior lady and I sweet talk the old bag about business ideas. I know who I'd rather go to dinner with though.

As Im making my way down towards the quadrant lounge for a free sing- a- long. I'm making a promise to myself to keep a look out for the next civic society meeting, just because its so inspirational!