Simon Armitage at the Daffodil Hotel, Grasmere

Earlier this week we were lucky to get tickets for an evening with Simon Armitage, at the Daffodil Hotel in Grasmere. The setting for the poetry reading is stunning, with views down to the lake, and the hills behind. The event is hosted and managed by Wordsworth, Grasmere and is a true celebration of modern poetry.

Simon Armitage read his poetry and told funny and, sometimes moving, anecdotes, to a packed and enthusiastic audience. He read poetry from current and previous collections, as well as speaking about his passion for translating Middle English poetry. Some of the poems he read are, as yet, unpublished. One of these we particularly enjoyed was Let's Birdtable, a ridiculous poem consisting only of dreadful management speak. I'm looking forward to this poem being published.

He told a wonderful story about one of his first meetings with Queen Elizabeth II, when he first became Poet Laureate. The Queen asked Simon Armitage about his poetry and how he composed. After he'd bumbled through his answer, she retorted "it must be wonderful to see things, and write them down". Armitage was delighted with this description of his craft and profession!

We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.