Barry MacSweeney, Tom Pickard and all...

There's a neat blog, Poets in a Lens, that features photography of, and comments about, readings held between 1969 and 1987 throughout the north-east of England in a series of venues, including Morden Tower and The Colpitts - here, the actual pub, well before the event relocated to North Bailey near Durham Cathedral.

It's been put together by Jeremy James from the photography and writings of his father, David, who cearly attended the events on a regular basis. Among the poets featured are Basil Bunting, Peter Porter, Adrian Henri, Gillian Clarke, Seamus Heaney, U. A. Fanthorpe and FNB favourites Hugo Williams, Tom Pickard and Barry MacSweeney.

It's interesting to note that for a while, readings were held upstairs at The Old George, long before it became a haunt of 55 year-old married women on the pull.

Tom Pickard reading at The Old George in 1973.

Poets in a Lens: http://poetsinalens.blogspot.com/

Colpitts: http://www.colpittspoetry.co.uk/about.php

Morden Tower: http://www.mordentower.org