W.A. Bush Poetry Championships and Boyup Brook Festival

[keats]

Hi All,
just landed back in Victoria after performing during the 2011 Boyup Brook festival. And what a festival!!!! The line up this year was brilliant with artists such as Troy Cassar-Daly, Felicity Urquart, Pete Denehy, Graham Rodger and Amber Joy, just to mention a few. I went over as a poetry guest with Melanie hall and Susie Carcery.

Bush Poet's Breakfasts were held every morning with the Harvey Dickson morming attracting somewhere around 700 to 800 people and the Sunday morning attracting a conservative guess of over 2000 people, a bigger crowd who watched Troy and Felicity and co on the Sunday arvo!!!

The quality of the poetry presented by the WA poets, not only in the comp., but at all the walk up events, was nothing short of first class. I have had the privilege to judge several National and state championships and I say with no reservations, that the standard was equal to anything I have witnessed! The quality, the delivery, the pure dedication of all the competitors and performers was something to savour, so congratulations to all, and in particular Irene and Brian Langley for reviving the WA championships and hopefully present the WA poets with many more years of quality competition.

Congratulations to all winners, place getters and a lot of poets who came so close to becoming either. Look out East Coast, there is so much untapped talent in the West that you will all be fighting even harder in the future to get your hands on a trophy!!!

A big thanks also to all the Festival organisers who made us feel so welcome, to Bill and Meg Gorden for their wonderful hospitality and to the massive crowds who made the breakfasts one of my most memorable and rewarding times since I began entertaining!

WA, YOU ROCK!!!!!!

Neil McArthur

[Dave Smith]

Goodonya Cobber and thanks for coming we had an absolute ball, it was good to met you in the flesh, Elaine is still laughing.

TTFN

[Irene]

Thanks Keats
We had a ball also, and we really appreciate all the time and effort you, along with Mel and Susie put into helping make our championships a success. It was absolutely great!!
I have heard so much positive feed back about the shows that you and the girls (do you like that??? They will!! ) put on. It really helps to bring people back to appreciating bush poetry.
Susie is sending me over a report to include with Bills, and a wrap up of the championships results, etc to forward on to Frank Daniels for the magazine. Do you mind if I include your report? I will then leave it to him to print what he wants to include.

Hope you and Colleen get a good bit of r & r now!! And some quality time with your new little man!

Catchya
IRene

[keats]

Thanks Gran!! lol Sure you can use it. Edit it as you wish. Thank you for a great time (pay back) and yeah, it's great to see the little bloke again, but I wish I was still in WA. Great people, great poets, great state. Thanks

[Irene]

Hey Keats
Dave and I won't tell the rest of the site about the windscreen wiper that went missing either!!! They will think you make a habit of pinching wipers!!! Will we Dave????
Now, let me see - that's a wiper from Queensland, and now one from WA!! Wonder where the next one will come from???

HOpefully, we will see a few more eastern staters come on over and enjoy the west in the future!!!

Thanks again - it was a great weekend for all involved, and the work you guys put in is very much appreciated

Catchya
Irene

[keats]

Well if Greg had of had 2 wipers there would have been no need for me to complete my set over in the West! They need to come in pairs you know! Ph I forgot about a rear wiper, now where am I going next, SA. anybody here from SA?