“Hyacinths and biscuits” – “imaginary gardens with real toads” – “rhythm, dance and the human voice” … the February poetry workshop at the Abbey Centre in London started with a brief discussion of ways of looking at poetry.

The afternoon included reading and commenting on each other’s poems, a writing session using written and visual prompts, and a look at the effect line length can have on a poem. Memorable images from the workshop included floral aprons, dressmaking, serendipitous yellow orchids and broken air-conditioning.