John Hegley at Waterside Arts Centre

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor
Poet John Hegley.
Poet John Hegley.

John Hegley at Waterside, Manchester 22 July 2017 Tickets from £13.00 — Book now

Poetry events can often err on the side of self-reverential, pretentious and even, dare we say it, boring. But one poet who we know will always bring a smile to our face – whose tome Can I Come Down Now Dad? had us in stitches back before anyone LOLed – is the master of comic verse, John Hegley.

John Hegley has performed on the streets of London, is an Edinburgh Festival regular, has sung and spoken his performances across the BBC radio network, has had his own BBC Radio 4 slots, including Who Does John Hegley Think He Is?, has produced prose pieces and is a heavily published author, with 21 books to his name. He is an occasional dancer on stage and page, and a workshop leader using drawing, poetry and gesture, and he is an urgent ukulele player and lover of mandolin. He is, in short, a very busy man.

He could also be accused of being slightly obsessed with the humble spud – we cite the titles of his three most recent collections as exhibit number one through three: Peace, Love & Potatoes, I Am A Poetato and New & Selected Potatoes.

In this show, he talks about dog hair, handkerchiefs and – of course – potatoes in a philosophical framework. Fresh from Ledbury Poetry Festival and Tongue Fu at the Spiegeltent in London, grab the latest leg of his tour as part of Waterside’s Refract:17 festival.

John Hegley at Waterside, Manchester 22 July 2017 Tickets from £13.00 Book now

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Where to go near John Hegley at Waterside Arts Centre

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Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

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Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

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Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

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Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

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Mish Mash

Cocktails and craft beer along side a menu of British food ‘with a twist’. Mish Mash is currently closed for a refurb.

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Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

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