Shore Women writing workshops and social activities are centred around NorthCourt, a seventeenth century manor house in Shorwell on the Isle of Wight.

Shore Women posed in the Music Room during their MayDay week-end at North Court, 2002. Since then we have lost Harriet Rowland and Janet Wells but gained Felicity Fair Thompson, Camilla Lambert and Linda Goodwin. .

At work on a collaborative poem in the Drawing Room at North Court.

NorthCourt is an inspiring setting. It has extensive grounds, beautiful gardens, large inviting rooms, and fabulous views of the rolling downs.

On the bridge at NorthCourt in springtime

The Isle of Wight is a magnificent setting which inspires writing about land and sea. Saturday workshops often include a walk on the beach or downs.

See Wight Words for poems about the Isle of Wight.

A walk in bluebell time, May 2002.

"Banked blue of bluebells singing
bluer than Aegean, the tide washes in,
hyacinth fresh, wave after wave.
Downland dipping into campion hollows
spilling bluebells down the hill."

Shore Women gathered on Freshwater beach in October 2003 to celebrate the launch of Rewriting the Map. You can find selections from the book on this website;  look out for poems with *.

Poems were woven, sewn and hung on clothes for a Poetry Wardrobe which was taken on a tour of the Island in Autumn 2001. Here it is at Quay Arts with our visitor, storyteller Fiona Collins.

After a hard day of writing with Vane Women, an evening of synchronised swimming in the lounge at NorthCourt.

Shelley and Kate with Focus Ryde Imaging Group members Bob and Kate Newcombe at a joint exhibition of poems and photographs at the Apollo Theatre in Newport.

Ebbing tides shows the photographs and poems together.