THE FIRST ANNUAL NORAH PLATT POETRY PRIZE:
JUDGES AND PRESENTERS (2006)


LONDON TIME BANK'S 2006 NATIONAL POETRY DAY CELEBRATIONS WERE OFFICIALLY OPENED
BY JILL FRASER,  MAYOR OF CAMDEN.



70 AND OVER CATEGORY 2006
JUDGE: Kim Morrissey

The winner of the 2006 Norah Platt Prize was disqualified because although she was over 70 and her poem was judged the best in the competition,  her sister had submitted the poem without asking her permission, and she did not live in Camden.

2006 Presenter:
Rose Hacker (Norah Platt Poetry Prize :70 AND OVER)

Rose Hacker began a new career as a journalist for the Camden New Journal at the age of 100. The daughter of a Polish immigrant who became a London tailor, she was born the same year as Beckett and Betjeman and the Labour party got its name. By the 1940s she had trained as a clothes designer, married, had two sons, been a researcher for Mass Observation and become Britain's first sex therapist. A socialist, she has put in decades of work with bodies ranging from the Inner London Education Authority to Counsel and Care, a charity giving advice to older people and their relatives.

Widowed at 76, Rose assumed that was that. "I thought I'd be dead in a year or two - 76 was considered old in those days." She sold their house, bought a flat, and stayed there 20 years, before accepting, at 96, that she couldn't live alone.  She has had two brushes with cancer, and regretfully gave up art in 2005 when she lost her eyesight in one eye.

Most recently, she appeared in an M.A. dance recital, with three other dancers, at The Place Theatre, Bloomsbury, February 2006. The Purple Poets were delighted to welcome Rose as their special guest of honour at the West Euston Third Age Project's 10th Anniversary Celebrations on June 9th 2007.

She was born on March 3, 1906.

12 AND UNDER (2006)
JUDGES: Tony Bloor and Shahanara Begum

Tony Bloor runs the West Euston Third Age Project; Shahanara Begum is the West Euston Time Bank Broker. Both Tony and Shahanara faciliatate the Inter-generational Arts Meetings.

2006 PRESENTERS:
Councillor Penny Abraham (Bloomsbury) Penny has been a councillor since 1994, representing first Kentish Town, and now Bloomsbury. She has involved herself in many aspects of Council life over the years - education, youth provision, social services and mental health services. She is now Labour lead on environment and culture issues - being passionate about the need to tackle climate change, sustainability and Fairtrade. In what spare time she has, she tries her hand at writing - sometimes even poetry - and plays the piano.

PENNY ABRAHAM'S SURGERIES  | Labour (Shared)

Every Friday
Marchmont Community Centre
Marchmont Street, WC1
from 6.30pm to 7.30p.m.

1st/3rd Friday of each month
at Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association
39 Tottenham Street, W
from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.



Councillor Arthur Graves (Belsize Park). Arthur has a strong connection to the area as his family has lived here for over 80 years.  

brief Bio:

(it always seems pretty difficult to fit it all in...so in a nut-shell) born ' 71, started schooling ' 74, decided it wasn't for me ' 79, parents finally agreed ' 86, chef training till '89, cheffed/gardened/photographed till ' 05, became councillor ' 06, finally found the job for me...It's absolutely brilliant!

slightly less brief Bio:

I've been one of the three Liberal Democrat Councillors since May 2006. It's a job I absolutely love, though I couldn't do it half as well without the constant Love and support of my wife. As such I make her packed lunches every day and refuse to be a politician at the weekend.

Though I am technically paid by Camden Council, I do not see myself as an employee of Camden. Rather I am an employee of the residents of Belsize and as such am constantly trying to find ways in which I can reach out to the local community and assist them in whatever ways they require. I am currently studying in my spare (!) time for a degree with the Open University. This is in number of different study areas none of which feature poetry (sadly, as I've always fancied becoming a Haiku poet. Maybe I'll try that as my next career.)

I am a firm believer that we, that's Us, are the state, and we (US again) should remind those who work within the state's aparatus as often as possible that they (Me) are just their at our (Your) behest. Feel free to quote me.

CLLR ARTHUR GRAVES' SURGERIES  | Liberal Democrat (Shared)

1st Monday of the month (from 5th June 2006)
Belsize Library, Antrim Road, NW3
from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.


2nd Tuesday of the month (from 13th June)
Belsize Square Synagogue
from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.


4th Saturday of the month (from 24th June 2006)
Swiss Cottage Community Centre
from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

COUNCILLOR JILL FRASER (Haverstock; MAYOR OF CAMDEN). Jill has lived in Camden since 1984. She has three children and currently lives in Kentish Town. Jill’s children attended Rhyl Primary, Parliament Hill and William Ellis Schools. She was born and brought up in Essex.

Jill has been involved in local politics for many years. She has been a Governor at Rhyl Primary School for 18 years, and as the Chair for three years. Together with a friend she set up the West Kentish Town Tenants and Resident Association with a friend and founded the Queens Crescent Business Association.

She has also been Secretary to the Chalk Farm Business Association. Jill was Chair to the original Gospel Oak Regeneration Board (GOTCHA), and until recently was the elected representative to (GO Partnership) the current regeneration initiative in the area. She has served on Housing Scrutiny and the Alcohol Liaison Group.
Jill was first elected to the council in a by-election in 2003 as ward councillor for Haverstock Ward.

Jill has worked as a chip shop assistant in Queens Crescent for 13 years. Jill sees her place of work as being an extension of her surgery. She feels her job means she is available to everyone in her community allowing her to listen to their problems or any issues they wish to raise with her very informally.

Jill has been very involved in making Queen’s Crescent Market great again and has been successful in gaining money from the Gospel Oak partnership board. She has been part of a team that selected festive lights to keep the Crescent beautifully lit from November till April to celebrate all the festivals that take place at that time of year.

Jill’s mayoral theme for her year (2006-2007) will be celebrating the achievements of Camden’s children. To this end Jill’s charity will be the NSPCC who are already running schemes in Camden: NSPCC Family Alcohol Service and the NSPCC Young Abusers Project.

Jill is particularly keen to help promote sport for our young children training for the Olympics and will endeavour to raise money to provide personal coaching for young people. She is keen on tennis (especially if it involves Cliff Richard).

Jill does not have much spare time but what little time she does have is spent relaxing with friends, reading. She enjoys sewing but has not had time since becoming a Councillor to enjoy this hobby. Jill’s Mayoress during her term of office will be her eldest daughter Kirsty, and her daughter Fiona and son James will be her escorts during her mayoral year. Ian Bignell her nephew, Wendy Mblae, and Councillor Faruque Ansari will also be escorts.

The Purple Poets were delighted to have Jill as a special guest at the West Euston Third Age Project's 10th Anniversary Celebrations on June 9th 2007. The new Mayor of Camden, Dawn Somper, opened the event.

CLLR JILL FRASER'S SURGERIES | Liberal Democrat

4th Friday of the month
Salvation Army Centre
10-16 Haverstock Hill
from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.


Please note that the following surgery is for senior citizens ONLY
1st Tuesday of each month
Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre
Belmont Street, NW1 8HF
12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

2007 Norah Platt Poetry Prize (deadlines and details)