IAN Beech, Crediton’s own local poet will be leading a creative song writing session as part of the national Climate Action Week.

The session, called “For the Love of….” is open to all those who wish to celebrate what has been done or will be done to protect the environment in Mid Devon.

It will be held at the Crediton Inn in Mill Street on October 13 at 7.30pm.

While all singers and musicians are welcome, no musical knowledge is required and everyone is invited to just go along and work with Ian to write a song which incorporates ideas, images, scenes, stories that show our love for the environment.

The aim is to compose, collectively, a song which can be performed at different community events during the course of the year, including CredFest 2017.

“Whether you are a rhapsodist or a rapper, into arias or acid-house, ballads or leider, then your skills and ideas are needed,” said Sarah Green, Chair of Sustainable Crediton, the event’s organiser.

Poet, Ian Beech, performs his poetry at a wide range of events in Taunton (Fire River Poets), Exeter (both Uncut Poets and Taking the Mic) and Torquay (Poetry Island) and occasionally at The Bike Shed in Exeter.

He was runner-up in the 2014 Exeter Poetry Slam and has also performed at numerous poetry festivals throughout the South West.

In 2015, Ian published his first poetry collection, "On the Road to Ollantaytambo" with Poetry Island Press.

He also performed at the Crediton Climate Challenge last year with poems full of humour and satire.

The Climate Change Week of Action takes place from October 6 to 8 and is being organised to celebrate the people, places and things we want to protect from climate change.

There will be nature walks, tea parties, classic parliamentary lobbies, community energy visits and all sorts of other events to start those key conversations about climate change. People across the UK are organising events in their local areas.

For further details see: https://weekofaction.org.uk/ .

Sustainable Crediton, organiser of the event on October 13, actively campaigns against climate change in the Crediton area.

It has more than 700 members and works through a number of action groups on Food, Waste, Energy, Transport etc. Further details can be found on the website: SustainableCrediton.org.uk and new members are welcome.

Alan Quick