A fresh new year at Lumb Bank - this photo was taken on a mobile phone by Ilona, Lumb Bank’s administrator. 

The Ted Hughes Arvon Centre at Lumb Bank has been undergoing revamping and renewal which was put to the sternest possible test when Castlegreen School from Sunderland became the first visitors of 2007. Both public bathrooms have been replaced and all communal areas have been completed re-decorated. We have replaced the carpets in the library, on the stairs and along the landing and the place is looking very smart indeed. Certainly the students from Castlegreen appreciated our new fixtures and fittings. They were there working on performance based poetry with Luke Wright and Lemn Sissay with Clare Shaw as the mid-week guest. The work was, as ever on an Arvon course, extraordinary with all the students making a huge leap forward in their writing.  This was especially pleasing as many of the group had had significant behavioural and emotional difficulties prior to coming to the course. Meanwhile Luke Wright’s campaign to become the next poet laureate continues apace…

Bookings continue to stream in with a quarter of the places for 2007 now gone and two courses completely full. If you want to come to Lumb Bank this year you’ll need to get your skates on…

Best wishes

Stephen, Caron and Ilona