Platform Poets

My knowledge of Platform Poets is limited but I came across them via Darlington Poet Jerry Slater - a member of the Teesside Writers Workshop- who was published by them in 1984. His book was called Passing Places and Platform Poets seemed well established.

Platform Poets was run by Geoff Tomlinson from his home in Middleton St. George (near Darlington). In 1990 he had an article published in Tees Valley Writer and there was a short autobiographical piece about him - reproduced here -


" Geoff Tomlinson, a supply teacher in Cleveland, was born in Barnoldswick, Yorks. He moved to Lancashire when he was eight. People were so hurt at losing a potential batsman that they later moved Barnoldswick in Lancashire. He came to Durham in 1969 to lecture at Middleton St George.People were so upset at this that they later closed the college. He was redeployed as a primary school teacher but was eventually offered a lot of money to go somewhere else."