September began with 3 days walking in Exmoor along moorland tracks and coastal paths probably little changed since Coleridge escorted Dorothy Wordsworth across these hills and she wrote in her diary of the 'furze gay with blossom' and 'songs of lark and redbreast' and mists over the sea. Late summer sunshine and an excellent base (White Horse Inn in Exford) enhanced a blissful break, and I was back in time for Blahblahblah at Bristol Old Vic, the 'relaunch' (when did it run aground?) of their monthly performance poetry event Word of Mouth. Luckily the makeover didn't change Byron Vincent, still self-deprecatingly endearing & the most absurdly funny MC around. The main difference apart from free wine and sweeties was the extensive line-up of guests ~ a dozen, in fact. Most performers were splendid, some were superb. I especially liked Harry Baker's witty mathematical twist on freshers week, James Bunting's fantastic love poem to Bristol, Anna Freeman's powerful personal poem My Right Hand, and everything Chris Redmond does. Which is really good because on Thursday he's coming to Frome's Merlin Theatre, to do some more!