Tauranga gets stuck in for poetry day

The streets of Tauranga were rich in literary prose yesterday as 165 poems were stuck to city footpaths to celebrate National Poetry Day.
Katikati writer and poet Margaret Beverland and organiser Joanne McGregor's friend Kathy Nicholson of Tauranga, began the task of sticking poems to the footpath on Devonport Rd, with the help of Trevor Hardy of Welcome Bay.
Poetry was also shared on the streets of Greerton and at Fashion Island in Papamoa.
And Bay of Plenty poets read their work aloud at an event opened by international poet Owen Bullock at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's atrium last night.
Mrs McGregor said the project had been a labour of love.
A small grant covered venue hire, a sound technician and 170 rolls of plastic covering.
"The rest is my donation for the passion of poetry," she said.
A relief teacher and film director, Mrs McGregor is also an editor at Ephraim House, and her boss Tess Maskell helped her stick poems at Mount Maunganui.
Mrs McGregor, who described the project as "full on and interesting", has had her own personal struggle while supporting the community project.
"I committed to this last year before getting cancer in December. In hindsight it's probably not been the best recovery project," she said.
She was extremely grateful to those who had helped - including her husband, who worked until after midnight one night getting poems ready to be printed.