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HomeMargaret Jennings

Margaret Jennings

Poetry

Poem: Mr and Mrs Portsmouth (after Mr and Mrs Scotland are Dead by Kathleen Jamie)

3rd April 2022

By Margaret Jennings   Mr and Mrs Portsmouth are kirtled by the sea proud of their ironclad links to Nelson and Victory, Looking down on their sister, Gosport. Dismissive of the Scummers.   Mr and [… read more ]

Fiction

The Empty Road

27th November 2020

By Margaret Jennings Madie dressed in slouchy trousers and an old tee shirt. No work today. No work for an unknown amount of her future and she was determined to stay healthy. A walk with [… read more ]

Fiction

Bun Penny

13th November 2020

By Margaret Jennings When I was a child, my mother gave me a bun penny and told me that whenever I found myself in trouble I should ask Queen Victoria what to do and she [… read more ]

Culture

Tongues & Grooves Portsmouth #WritingChallenge4

6th May 2020

Maggie Sawkins, who leads local poetry and creative group Tongues & Grooves has unleashed a local #writingchallenge and they kindly let us publish the responses. This week’s challenge was – in Paul Klee’s words – to [… read more ]

Culture

Portsmouth BookFest 2020: ‘An Evening of Poetry’

25th February 2020

To celebrate this year’s Portsmouth BookFest 2020, S&C Contributor Amanda Garrie writes about her experience of going to one of the events, ‘An Evening of Poetry’. T’Articulation took themselves to 113 Art House Coffee on Monday 17th [… read more ]

Social Issues

A Pompey Fat Chav Bites Back

5th April 2017

Portsmouth writer Margaret Jennings offers some home truths on class, obesity and body image. Let’s look at my qualifications. 16 and a half stone, five foot seven inches and a BMI of 33.5. Obese – [… read more ]

Poetry

STAR POems: Bramble

22nd July 2016

(Blackberry brambles can be stripped of their thorns and used to fashion baskets and other useful artefacts).   The first man clips off her thorns one by one, turns her placid and tractable, cuts her [… read more ]

Latest News

News

‘A Woman Who Made History Through Activism’: Rosy Bremer 1971-2025

5th April 2025

How do you tell the story of an incredible life in the brief and limited way an obituary requires? Born in Portsmouth on June 10th 1971, S&C Community Reporter (Emily) Rosy Bremer touched so many [… read more ]

News

Struggling for an Endometriosis Diagnosis in Portsmouth

24th March 2025

The growing issue of waiting lists for gynaecological care in the UK is leaving many women in pain, with some enduring severe symptoms for years before they can see a specialist. The majority of women [… read more ]

News

Tiny But Mighty Pompey Algae

12th February 2025

Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight are both iconic destinations in southern England, known for their beautiful coastlines, vibrant maritime history and geological significance. University of Portsmouth PhD student Meriam Chouar invites us into an [… read more ]

News

The Grand Canyon of Evil

9th December 2024

A friend with whom Portsmouth-based writer and planetary modeller David Angus travelled around Europe wished to go to Auschwitz. This is David’s account of that troubling experience. Another Jewish friend, Ric, compared the Ian Brady/Myra [… read more ]

News

Guide Dogs Charity Needs Portsmouth Volunteers: Could it be You?

8th April 2022

The local branch of charity Guide Dogs is urgently appealing for new volunteers to sign up as Fundraisers and My Sighted Guides. Volunteering Coordinator Pat Janecka reached out to S&C Editor Sarah Cheverton to tell [… read more ]

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