The Morecambe Poetry festival hosts Ian McMillan and the Verb at the Morecambe Winter Gardens, for a special recording with poets Pam Ayres, Raymond Antrobus and Henry Normal, three performers much- loved by audiences.

Pam Ayres takes us back to the beginning of her career with the first poem she ever performed live whilst working for the Royal Air Force. This preceded her memorable winning appearance on the TV talent show Opportunity Knocks.

Raymond Antrobus reads from a long sequence of poems written after he learned he was going to be a father. One of his poems describes the sign language his hearing son - born in 2021 - communicated with before he could speak. Raymond's own deafness was diagnosed when he was six.

Henry Normal has a long association with the Morecambe Poetry festival. He was involved in its creation and is almost its resident poet. He reads poems inspired by libraries saying he would not have become a writer were it not for free access to the wide world through the pages of books.

Produced by Susan Roberts