As a student in 1971 I was desperate to be “hip”, and as the social secretary of my hall of residence at Nottingham University, I booked Brian Patten (Obituary, 30 September) to read at an evening of poetry.
The elfin figure who arrived alone was totally devoid of airs and graces, and had an Ariel-like presence. After a mesmerising series of readings, he inquired if there was a floor in someone’s room he could sleep on – as students we never thought of anything as obvious as accommodation. Many students offered their floors. I have no idea where he slept and the next morning he was gone.
Iain Melvin
Askerswell, Dorset
• Working-class kids weren’t the only ones to take inspiration from Brian Patten, Adrian Henri and Roger McGough. In 1969 I was teaching the children of privileged parents at a London crammer. Most had failed at boarding school or been thrown out. The Liverpool poets were the gateway drug, leading them to Shelley and Shakespeare.
Ruth Valentine
London
• On the day Brian Patten died, we were coincidentally reading his poems at the Brighton and Hove U3A poetry group. We love his poems and hope we accorded him a suitably respectful send-off.
Hilary Skelton
Brighton
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