Having heard good things about poetry readings in this pub last year, it was a somewhat disappointing affair come 2011.

Bath Spa University students read out the fruits of their labours to a packed audience but it was lost in translation with no direction for the evening and no microphone to make more than every other third word audible to those at the back.

One poem did stand out from the others. A tale inspired by the atrocious aftermath of the Japanese tsunami earlier this year brought the poet to tears and it was the only showing that wasn't reliant on a piece of paper. It was read from the heart.

Poetry is beautiful in the printed form and can be even more tantalising when presented in the spoken word. But this evening had the presentation of a shopping list.

These are talented poets from all walks of life and their work deserved a better outing.