Wandsworth Prep’s ‘Messages’ Poetry Café gets rave reviews!

Wandsworth Prep opened their - now infamous - Poetry Café on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th October to coincide with National Poetry Day with its theme of ‘Messages’.

Guests to the café were impressed by its cosy ambience with its black and white décor and welcoming jazz music.  This year, the focus was not just on the quality of performance but on the writing skills of each and every poet.

Reception poets joined together to sing a poem around Autumn before delivering their heart-tugging poetic ‘Message to Mum’.   

Year 1 poets wowed with their choral recitation of ‘Owls’ followed by individual simile poems about the sun.  

Year 2 pupils used all their senses in their fabulous, fresh sensory poems whilst Years 3, 4 and 5 concentrated on poetry that involved messages around World War II.  Guests were moved by the emotions of poetry describing children’s experiences of London compared to the country, soldiers or evacuated children writing to loved ones and poetic comparisons of the most famous coded messages: ‘Enigma’ and its decoding enemy - ‘The Bombe’.

Guests to the café joined in by giving their own message to the children in Roger McGough’s poem, ‘Tomorrow Has Your Name On It’:

Oh the dreams that you’ll dream

May the good ones come true

Being young is an adventure

How I wish I were you

All guests were invited to leave messages about their experience of the café in 2016.  Here are some of the reviews from Trip Advisor:

“First impression of the Messages Café was AMAZING!  Great atmosphere, lovely coffee, excellent thought provoking poetry!”

“A wonderful performance by all!  Worthy of a West End Stage.  The language, the writing, the performance.  Awesome.”

“A very convivial atmosphere with delicious refreshments and superb entertainment.  Definitely worth a repeat visit.  I’ll be recommending it to my friends.  *****

“The Poetry Café is one of the highlights of the year.  The children are so expressive and entertaining.”

“The creative, relaxed environment is exactly what is needed to allow these precious creative minds to flourish.  Absolutely wonderful.”

“Great atmosphere at this jazz café.  Wonderful poems washed down with smooth coffee.”

“I had the loveliest time at the Poetry Café.  The music was a welcoming touch when I arrived, but of course the highlight was the amazing poetry I was lucky enough to hear!”