However, although Ayres has often spoken of her admiration of Dylan, [12] [13] in a 2015 interview, she stated that "I don't know that he [Dylan] ever was the inspiration to start writing poetry. Pam performs her solo stage show throughout the UK and lives in the Cotswolds, where she is an enthusiastic gardener for wildlife. In the UK Arts Council's report on poetry, Ayres was identified as the fifth best-selling poet in Britain in 1998 and 1999. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Her reading of her poem The Battery Hen [8] was re-broadcast as Pick of the Week on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, leading to a six-month contract with Radio Oxford.

Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. Her poem "Oh, I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth", was voted into the Top 10 of a BBC poll to find the nation's 100 Favourite Comic Poems. First published in 1997, this book includes many of Pam’s most popular earlier poems including Yes I’ll Marry You My Dear, Will I Have To Be Sexy at Sixty, The Wonderbra, and How Can That Be. With brand new introductions, poems, and illustrations, this is the definitive collection of Pam Ayres' poetry dedicated to her love of animals.They live in Cirencester, Gloucestershire [27] and keep rare breeds of cattle, as well as sheep, pigs, chickens, and guinea fowl.

from 11m40s on): Bob Dylan, I discovered him when I was 17 years old and for the first time in my life I felt it was music and songwriting that was relevant to me. She has appeared at many Literary and Arts Festivals throughout the UK including Hay, Cheltenham, Edinburgh Fringe, and overseas in Hong Kong and Dubai. While at Smiths, Ayres began performing at a local folk club, [7] and this led eventually to an invitation to read on BBC Radio Oxford in 1974. Pam was awarded the MBE in 2004 for services to literature and entertainment, and lives in the Cotswolds. Pam introduces each recording and then, as a bonus, reads a collection of new and previously unrecorded poems from her two most recent books, You Made Me Late Again and Up In The Attic.With the decision "Only accept essential cookies" we will respect your privacy and will not set cookies that aren't necessary for the operation of the site. On radio she is a regular on Just A Minute, has made six series of her own Ayres On The Air, and has appeared twice on the legendary Desert Island Discs. So I had a few poems, and I wrote a few more, and I used to stand up and recite those in the folk club, and as a result of that, anybody who was organising something charitable in the area tended to say "Would you come along too, Pam, and give us one of your famous poems? Her work is popular with fans of all ages, and her wry observations on the peculiarities of modern life will raise a smile from even the most hardened cynic. Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Post As well as featuring stunning pictures by illustrator Nicola O'Byrne, the book issues an important plea to children to help look after waterways and free them from pollution.

From her very first encounter with a friendly golden Labrador at just three years old, Pam Ayres has been enchanted by animals.With her natural warmth and wit she builds up a rapport with the audience that guarantees an evening of fun and laughter. Emerging from a career in military intelligence to find fame on the television talent show Opportunity Knocks, Ayres’ deceptively simple approach has seen her verse tackle life in all its pathos and glory. Pam appears regularly on TV, most recently on BBC’s Springwatch, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Celebrity Mastermind, and a programme about her time in the WRAF in the recent BBC Women at War series. Pam Ayres is one of our most widely-adored poets throughout the world and is nothing less than a national treasure.