TWO weeks to go before the Wordsworth Trust's annual Weekend Arts and Book Festival (January 24-26) and proponent of all things Romantic', Robert Woof, is poised like a coiled spring.

He is ready, not just for the Byronism, Constable and Delacroix, of the first trust event of the year, but (spade in hand) for more earthy matters such as the builders to arrive: "2003 will be our busiest year ever," enthuses the trust's director.

"We shall cut the first sod, and begin to build the new collections centre to re-house our 50,000 treasures: manuscripts, paintings and rare books, all of which are a powerful source of energy.

"There will be a new facility - a learning room funded by the Foyle Foundation as well as Cumbria County Council and other generous donors, providing space for a range of activities, from school parties to master-classes with the contemporary artists who are working with our collections."

The Trust's education programme caters for around 4,000 children annually or the 70,000 plus visitors who come to Dove Cottage from all over the world every year and Jack Mapanje will once again be among the many wordsmiths under the trust's Grasmere roof during what promises to be one of

its most exciting periods to date. Jack will also give the Amnesty International Lecture at the Edinburgh Festival in

August 2003. Henry Shukman, whose first volume of poetry has just been awarded the Aldeburgh Festival Prize for Poetry (October 2002), will also pay a visit.

Artwise, Simon Morley - a contemporary chap who also teaches the Romantics at the Sotheby Academy in London, will curate The Unfortunate Tourist exhibition in the 3W@Island View gallery, which opens on January 24 at the start of the weekend festival.

"The exhibition deals with the youthful Charles Gough who fell from Helvellyn on April 18, 1805. A cascade of poems and paintings followed, the trail running throughout the 19th century," explains Robert, added: "Walter Scott and Wordsworth are the leading poets, and Francis Danby and Edwin Landseer the principle artists; but our 21st century artists, poets and curators will add their own perspectives."

The festival is followed by the Wordsworth Winter School (February 2-7) where for five days there will be an exploration of Romantic story-tellers. The amiable Mr Woof has the last word:

"Contemporary poets will be in abundance starting in May and lasting until October every Tuesday night. We hope to fulfil the ambition of the founding Trustees in 1891, namely that Dove Cottage should be a place for lovers of English poetry from all over the world.'

A major exhibition on Byron will be here from July until the end of October, concentrating on Byron's presentation of himself."

For further details of all Wordsworth Trust events contact 015394-35544.

January 9, 2003 10:30