Brendan Hawthorne, who became  Wednesbury`s  Poet Laureate in 2014, is an exponent of Black Country dialect, history, music, theatre & poetry.  He won the Bill O’Bowes Cup two years  running at the National Dialect Festival in Blackpool last year.  He is a published poet & playwright & his portfolio also includes publications in dialect.  Brendan is a founding member of The Belmont Rep who famously performed Shakespearean sketches in Black Country dialect last year at Lightwood House to mark Shakespeare’s birthday. Brendan celebrated National Poetry Day again at Lightwood House that included work in dialect.

When COVID-19 struck the UK Brendan’s income as a performer, like all self-employed performers, disappeared in the lockdown & self-isolation of the Coronavirus Pandemic.  Before lockdown Brendan, who is also one half of an acoustic duo called So It Goes,  hosted  a free monthly open mic night called Ere We Bin At Wum Again in dialect (or  Here We Are At Home Again).

"One of the features of this event was the ever-popular Music Quiz for the prize of The Silver Cob", he said,  "a cheese & onion bread roll in silver foil.  It was a fun event and allowed performers and audiences to come together & connect for a free event within the community."

Brendan knew there were serious challenges with COVID-19 but the possibilities offered through social media were just as great.  As a performer he knew that creativity & culture were vital to health & well-being by connecting people within the local community to improve the lives of people in social isolation. 

With the support of his wife & musical partner from So It Goes Brendan responded by learning about information technology and set up a digital platform for his open mic night on the evenings Ere We Bin At Home Again was scheduled to take place complete with the Music Quiz & virtual Silver Cob.  Brendan did this to uplift the local community undergoing the National Emergency in isolation.  If they couldn’t connect any more in public spaces  then they could connect online. The response was immediate - over 100 people applied to register as members including (the wonders of social media) an Australian family in Melbourne & a professor of English Literature in Sydney.  The Silver Cob now became the Virtual Baquette with quince jam from a tree in Melbourne.

Brendan Hawthorne is proof that not all superheroes need to wear capes.