IT was a night which will be talked about for years to come as poet laureate Andrew Motion made an understated appearance in front of a packed audience at Kidderminster Library.

All through his 55-minute reading - which took in a selection of older poems and even one he had written the previous day - he maintained an air of uncertain modesty, and looked positively embarrassed at the round of enthusiastic applause which greeted the end of every reading.

Despite this, a steely belief in his own ability was evident as Mr Motion fielded questions on when he first realised he was a poet and how he wanted to be thought of after his death.

He introduced each poem by describing the circumstances leading up to its composition, and the undoubted highlight of the evening was the poignant verse he wrote in the wake of last year's Paddington train crash.

A memorable and historic evening at Kidderminster Library.

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