A documentary about a ground-breaking book which features the work of poet Brian Patten, a Dittisham resident for the last eighteen years, will be aired on national television next week.

In 1967, Penguin published ‘The Mersey Sound’ which introduced Brian, along with poets Roger McGough and the late Adrian Henri to the world. The book, which critics of the day dismissed as rubbish, is now a Penguin Modern Classic.

Through the eyes of the two surviving poets, and their many followers from Craig Charles and John Cooper Clarke to Willy Russell and Benjamin Zephaniah, the film explores the book’s lasting influence.

The documentary film, ‘Sex, Chips and Poetry: 50 Years of The Mersey Sound’ will appear on BBC 4, Tuesday, October 3, at 9pm.