Alison Orlowska was appointed the Hampshire Poet for the National Year of Reading, winning a competition to be county laureate for 2008. Such was the success of the project that Alison continues to work alongside many council departments, showing how poetry can be used creatively to promote services and engage audiences. Alison was asked to write several commissions and play an active role in the cultural life of Hampshire - one of these commissions was under the broad subject of 'the countryside', we wanted a poem directly inspired by a location of Alison's choice.

As a resident of the New Forest Alison chose that area as her subject and composed a powerful poem entitled 'Right of Access' at the end of 2008. I've just had the joy of meeting up again with Alison to film her reciting the poem amidst the glorious forest, especially for the Reading Detectives project. She chose the location of Blackwater, on the Rhinefield Drive, two miles outside of Lyndhurst, a glorious spot that I'll certainly be returning to.

I hope you enjoy the stunning words and backdrop ~