POETS who think they know it may not be averse to an evening of spoken word.

Come And ‘Ave An Ode If You Think You’re Word Enough is the name of a new event in Weymouth which gives people the opportunity to read out their poems and scribblings.

It’s the idea of Weymouth friends Phil Coombs and Natasha Hamilton, who want to provide a regular platform for ‘wordsmiths, limerick lovers, tale tellers and rhyme wranglers’.

Despite the event’s somewhat confrontational title, the pair would like to point out the event is a fun celebration of the spoken word and people should not feel intimidated about reading their work in front of an audience.

Those who would like to read their favourite poems or tell a short story are also invited. As well as the ‘open mic’ slots there will also be comedy routines and musical numbers from local performers including Gareth Carter and turns from established acts such as The Amazing Mr Smith and Elvis McGonagall.

Phil and Natasha said they hoped to make it a regular event if the first night on Friday goes well.

Compere Phil, 34, said: “We’ve been talking about doing it for a long time. We want to provide a platform for anyone who wants to read poetry, perform music that’s word-based or just tell a story.”

He added: “I’ve been writing poems since I was a kid and I love humorous stuff.”

Natasha, 34, who teaches English at the Blandford School, is also a big poetry fan and gets her ideas from eavesdropping on conversations.

She added: “There’s so much fantastic music in Weymouth and we wanted to pair the two up.”

Natasha said a Facebook group had been launched to promote the night and people are contributing poems and videos to the site.

Come And ‘Ave An Ode If You Think You’re Word Enough is at No 6 pub in King Street, Weymouth, on Friday at 7.30pm. Admission is free. Arrive early to secure a spot on the line-up.