AN INSPIRATIONAL Basingstoke man wants to transform a small embankment into a celebration of the poets who are commemorated in the town suburb where he lives.

George Potten wants monoliths dedicated to the 11 poets - namely Shakespeare, Milton, Browning, Chaucer, Dryden, Byron, Wordsworth, Keats, Shelly, Lawrence and Longfellow - to be erected on the grassed embankment off Shakespeare Road between Chaucer Close and Dryden Close in Popley.

Mr Potten, 57, of Dryden Close, would also like to erect one smaller stone to commemorate the life of well-known poetry lover, the Queen Mother.

He believes the area is a natural amphitheatre and that such a scheme would help to encourage a greater appreciation of poetry and help change people's perception of Popley.

Gazette readers will remember that wheelchair-bound George, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, overcame a number of setbacks to instigate the building of the Millennium Garden between Chaucer Close and Dryden Close in 2002 after five years of planning.

Explaining that the poet idea was inspired by his work on the garden, Mr Potten said: "I feel that a lot of areas in Popley could benefit with the same thing to brighten up our estates.

"It would put Popley more to the front and promote us in a different view. What a lot of people think about Popley is not true. We are people who want to move on and be forward-thinking."

Mr Potten added: "The poetry tribute idea will benefit our schools, encourage our children to take up the writing of poetry, learn about the poets, and encourage them to enjoy the environment they live in by just sitting and listening to the sounds around them."

Mr Potten recently sent a proposal outlining his ideas to Basingstoke council.

He suggested the area could be called "Poet's Dell", and that small shrubs and benches could be erected.

He also believes schools could be involved from the outset by holding a competition to find the best poem and have it etched on the stone for the Queen Mother.

He added: "I just want to help anyone in Basingstoke who is willing to look at this and say, 'Yes, I agree it is somewhere I would love to go and see what could be done with a small area of unused land'."

Tim Boschi, the council's head of service, regeneration and design, said the proposal would need to have the support of the local community and funding sources would have to be investigated.

However, he added: "It is great to know that Mr Potten continues to have the energy and vision for new initiatives in Popley."

Mr Potten recently received the Good Citizen category winner's award in the inaugural A Place to be Proud of Awards. He was honoured for his efforts to improve the area where he lives.

What do you think of Mr Potten's tribute to the poets? Write to The Letters Editor, Gazette Newspapers, Gazette House, Pelton Road,Basingstoke, RG21 6YD or e-mail editor@basingstokegazette.co.uk