Report of Our Meeting

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REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD 6th APRIL 2010

Apologies: Ruth, Jane, Trish, Barry, Ally, Ros, Debbie and Sue.

Present: Dick, Liliane, Rani, Linda, Simon, Tony, Peter and Dave (chair).

SCRIBBLERS NEWS

Welcome back to Rani who was making one of her visits to see her Mum Liliane in Felixstowe. We were pleased to see Tony up and about after his recent operation.

It was a very low turn out for the meeting, probably the lowest for several years but, following on from the Easter Bank Holiday when many people were on holiday it was quite understandable.

We had a pleasant evening and time to catch up on events. It was nice that Maureen Blundell came along and also very pleasing to hear that Ally was really motivated from her one to one session. Maureen had eleven writers attending her sessions and there are high hopes that she will arrange another weekend in the future.

Some news from Dick that his ghost tours on a Sunday afternoon have started once again. Whilst the tour is free of charge there is a collection bucket at the end of the tour for donations that will be passed to EACH’s Treehouse Appeal.

Their hospice bungalow in Ipswich is inadequate for the demands of children’s hospice care services in Suffolk and North Essex. There are not enough beds and rooms to meet needs, and there are no dedicated spaces for the specialist services required by families. Initially intended for a maximum capacity of 50 families, the current hospice now cares for more than 80 families, which is why a new purpose-built hospice is needed. Go to the EACH website at http://www.each.org.uk/how-to-help/treehouse_appeal/

Dave will be resigning as Secretary after ten years in the post. Despite many months notice it seems that nobody is interested in taking on the position. Dave says “Ten years seems like a lifetime, and I am getting no younger. My decision was made before my recent heart scare and that now strengthens my resolve to take a back seat.” His last meeting as Secretary is scheduled for April 20th. We wait and see who will take over.....

The Ipswich Arts Festival Short Story Competition will close on 30th April – details have been circulated at Scribblers and are available on our weblog.

The Platform:

The 1,500 word open-themed work.

Dick: Devon or Bust
Dave: Linking Worlds

The 500 word work on Finish or Finnish.

Liliane: The End is Nigh
Rani: From Start to Finish
Linda: Let’s Call it a Day
Simon: Blub!
Tony: The Things that are done for Timothy Whiteboots
Peter: Beautiful Language

Although fewer in number than usual, Dave’s work provoked a lengthy discussion on ghosts and all things paranormal. ‘Linking Worlds’ was based on something that happened to him on Wednesday 31st March. His opening paragraph read:

“Strange things started happening in the household one Monday evening...It was just before six when the first thing happened. I was sitting at the desk in my study, answering emails on my computer when there was a sudden ‘crack’ to my right and a memento of mine suddenly upped off its stand on the bookshelves and landed upside down about a foot away.”
The rest of the work was fiction.

The item referred to was the railway carriage memento that was presented to him by the Scribblers on his 60th birthday. The significance was that his friend John – one of the four old railway colleagues who met every two months in London for a meal and a drink or two – died from Motor Neuron Disease three days earlier....

Our Next Meeting will be on Tuesday 20th April at 7.30pm in the Room at the Top, Felixstowe Library.

The 500 word homework theme will be ‘Wine’ or ‘Whine’ – the choice is yours! The longer 1,500 word open themed work will be provided by Tony and Peter.

Until then,

Keep Scribbling!

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