Meeting Report for 2nd October

Yet another fine meeting.

With apologies from Cathy, Carolyn, Janet and Ray:
Those attending were  Dave, Dick, Lilian, Caz,Angela, Beryl,  Les, Martin, myself and Tony.Yet another fine meeting.
With apologies from Cathy, Carolyn, Janet and Ray
Those attending were  Dave, Dick, Lilian, Caz,Angela, Beryl Les Martin, Tony and myself  .

The subject of Happiness proved to be an easy one to translate into 1000 words, much easier for some than others (me)!

Caz was the first to give us her ideas on happiness. Called 'What is happiness' told of her joys and sorrows from first knowing she was expecting her son then through the joys of early motherhood and tragically the heartache of finding your child is ill leading to his being taken at a much too early an age. A very moving and sad as well as happy account.

Dick told us a story called 'The girl who loved dolphins'  Rosie was, from an early age a girl who loved animals and when dad told her they were to buy a sailing boat in which to travel the world she was overjoyed and listened to tales of warm seas and creatures called dolphins, that smiled at you.They set sail and encountered many sights across three oceans finally to end up in the Caribbean where she at last met the dolphins.

Liliane gave us 'The road back' another family story of a couple with problems and a three year separation with the wife wondering, on their eventual reconciliation , about her husbands fidelity during the period apart but deciding to set aside her fears of affairs. Then the family learn of Lucas, a boy who becomes accepted as a child of the family.

Beryl's 'Life before Annie' was a factual tale of the early life of Helen Keller who at the age of two, suddenly was struck down and became deaf and blind. This was believed at the time to be a result of scarlet fever but not proven to be so. Her early childhood was rebellious until she met Annie Sullivan who slowly taught her how to recognise objects and people and began a fifty year relationship.

Tony had us reeling in our seats with a hilarious tale of 'The happy world of the quantity surveyor-retired'
This told of the trip undertaken by this quantity surveyor and his eventual ride offered in a rainstorm. This proved to be the woman of his dreams who offered him a lift to her caravan where she proceeded to seduce him to the recitation of 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'.

Martin entertained us with a play with two characters, Joe, a young man and Lord Byron. It was a witty account of the conversation between the fabled poet and the boy where Joe challenged Byron to an 'Instant poetry' competition. Burns listened to Joe's account of the girl in the bus shelter and declared him the winner.

Les 's story was a general one of his feeling in the past and now telling of the happiness he and Joan enjoyed during her life and his determination to stay positive and enjoy life as she would want him to.

Dave gave us 'The Brown Envelope',   more of his Pauline story and how happy she was with her policeman, Billy. She received a brown envelope through the post and thought it was a bill but on opening she discovers she has won £5000 on the Premium Bonds and so promises to take Billy out for a fine meal that evening.

My contribution was titled 'The 33' a factual tale of the thirty three miners, trapped in the gold mine in Chile in 2010 and the way the men kept up their spirits and the eventual happiness on their rescue.

Angela gave us the tale of a recently promoted politician and his front bench job, the job the press had dubbed 'Minister for happiness'. His predecessor had been a woman whose former life as a journalist seemed not to be ideal for this life. Her career ended in a breakdown. This was spectacular as it happened in the Cabinet room and her career ended with peals of laughter at the demise of the Prime Minister with a faceful of porridge at a breakfast meeting.

Thanks to all attending the meeting.

The next meeting will be on the 16th of this month and if you were at the meeting you will have been given a genre for the next. All those not at the meeting can email me for a genre that is left.

Thank you all again and see you on the 16th.

Barry