MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE FELIXSTOWE
SCRIBBLERS HELD ON TUESDAY 16TH APRIL 2013 AT THE ‘ROOM AT THE TOP’ IN
FELIXSTOWE LIBRARY.
Apologies were received from Angela A and
Cathy.
Another lively and very enthusiastic meeting, commenced at 19.30 hours and those present were:
Dave, Barry D, Barry M, Dick, Liliane, Beryl, Tony, Martin and myself.
Dave told us of a Book
Festival writing competition for 18s and over. A 1500 word short story on ‘A Sense of
Place’. Name and address
should be on a separate sheet of paper. Entry
fee is £5.00. Suffolk
Magazine will publish the winning entry. All entries to be sent or handed in at
the library.
Dave read a funny piece sent to him by our
Cairns based Scribbler Chris entitled ‘Fifty Shades of Grey. Apparently by Pam Ayres from a
husband’s point of view
Tony had sent three chapters and a little
Biography off and once again had some great feedback about his fantasy fiction
from a very enthusiastic publisher. He was asked for a further 4 – 5 page
rundown of the book and blurb for the back cover of his novel. Tony read out his blurb to us and it
encompassed all aspects of his novel brilliantly. Well done and very good luck
from us all.
Our
readings began on the subject of CHALLENGE -
Dick: No Room For Error – All about Huxtable Textiles who were talking of setting up in
an old Victorian defunct boiler house. Then
there was the problem of the tall chimney which needed to be brought down within
very small margins. The
place being so restricted that explosives could not be used. To dismantle brick by brick would be
too expensive and time consuming. After a meeting with Company Secretary the
Locksmear Demolition man, Peter Radcliffe said he would view to see if he could
undertake the task. Decided it could be done but had to include extra insurance
policy and health and safety forms. Large
vans arrived with men in hard hats. Maureen was lucky enough to get to
press the button and won the Demolition Challenge. Well done.
Barry: Our Sarah There were long corridors with countless
sounds. Disinfected huge empty rooms. Found myself in The Intensive Care
Unit with machines, wires leading from her. Didn’t know what to do. should I hold
her hand, would she know? No
involuntary twitches. The
clock on the wall reminded me that it was visiting time and the sound of
children laughing. Very
tired, long days, hours and hours so go for coffee to try and stay awake.
Sarah had gone to band practise and always
had working lights on her bike, always wanted to be independent.
My thoughts are then interrupted by doctors wanting to catch my
eye to talk to me outside Sarah’s’ room. Nothing more can be done, Sarah is brain dead I have to be the one to
agree to the machines being turned off. I
need help to decide but my wife of twenty years, died of cancer so the decision
has to come from me alone. Who can make such a decision? I had to say my
goodbyes and willed her to fight wanting to change my mind but once I had
agreed to turn off the machines knew I couldn’t. I think my eyes are playing tricks but
no she’s breathing on her own. I count one, two, three, four, five. Told Sarah she was never going on that
bike again and somehow a miracle happened and she recovered.
Liliane: The House – Liliane’s ongoing saga
of her family – A large old house with his sisters. Demented old woman had let
it go to ‘rack and ruin’. Cleaned a bit but hadn’t done much. Scrubbed large hall, kitchen is below
stairs. Shelves of pots and pans/utensils from previous century – fit for the
museum!. Small room could be Elsa’s
bedroom. There was a
crucifix but no mirror or dressing table. Ground floor had spiral staircase.
There were clothes in the wardrobes, as if for fancy dress. Party
room leading to terrace. Art
deco vases, staircase to first floor and a black stuffed Persian cat. Heating
this place would cost so much. Very descitpive.
Beryl :. The Bicycle - The time was July 1931. Rou had returned
to Birmingham from London. He
went and telephoned Roma from a stinking kiosk just outside the
station. Pressed Button A and although nauseated from the stench said “if
I work for your Uncle I would lose my inheritance”, then had to put another shilling
in the slot. I wouldn’t
want to take my wife from her family. I’ll
be riding back to London on Friday and then the cash ran out.
Roma was terrified that Rue would be lost under the wheels of a
lorry trying to make his way home. Made
it home but had fallen off his bicycle and the vision Roma had seen in her
thoughts, had come to reality. Roma’s
Mother tended to his bruised and bloody knees and made his eyes sting with the
harshness of the Dettol on his broken skin. With the look of a schoolboy caught
behind the bicycle sheds he admitted that he had ‘held on to a lorry’ because
he liked a challenge. The bicycle went back to Birmingham on the train and
there it stayed.
Dave : 59 Style
Challenge – Johnny Angel was a Rocker with his brylcream wave. He had a silver crash helmet and a 750cc
Norton. His parents cursed
him as he left the house and went off for yet another ‘challenge’. Where there would be a roar of engines
with every rider going for the ton. No fear of speed in a race against time,
the law and themselves, all determined
to be back to the coffee bar first. Off they sped on a 7 mile
course in a long straight line. Twenty
bikers on different and varying bikes - something
would happen it always did.
Johnny would hurtle on with an eye on the speedo 105/110 mph all
the others trailing in his wake. He
was to get it wrong this time, very wrong, as he went over the crown of the
hill. Upwards he went and
the Norton was reduced to shrapnel. His eyes misty, with his own
blood it was carnage..
Back at the cafe Johnny’s girlfriend was getting down and dirty
with one of the bikers until Terry discovered them adjusting their clothing.
After an avalanche of punches Johnny’s girl was taken to his side. Lucy saw him
on a stretcher and just knew he wasn’t going to make it and she wept. This madness must now stop... but it
won’t.
Tony – From The Card Game – Five Nations
activities proving difficult. Brain
won’t work. Larger number
of people on the beach at
the drugs tent. Performance
enhancing substances had been used. A
Red Sash emblazoned with the word ‘cheatg. Tables were filled and then a.
welcoming speech.
Claxon sounded. The
commentary started. . Round after round. Eighteen hours, two of the last
to play. Weapons of Mass
Destruction. She had to
avoid unsports-woman like behaviour. Rebillion. Catz assistance turned into
stone. Shelz had final
contest. Referee sounds the whistle. It was Sheraz yellow flag. Slight
advantage victory was in doubt. Going to a penalty shoot out.
Martin – The Crafty Fox - Creatures arguing in the woodland. The Hare said she was the
fastest. The frog said he
was the best jumper. The
horse then said he was the best runner. The
butterfly said he was the most colourful. The fox agreed he had to be the
craftiest. Then frog had a
good idea. Let’s ask wise
owl so they all walked to the owl house. With his reading glasses on he turned
his head all the way round. Challenge – Fill this pale with the eggs of
the farm chickens. Farmer
has a veracious dog. The
fox picked up the pale and walked
and walked. Then filled the
pale, with the freshest, coolest water, from the brook. Then got some apples from the orchard
to share then headed off, with
a flick, of the tip, of his tale. The
apples were the crunchiest and sweetest apples ever tasted.
Then
off went the fox with some of the sweetest grass. The cow received with pleasure and
rewarded with some milk. Cat
was given the milk and in return gave his meat. The veracious dog was then given the meat, who in turn allowed the
fox to enter the hen house to retrieve the eggs. All the animals were cheering. The Hawk swooped down and Owl told all
the animals that they all had their own ways of being crafty and the fox went
off with a flick, of the tip, of his tale.
Barry
K: Sentry Duty – Andy Farmer
had been forever marching and trying to keep in step. He could hold his own and these lads
knew he was no pushover. He
always ate healthily always eating his vegetables. Good at woodwork and metalwork and had
tried for an apprenticeship. Now
he was a soldier with many tales to tell. Services had their requirements and he
wanted to be a Marine Engineer. He
wanted to join the Navy and his Dad lashed out on about ‘the Senior Service and
their early morning runs’.
Andy
had to report to CPO Danbury. You
are to undergo training as a Sentry. Stand
watch and shout ‘Halt’ who goes there’ and ask for a Password. Most of them in succession emulated
the roar of the chief. Andy
was worried he would look foolish but he did his best but his Chief said, “What
you going to do then, whisper him to death?” Then the chief lost patience
and belted Andy in the stomach.
Some
time later he was taken to one side and told he was to go on compassionate
leave. his Dad was very ill. He
got home in time to see his Father and witnessed his Father release a single
tear run down his cheek.
Back
at camp on Guard Duty Andy trembled, then took a huge breath and as he
remembered that single tear, he roared out with all his might “Who Goes There
and what is the password?”
Caz – Challenges – My poem this week is dedicated to Jack our Darling boy. It tells
of the challenges that Jack faced in his short but remarkable lifetime. I wrote of his courage, his love, his
smile and remarkable determination. Jack is a special Angel who came to Earth
to teach us so much and indeed he did just that. Although of course I miss him more
than I could ever express in words, I know that he is now no longer in pain, or
suffering and is looking after others, as he always did and always will.
The Next Meeting will be held in two weeks time on Tuesday 21st May at 7.30 at the ‘Room at The Top’ in the library. The writing this time will
be our anonymous in-house competition for ‘The Bill Budner Trophy’ with a
maximum of 1,000 words on any subject.
Look forward to seeing
you all again then - in the meantime take care and Keep Scribbling. Thank you
for another extremely entertaining evening.
Caz
Joint Secretary
