Tuesday 3rd September 2013.
Present: Martin, Clive, Suzi, Carolyn, Sandy, Beryl,
Tony, Liliane, Barry M, Les, Dick, Katy and Dave.
Apologies: Barry D and Caz.
It was nice to welcome Katy for her first meeting.
She is a very new writer and is particularly interested in stories for younger
children revolving round guinea pigs. Also it was nice to welcome Martin back
after a long break. Currently he is still very busy with work and for the time
will only be able to attend an odd meeting.
Creative Writing Course for Beginners. Sandy’s
course begins on Wednesday September 4th at Ipswich Library
(entrance in Old Foundry Road) weekly for 15 weeks. It will run from 7pm until
9pm and costs £5 per session. If you know anyone who may be interested please
pass details on. Sandy’s email address is stafford7176@yahoo.com.
Tony’s plans are progressing well with both Felixstowe
and Ipswich Community Radio Stations. He is about to record a demo disc for
them and, providing it is accepted then he will be looking for one hour’s
material each week for each station! Sounds a tall order but, remember, so many
of our homework assignments would grace the radio. Further news as it evolves
The homework assignment this week
was to write about autumn or something loosely associated with it. Once again
the assignment worked well and provided us with a fascinating collection of
stories and poems, all great stuff! Someone mentioned a similar homework on
Spring and a work by a certain Scribbler was recalled with some vivid memories
by the group of the story that simply began ‘Boing, boing, boing’! Back to
autumn folks!
Dick: Autumn Day: An excellent
poem evolved from a long list of all things appertaining to the season, telling
of birds migrating to Spain and other parts of the world. There were drowsy
wasps, dew drop jewels forming in the mornings, spiders and their webs, the
rain and gales, bare brown fields, squirrels burying their nuts for another
day, barn owls and dying leaves. And guess what? In Dick’s inimitable way he
made it all rhyme.
Les: The Carnival of Beauty: Another
excellent rhyming poem that all too soon waves goodbye to summer, takes us
through the sun’s lengthening shadows and into the seemingly everlasting
nights. It provides nature’s paint brush running free, showing its carnival of
natural beauty that happens once a year. Then the farewell into the winter’s
chill.
Barry M: Bloody Leaves: Fifty years
earlier Bert and Mary had moved into their new house. Behind, an allotment was
turned into housing, including a half way house which caused so many problems
with noise from parties and loud music. The council planed a row of trees which
helped little with the noise but, come autumn the line of trees deposited their
leaves In Bert’s garden. One night there was commotion, the trees were on fire
and Bert and Mary were evacuated to the village hall. The trees and halfway
house were destroyed. Later, workman clearing the site found an unexploded
bomb... so back to the village hall!
Liliane: Autumn Days: Another in
the series of Liliane’s stories. Autumn turning their wild garden into a riot
of colour, leaves that decorated the trees soon covered the ground. For the
children, autumn was a fun season, running through the leaves, gathering
conkers and chestnuts. Aunt Annie would never let them go the park because of
dangerous trees – Francis had fallen from a rotten branch once and broke his
arm. Autumn could be scary too, the wind whistling and howling, finding its way
through a thousand cracks into the house. Then there was the Feast of the Dead
when their dear departed were visited with flowers...
Tony: The Autumn Life of the Retired Hero: One of Tony’s gems. The hero suffered a dream
when he saw himself on a beautiful white charger galloping amongst all the
trucks on the A14. Then he answered a French advert for someone to change the
destiny of the universe, got the job and followed her into her office, a field.
She was empress and married him. He became her consort and travelled from
galaxy to galaxy at a whim. Introduced to Squire Kevin Smith, the great, great
grandson of the empress, he was set the task to find the Inter-Galactic tray at
the castle but then became a lonely 98 year old gigolo...
Beryl: The Telegram: From Beryl’s
novel that is nearing completion. Autumn brought cleansing rain, freshening the
air, making the East End almost bearable. Autumn also brought Rudolph. A
telegram arrived for him and Ru read out the few words ‘Daddy gone missing.
Come home at once. Daisy’ But Ru thought it a decoy duck when Daddy refused to
replace him managing the family shop in Birmingham. Persuaded to phone Daisy,
he promised to return but only for the weekend. An argument ensued on the way
home on his disappearance which ‘was as likely as men walking on the moon’ ...
Sandy: The Fishmongers Boy: Now in the
autumn of his life he looked back to his first employment as the Fishmonger’s
delivery boy based at West Port Edinburgh. His bike was his ‘time machine’. The
shop was staffed by four so when he was not delivering he was sent to the
cellar to skin rabbits, but leave the head on to add to the weight, He felt
cruel boiling live lobsters on the gas ring. Outside the stench from the rubber
mill, the brewery, horse dung and urine penetrated clothing. Customers varied
from bland to obnoxious. One day an order fell from the basket on my bike and
got covered in dirt and horse dung. It wouldn’t wash off but wrapping it in
newspaper he made the delivery to a restaurant and never got a complaint.
Carolyn: The Luxembourg Apartment: An excerpt from Carolyn’s book it
relates to Paris where she, along with Gary and GR was looking for an
apartment. In mind was an upper apartment but, when they arrived the fortyish
Frenchman shpwed them a ground floor flat with bars at the window. Inside it
was smelly and dirty. The existing occupant a woman was present but never
spoke. It was a terrible germ covered place but Gary could see all the
possibilities of converting it into a habitable, upgraded place to live.
Carolyn could say nothing in front of the woman but escaped into the fresh
Parisian air that was full of the World Cup 98 celebrations after the French
defeated Brazil.
Katy: Frost Goes Swimming: This is
Katy’s first ever story written for younger children about guinea pigs. Frost
is a guinea pig who was told he was going to have a bath. He got scared; he
wasn’t a fish or a duck; tried to get away from his owner but failed. He was
put in the bath and then felt the lovely warm water and then the white stuff.
Mmm he loved it. He began swimming then was taken downstairs where the noisy
hairdryer blew air on him. Back in his lovely clean hutch in time for a nap.
The theme is to help children learn how to look after guinea pigs. Katy also
read out a short poem: Autumn: About the countryside so fresh and clear, of
leaves coming down from the trees and the wait for winter.
Sue: I Ought Uhm subtitled Weeping
Willow and the Zumba Class: Sue’s work is
fascinating and laced with emotive expression and superlative description. She
starts with a sturdy trunk that once pirouetted proud and tall, was rooted deep
in the ground her spreading leafy branches swept and swayed in the twining
wind. Tells the story of the Willow, a tree of enchantment, her cut shoots used
for crafts and the practise of magic, its Wicca name. She is sacred to story
tellers and poets, her bark healed body pains and she is associated with
protection, healing, divination, fertility amongst others. The willow is about
tenacity to life. She has bent with the wind, a weeping widow... Just a short
section from Sue’s story.
Clive: Autumn Takes Off: Andy and
Charles had known each other for 25 years – Andy had a fear of flying whilst
Charles was an experienced traveller. When his family moved to Holland he found
the long ferry crossing from Harwich to the Hoek van Holland took too long
whilst flying would save him nearly a day. Charles took him through everything
in preparation so when Andy boarded the plane he knew what to expect. It was
the point of no return. The engines whined and the plane taxied and suddenly it
was climbing. He was brought a Dutch cheese roll which was so good and was even
shown to the flight deck. All too soon he was landing and his first flight
touched down.
Martin: A Fairy Story: A long time ago there was a little island and
a big island. The big island was bossy. The little island was green with green
fruit and fruit grown under the ground. The little island was told to grow more
fruit under the ground but it was diseased and the little island soon ran out
of fruit. Young died, then the old died and soon others too. The people from
the big island would not help and they argued for years and years but now are trying to be friends again – a lesson
to be learnt. Martin continued with an untitled work: The Great Hunger
in Ireland caused by the potato blight. Estimated a million people died of
starvation and a further two million emigrated. Sir Charles Trevelyan in the
British Government held the relief funds back...
Dave: Autumn Term: It was a
special day – my first teaching job in Ipswich as a replacement.. On the way to
the station the rain lashed mercilessly, the gale force wind blew, the leaves
fell to the ground making walking treacherous. At the station I bought my
weekly season ticket and boarded the train. Time passed very slowly. Nerves
kicked in and I wondered what the teenage pupils would be like. Were they
responsible for the master having his nervous breakdown, The train was crowded,
then suddenly stopped. Leaves on the line. Trains couldn’t make the incline.
Phoned the school to tell them about the delay but the secretary didn’t know
who I was!
And so a pretty full word fest drew to a close
and hopefully everyone present enjoyed each other’s work. Once again something
different will follow next time when we revert to The Bill Budner Trophy, an
anonymous competition for attending writers only and the chance to relieve
Barry of the trophy!.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday 17th
September, when you should provide up to 1,000 words on any subject you wish.
The stipulation is that your story is typed, does not include your name or
identifying marks and is placed face down on the table provided when you
arrive. Full details appear on our weblog.
To those who provided copies of their homework
this time, thank you. It helped enormously and really does assist in writing
meeting reports. We ask that your entry for the Bill Budner Trophy may be
retained for the report. All works will be returned at the next meeting.
Until next time,
Keep Scribbling!!!
