Report of our meeting

FELIXSTOWE SCRIBBLERS MEETING: TUESDAY 3^rd DECEMBER 2013

Apologies were received from Katy, Barry D, Martin, Carolyn, Beryl, Les and Caz.

Those present for the evening were: Clive, Suzi, Jane, Dick, Liliane, Barry M, Tony and Dave.

The lack of numbers at tonight’s meeting was understandable: with Les now probably jet lagged in Australia, Caz helping care for her brother in Wiltshire after his accident and operation, Beryl unwell, Katy, busy and still suffering anxiety attacks, Carolyn just back from the USA and also jet lagged and Martin caught up with work.

This meant making the most of the stories and poems presented to us, and, indeed, they were all excellent and very enjoyable but made for a quick-ish meeting. Except a spur of the moment short 4 word creative writing exercise extended the meeting and provided some more dramatic writing. With just fifteen minutes writing the results were amazing. Proof of the value of such sessions.

Les wished everyone all the best for the forthcoming festive season and wishes you a Happy New year when he will be returning home again. We have also had a note from Susan (French) who wishes everyone season’s greetings and hopes, work schedules permitting, to see us all in the New Year.

Clive has offered to proof read anyone’s work, something he enjoys doing. It is always good to have an independent eye cast over our work, so his kind offer is there and if you want something proof read, then Clive is your man.

Tony informs us that selected stories from the Scribblers have been recorded and we await details of when these will go out live on Felixstowe and Ipswich Radio stations. Watch this space!

Jane’s Jack is currently in Budapest and has a job in a hostel to earn a little cash. We hear he will be home on 21^st of the month but intends returning later on.

Focus Life Coaching is run by our own Jane who offers coaching for corporate and individual clients to help advance business or personal projects through coaching sessions. Maybe this is what some of us hopeful authors need...!

Now for the homework which was ‘A Winter’s Tale’.

Suzi: Snow: Blank verse:

A very short verse bringing to life the snow falling down through the air, hard blown by the wind, drifting in wonder, cocooning the earth, such delicate fragments asking the question if each snowflake is new-born afresh? Few words, yet so much description of the falling snow and whether or not it is true that no two snowflakes are alike.

Jane: Sense of Place:

2^nd half of chapter 7 of Jane’s book. Karen glanced at baby William before putting her foot on the bottom stair and looked up to the landing. She didn’t want to go up but there was no turning back. Inside the bedroom she could not sit on the bed but went to the built in wardrobes, his and hers. She slid the door back and saw them, his suits, almost as if Richard was standing there himself. Could she smell him? There was no doubt as she pulled on his dark pinstripe jacket. Why hadn’t he told her of all the debts? She swiped the shoes from the wardrobe, stepped inside, slid the door closed and sat in the dark at one end. She could hear crying. Closed her eyes and waited to see if Richard would come to her as he had some nights. The crying got louder, wailing, inside and outside her head. Then she remembered William.

Dick: Three poems:

Snow Joke: A light hearted poem in Dick’s joyful style. The country in disarray because it snowed overnight. Land blanketed white, cars doing the ‘Skaters Waltz’; jack-knifing lorries, schools closed and the PM hoping the bloody stuff would melt!

The Sea Front in Winter: A real sense of place with tourists gone, dank beach huts, locals watching the ocean’s anger. Grandma taking the children to the beach, treasure hunters seeking Roman coins. Desolate prom; soon to banish the dreary winter time.

The Silent Invaders: At first the flakes are small and dry, pirouetting in the gusting wind. Invading town and country alike as the landscape changes appearance. Shop assistants ponder their journeys home. Puff balls of white triggered by the wind as briefly the silent invaders have captured this town.

Liliane: The Snow Remembered:

Liliane’s much acclaimed family recalling the winter of ’46, when Uncle Jan took them to play in the snow in Nightingale Park. It was so beautiful draped with snow and seemed like a fairytale place to the children just like the land of the Snow Queen. Such a lovely time to remember and all was well until the end of the day as it began to get dark when little Paula got snow in her boots. Pa cheered them up by getting them all to sing but then he sang one about the war with the Spanish which wasn’t very nice. A Spanish attack and siege evoked visions of the weary battle scarred men, something they didn’t need reminding about so soon after the end of the Second World War.

Barry M: Miles:

July 11^th moved from Essex to Norfolk. The cottage is called ‘Miles’. Beautiful views across fields and river. So happy with George my Jack Russell. October 9^th the autumn shades are gorgeous. 5am a muntjac deer is in the garden. November 11^th Need the heating on. The muntjacs ignore George. Love this place. December 12^th. It snowed last night. Swept my drive clear. A tractor comes along pushing the snow into my garden and drive, blocking me in. Farmer did the same daily and by the 17^th I’m exhausted from all the shovelling. December 22^nd, more snow, frozen pipes, aching back. December 24^th not enjoying this place so much. December 29^th. Stranded for a week. Car buried under snow. January 1^st Happy New bloody Year. January 14^th finally got car out, drove to Wroxham. Icy roads. Swerved to avoid deer. Hit two trees. February 14^th took car to garage, got bus home. Took hours! Not sure about this place now. February 20^th got car back; cost twice as much as it was worth. February 28^th, moved back to Essex.

Tony: Trousers:

Strange that I, Sir Walter de Flowers am standing in my younger brother Digby’s bedroom at our stately home Rehar End at 5 minutes past midnight holding a pair of trousers. My brother was unable to play the adolescent game of sundials. Best played on a summer’s day in the centre of a croquet lawn. Strip naked, lie on your back and think about Brigitte Bardot or someone like that then wait until passers-by tell you the time. Rolling back the clock five years to 1^st December we went off for a duck shoot complete with our dogs Smith and Wesson. Disguised with a hat the shape of a mallard Digby sat camouflaged in the boat. Whilst I supped a bottle or two, Digby had a secret assignation with Isabel but was discovered by her husband. Pushing off in the boat again wearing that hat, I awoke from my drunken slumber saw the mallard and fired. I had his trousers as a keepsake but on this particular day for the last five years Digby has haunted us looking for those trousers of his.

Dave: Walking Home:

A compulsion on a cold and frosty evening to walk the three odd miles towards the family home, an old palatial Victorian house. His father was a conman who lost his begotten gains in the ’83 stock market crash. His mother died in the house soon afterwards. Nearing the house he stopped, it felt as if someone was right behind him but there was nobody. A wisp of breath appeared in the cold air beside him and he felt himself propelled forward to the gate when he suddenly saw a face in the window, the face of his deceased mother. Drawn into the darkened building the door slammed behind him. Using a mobile as a light he saw the body at the foot of the stairs...

Then followed the short four word creative writing exercise. Here are the words everyone drew; maybe you could do a fifteen minute exercise to include each word. It is a challenge!

Clive: Stuck, Submarine, Engineer, Newspapers.

Suzi: Ghost, Abominable, Still, Choices.

Dick: Solstice, Toilets, Robins, Tremble.

Liliane: Coach, Tangential, Bonnet, Incongruity.

Tony: Pudding, Races, Life, Haggis.

Dave: Celestial, Trombone, Hell, Asteroid.

Jane: Sleep, Bells, Leaves, Filmstar.

And so to the end of the penultimate meeting of the year. It is hardly conceivable that we have just the one meeting left in 2013. That will be held in our usual place, The Room at the Top on Tuesday 17^th December at 7.30 pm. There will be no homework as this will be a short four word writing exercise followed by a little Christmas Party. It would be nice if you could bring along some ‘goodies’ – not too much, perhaps just enough for a snack – and help to bring down the curtain on another Felixstowe Scribblers Year.

Since the meeting there were the storm tides which created havoc in so many places along the East Coast and in our own county. Felixstowe was better protected than in those dreadful 1953 floods so no lives were lost here. I noticed the following link from Felixstowe News TV which is pasted for you to see...

http://www.felixstowenews.tv/videos/mediaitem/321-felixstowe-after-the-flood-6th-december-2013

Until the next time when we hope to see you all there with us...

Keep Scribbling!!!