Minutes of Scribblers meeting held on Tuesday 21 April 2015
Present: Dave, Dick, Beryl, Liliane, Tony, Richard, Jane, Suzy, Caz, Mairead, Tom, Tony, Cathy
Apologies: None
The tremendous turnout for the meeting meant we didn’t finish until close to 10pm – our thanks must go to Richard and Jane who waited patiently until the last two slots to read out their work; both pieces were well worth the wait, as I’m sure all the listeners will agree.
Thanks to Jane and Tony for bringing tasty goodies to celebrate their recent birthdays, and to Mairead for supplying us with seriously chocolatey biscuits!
Tony and Beryl had to leave the meeting very early as they had commitments elsewhere. Suzy too was unable to stay for the entire evening.
Items of interest:
Update on Les: Caz told us that he will not be going home from hospital this time, but to a care home, as he is no longer able to live independently. Caz will let us know where he moves to, but at present, (as far as we know) he is still on Woodbridge Ward in Ipswich Hospital. I know we all feel for him at such a difficult time. Cards and visits will be much appreciated by him.
Ruth Dugdall’s evening at Scribblers: Jane confirmed that Ruth will join us on 7 July, so the meeting that night will be ‘An evening with Ruth Dugdall’. Guaranteed to be a good night!
Reviewing Sunday papers on Radio Suffolk: Barry hasn’t heard anything from them yet, but Dave assured him they will be in touch.
Choice of topic for homework: Dick suggested that instead of making this decision hurriedly at the end of a meeting, a better system would be for the first person chosen to read out their work to pick a topic for next time. That way the decision could be rather more considered. All agreed, and it fell to Liliane to choose; her preferred topic for next time is ‘Sharing’.
Homework pieces with an historical theme:
A superb range of stories, and all of them so very different.
NB – if I’ve missed any synopses, I apologise – my system had a bit of a blip yesterday, so I may not have received them all.
Tony: Soho – no synopsis available
Beryl: Beloved and Faithful
In the 12th century Nicola de la Haye inherited her father's estates at the age of 17, becoming castellan of Lincoln Castle and before long Sheriff of Lincolnshire, an unprecedented appointment for a woman. In 1217 she withstood a three- month siege of the castle by the French, thus turning the tide of the war.
Liliane: The Ancestor - no synopsis available
Cathy: A city in flames
Exhausted, a young man collapses on the muddy bank of the Thames in the relative safety of Tower Wharf, and contemplates his part in the hopeless struggle to fire fight and save lives during the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Suzy: The hat that no-one wanted - no synopsis available
Tom: The Burning - no synopsis available
Mairead: Winter comfort - no synopsis available
Dick: The problem of the Poles
WW2 is recently won. Churchill is concerned about the injustice of Stalin’s present behaviour towards Germany. Over dinner with his wife Clemmie, Winston suggests that Britain might now need to go to war with Russia. Sparks fly, and he rapidly tries to persuade her that he is joking; but is he?
Dave: Introducing Speedway racing to Ipswich
The first motorcycle races in 1904; rejected attempts at Portman Road; racing at Cranes, Nacton Road; failure at a Bramford Road site; finally success on Foxhall Heath after a bizarre noise test.
An unbelievable 1931 wager between two Ipswich dirt track riders and flour-bombing pilots in an event at Dovercourt!
Barry: My shoebox of history - no synopsis available
Richard: In defence of Karl Marx
Marx was an academic made prominent by the times he lived through and vilified for what was done by others in his name. There is something to gain from reading his work: he gives us an opportunity to review the way society is organised and is still alive in his theories.
Jane: First kiss - no synopsis available
Next meeting: Tuesday 5 May, when the topic for 1000 word homework is ‘Sharing’
