Minutes of Scribblers meeting held on Tuesday 17 March 2015

Present: Dave, Beryl, Liliane, Richard, Suzy, Tony, Mairéad, Cathy

Apologies: Barry, Tom, Gerry, Dick, Jane, Caz

Notes from Dave:

It was really nice to welcome Mairéad back to Scribblers after what seems a long time. She called in to see Les, along with Dick, on his first afternoon in Felixstowe Hospital after his transfer from Ipswich. Les apparently has a 22” pin in his leg which must be very uncomfortable for him.

We have had an email from our very talented writer Hattie who says she has returned from her job in Austria, after having a skiing accident that resulted in her being unable to continue in her work. It was soft tissue damage to the elbow (luckily not the arm that she writes with!), but after a few weeks at home she’s fortunately on the mend and says she would love to return to Scribblers! We hope to see her with us very soon and wish her a full recovery.

Richard volunteered to go along to BBC Radio Suffolk one Sunday to review the papers. Jon Wright of the radio station is aware and will liaise with Richard to arrange a date.

Regarding the Felixstowe Book Festival, Dave met Ed Broom – winner of last year’s short story competition – to work out a plan for the Flash Fiction event that Ed and the Scribblers will organise. We have an agreed slot of 2-3pm on Saturday 27^th June which, incidentally, is National Flash Fiction Day. Although we have pooled our ideas we may need to do some fine tuning. Ed has been very helpful and will also be there on the day to help with the organisation. This will take place in the Big Room at the Orwell, and this is where we will be situated too. Watch this space for further news of the event.

Don’t forget that Ruth’s book launch will be in the Library on Saturday 11^th April at 7pm. Her new book, Humber Boy B is likely to be another top seller. Please let Debra at the Library know if you are going to attend – this is to ensure there is sufficient wine available.

Here's a website that might interest you... The writers hub which can be found herehttp://www.writershub.co.uk/news.php

New writing group in Felixstowe: 

The new group, Orwell Writers, is going to be held twice monthly at the Orwell Hotel, between 2 and 4 on Thursday afternoons.  Currently the hotel is allowing free use of a room, so the only cost to anyone attending is the purchase of tea/coffee to be enjoyed during the session.  The main thrust of this new group is in getting together to focus on enjoying stimulating and thought provoking writing exercises and activities during each meeting. For any members who wish it, there will also be the opportunity at the beginning of each meeting for a group review of individual work that has been brought in to share.

Cathy, Suzy and Richard, along with another writer who cannot attend evening sessions, had a trial run on 12^th March, and now that they are confident that the above format works, are keen to invite new members to join them.  In the first instance, anyone interested needs to contact Cathy to check session dates. Either by phone (01394 275542) or email (catherine.stafford1@ntlworld.com). Regular attendance isn’t essential. We hope to keep attendances to an average of ten/twelve at a time, so that those there can get the most from the meetings, but if anyone wants to just drop in to give it a try, or come along occasionally when they happen to be free, then that would be great! Feel free, too, to get in contact if you’d just like to know a bit more in general.

Creative writing  - four word exercise:

This is always a challenge, and this time was no exception!  Everyone set to, and spent thirty minutes writing a piece that contained all four of their selected words.  There was a fair bit of muttering and groaning at the start, (which was understandable, given some of the word combinations below!), but the end result was eight very different, well rounded pieces of work, all of them interesting, and some of them funny enough to have all of us laughing from start to finish.

Several members freely admitted to not enjoying this particular writing challenge, but agreed that they always find it useful, if only for the fact that having to complete a piece of work in thirty minutes is good for focussing the mind!

Words:

Suzy: glazing, detected, skimpy, nice

Tony: braked, spirits, fun, darkest

Dave: container, love, resplendent, fall (Titled ‘And the wind blew’)

Cathy: amaze, corner, earth, inconclusive

Richard: sunset, celebrity, window, horrific

Liliane: installation, parachute, escalate, horticulture

Beryl: evolution, archaic, service, pickle

Mairéad: precedent, affluent, pasture, awesome (Titled ‘The morning the President died’)                                                                    

Next meeting: Tuesday 7^th April, when the topic for the 1000 word homework is ‘Horticulture’, 

Worth a look - The Writershub...

This site looks interesting and possibly worth further investigation...

http://www.writershub.co.uk/news.php

Our creative writing meeting

Although a number of members were missing for this meeting, those who attended produced some thought provoking words and some excellent short stories in the 30 allocated minutes. For most this is an enjoyable exercise and certainly helps the thought processes and creativity under a strict time limit.

All in all this was a really good meeting and one that kept everyone interested to the very end.

The news on Les is that Mairéad called in to see him today at Felixstowe Hospital and he still remains cheerful despite his problems. Let's hope he improves especially now he's nearer home.

Our next meeting is in three weeks time, Tuesday 7th April when the homework assignment will be up to 1,000 words on Horticulture or any aspect of it.

Until then, 

Keep Scribbling!!!

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2015: Call for Entries

I am delighted to announce that the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is open for entries. Now in its eighth year, the Prize is an internationally renowned award presented by Aesthetica Magazine that enables emerging and established writers to showcase their work to new, international audiences.

Judged by industry experts including Arifa Akbar, literary editor of The Independent and inewspapers, the prize awards £500 to each winner in Short Fiction and Poetry as well as publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual, a compelling anthology of new writing.

This is a great opportunity for budding and established writers at Felixstowe Scribblers.

Please find some copy below to share this with your network.

Facebook/ Website/ Enewsletter

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award is open for submissions. Now in its eighth year, the award is an internationally renowned prize presented by Aesthetica Magazine and judged by industry experts including Arifa Akbar, literary editor ofThe Independent. Prizes include £500 and publication in an anthology of new writing, giving you the chance to showcase your work to a wider, international audience.

Prizes include:

• £500 Poetry winner
• £500 Short Fiction winner
• Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
• One year subscription to Granta
• Selection of books courtesy of Bloodaxe and Vintage
• Complimentary copy of the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual

There are two categories for entry: Short Fiction (maximum length 2,000 words each) and Poetry (maximum length 40 lines each).

Deadline for submissions is 31 August 2015. Entry is £15 plus VAT.

To enter, visit www.aestheticamagazine.com/creativewriting

Twitter

Writers: enter your #poetry #shortfiction to @AestheticaMag Creative #Writing Awar to win #publication & morehttp://tinyurl.com/ckktess

Images can be downloaded from www.aestheticamagazine.com/creativewritingor you can contact me.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

Best wishes,
Alexandra

Alexandra Beresford

Marketing Coordinator

Aesthetica Magazine

PO Box 371

York

YO23 1WL

alexandra@aestheticamagazine.com

www.aestheticamagazine.com

Follow @AestheticaMag

We hope your organisation would like to stay informed about the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award. However, to unsubscribe from our mailing list pleaseclick here

Update on Les

Caz has informed me that Les is being transferred to Felixstowe Hospital today. There are no other details at present.

Dave

The Spa Pavilion

Posted on Facebook today by Chris Gosling... something very positive about our beloved Spa Pavilion :

Here's what's happening at the Spa Pavilion - here's the press release:

Felixstowe’s iconic Spa Pavilion is now in new hands and is set to re-open later this year.
Negotiations have been completed with the preferred bidder for Felixstowe’s Spa Pavilion and their plans are at an advanced stage.
Contracts now in place will see the new arrangement come into force on 15 May 2015, delayed until then to enable to nearby works to the historic Seafront Gardens to move away from the Theatre and Car Park.
The new owner, NRG Theatres, is to hold an informal event at the Spa to introduce themselves, launch their plans and engage with the community and other interested parties on 5th June 2015, between 11am and 1pm.
NRG has been formed specifically to save The Spa, and whilst it has already secured sufficient financial backing to refurbish the building it also wishes to work closely with local theatre groups and other community ventures to put The Spa on to a sustainable commercial footing. The aim of the venture is to act as a catalyst in the regeneration of the theatre, partnering with all groups able to create productions which will fill the auditorium.
The exciting plans for the Spa include a cosmetic refurbishment of the front of house, kitchen, bar & restaurant areas to enable a short summer season of touring events and the re-opening of full restaurant and bar facilities, in partnership with a well-known caterer.
This will be followed by a full refurbishment of the auditorium and back of house areas, designed to enable the production of a wide-ranging program of theatre and entertainment later in 2016. NRG Theatres intends to include both local and national theatre alongside music and comedy. It has pledged to work closely with the various interested local groups to ensure that, as far as possible, their needs can be accommodated by the business plan. More information on the NRG team and plans will be unveiled at the event on 5 June.
Ray Anderson, Chief Executive of NRG Theatres said: “We have been working with the Council for several months to find a solution which will enable our backers to invest the required funds to allow us to restore the Spa to its heyday.”
“Although the theatre equipment is now very out-dated, we are confident that we can deliver the refurbishments, enhancements and contacts needed to attract the calibre of entertainment which will fill the theatre. We really look forward to working energetically with the local community to drive this project to completion.”
Suffolk Coastal District Council confirmed that the arrangements had been complex to negotiate, due to the out-dated nature of many of the fixtures and fittings in the Spa and the Council’s wish that it remain as a theatre but without any burden on local taxpayers.

Although the precise terms of the arrangement remain confidential, Suffolk Coastal will not be required to invest any of the money needed to restore the theatre to full operation.

Cllr Geoff Holdcroft, Suffolk Coastal’s cabinet member with responsibility for Planning, whose portfolio includes the theatre, said: “I am extremely pleased that NRG Theatres Ltd is taking on Spa Pavilion Theatre and look forward to seeing a rejuvenation of the building under its new ownership.”

“Over the past two years, there have been a number of critics who have suggested that the Council demolish the theatre. I am delighted that our belief and perseverance has finally produced a result which I hope residents and visitors to Felixstowe, as well as the wider district can support.”
If you would like an invitation to the launch event, or wish to find out more about the opportunities for local theatre productions, please contact Ray Anderson at ray.anderson@spapavilion.net by 18th May.

Our next meeting and other items...

Hello Scribblers...

I called in to see Les earlier in the week and am glad to say he seemed quite cheerful despite all the problems he has faced recently. I know others have either seen him or have promised to visit. His anticipated stay in Needham Ward is likely to be a long one so, if you can, I am sure he would love to see you. Visiting is from 2pm to 7pm.

Our next meeting is rapidly approaching. This will be on Tuesday 17th March at 7.30pm. It will be one of our four word creative writing sessions which I hope you will come along and enjoy. Please bring along four words on a separate small slip of paper and drop them into the hat ready for the fun to begin!

One of our 'lucky' members could be invited along to Radio Suffolk to be a Sunday Morning paper reviewer! All you would have to have cup of tea or instant coffee, sit on a sofa and skim through the big pile of Sunday papers from which you would need to select four or five articles which would then be discussed on air for aound thirty minutes (7.30-8.00am). If you are interested then please let me know!

A message from Debra Rowe at the Library: You may have  heard of author Ruth Dugdall is launching her new novel, Humber Boy B, here at Felixstowe Library on Saturday 11 April at 7pm.  As you may know this has been chosen as the Festival Read this year at Felixstowe Book Festival where Ruth will be making an appearance.  I am delighted to report that  five book groups who use the library will be reading her new book before the end of June. Regardless of whether you will be reading it as a group or even if you are coming to the Festival you are all invited to attend Ruth's book launch. Ruth is very approachable and an excellent speaker.  This is a free event where Ruth will give an introduction and read from her new book and will do a book signing.  Books will be available to purchase on the night. You don't need a ticket but if you could let me know if you are intending to come by 4th April I can pass numbers on to Ruth so she knows how much wine to bring! Family and friends are welcome too. 

Our details on the IPscene Community Website have recently been updated and can be found at  http://www.ipscene.co.uk/writing/#felixstowescribblers A poster explaining everything they can help with will be available at the meeting.

Keep Scribbling!