Wednesday, 29th June 2011

There were 23 attending the meeting today including a new member, John Bartlet. I hope I got your name right John, and that you enjoy our get togethers.
Ian opened the meeting by saying he has emailed Nik to clarify the proposed sessions he was to run but so far has not had a reply.
John McGregor then read a guidance piece to illustrate "telling and showing" when writing an account.
Nicola began the reading session on the theme, "when all else fails". It began with an accountt of two girls on a night out and ended wiith the arrival of the police to advise of a suicide by one's husband. The group were of the opinion that the piece should have started with the arrival of the police and then the rest told in retrospect.
Stan then read a very moving poem about his journey to the pit and a subsequent  roof fall , causing loss of life.,
Douglas read a piece entitled "The Gardeners Tale" about a conversation overheard in a bar.T he gardener
is visited at his work by  the bored, lonely wife of his employer and there followed an amusing anology concerning his dibbler and planting seed.
Heather had written a piece about a wife who had obviously had a troubled childhood and did not want contact with her past life but her husband had contacted them without her knowledge. It made you want to know how it all turned out.
Brenda broke away from tradition by stageing a little playlet about a man at his wifes hospital bedside. The cast were John and Heather, John being so solicitous of his wife that he was told to stop whispering and speak up.Oh and perhaps Brenda didn't go so far off track, the woman dies.
Glynn wrote a sanitised version of the 15year old boy leaving home to enlist in the army in 1961. He still ogled the girl who got on the train though.
John M then reminisced about Aunty Glad, who wasn't his real aunt at all but a friend of his mothers. She really seemed to have been a lovely character.
Ann Flynn diidn't disappoint with her Funny Side of Suicide, about an imaginary pamphlet offering different ways of calling it a day, including tours to Beachy Head, Afghanistan or Mogadisha, all in the best possible
taste.
Next to read was Mary with a short poem about the writers circle.
Cheryl read another piece from ber proposed novel about Chloe. This was set in the dormitory of the convent boarding school, having midnight feasts and fearing expulsion which would mean a return to her parents.
Anne G then read her prose piece about a wonderful wedding where the brides mother's snobbery came back to haunt her.
The biggest laughs of the day were created by Avril with her tale of the search for a bathing suit, made for a real woman and not a stick insect.  Been there, done that Avril, but not as humerously.
There was not enough time for all to read, and so they will be first up next week, when the theme wiill be
writing a book or film review. See you then,Anne Grierson.                    
PS Chris I love last weeks picture.