March 2021 - Zoom Meeting

Sign of the Times ... March 2021, Hightown.

 Tuesday 23^rd March  2021 by ZOOM

Attendees: Marie – Scribe; Jennie - Chair, Liz, Martin, Adam, Sue, John

Apologies from Kath and Andy - both tied up in interviews. Good Luck! See you in April.

The meeting started with a memory of Geoffrey Speechly who died last week and was writing to the end. He will be missed.

Jenny read a poem which Geoffrey had written London Spring.

Liz gave an update on the Blog. 235 posts have been made to date. 158 comments.  World wide log-ins including Romania and USA, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Nigeria, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Pakistan, Yemen, Finland, France, Austria etc.

Liz said it might be a good idea to further publicise the group and blog; comment on the blog and archive our writing; incentivise writing and focus when we can meet face to face.

We need to send more pieces to Liz and John’s songs will be welcome.

Martin suggests advertising on one of his publications. Adam suggested the Writers’ Yearbook.

At 8pm we held a minute’s silence for all the people who have died in the last twelve months.

Martin read Midnight Seamstress, a heart-breaking poem he wrote about someone dying on a Covid ward.

Martin suggested us recording our work and putting sound links onto the blog. We need a good microphone.

The exercise was to describe a character so that the listener can gain a good idea of their character, without describing what they look like.

Marie described someone with eyes in the back of her head, eyes wide open with excitement and ready to pounce on someone if they appear exciting enough. This was Lizzie, her mad cat.

Adam read about Millie, one of his cats, and the way she looks at him, making him smile.

Sue read about a school pupil of hers at school called Storm, calling Sue Grandma.

John read about a good friend who was dyslexic and scatty. She had a mnomic for Malcolm Arnold as milk and almonds.

Martin read a poem about someone on the TV who blithers and blathers   - Boris Johnson.

Marie read about her mad cat Lizzie.

Liz read about a resident of a tourist area who talks to their dog whilst out walking about the resentment felt for holiday-makers who in fact are the person's and the area's bread and butter.

Jennie read about someone with quiet dignity, eyes full of warmth, a wry sense of humour – her husband John.

Kay read about someone looking miserable in a group of people, exploding at everyone at the end.

The writing theme for March was Belonging.

Jennie read Marie’s old piece from at least four years ago My Extra Wide Shoes, about being young with six- inch heels, and mum forewarning she would have extra wide, comfort fit shoes before she was 60. She was right.

Adam about the Yorkshire Dales – Settle to Carlisle train and described the beautiful scenery – fells and heathland, crossing the border into Cumbria, ending in The Marches.

Sue re-worked a poem she wrote recently called I’m a Wulfrunian, Wolverhampton initially known for its wool. Queen Victoria pulled down the blinds in her carriage on the train however received a rapturous welcome.

John sang a beautiful and descriptive song about him feeling he belongs to live by the sea, called Pebble Song and was joined by his cat. Pebbles washed in the tide, blown by the wind and bleached in the sun.

Martin read Why am I here? Each one of us belongs. We all have a place. When we set off on a journey we like to know where we are going, sometimes the route isn’t clear and we are diverted. The journey is life itself, the end point when we die. The atoms of our physicality are re-purposed for another use.

Liz read a poem about standing at a crossroads, with all the memories of smells. Later at other crossroads; with grit in the wind, she leaves everything behind and takes another way. After a storm  with machine gun rain, the scents after the rain remind her of what she left behind.

Kay read part of her father’s memoir in 1983 on a nostalgia trip in Holten Overijssel  on the Dutch border with Germany. The house Kay, her brother and parents lived in now has a well-tended garden and well-maintained house. They knocked on the door, no-one in, so left a note and moved on to a war cemetery which her father helped build. The villagers are allocated graves to tend. A reporter interviewed Kay and family. Kay will always feel a relationship to the Netherlands.

Jennie read called Cow Cat about Gilbert who loved his garden and believed that people are what they eat and about a cat that his son had knocked over in his car and buried it in his allotment. The next day Gilbert found that the poor cat had been dug up, probably by a fox so he dig a deeper hole. The following day the cat had been dug up again. Reader – you must read the whole story to learn the poor cat’s fate.

Kay read a poem The Pebble about penguins giving a pebble to their intended as a symbol of love, and someone giving a pebble as a symbol of love.

John sang a beautiful but sad song about dolphins leaping high, moonbeams in the sky. It was partly inspired when in the night Cardigan Bay was lit up by moonlight.

Martin played a recording of a poem accompanied by relevant sounds – motorbikes, sirens, and music. Brilliant.

Martin read a cinematic trailer for ‘Katama Bay’ his forthcoming novel.

The meeting next month will be on 28^th April 7.30 pm, probably by Zoom. Adam to chair.

The theme for April’s writing is Freedom.