October 2022 Meeting Minutes

Hightown Writers Workshop Meeting

Tuesday 25th October 2022

Meeting at Peepos Bridgnorth

Host: Jennie

Present: Tony, Jayne, Adam, Liz, Sue, John, Irena, Jennie, Alex, Jennie

Apologies: Marie, Martin, Andy, Stuart and Kath.

We had another lively evening with stimulating discussions prompted by our writing. We were especially pleased to welcome Irena and Tony and are very happy that Jayne likes us enough to keep coming.

We all agreed that, in future, we would start the meeting at 7pm.Peepos closed at 9.30pm tonight which meant we had to finish when we were not quite ready. I think if Peepos is quiet they can’t afford to stay open just for us.

I reminded everyone to go our HTW blog spot which Liz kindly manages, adding new posts weekly. Please also try to comment sometimes, it’s so good to get feedback and makes it all worthwhile. Check:

 hightownwriters.blogspot.com

We began with the task of creating a story or poem stimulated by a photo of a tombstone from the graveyard of the Lords Hill Baptist Chapel in Snailbeach village (apologies for incorrectly saying it was Stiperstone village) with the inscription:

IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF

JANE THE BELOVED WIFE OF

WILLIAM MORRIS (OF GALLIN)

WHO DIED AUG 12 1873

AGED 40 YEARS

 

WE CANNOT LORD THY PURPOSE SEE

BUT ALL IS WELL THAT’S DONE BY THEE 

It’s fascinating how everyone’s writing on the same theme is so varied. We only write for 10-15 minutes but if anyone prefers to sit out the activity they can feel free.

Irena surprised us with a wonderful rant, (perfectly read) from a badly treated Jane from the grave. She was furious at being called ‘Beloved wife’ – ‘Beloved wife’ indeed!

Jayne and Sue were interested and curious about the tombstone itself.

John questioned the nature of God and his existence and if he did exist, did he create men like Putin?

Alex gave us an interesting Haiku, a form of poetry he’s very good at.

Tony drew on the text on the stone to make possible interpretations of Jane’s life deciding they may not have had children as none were mentioned.

 Liz gave a lively account from William’s point of view; Jane and William had ten children but three of them died. So common in the Victorian era.

I told from Jane’s point of view of her reminiscences of her happy life with William and their children Mary and Albert.

Alex set the homework last month to write a haiku, ballad or sonnet on Autumn. There’s such a lot of talent in this group and the new additions have brought it in tons!

Irena is an outdoor person, born in Yorkshire and loves walking in the countryside. She wrote a haiku, slightly longer than the regular length with a sensitive and poetic description of her observations on an autumn walk along the canal where I imagine she often walks.

John said his work was ‘a statement’ describing his reptilian fear of poetry. He went on to justify his fear by describing the off-putting rules for writing a sonnet! He felt poetry was so often highbrow, pompous and technical. I felt inclined to agree and read an old poem of mine on the sonnet and iambic pentameter. Poetry can be so pedantic!

Sue wrote a beautiful Haiku on the colours of autumn and showed a photo of a stunning Sumac tree at the bottom of her garden in its autumn array.

Alex has posted his autumn haiku already on the blog so prematurely read his Halloween limerick instead. It was entertaining but I was very slow and didn’t quite register the final rhyming word’ lycanthropy’! If like me you have to check on the definition, here it is:

lycanthropy:  is the mythical transformation of a person into a wolf

Brilliant Alex!

Liz wrote a fascinating ‘Autumn Sonnet for 2022’ mentioning not only autumn’s glittering bronze and gold but also floods, hurricanes, swindlers blustering old falsehoods and news channels disgorging their different stories.

Liz also read an interesting older piece of writing on autumn in another country Such far-ranging autumns Liz, thank you.

Adam was prolific, writing a descriptive haiku on autumnal weather and a great ballad on the sleepy season. He had another one to read but we ran out of time so may see it on the blog and hear it next month.

Jayne chose her own mode for describing her encounter with autumn: a ditty! Beautifully done Jayne.

Tony wasn’t aware of the theme so read his short story called ‘Greater Love’. It was very touching and was of a woman married to a man she had met once when they were buying groceries. Then he became paralysed from the neck down and she became his ‘rock’. She still loved him but yearned to have a physical relationship and contact again. I found it sad. 

My poem was called Charred Autumn and recalled the miseries of the year:  the climate, the war in Ukraine, death of the Queen, and the pandemonium created by Liz and potentially Rishi? Quite miserable really! 

Next meeting: Tuesday 22 November 7.00pm Peepos

Host: Alex

Writing theme: 'TREASURE'

We have booked a Christmas meal at Peepos on Tuesday 13 December. Please let hightownwriters@gmail.com know if you would like to come. Please do!

Hope to see you and do come along and join our lively group if you haven’t done yet.

Jennie Hart