We are a long established Writers Circle based in Felixstowe, Suffolk. This Weblog will be about us, Writing, Writing Competitions, Writing in Felixstowe, life and generally what we are up to as a Group and individuals and what interests us.
We are based in Felixstowe but our membership comes both from a wide area within Suffolk and we also have many 'online' members from around the UK, Europe and the US.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Please note our New! contact address is scribblers@btinternet.com . Please note all previous email addresses are now defunct.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Proust on the novelists art....
"...none of the feelings which the joys or misfortunes of a 'real' person awaken in us can be awakened except through a mental picture of those joys or misfortunes; and the ingenuity of the first novelist lay in his understanding that, as the picture was the one essential element in the complicated structure of our emotions, so that simplification of it which consisted in the suppression, pure and simple, of 'real' people would be a decided improvement.
A 'real' person, profoundly as we may sympathise with him, is in a great measure perceptible only through our senses, that is to say, he remains opaque, offers a dead weight which our sensibilities have not the strength to lift.
If some misfortune comes to him, it is only in one small section of the complete idea we have of him that we are capable of feeling any emotion; indeed it is only in one small section of the complete idea he has of himself that he is capable of feeling any emotion either.
The novelist's happy discovery was to think of substituting for those opaque sections, impenetrable by the human spirit, their equivalent in immaterial sections, things, that is, which the spirit can assimilate to itself."
Our next meeting will be the AGM Tuesday January 9th
Hello Scribblers!
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and you are all looking forward to a better, happier and prosperous New Year.
A reminder that our two January meetings will be on Tuesdays January 9th and 23rd at the Library starting at 7.30pm. Our February meetings will revert to the normal sequence of the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Our next meeting will be the AGM (on the 9th Jan). There will be a brief report of our 2006 activities followed by a discussion on the future of our group. Are you happy with the format of the meetings? Would you like to see a change? Is there anything new that you would like the Scribblers to do? Anything we should participate in? And of the committee? Will it remain the same or will there be changes?
You will not have received a report of the last meeting yet, this will follow next week with an agenda for the AGM,
Looking forward to seeing you there so, until then,
"The Felixstowe Scribblers and Online Scribblers have produced a tribute to their youngest member, Jack Wilkinson, who sadly died earlier this year, aged 12 years. The Scribblers have compiled the collection of their own poems, short stories and memories of Jack, along with a number of pieces he had written himself as a talented writer. The booklet has a moving introduction by Jack's mother Caz Wilkinson, who is also a member of the Scribblers."
"Get a magazine Get a free RaW magazine featuring articles, quizzes and a £1 voucher towards a Quick Reads book. Get some advice You can call to get confidential, one to one advice for free (from landlines).Find your local RaW centre You can find out where your local RaW centre or library is and get even more from RaW. Games and Quizzes Have a go at our interactive games or try your hand at some of our challenging quizzes."
"The man widely reported as having been arrested today in connection with the murder of five prostitutes in Ipswich has received unprecedented media exposure, after giving interviews to the Sunday Mirror and the BBC before his arrest. Tom Stephens, the man named in a series of reports as being the 37-year-old arrested at his home near Felixstowe, in Suffolk, early this morning, also has his own MySpace page."
Felixstowe TV: Trimley Man Arrested: "A 37-year-old man was arrested at his Trimley home this morning at around 7:20am on suspicion of murdering the five women Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls. He is in custody at a police station in Suffolk where he will be questioned later today. Police have said they are unlikely to reveal any more details today. "
From the hard hitting and thought provoking article....
'They risk their lives, for their lives are worth so little.
It is no surprise that Ipswich is the second cheapest place in the country to score crack. Look at the geography. Nearby are the huge ports of Harwich and Felixstowe, once a faded resort where I played in rock pools but now a massive and weirdly empty container dock.
As the old farming methods died in Suffolk and prairie farms took over, fewer farm labourers were required. Out in the villages, the boys who would have been pig farmers became junkies. I knew some of them. They are now dead.
Some high-tech industries moved in, but there was always an undercurrent of violence in the town centre on a Saturday night, as in so many market towns. Mini-riots, fights in which boys might lose an eye, were common. These things go unreported.'
Well the last meeting of the year will be held this coming Tuesday, 19th December at Felixstowe Library.
Hi Scribblers,
Well the last meeting of the year will be held this coming Tuesday, 19th December at Felixstowe Library. The meeting will start at 7.30 as usual but the format will be a little different to usual. The first half of the meeting will be open for short pieces of work preferably on the festive season before being followed by a "social" end to the evening.
You are of course invited to bring along some snacks or 'goodies' before we wind up proceedings for 2006.
The thing that preys on our minds at this time is the terrible situation of the murders of the five young women and I would ask that you take every precaution to arrive at the meeting safely, preferably accompanied, and that you all get home safely afterwards. I am certain that lifts can be arranged if necessary.
Until Tuesday when I hope you will be able to attend,
"The fast-changing investigation into the Suffolk prostitute murders left police shaken yesterday.
As they struggled to keep up with developments coming in by the hour, it emerged one of the woman believed to have been killed took part in a chilling television interview just days before she vanished.
Paula Clennell, whose body was believed to have been one of those found yesterday, gave an interview to ITV Anglia last Tuesday saying she was prepared to dice with danger by going back on the streets because 'I need the money'.
She headed back to Ipswich's red-light district amid concerns that a serial killer was on the loose.
In the interview, which was broadcast on ITV News last night, Ms Clennell said the killings had made her 'a bit wary about getting into cars' but she would probably still do it, anyway.
She had spotted there were fewer men and girls around, probably because of the police presence. 'The girls are probably wary about coming out now,' she said.
Yesterday, the officer leading the murder inquiry, Detective Chief Superintendent Stewart Gull, was addressing journalists at a Suffolk Police press conference on investigations after the discovery of a third prostitute's body on Sunday when he delivered the 'breaking news' that the bodies of two other missing women had been found.
The bodies of five prostitutes have been discovered in the area within the past 10 days. All were found close to the A14, which links the Suffolk port of Felixstowe with the Midlands.
After yesterday's find, one of the biggest police manhunts in the UK since Soham schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were killed in 2004 got under way in an area previously hailed as 'the safest county in the country' thanks to low crime levels. More than 100 officers are now involved in the "
"British detectives hunting a serial killer who preys on prostitutes discovered two more bodies Tuesday, police said, bringing the total number of victims to five.
``We can only fear the worst,'' Detective Chief Superintendent Stewart Gull of Suffolk police said. ``The natural assumption is that these are the two missing women.'' "
Apologies for absence: Gordon, Lesley, Judy and Christine..
In attendance were Tony, Dick, Ken, Ruth, Debra, Alex, Barry, Scott, Les, Zoe, Morag, Tricia, Peter, Liliane, Kay and Dave.
Owing to continuing computer problems this report will be rather briefer than usual. Hopefully services will return to normal in the New Year.
MEMBER’S NEWS: A warm welcome back to Scott who has been dancing his Tuesdays away over the past weeks. Although he is back with us now, it will only be for a short time as his next dancing course begins in January.
Also back into the fold is Peter after a long spell relaxing on a sunshine holiday somewhere on the Iberian Peninsular.
Both Judy and Christine were unable to attend whilst Lesley is spending the week in Paris and is likely to also miss the next meeting because of an engagement in London.
Gordon has sent his sincerest apologies that he will no longer be able to attend the Scribblers. The new style entrepreneur is setting up some poker schools at various local pubs and on Tuesday evenings he has appointments at the Man In The Moon in Ipswich. Whilst we wish him every success, Gordon and his wonderful sense of humour portrayed in so many of his stories, will be a great loss to the group
It was a surprise for Dave to be accosted in Lowestoft by our original Ken, Ken May who was such a valuable member of the scriptwriting team last year. Ken’s business Genesis Crystals is booming at this special time of the year whilst his job is also going well. Unfortunately his writing has taken a back seat at present although he does keep his hand in from time to time. He sends his best wishes to everyone for Christmas and the New Year.
Former Secretary Marilyn Lamond, Dave’s predecessor, sends her best wishes for Christmas to the Scribblers new and old. She had another change of address and now resides in Dudley in the West Midlands although along with husband Steve they still own a property in Spain which they hope to sell during 2007.
Extracts from the tribute to Jack that was written for the website, have been published in the January edition of Writers’ News.
MEMBERS ACTIVITIES
Bill Budner Short Story Competition.
The competition is now being launched on behalf of Maureen Budner in memory of her husband Bill, a member of the Scribblers and a well loved character in the area. The competition open for a fictional short story inspired by ‘The Sea’ and should be no more than 2,000 words. Free to enter this will be open to all with separate awards for children of 16 and under at the closing date. All entries should be handed in or posted to staff at Felixstowe Library.
Felixstowe Library staff will produce a short list of entries and Maureen will select the winning entries. The closing date is on Friday 2nd March.
There will be prizes valued £25, £15 and £10 for the best three entries in both categories.
The latest news from Felixstowe TV about their next film is that there is to be an early years meeting that will finally discuss the project. There are elements from all the entries sent in by the Felixstowe Scribblers that they like and all our waiting for a decision will soon be worthwhile.
Those two old characters Bill and Bert from the Lost Sock have now been filmed for a short clip on the Felixstowe TV Advent calendar that will appear in the last days before Christmas. The scriptwriting wasn’t the problem – but remembering the lines was!
The winner of the autumn competition has now been announced – surpisingly after all the excellent entries it was an embarrassed Dave who came out on top. A new competition has been launched and details will be found on the website.
Don’t forget to keep up to date by logging onto the weblog where information and news will be displayed. If you have any news, views or items that you would like included then please email them to Alex and myself. Currently most postings will have to be undertaken by Alex.
THE PLATFORM
Very brief again – with apologies.
1,500 word open theme assignments
Tricia : Storms : The wind blew through the house. Lights failed. She made her way to the shed for a light but panicked in the darkness and then… A really gripping story well written story.
Barry :Fobbing : Set in childhood days in the Essex village, a vivid tale of reminiscences from the Spitfires through to a snake. An interesting story full of fact that held interest throughout.
500 word themed assignments on Christmas.
Scott : Probably The Best Christmas Story Ever : Everything went wrong for Santa Claus – his elves on strike…
Alex : Family Chess : A new genre from Alex, a poem about a family at Christmas,
Liliane :After the Feast : The feast in Belgium is on Xmas Eve, and this related the story on the morning after in the renowned family series.
Tony : The Summering : Another tale of Santa Claus and the elves and their payments..
Zoe : Christmas : A lovely poem on Christmas, written in a very simple but endearing way,
Peter : Sitting Present : The story of an embarrassed boy unable to tell the girl in the Love household that he liked her...
Ken : Christmas : Jim’s father died. He was a bastard, but a wonderful bastard. Descriptive dialogue once again.
Kay : Once In Royal David’s City : A biblical tale set in modern troublesome times in Bethlehem. Suggested this be submitted as a Christmas story to one of the national newspapers.
Les : Santa’s Beard : Uncle Arthur was a vagrant, appointed as a Father Christmas at a store but fired for being late and being unshaven!! A true tale.
Ruth : A Christmas Tale : In the kitchen with the in-laws and the children making Xmas so very special for the poor hardworking mother.
Dick : A Christmas Miracle : A six week old baby with pneumonia and not expected to survive until that mysterious nurse and her two helpers arrived..
Dave : Krishmus : An office party tale…
As the meeting was overrunning it was not possible to read out Gordon’s work that he submitted by email. It is hoped this will be read out at our final meeting of the year.
THE NEXT MEETING :Tuesday 17th December, at 7.30pm at Felixstowe Library.
This meeting will take the form of two halves – the first half with short readings of work on any seasonal subject. The second half will be more of a social event when we hope you may like to bring along a few ‘nibbles’ and maybe a non-alcoholic drink as some of us have to drive home!
Future meetings:
We have agreed with the Library a slight change in our usual sequence of meetings in JANUARY only. The two meetings will be held on 9th and 23rd January before reverting to the established first and third Tuesdays of the month in February.
The AGM will be held on Tuesday 9th January and you are invited to submit items for inclusion on the Agenda.
Serving Felixstowe, Ipswich and Woodbridge areas. Information Free Ads: yes its a free Classifieds adverts section to buy & sell items. Gig Guide: Find out what Gigs are playing in your area. Support Local Music. Events Guide: Find out Whats On near you, Information on local Events happening in Ipswich, Felixstowe and Woodbridge areas. Advertisers: Advertising Business Directory with links to their websites. News Feeds: local and National News. Here you will find a collection of news feeds from various sources. Weather & Tides: Local Weather and Tide Tables for Felixstowe Pier. Port Shipping: here is a list, of the ships that are due into the Port of Felixstowe."
Christmas: the next meeting is Tuesday 5th December.
Just a quick reminder that the next meeting will be on Tuesday 5th December at the Felixstowe Library, starting at 7.30 pm. Thew homework subject is Christmas, or at any rate something for this time of the year.
Interested? Then why not join us at one of our meetings?
We meet on the First and Third Tuesday of each month at the Felixstowe Library in Crescent Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7BY., meetings start at 7.30 pm and we endeavour to be finished by 10pm.
The New!2009 programme is:-
All meetings are held at Felixstowe Library
Start at 7.30 pm and finish by 10.00 pm.
Suggested 50 pence donation per meeting, includes tea or coffee
January
20 Bill Budner Trophy – Anonymous competition for attending writers only
24 Social meal at Castle Lodge Hotel
25 Group session with Maureen Blundell at Castle Lodge Hotel
February
3 Meeting
17 Meeting
March
3 Meeting
17 Creative writing exercise
April
7 Meeting
21 Meeting
May
5 Meeting
19 Bill Budner Trophy – Anonymous competition for attending writers only
June
2 Meeting
16 Meeting
Beach Party Social to be arranged June/July
July
7 Meeting
21 Creative writing exercise
August
4 Meeting
18 Meeting
September
1 Meeting
15 Bill Budner Trophy – Anonymous competition for attending writers only
October
6 Meeting
20 Torchlight Halloween Meeting
November
3 Meeting
17 Meeting
December
1 Meeting
15 Creative writing exercise followed by the Christmas party.
Remember, membership is FREE, so why not come along? We ask for an optional donation of 50p per meeting to help towards running costs but that does include tea or coffee and a biscuit!
New!IMPORTANT - you can help.....do you know information or content that would help other readers of the Felixstowe Scribblers Weblog?...mail us at Dave Feakes, scribblers@btinternet.com with your comments, additions and suggestions TA! The Scribblers.
Sponsored Links
The Felixstowe Scribblers are an initiative created with the support of Suffolk County Council to help, support and encourage writers living in Suffolk.
Hi Scribblers,
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